Multi fuel stove position?

[Chox]

I have noticed that the majority of boats have their stove at one end of the boat. Why not in the middle? Surely this would heat the cabin space more efficiently?

[Neil Smith]

We have fitted ours roughly in the middle which happens to be at the end of the saloon.

 

Neil

[MyLady]

Ours is at the opposite end to the outside: like you I thought that would be best, unfortunately that puts it right next to the fridge! We've replaced the stove with a Boatman with a back-boiler to heat the water and that acts as a heat-sink so we're no longer heating the fridge as much.

 

My point is that this isn't a single issue problem...

 

Roger

[Neil Smith]

Ours is next to the head so hopefully keep me warm when in the bath.

 

Neil

[bottle]

I have noticed that the majority of boats have their stove at one end of the boat. Why not in the middle? Surely this would heat the cabin space more efficiently?

 

You would think so but that is not always the case, it does depend on where and how it is fitted 'in the middle'. (air circulation)

 

Ours is at the front left corner (looking forward) and the temperature gradient is perfect for us as we do not like a warm bedroom.

[Québec]

Agree with bottle.

We couldn't put ours in the middle even if we wanted to. It'd be right in the middle of the kitchen, where our table is, and we'd or probably end up burning ourselves walking past it.

 

It also depends how you use your boat.

We live in the front (kitchen and bathroom in middle, bedroom at back), so don't really need the stove to heat the bedroom, though some heat does get through. In winter we actually have a curtain across the narrow middle corridor to keep the heat in the front (living room and kitchen), and remove it just before we go to bed and I stand in the front with a newspaper wafting the heat towards the bedroom.

Edited June 6, 2015 by Québec

[Paul C]

I have noticed that the majority of boats have their stove at one end of the boat. Why not in the middle? Surely this would heat the cabin space more efficiently?

 

You're right, the most sensible place is in the middle, with some caveats:

 

1) Unwise next to the fridge or freezer

2) Not in a location you'd be constantly bumping into it.

[Chox]

Hmmm..... interesting replies, thank you. What about the practicality of re-fuelling? I would imagine that near one end (front) would help keep things a little cleaner, not having to carry coal all the way through the boat?

[Paul C]

I don't think it would make a massive difference.

[Mike Tee]

Put it on the left side, that way if you forget to remove it going through a tunnel, and meet somebody coming the other way, your chimney will not be in danger of catching the tunnel arch.

If you ricochet through tunnels, this will not help you.

 

eta - if the stove will go in the middle (fore and aft and side to side) so much the better.

Edited June 6, 2015 by Mike Tee

[bottle]

Put it on the left side, that way if you forget to remove it going through a tunnel, and meet somebody coming the other way, your chimney will not be in danger of catching the tunnel arch.

If you ricochet through tunnels, this will not help you.

 

eta - if the stove will go in the middle (fore and aft and side to side) so much the better.

 

Again you would think so but one boat I know has it fitted that way and one end of the boat is to hot and the other end freezing cold.

 

Ho- Hum