Looking to buy 50ft boat no stove eberspacher heating only

[me1bee]

HI, looking for a bit of advice. How cold would it be in a 50ft boat with no stove? the wife is always cold so she is concerned about this. Anyone have any experience?

Cheers

[Laurie Booth]

Very cold.

[sueb]

Eberspachers are noisy. Just saying

[OldGoat]

If a liveaboard - then 'unpleasant' to 'very'

 

Any form of eberspacher type heating creases some noise and is likely to have problems is the unit continually cycles once the boat is warm.

They also consume an amount of electrical power - so battery charging regimes must be considered.

 

A stove will keep most of the boat toasty.

 

More details of your needs would help folks to be more specific

[Markinaboat]

Find a boat you like and fit or have fitted a small stove. You won't look back!

[Athy]

Eberspachers (we have one) are very efficient when they work. But sometimes they won't light (for example if the batteries are not fully charged). So you would be prudent to have a second source of heat, just in case.

As for noise, more outside than in. When we're in our saloon at the front of the boat, we can't hear the 'spacher working at the back.

[johnnie1uk]

I would definitely get a multifuel stove, the option of solid fuel, for keeping the fire burning overnight.

[Delta9]

For an alternative viewpoint. When I was looking for a boat, everyone told me that a multifuel stove was a must for a liveaboard. I bought a boat with a stove and now I never use it.

[alan_fincher]

There are of course alternatives to a solid fuel stove that don't have to be Eberspaachers, or similar.

 

You can have much simpler drip fed diesel boilers, which are silent, and don't need power. The downside, as I understand it, is that they are less fuel efficient than the Ebers, so you may burn more diesel.

 

Diesel heating is usually reckoned to be considerably more expensive to run than solid fuel, but I am not convinced solid fuel prices are falling to match the tumbling prices of red diesel, so comparisons of costs may have changed very substantially in recent times.

[John V]

However good a form of central heating you have, a solid fuel stove is a very nice thing to have. It may be psychological but just looking at a cheerful glow is warming.

[peterboat]

There are of course alternatives to a solid fuel stove that don't have to be Eberspaachers, or similar.

 

You can have much simpler drip fed diesel boilers, which are silent, and don't need power. The downside, as I understand it, is that they are less fuel efficient than the Ebers, so you may burn more diesel.

 

Diesel heating is usually reckoned to be considerably more expensive to run than solid fuel, but I am not convinced solid fuel prices are falling to match the tumbling prices of red diesel, so comparisons of costs may have changed very substantially in recent times.

if burning kero i would think it might be cheaper now to run a diesel stove than a multi fuel. heating oil bought in bulk is through the floor

[Neil Smith]

You shouldn't run an eber or webo all day, they should only be run for a couple of hours in the morning and evening,

 

Neil

[alan_fincher]

if burning kero i would think it might be cheaper now to run a diesel stove than a multi fuel. heating oil bought in bulk is through the floor

 

Yes, but I guess if we are talking typical 50 foot narrow boat, ability to store kero bought in bulk might be limited. Even having a separate tank for engine diesel and for heating oils seems quite rare, unless it is a very modern boat where that has been specified in the build.

[Graham Davis]

You shouldn't run an eber or webo all day, they should only be run for a couple of hours in the morning and evening,

 

Neil

 

Justification?

Evidence?

[Neil Smith]

Its what NMEA told me when he fitted it, cant remember the exact reason but along the lines they were only designed as an hgv cab heater and not full time central heating that you are asking them to do on a boat, he may be along later to give a proper explanation.

 

Neil

[johnmck]

We have found our Lockgate brilliant. And no fuel storage issues or dust is a bonus.

 

http://www.lockgate.com/products/marinestoves/visibleflame/refleks2000/

[RufusR]

You shouldn't run an eber or webo all day, they should only be run for a couple of hours in the morning and evening,

 

Neil

 

this , we considered a no stove boat when we were looking to buy , several people told me you didnt need it with webos etc luckily we were beaten to the boat by others as if living aboard in this current weather I think I would be abandoning boating if I didnt have my squirrel , Webs etc are only really designed to run to warm up the boat they are not like a home boiler and run on a advanced controllers to maintain the heat . One problem I have heard of is they coke up with continual use . we use ours in morning and evening for an hour or so to warm the boat then the squirrel takes over and keeps it all toasty

 

If you missus feels the cold like mine then going without a stove could end in divorce esp in this weather .. mrs R sits in front of squirrel even when heating on as well , in fleece and blanket .. i am in T -shirt lol

Its what NMEA told me when he fitted it, cant remember the exact reason but along the lines they were only designed as an hgv cab heater and not full time central heating that you are asking them to do on a boat, he may be along later to give a proper explanation.

 

Neil

 

Was told same by Webo service engineer

[pquinn]

Get a stove,machines will let you down when you need them most.sods law.

[Alan de Enfield]

I was told you will have way more problems with an eber if you have it switched on for an hour or two, then turn it off, then on - it never gets to work efficiently and will 'coke-up'. The were designed for use in buses (and trucks) and designed to run all day, every day.

 

As usual - opposite ideas/guidance.

 

We have a Hot-air eberspacher ( and no stove), it is on all day (when we are on the boat at this time of year) and SWMBO (who feels the cold) ends up opening windows and complaining its too hot.

 

On the previous boat we had an eber (hot water) system with radiators, it did not heat the boat as efficiently as the blown-air but was adequate with a SF stove for 'top-up if it got really cold.

 

With the 'right setup' an ebespacher can heat the boat more than sufficiently.

[Hawkmoth]

Our experience with Ebers is that they are unreliable and expensive to repair. If you can do your own maintenance that will save money, but if the electronics fail (and they do, regularly in our experience) then you're in for a large bill. The electronics are not repairable and must be replaced.

After struggling for several years with an Eber as our only heating (SHMBO didn't want a solid fuel stove) we gave up and bought a Hurricane. They are expensive, but are reliable and designed for owner maintenance.

Bob

[LEO]

Hi,

 

I have a Kabola OD4, brilliant - drip feed boiler - runs for days on end on low setting, boat nice and warm.

 

Needs a good clean out about once a month, no dust, no carrying coal, hot water, no ash..

 

Ecofan good.

 

Heats a 48ft tug style.

 

Range in BC never lit.....

 

Not sure where you are on system, but I am S GU.

 

L

[koukouvagia]

 

You can have much simpler drip fed diesel boilers, which are silent, and don't need power. The downside, as I understand it, is that they are less fuel efficient than the Ebers, so you may burn more diesel.

 

 

What are the Eberspacher figures?

My Refleks burns 0.18 l/hr on minimum and 0.8 l/hr on maximum.

 

Recently I noted that when we entered the cabin (about 40') the temperature was 33 degrees F. Within an hour it was 60 and by the evening it was 80!

 

We run a calorifier and three radiators off our Refleks.

Edited January 20, 2016 by koukouvagia

[Rickent]

We bought our boat with no stove and initially managed with alde comfort boiler for heat. Although this warms the boat quickly and gets nice and warm, it is very gas hungry and i would imagine use vast amounts of gas if left on overnight. Getting out of bed to a cold boat is miserable but now we have fitted a stove it has tramsformed the feel of the boat. Dont let not having a stove put you off if you find "the one" as it is not that expensive to put one in.

[Delta9]

Get a stove,machines will let you down when you need them most.sods law.

Stoves aren't immune to letting you down either

[pquinn]

Stoves aren't immune to letting you down either

But much,much,much less likely.