How to heat my boat

[pquinn]

Dont forget to get one of those little trolleys,very handy if you have to haul petrol or gas from a station.

a folding one.

Edited May 16, 2016 by pquinn

[Alan de Enfield]

Dont forget to get one of those little trolleys,very handy if you have to haul petrol or gas from a station.

a folding one.

 

Reminds me of an advert I saw some time ago :

 

"Wanted dining table for single lady with Queen Anne legs"

[Annie 42]

hi yes its the mr buddy im getting...quite good reviews i may add.my friend has one on her boat .she has it on for 30 mins before she gets dressed then 30 mins before bed and it works fine

[Alan de Enfield]

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.

[Annie 42]

Annie, is that a cry for help or a genuine intention? If it's an intention, I'm either not interpreting it properly or it sounds like a bad idea. I've got visions of hoses feeding portable appliances brought inside with, amongst others, accompanying carbon monoxide and knock-over hazards.

no its not a cry for help?? im actually asking for advice on a heater which ive now found......

[MtB]

hi yes its the mr buddy im getting...quite good reviews i may add.my friend has one on her boat .she has it on for 30 mins before she gets dressed then 30 mins before bed and it works fine

 

 

I see its a flueless appliance, which means all the combustion gasses remain inside the boat. This is the class of gas appliance most likely to kill you when used in a small enclosed space like a tent or a boat. Granted it is unlikely, but it is the most likely of all types of gas appliance to cause a carbon monoxide death.

 

Further, approximately 50% of the products of combustion are water vapour, which will lead to condensation streaming down the windows if you use it for long. Half an hour is about the limit I'd say.

 

Do read the user instructions though, they will probably contain a warning about using it in a small enclosed space.

 

Is it this one you're getting?

 

http://www.mrheater.com/portable-buddy-heater.html

[Sea Dog]

no its not a cry for help?? im actually asking for advice on a heater which ive now found......

Annie, I was joking there, because your plan sounded like suicide and I thought (hoped) you were winding us up.

 

You seem to be a bit like me with weather forecasts: if one tells me it's gonna rain on my picnic, I'll look at another in case I can find a sunny day. Trouble is, you've had quite a lot of good advice here which will make it harder for you to achieve what you want but will keep you safe. Anyone advising you that portable gas heaters are not a problem in a boat might be telling you what you want to hear, but that doesn't make it good advice. The BSS gets maligned a bit here over some things, but this definitely isn't an area where you can safely ignore it's principles. There's a lot of good sources of advice on this subject, much of it free due to the safety implications, so don't just ask friends, neighbours or a forum and go with the bit you like. Get some professional advice, or simply stick to the BSS guidelines.

 

I hope that the above as helpful as it's meant to be. Best wishes.

[PaulG]

no its not a cry for help?? im actually asking for advice on a heater which ive now found......

Annie. Listen to Uncle Paul.

There are many ways for that heater to kill you. The gas can leak and cause an explosion. The heater can fall over and set fire to your boat and the radiant heat can set fire to furnishings.

All of these things will cause you to die horribly.

 

There is also the risk of suffocation from CO2 and poisoning by CO.

 

I have a small propane-fuelled catalytic heater that I am not using any more.

It's not perfect as it is not flued, and so it will cause condensation etc, but it is much safer than the devices that you are looking at.

If you promise to get a gas fitter to connect it up properly to a safe gas supply external to the cabin of your boat, I will give it to you - gratis, free-of charge if you pay the carriage.

[MtB]

Annie. Listen to Uncle Paul.

There are many ways for that heater to kill you. The gas can leak and cause an explosion. The heater can fall over and set fire to your boat and the radiant heat can set fire to furnishings.

All of these things will cause you to die horribly.

 

There is also the risk of suffocation from CO2 and poisoning by CO.

 

I have a small propane-fuelled catalytic heater that I am not using any more.

It's not perfect as it is not flued, and so it will cause condensation etc, but it is much safer than the devices that you are looking at.

If you promise to get a gas fitter to connect it up properly to a safe gas supply external to the cabin of your boat, I will give it to you - gratis, free-of charge if you pay the carriage.

 

 

A kind offer Paul, but catalytic heaters are banned from installation in boats here in the UK, IIRC, so any gas fitter who knows the regulations will refuse to fit it.

 

I agree though, it would be safer than the Mr Heater Buddy portable heater in a small cabin cruiser cabin.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[PaulG]

 

 

A kind offer Paul, but catalytic heaters are banned from installation in boats here in the UK, IIRC, so any gas fitter who knows the regulations will refuse to fit it.

 

I agree though, it would be safer than the Mr Heater Buddy portable heater in a small cabin cruiser cabin.

I've still got one on my boat and it goes though BSS OK.

Perhaps it's new installations that are banned?

Edited May 17, 2016 by PaulG

[MtB]

I've still got one on my boat and it goes though BSS OK.

Perhaps it's new installations that are banned?

 

 

Yes grandfather rights apply.

 

Definitely banned for new builds under PD5482-2005 Part 3. But not sure that a BSS examiner would fail a catalytic heater even if installed illegally. BSS is only concerned with compliance with the BSS rules, not whether other regulations are being breached.

[PaulG]

 

 

Yes grandfather rights apply.

 

Definitely banned for new builds under PD5482-2005 Part 3. But not sure that a BSS examiner would fail a catalytic heater even if installed illegally. BSS is only concerned with compliance with the BSS rules, not whether other regulations are being breached.

Oh well.

My offer still stands as long as the BSS allows this type of heater.

Can anyone else advise?

[Tony Brooks]

no its not a cry for help?? im actually asking for advice on a heater which ive now found......

 

Which you found on the glowing recommendation of just one forum member but you have been warned about its unsuitability by many. Now either a number of professionally qualified people in the actual or related areas do not know what they are on about OR the person who recommended it and now you do not fully understand the implications. Which do you think is the more likely? Please answer this question.

 

I have not contributed much to this thread because very early on it seemed obvious to me that either you were/are trolling or, more likely, you will just plough on your on merry way until you come face to face with reality and regulation. As others have said you may even kill yourself although that may be rather an extreme outcome.

 

Please think again and take notice of all advice, not juts the bits that suit you.

[Annie 42]

so maybe a other kind of heater will be better...thankyou so much for the offer paul...im going to my local chandlers on tuesday so will look into this matter further.so let me get this right...a mr buddy will cause condensation and can topple over so will be unstable? and any other will have to be fitted by a gas fitter that know the laws of the bss...as many of you know like i said in my original post that i really dont like gas...now i know why... but seriously im taking on board all of your helpful advice and will look into it as once summer has gone it may get a bit chilly in the old girl so ive got a couple of months to get it correct.....

[Paul C]

so maybe a other kind of heater will be better...thankyou so much for the offer paul...im going to my local chandlers on tuesday so will look into this matter further.so let me get this right...a mr buddy will cause condensation and can topple over so will be unstable? and any other will have to be fitted by a gas fitter that know the laws of the bss...as many of you know like i said in my original post that i really dont like gas...now i know why... but seriously im taking on board all of your helpful advice and will look into it as once summer has gone it may get a bit chilly in the old girl so ive got a couple of months to get it correct.....

 

My post #3 is still relevant. A diesel heater such as Webasto or Mikuni would do the job. Yes, they're more expensive - because they do it properly.

[Tony Brooks]

Any fuel burning appliance will produce a lot of water vapour that can show it self as condensation. Any fuel burning appliance has the potential to produce carbon monoxide that kills and all will produce carbon dioxide. The question is how do you avoid this and the answer is to fit an external flue or better still a system that is completely sealed from the living accommodation. The sealed ones are known as balanced flue appliances but you mainly hear that applied to gas heaters. A properly installed diesel heater like Paul mention may or may not have a balanced flue but they vent exhaust gasses overboard and if not using a balanced flue usually draw their combustion air form the engine room.

 

You can get gas fired versions in smaller sizes as well. In the canal world such heaters are usually boilers feeding radiators but smaller GRP boats often use blown warm air units that may be easier to install. I know one member here has one but their boat may be larger than yours.

 

It is also no accident that so many canal boats have solid fuel stoves. The do draw air from the cabin so can present a CO hazard if not looked after but at least they vent their water vapour to the outside world and produce a nice dry heat. However they are probably no suitable for a small GRP boat because of the sir gap you need all around most of them. You can also get versions that run on diesel BUT if you are using any form of petrol powered engine it introduces boat safety complications in respect of any appliance that burns fuel.

 

If you have not already done it go onto the Boat Safety Scheme website and download the guides so that you can study them.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Tony Brooks

[Robbo]

If you have a small boat then a Taylor's bulkhead heater may suit... http://taylorsheatersandcookers.co.uk/sp079db.html They drip or pressure fed so don't require power and more reliable than the pre heater diesel type heaters like the ebersplutter.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Robbo

[Tony Brooks]

If you have a small boat then a Taylor's bulkhead heater may suit... http://taylorsheatersandcookers.co.uk/sp079db.html They drip or pressure fed so don't require power and more reliable than the pre heater diesel type heaters like the ebersplutter.

 

 

Agreed, but how will that sit with a petrol outboard BSS wise?

Agreed

[MtB]

And here is a link to some "Propex" heaters, which are an example of the 'balanced flue' type of gas fired warm air heater Tony is talking about. The moisture-laden flue gas is ducted to outside and gives you a nice dry heat in the boat. No need to install a diesel tank on a petrol-fuled boat boat as with a Webasto or Mikuni. It's the gas fired equivalent.

 

http://www.propexleisure.co.uk/shop/hs2000-blown-air-heater

 

(Still needs 12 electricity to run it though.)

[Robbo]

Agreed, but how will that sit with a petrol outboard BSS wise?

 

It's diesel or paraffin and the tank is under 10 litres, so easier to comply with BSS wise.

[pquinn]

And here is a link to some "Propex" heaters, which are an example of the 'balanced flue' type of gas fired warm air heater Tony is talking about. The moisture-laden flue gas is ducted to outside and gives you a nice dry heat in the boat. No need to install a diesel tank on a petrol-fuled boat boat as with a Webasto or Mikuni. It's the gas fired equivalent.

 

http://www.propexleisure.co.uk/shop/hs2000-blown-air-heater

 

(Still needs 12 electricity to run it though.)

We had one of these [gas] in a camper and it was really good,came with a thermostat.

[chris667]

I hate gas too. My boat has an Origo stove, which runs on alcohol.

 

It's ok, and certainly safer than gas. I managed to eat pretty well with it.

 

With regards to heating, solid fuel is the way to go. I have a Windysmithy, which is OK, and they do a tiny 2kw version.

 

I'd rather have a Boatman stove though.

[Chewbacka]

I hate gas too. My boat has an Origo stove, which runs on alcohol..............................

My cooking is alcohol powered as well, though the stove runs on gas

[Phil Ambrose]

We had one of these [gas] in a camper and it was really good,came with a thermostat.

The Propex heaters are quite frugal in their electrical demands and a hell of a lot quieter than diesel heaters. Very effective too and work well when fitted with a timer/stat

Phil

[Annie 42]

all sounds good to me...im going to do reviews on everything youve mentioned..then see which would suit the size of my boat..im now in the process of getting a fridge..as i took a coolbox...pretty useless...so looking at those now too...this boating malarky is expensive!! lol