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Paraffin Cabin Heating

FORTUNATA

By FORTUNATA
in Boat Building & Maintenance

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Well, I raised this thread as I might be downgrading to GRP. You're correct there is an AC supply so any electric fire is an option but don't forget power cuts sometimes happen. It won't be as hard to heat as a narrowboat but charcoal seems the best option so far. Living space is a bit more than a tourer caravan but clutter isn't an option. The lighting so far is AC halogen but soon LED DC lights will follow. The shower part of it may well be electric design as I dislike gas. As Catweasel says insulation is crucial and so is the need to plug any roof vent leaks before winter.

Fair point re power cuts; always happen at the worst time! Unless you have an unusually large shore supply, you won't get an instantaneous electric shower. If you have some form of hot water stored in a tank/bucket, you may be able to rig a pump. I read about one person who lived aboard a similar boat to yours, who used a submersible bilge pump in a bucket of hot water. This fed to a shower head.

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Robbo Veteran II

Robbo

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I heated my small boat which is also 24 ft, no insulation two years ago and a oil heater and fan heater was all that was needed.

 

A good electric supply is a must, sharing a 16amp supply with other boats will just be frustrating as it will just be tripping all the time.

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FORTUNATA Experienced

FORTUNATA

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I had major doubts over this idea as a 24 foot old GRP is a far cry from some of the 60 K narrowboats you see about. However with all this economic uncertainty, I can't be sure how many more thousands I may need to chuck at my steel boat, just to keep it floatable. However I won't know yet how it will all develop. It would be OK so long as clutter is eliminated. Small boats packed full of tools and bike parts isn't workable.

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cuthound Veteran II

cuthoundDonate to Canal World

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How many watts was the electric heater? We have been aboard our 57ft steel NB in winter, frozen in, yet a small Villager Puffin stove kept us warm enough.

Don't forget that electric heating is 100% efficient, whereas a multifuel stove is between 60% & 80% efficent, depending upon settings and fuel. So in theory little difference between the usable kW output of a 3kW electric fire and a 4kw stove.

 

I agree a stove is better, at warming a boat though, a more pleasant form of heat, which looks good too.

 

Edited to return kg back to wot I rote, kW. Bluddy autokorrect can't even use the rite units!

Edited by cuthound
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Robbo Veteran II

Robbo

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Don't dismiss the fan heater, it's very good at quickly heating the area where oil rads and the like are slower to react. The oil rads I used as background heat and kept them on as the mass of the radiator is good for this. The fan heater I used to get the boat quickly up to temperature when I got to the boat from work.

 

The radiators also seemed to dry the air, where the fan heater seemed a more pleasant heat.

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FORTUNATA Experienced

FORTUNATA

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It seems the catalytic propane heater as suggested earlier may be the simplest approach. They are affordable although you need ventilation and they cause damp.Combined with an electric fan heater a small boat should warm up. How are they installed? Is it like fitting a cooker? What about BSS and where to buy such a heater?

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Infra red electric heat lamps warm the body quite well

They do indeed and at a comparatively low wattage. I used one on the boat for a while when we were using the genny. Just the thing for a quick warm.

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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I had catalytic heaters on a narrow boat once but as there was a coal fire I never used them in anger. I thibk there would definitely be a fairly serious moisture problem.

 

I may be imagining it but I think there is some sort of heater which involves hanging an upside down clay flowerpot over a cooker burner with a small vent pipe something like an inch diameter going through the roof/deckhead above it.

 

Being a portable appliance the BS scheme would not see it.

 

Might be an option ?

I bought a "Cozy cabin" heater for a 24ft motorsailer I had but I never used it as I also fitted a Davey HotPot solid fuel stove. Cozy cabin was sold with the boat. It was a nice little flued LPG heater with oxygen depletion cutout and flame supervision device. Proper bit of kit from america. I have seen them on eBay UK now and then. Not cheap though.

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FORTUNATA Experienced

FORTUNATA

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There is Something called Heater Pal that is sealed and runs on white spirit. They are safe but for actual heat won't cut in a deep freeze. One thing I can say is it will be amazing to spend a night on it. This boat is 70-71 date and probably hasn't had an overstay for 30 odd years. There is full lighting at 300 watts and 3 double mains sockets. All it had in 71 was a big truck battery and big DC fusebox which I still have. So to watch a DVD at night and a hot kettle needs a nice heating system.

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FORTUNATA Experienced

FORTUNATA

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I used to use a blowheater for early risings. During the severe freeze some years ago I left it on all the time. The coal burner was about 8 times the heat. Even then on the very severe nights it took a good hour for this heat to saturate the walls. I don't know if GRP is more reflective yet. I recall some nights cycling through sleet to a snow covered boat. I'd be shaking and starting a fire. Different woods produce different heat.

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Dexter's Shed Explorer

Dexter's Shed

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before I had caravans in my woodland I had a big 5ft canvas bell tent, seems a lot of bell tent owners use paraffin heaters too, with ventilation of course, I picked up this french heater via evil bay

and having used it in both tent and caravan, have to say it worked great, heated up quickly, and even allowed us to boil a kettle on top, still have it so it'll come with me as and when I come live on the water

 

 

 

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Jrtm Experienced

Jrtm

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before I had caravans in my woodland I had a big 5ft canvas bell tent, seems a lot of bell tent owners use paraffin heaters too, with ventilation of course, I picked up this french heater via evil bay

and having used it in both tent and caravan, have to say it worked great, heated up quickly, and even allowed us to boil a kettle on top, still have it so it'll come with me as and when I come live on the water

 

https://youtu.be/hyM1f8TMRvs

 

 

https://youtu.be/Z6uHXOECMMk

Sim to what i use only mine are older and simple Edited by billybobbooth
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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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There was some discussion on the forum ages ago about a paraffin heater called Zibro khamin or similar. Might be interesting but I don't think it is flued.

 

My other half's parents have one as backup in their home in France - oil central heating is the main heating but I noticed a zibro in the bedroom where we sleep when we visit. Looks an interesting item.

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Robbo Veteran II

Robbo

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There was some discussion on the forum ages ago about a paraffin heater called Zibro khamin or similar. Might be interesting but I don't think it is flued.

 

My other half's parents have one as backup in their home in France - oil central heating is the main heating but I noticed a zibro in the bedroom where we sleep when we visit. Looks an interesting item.

I use one if these which are similar to the zibro.

http://www.dry-it-out.com/inverter-5006-3kw-liquid-fuel-heater-free-fuel

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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When we go to our Narrowboat in the winter I would say it takes 24 hrs to warm it all through.

It's the same with our cruiser. It takes a good 24 hours to warm through properly after it has been sat all week with no heating on.

 

We have our diesel heating on a timer so that it comes on a couple of hours before we arrive on a Friday evening. This couple of hours takes the chill off but it does take a long while to warm everything through.

 

Once warmed through though it does stay toasty warm until we leave and head for home.

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