Living With Radiators

[system 4-50]

I am aiming to get a Weblasto installed with radiators.  Radiators have a tendency to get hot.  I sometimes have quite small children on my boat and I am concerned that they may get singed.  How do you folks cope with this?

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, system 4-50 said:

I am aiming to get a Weblasto installed with radiators.  Radiators have a tendency to get hot.  I sometimes have quite small children on my boat and I am concerned that they may get singed.  How do you folks cope with this?

I don't think you should worry - millions of bricks & mortar homes have radiators without protection.

 

If you are really concerned then reduce the water temperature a bit.

 

I'd be more worried about an un-protected solid fuel stove.

[Stilllearning]

Let the children learn by experience?

[Mike Hurley]

Radiator covers from B&Q and the like, quite a range of fancy looking covers. Go on the B&Q site and type in radiator covers to see.

[Psycloud]

Our diesel boiler (5kw) heats 4 rads and a calorifier and doesn't make the radiators so hot that you'd burn yourself unless you held your hand with full pressure on them for ages.  Even a small person wouldn't do this as as soon as they felt the heat they'd remove their hands

[system 4-50]

Space is limited, so they will have to be thin radiators anyway.  I will look up the covers.

In homes there is more space to pass by hot radiators than on my narrowboat.

Learning by experience is good, but on a wobbly boat exposing 2 year olds to too much of a hazard will result in them being taken into care.

The SF stove is thoroughly boxed in in a wire cage.

 

2 minutes ago, Psycloud said:

Our diesel boiler (5kw) heats 4 rads and a calorifier and doesn't make the radiators so hot that you'd burn yourself unless you held your hand with full pressure on them for ages.  Even a small person wouldn't do this as as soon as they felt the heat they'd remove their hands

Perfect!  I don't intend to go above 5Kw.

[Robbo]

47 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

I am aiming to get a Weblasto installed with radiators.  Radiators have a tendency to get hot.  I sometimes have quite small children on my boat and I am concerned that they may get singed.  How do you folks cope with this?

Some example covers?...

 

 

[Detling]

I think you will find the webasto output is 65 degrees C maximum specifically so it cannot burn/scald, as said uncomfortable but not dangerous, and the little angels do need to learn what 'no that is hot' means, far better than a pan or barbecue etc. which will burn.

Hot water from the tank after a good engine run can be at engine temperature about 90 degrees and that will scald. Many calorifiers have a mixer on the output to prevent this but not all.

Edited August 2, 2018 by Detling
additional info

[Boater Sam]

Fetch the child catcher  trainer!

 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Boater Sam said:

Fetch the child catcher  trainer!

 

[Boater Sam]

Odd, no seat or cover on the bowl, very Filippino.

[Robbo]

3 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Odd, no seat or cover on the bowl, very Filippino.

Or there’s going to be a right mess.

[Richard T]

Use low surface temperature radiators - these are required in schools, hospitals and other establishments where there are vulnerable people e.g. children or old people.

Also put a themostatic mixer tap on the hot tap to wash hand basins which will regulate the temperature to 43deg C or thereabouts. Do not regulate all HW outlets to this temperature you need the water in HW pipes to get hot to kill bugs that like to live in them.

[matty40s]

8 hours ago, Detling said:

I think you will find the webasto output is 65 degrees C maximum specifically so it cannot burn/scald, as said uncomfortable but not dangerous, and the little angels do need to learn what 'no that is hot' means, far better than a pan or barbecue etc. which will burn.

Hot water from the tank after a good engine run can be at engine temperature about 90 degrees and that will scald. Many calorifiers have a mixer on the output to prevent this but not all.

We were in a pub garden on Friday with the granddaughters,  the impending storm gloom set in and the garden lights switched on(pillar type with louvered grills around the light). All of a sudden the eldest grandaughter came running up in tears, she had burnt her hand palm on the light. She was despatched back to the boat for ice pack cold water treatment for almost an hour.

I put my hand on the light and it was hot but wouldn't have burnt me.

It did her, next day she had a 50p sized blister in her palm and on her fingers too.