recommendations on electric heat

[seaworm1]

Im looking for a little advice from someone who has been down this road before- Currently my heat is run off of the engine coolant, and I'm looking to install an additional electric heater so I can run both when necessary, and just the electric when the main is shut down.

Any particular unit that has been good to you? or any that I should stay away from? Install will be inside of the bench seat and run via generator.

 

[badabing]

propane an option?

 

[seaworm1]

I haven't considered propane but mostly due to me not knowing anything about propane heat. if it's a viable option I would certainly consider it

 

[Sailorgp]

How big is your generator? You typically will need 1500watts of 120volt electricity to produce 5200 btu's of heat. Your engine's heater (bus type?) probably produces 15,000-20,000 btu's of heat.

 

[MASTERENEGADE]

I use a single face sunflower propane heater on a 20lb tank on my rig, when the engine is cold in the mornings and when on anchor all day on a chilly day. I love it. Just keep a window cracked open for ventilation. A 20lb tank gets me about 40-50hrs of good heat. Very reliable and efficient. Besides the tank of propane, the face heater itself ran me about $40.

I have never fealt unsafe. Just tied down the tank real good so there's no chance of it falling over,

 

[Rearmount]

My heater had the option of a small inline pump to push coolant through the heater while engine is shut down. it sounds like it should work.

 

[MDI45]

I use a single face sunflower propane heater on a 20lb tank on my rig, when the engine is cold in the mornings and when on anchor all day on a chilly day. I love it. Just keep a window cracked open for ventilation. A 20lb tank gets me about 40-50hrs of good heat. Very reliable and efficient. Besides the tank of propane, the face heater itself ran me about $40.

I have never fealt unsafe. Just tied down the tank real good so there's no chance of it falling over,

I have the single face with a stand that allows you to turn it flat and cook....it it perfect because it fits right in my sink in the wheelhouse......it is heating my parents house for the last two weeks

 

[Fishbucket]

Diesel fired heaters.

Espar Heater Systems | A World of Comfort | Air Heaters

 

[Fishbucket]

Also check eBay for diesel fired cabin heaters.
Pretty simple....Air intake hose, exhaust hose, fuel line from tank and a few electrical connections.

 

[CEShawn]

How many sinks are really used for washing your hands on boats? LOL I like it as the heater base....

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

this is quick and easy but may not run long enough with the small tanks.


Heater Portable Buddy Propane 4K-9K Btu Mh9B

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

Also check eBay for diesel fired cabin heaters.
Pretty simple....Air intake hose, exhaust hose, fuel line from tank and a few electrical connections.

I love the idea of a diesel heater but does anyone know if they smell like fuel oil?

 

[F/V First Team]

only if they are done wrong

 

[reelsportfishing]

I have 2 bus heaters that I can keep running if the engine is still warm. I have a small house circulating pump that I run off the portable genny. I don't think an electric heater will heat the boat on a cold day. I have a 1500 watt cube heater that I use for the engine room and that won't heat the cabin. Why don't you run your bus heater to your genny. Put a "T" and some isolation valves on the heating lines and that way you could run your heat off of either the genny or the main. I still use the propane heater at the dock when I'm working on the boat. You need alot of btu's to heat a boat on a cold winter day. My main bus heater is 60000 btu's. Bus heaters work better with pumps when idling.

 

[starrfish]

a friend of mine has the inline pump for the bus heater on the motor that has an electric element in it. so that when the main is shut down, it keeps the coolant hot and circulating, which in turn keeps that mass of iron warm also..
works pretty good and there like 150 bucks..pretty simple

 

[bluefin650]

Why don't you run your bus heater to your genny. Put a "T" and some isolation valves on the heating lines and that way you could run your heat off of either the genny or the main.

I wondered about this also. The concern that I have, And I'm not sure if it is a big deal, Will you be contaminating the anti freeze between the 2 motors?

 

[badabing]

i had a diesel heater in my novi boat for years and it was "ok". i dont think i ever had it running "clean". i think the worst aspect was over time it would leave a black film on everything. i would advise against installing one and i think they are quite expensive

 

[samhop]

heat options

Gen set for elec. heat? ok if you have to run it for some other reason but there are more efficient ways to heat.

Quick and simple Propane but dont leave it unattended

diesel cabin heater like a dickinson

diesel hydronice or air like Espar or Webasto

i run an hot air Esbar in my winter camper 0.2 amps when running 1/2 gal a day right out of the tank. and a hydronic as an eng. bost heater pre heat the coolant to 170f = ez starting. and u could run a bus heater of it.

so plenty of options.

if you have to run a big gen-set jest get some elc baseboard thats what all the big offshore boats use.

 

[paddyboy]

Heaters

I have a diesel reflecks stove that I'm very happy with. 40,000 btu clean burning, about 2-3 gals a day, near as I can tell. Heats the cabin up quickly, and you can heat a pot or boil a kettle on it. Have a smoke and co2 detector mounted nearby to alert me to any problems.

 

[Tuckerman]

I have one of these in my bucket truck it will burn your leg through long johns , jeans and carhart overalls. The backside doesn't get that hot , it's mounted to a fiberglass bucket. I also use one in a tent when we are working in the buried you have to shut it off cause you're roasting. I friend of mine uses it in his tug and loves it. He has a small pilot house and has to shut it off or open the window. Might be something worth looking into. Mine gets rained on all the time.

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