[Paul O’Rorke]

When I took possession of Tenga from John Denny he told me that the diesel heater in the forward bulkhead if used would likely “burn Tenga to the waterline”.

Perhaps luckily, I was never actually able to get it lit.  I’m living on Tenga and it’s getting cold here in Canada. 

I have tried a kerosine and also propane replacements both without success.  So rather than the stove type heaters I purchased a 5KW diesel forced air unit:

http://sensor-china.en.alibaba.com/product/1444316754-215571529/Belief_Chinese_heater_12V_24V_High_quality_5KW_heater_induction_for_heating_similar_with_webasto_heater.html

Now I am trying to decide where to locate it. My diesel tank is under the port side seat in the cockpit and aft of that there is space.  That would allow ducting to the rear cabin as well as forward to the galley and forward cabin.

Has anyone else experience with this type of heating system? Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts on where they would think the best place to I stall such a unit? 

If you had one, where would you put it?

[murray reid]

I seem to remember Trevor having a diesel hoot air blower on Calista?

[Paul O’Rorke]

Hi Murray,

I’d be interested in hearing from Trevor.  I think I’ve pretty much decided that I will mount it under the port seat in the cockpit.  It will duct air to all cabins.  My Diesel fuel tank is in ther at the forward endand it’s well protected and has access for the warm air ducting.

One question that is raised is where to put the intake and exhaust for this.  The dombustion air supply and vent are separate from the supply for the air to be heated which can come from within the space where the heater is mounted. 

The fuel supply and exhaust will need to go through the hull.  I’ve never done anything like this before and want to make sure these are in the best possible location.  I’m leaning towards coming up through the equipment locker (not sure what the right term is here) and up on ‘deck’ above the toe rail at the back of the cockpit.

It’s hard to describe – I’ll take some photos to illustrate.  I’m just really unsure where this would be best located.

Hoping some people have some thoughts here.

Paul

[Trevor Thompson]

Sorry to be a bit late to respond to this  – I have been busy with the annual bulletin.

Can we confirm that we are talking about a blown air deisel heater such as an eberspacher or a webasto unit? I presume it isnt a vertically mounted unit such as that illustrated in Timothy’s photos? It makes a big difference.

Calista has an Eberspacher Autronic D2 mounted in the engine compartment. There is plenty of room on the starboard side aft to fit this type of heater. Atalanta engine spaces are even longer than Calista’s by the way. The inlet combustion air it taken from the engine compartment. The exhaust passes through the bulkhead into the aft cabin footwell over the top of the footwell and out of the side of the boat just below the gunwhale. The exhause is important so some detail:

It is constructed from the manufacturers stainless exhaust tube (important that you use propriatory exhaust tube intended for this type of heater). I must emphasise that the exhaust is REALLY well insulated using multiple layers of glass fibre tape intended to insulate rally car exhausts. It has an outer layer of corrugated alloy tubing to protect humans from the glass fibres. In operation it is cool enough to HOLD the outer alloy layer when the heater has been working at full power however long it has been on. The clamps on each end of the exhaust need to be checked for tightness periodically – I have known then fall off after an approved installer has finished servising a unit on a commercial vessel.

 

The inlet heater air is taken from the port footwell, and the heater output is ducted to the aft cabin, main cabin and forward cabin, as well as the oilskin locker. (Titanias are slightly different to Atalantas). All of the heater ducting is insulated. This model of heater has its thermostat in the heater itself. So it needs to take air from the cabin, not cold air from outside, if it is to know when to turn the heat down as the cabin heats up.

 

The control unit for the heater is mounted on the bulkhead inside the cabin. It has fault code reading facilities to help to maintain the heater.

Incidentally, I have found that it shuts itself down to a low output mode quite quickly, and takes less than an amp in this mode. So I have used it on long winter evenings while cruising out of season away from shore power. I dont tend to leave it on overnight – although I am sure I could.

 

Final comment: I chose this type of heater deliberately because I wanted to heat all areas of the boat including the aft cabin, and I wanted it to use diesel fuel. I dont think any other type would have done what I wanted.

[Paul O’Rorke]

Thanks guys for posting your thoughts. Tim, those photos are of Tenga and it is precisely that diesel heater pictured that I am replacing. The replacement is a “Webasto like” Chinese unit. It looks and functions as a Webasto would. I wouldn’t even be surprised if both this and genuine Webasto units come off the same production line, but that’s another conversation. I’ll see if I can post some photos oc where I’m thi king, the uit itself etc. There was a link to the unit on my original post, one should be able to get a good idea of what it is from there. It does have the supply and exhaust lines as Trevor described. That is my biggest concern, properly setting these up so that I go through the deck/hull in the right place. I’m away from home right now and will post some photos of the unit amd and where I am planning ib placing it when I get back in the new year.

[Author]

Posts