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We are now considering installing a heater on BG, and are having a look around at various options. Currently, there is no heating on BG, the previous owners had installed (badly and dangerously) a domestic gas heater. Needless to say, the heater was disposed of in the correct manner. Our preferred option is to install a diesel heater, but these seem hideously expensive for what they are.

Does anyone have any sensible suggestions? 

Many thanks 

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Gas propex is cheaper but does eat gas.

Diesel water circulating systems are on of the best but Chaaaaching!

Most opt for blown air diesel heaters, still very expensive but one of the better options, however starting from scratch you will find the ducting/insulation crazy expensive.

 

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I have installed an Eberspacher hydronic heater. This is simply the same idea as your boiler at home, heats water and circulates it round the boat to either blower matrixes or radiators. It's a lot easier to run water pipes than large diameter ducting, and heat can be delivered directly at the places it's needed. But it's not cheap!

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3 minutes ago, Regulo said:

I have installed an Eberspacher hydronic heater. This is simply the same idea as your boiler at home, heats water and circulates it round the boat to either blower matrixes or radiators. It's a lot easier to run water pipes than large diameter ducting, and heat can be delivered directly at the places it's needed. But it's not cheap!

Agreed. Webasto/Eberspacher wet system every time. It's so versatile when fitting, lashings of hot water, the heat exchanger options are wide and varied so minimal cutting the boat about and you get to put a nice heated towel radiator in the head!!

 

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I replaced Nippers heater this year with a MV Airo blown air system, system complete with all ducting as it was a different diameter was £900, easy install and just plug and play took 3 hrs to fit.

Make sure you go for a Marine system as van based systems don’t have a sealed exhaust as they are mounted outside the cab.

Doug.

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Gas propex is cheaper but does eat gas.

 

Looked into this option for us many times as it would be an easy fit but they do eat gas.  Diesel is really our best option but would cost more to run...long term though, less fuel used and overall much more efficient.

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Thanks for all the replies.Following another look around the web at the names mentioned, it seems that boat heaters are a lot more expensive than we first thought. I suppose you get what you pay for, and our budget for the work on BG this year will probably not extend to the heating system. The priority for this year being deck and cabin sides. Looks like the heater will be on the list for next year, which would make sense as next year is when we are starting on the interior of BG. 

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Madam Captain and I had a boat meeting this morning and the decision was made regarding heating BG. We have decided to endure another cold season on BG and install heating next year. In the meantime, we will be looking at what other more experienced people have installed in their vessels. Many thanks for your comments.

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it may not just be a case in bunging a heating system in - by doing so may need a total electrical refurb to power the unit ,i found when i put diesel blown air system in that i needed more battery power which in turn forwarded another problem in getting enough charge into them .it turned out to be an expensive project so it pays to do your homework 

 

finny

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18 hours ago, finny said:

it may not just be a case in bunging a heating system in - by doing so may need a total electrical refurb to power the unit ,i found when i put diesel blown air system in that i needed more battery power which in turn forwarded another problem in getting enough charge into them .it turned out to be an expensive project so it pays to do your homework 

 

finny

This is at the back of my mind, we have already done a re-wire due to the dangerous nature of the wiring that was in BG. It may simply be a case of putting on another jumper when the weather is cold. 

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If you are thinking of a Webasto diesel heater, you could also consider a Trumatic blown air gas heater. It is room sealed with an exhaust out to the hull and uses the same sort of air trunking to the cabins. It uses very much less electricity when starting and will still start on 11 volts. It is almost silent when running and being gas, its exhaust is very much cleaner than diesel.

I have used these on a lot of hire boats and came to like them very much.

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We have a Trumatic Blown air heater on our newly acquired boat

and will agree with Vaughan that it is almost silent but it does use

a huge amount of gas especially at this time of year.

We used a 13.5kg bottle over three days on our last visit in November.

It was only on during the day and came as a bit of a shock to find

it using that amount. Whilst the boat is in the workshop for several

upgrades, a new Webasto Thermo top C  diesel heater See here  is

being fitted and leaving the gas one in place as a standby. If you

do the sums, you see that the diesel heater is far cheaper to run.

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Don’t forget that if you have a diesel heater then the reduced rate of diesel (compared to road diesel) is an entitlement whereas technically if you have no diesel heating fitted then the reduced tax rate fuel does not apply to you , other waterways do indeed only sell “red” diesel to vessels that do have diesel heating .

 

I stand to be corrected on this if my understanding is incorrect 

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1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:

Don’t forget that if you have a diesel heater then the reduced rate of diesel (compared to road diesel) is an entitlement whereas technically if you have no diesel heating fitted then the reduced tax rate fuel does not apply to you , other waterways do indeed only sell “red” diesel to vessels that do have diesel heating .

 

I stand to be corrected on this if my understanding is incorrect 

Ah but don't forget that in Norfolk and no doubt some other places most if not all yards simply do the 60/40 split regardless of your consumption for heating or propulsion , basically it the lazy I can't be bothered way of looking at it , in the eyes of the law it is totally up to the boat owner to declare a signed declaration of what diesel goes where and not the yard and the really hard part is finding a yard that are prepared play by the government rules that came from Brussels in the first place , iv achieved 95% domestic in a marina living on board in winter simply because that's far more like the truth than 60/40% , if tiu have no diesel heating then you should pay 20% vat on all fuel but again the yard will no doubt not bother because it causes them work as in working out the correct price per litre .

I did months of research when choosing a heating system for my first narrow boat n gas is seriously heavy on consumption and gas bottles ain't light , the attraction of gas fades very quickly when you live on a vessel in cold weather for any length of time .

Diesel too has its draw backs as in the costs of spare parts for the boiler and if your thinking you won't need them then this k again ask someone who's run one for any length of time .

Solid fuel , yes they have drawbacks as in not possible to have it nice and toasty on your return ( but are you sure your diesel or gas system has actually warmed the boat until you actually get back ? ) solid fuel has another major draw back its reliant on space for fuel and work involved in supplying that and doesn't suit every boat , but at least its silent which a lot more than can be said for diesel heaters ! .

All in all you pay your money you take your choice but above all research is the key .

For my input to the thread solid fuel though yrs of experience and 12 winters is the only way if you live afloat , if you use the boat occasionally in the colder months then diesel or gas could be the better bet though beware they are defiantly not designed to run 24/7 as it were and that's care of webastos  technical division not me .

As with everything boats its a trade off and horses for course's .

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all diesel on the broads is more or less the same price with or without the heating fitted ,iam with Vaughan towards the gas system and here are my thoughts based on my own findings 

firstly you have to look at the overall costs of the heater plus fitting - gas will be much cheaper the recent rise in caravan sales fitted with modern gas heating systems as made massive improvements to such equipment - personally i found my diesel heater (brand new marine version Eberspacher  ) needed an ASBO the pump was a consent tick the fan was noisey and unless you ran it flatout was always sooting up 

Gas systems may from a cost factor work out slightly more expensive to run but you can buy a fair chunk of gas bottles with the difference in setting up costs ..........personally i found diesel units to be quite thirsty and most will only notice because its when the little gas bottle runs out as opposed to feeding diesel from a 200 ltr main fuel tank that seems limitless - i could see the difference in costs with my diesel overall .........i spent more in time and costs running the engine just to use the bloody thing .............i should have just left the gas fires in 

 

finny 

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