siting 9.2A HVAC
- Thread starter bugbitten
- Start date
Just an update: I LOVE this Webasto system! It worked great all summer. I did swap the sea water strainer's basket, which was plastic, for a stainless one. It was almost totally blocked toward the end of the summer (it's tidal, salt water here on the lower James River and full of marine life). Other than that, and adding a third vent that I can direct toward the head or the main cabin, I've had to do very little. I've got it set to automatic operation now, so it heats at night and switches to dehumidify and then AC as the cabin warms during the day. The blower runs all the time, and is certainly not quiet, but I don't find it at all annoying. I may take some DB readings at some point, if I think of it. I did put some reflective foam insulation in the forward hatch, which comes out easily if I want to open things up. And having some shade over the companionway area is a big help during the hottest months. Generally speaking, though, the 9000 BTU capacity seems just about right. I have no trouble running it, the hot water heater, and the charger keeping three banks topped off, on 30A service.
I'm continually amazed at what a pleasure it is to get to the boat and have it always be dry and comfortable. Given how much time I spend working below decks, it is a real asset.
I'm continually amazed at what a pleasure it is to get to the boat and have it always be dry and comfortable. Given how much time I spend working below decks, it is a real asset.
It may be worth noting that there was a recent letter to Practical Sailor stating that Webasto is not keen on honoring warranties on DIY HVAC installations. They required an authorized pro installer verify - at owner expense - that the installation had been done correctly before they would do anything to fix a problem. I haven't needed to contact them about an issue, but it's good to be aware that they may not take your word for it that you'd followed instructions.
BTW when I last cleaned the sea strainer basket, I forgot to reopen the seacock and ran the unit with no circulating water for about 24 hours. Oddly enough, it still was able to bring the cabin up maybe 20 degrees over ambient. The only obvious issue was tons of frost built up on the unit. I shut it off, let it thaw out for maybe an hour, opened the seacock, and off it went. It's been running fine ever since.
BTW when I last cleaned the sea strainer basket, I forgot to reopen the seacock and ran the unit with no circulating water for about 24 hours. Oddly enough, it still was able to bring the cabin up maybe 20 degrees over ambient. The only obvious issue was tons of frost built up on the unit. I shut it off, let it thaw out for maybe an hour, opened the seacock, and off it went. It's been running fine ever since.
That is great. It is looking like my workload will drop this summer giving some time to fix and hopefully sail the boat a little. After she is fixed I will likely move on from sailing for a while. We want to buy a house on a lake. We looked at some this year but I just can't swing it until I have two years tax returns as a new business.