I am interested in installing a Craft auxiliary 28000 BTU hydronic cabin heater. This unit uses engine heat which can be direct it to the cabin. Any feed back and installation ideas and any problems encountered would be greatly appreciate.
Cabin Heater Catalina 310
- Thread starter gsaoulli
- Start date
- Status
I suspect you mean "Heater Craft"..? These are basically "bus heaters" or similar to your heater core in your car. Basically a 12V fan and radiator with AF running through it.
Problem is you only have heat when you run the engine. If you have a sailboat......... Also if not under load you may not get much heat out of it. These are often better suited to trawlers or commercial fishing boats where the motor is always running. They work well with a warm engine but a 28k unit will COOK you out of that boat...
I have had them on power boats before and they work, just not at anchor or while sailing.. Espar or Webasto diesel FHA units are better options but also quite expensive.
There are also the Propex LPG FHA units:
Propex
Or a bulkhead mounted Dickinson:
Dickinson P9000
Heater for a C310
I have been looking into this for a couple of months now as my wife and I are working to become live aboards in the Boston area.
I have come to the conclusion that the Espar Airtronics D4 is a good heater for the C310. You could mount the unit on the small shelf above the holding tank, near the battery charger. In that location, access to the diesel tank and exterior for combustion air would be easy and you could run the duct work through the storage area at the foot of the rear birth, into the head with a vent to heat the head and then out into the main cabin. You could even continue the duct work behind the port settee to have a vent in the forward cabin if you need it.
The unit is 12 volt and runs on diesel, so it would still work if we lost power at the dock. It's very efficient and one tank of diesel would likely be all we would use for a whole winter. Also, the way this unit is set up, you could use it to help with humidity/condensation control.
I am also thinking I could use the duct work if we decide to add a reverse cycle heat/ac unit as well.
Are you looking to live aboard or just have heat occasionally?
Just my thoughts.
I have been looking into this for a couple of months now as my wife and I are working to become live aboards in the Boston area.
I have come to the conclusion that the Espar Airtronics D4 is a good heater for the C310. You could mount the unit on the small shelf above the holding tank, near the battery charger. In that location, access to the diesel tank and exterior for combustion air would be easy and you could run the duct work through the storage area at the foot of the rear birth, into the head with a vent to heat the head and then out into the main cabin. You could even continue the duct work behind the port settee to have a vent in the forward cabin if you need it.
The unit is 12 volt and runs on diesel, so it would still work if we lost power at the dock. It's very efficient and one tank of diesel would likely be all we would use for a whole winter. Also, the way this unit is set up, you could use it to help with humidity/condensation control.
I am also thinking I could use the duct work if we decide to add a reverse cycle heat/ac unit as well.
Are you looking to live aboard or just have heat occasionally?
Just my thoughts.
- Status