Cabin heater opinions wanted

[SamLust]

Palacegrand:

I think people tend to take instructions a bit too literally. I see them as a starting point. If I had mounted as per instructions I would have lost hanging locker space, woodwork, and the stove would have been too high to be effective. My installation, as it worked out, seems to be the best set of compromises for me.

The PVC tube you see was in fact the first "day tank". Just a piece of cut off pipe. The bottom was a cap pipe threaded for a valve. The top was a threaded hub with a threaded plug with a tiny hole drilled in it, thus vented. Not especially attractive but effective short term. The current day tank is a 3 gallon fuel tank back in a cockpit locker which puts it above the level of the stove's fuel meter. The fuel line is routed under the floors forward to the compression post. There is an in-line fuel filter and "squeezie" primer pump in the bilge just before the stove. The pump is used only to re-prime the system if I allow the fuel to run out. The system works nicely and it's comfy in there even when it is quite cool. The real limitation is the lack of insulation and number of openings iin the boat. I enjoy an occasional wintertime Sunday snooze there with the heater going.

I do have the stainless steel flue pipe to clean up the look of the galvanized stuff and I'm sure I'll get to it one of these years.

 

[Stephen@]

The Dickinson Arctic is 21" high. It might fit under your table. Stack routing options could be a short horizontal run to port, then vertical, or vertical through the shelves, or inboard and then vertical along the compression post.

Does Dickinson have any installation suggestions?

 

[Roger Long]

Does Dickinson have any installation suggestions?

Dickenson is not, as you might have said in the 70's, "really into it" when it comes to installation advice although I did pester them quite a bit due to the complex installation. The stove is on the way.

A lot has happened since this thread went to sleep and the final design is finished:

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/10Winter.htm

 

[Gary_H]

A friend of mine has a Yawl that has a small circular stove that burns coal it was obviously made to use on boats but I don't know the manufacturer. The little chimney goes up through the cabin roof.

 

[Ross]

Roger, Your cold water supply tube should add water to the bottom of the holding tank. Otherwise you will be preheating the water before it goes to the coil in the stove. In domestic water heaters there is a dip tube on the cold water inlet that places the cold water near the bottom of the tank.

 

[Roger Long]

Roger, Your cold water supply tube should add water to the bottom of the holding tank.

This doesn't work like a conventional water heater as it isn't pressurized. I would like to have done it that way but the weight and cost of a flat tank that could take up to 50 psi was prohibitive. There is a reason why water heaters are usually round unless quite small.

You fill it, heat it, and then use just a small amount for washing up. The water has to be manually made up after you draw some down.

For pressurized hot water, the system is switched over to the circulation loop through the existing hot water tank. This is really a multi-function expansion tank for that loop. The convection feed lets the stove be run without draining the heating coil, increases the thermal mass and radiating surface of the whole heating system, and stores heat for a while after the fire is put out. The tank is large and with large surface area so the stove can be run as long as possible without having to run the circulation pump.

The hot water has to enter the tank close enough to the top for there to be a thermal gradient to run the convection loop. I compromised at half way because it will be important not to draw the tank down below the hot water inlet.

 

[Ross]

You have given it careful thought. We use a 7 gallon garden sprayer for our day tank and pressurize it by hand pump. It forces conservation.