Heat exchanger

[Bob]

I was motoring yesterday from my winter lay over location to my slip in Annapolis, which took up most of the day, and was thinking about the Yanmar 20GM20F in my 285 and how it has a heat exchanger with the hot water tank so that I can have hot water away from the 120 volt connection at my slip. My wife was a bit chilled from the beautiful, sunny but chilly day on the water. That got me to thinking about a heat exchanger for the cabin using the engine hot water to do basically the same thing it does for the hot waster tank. Just like the heat exchanger in your car!Has anyone ever seen something like that on a boat? I realize that it would only be useful while under power but still I can't imagine something like that being too hard to rig up. Then I could send my chilly wife below to warm up!

 

[scott]

Yep got one

I think its made by Red Dot. Basically a radiator with two fans ( for two speed air flow), mounted in some dead space under a berth with a grill face. Engine heated water flows through the radiator all the time. Kick on the fan and voila, warm air across the cabin floor.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Yep, just like your car. They're also known as

bus heaters.

 

[Pete]

check the marine catalogs

there are several makes and sizes on the market, check the marine catalogs. They are like the heater in your car. There are several high end builders that install them from the factory.(they are more popular on larger power boats)Under $200-you install.

 

[Warren M.]

Heaters

Bob:While you can buy and install plumbing kits to make an in-cabin radiator to warm up with, it is far easier and cheaper to just buy a 12v heater/defogger from West Marine or Boat US and use that instead. Since you would only be using this device when running your engine, its electrical draw would not be an issue. Perfect to warm up cold hands and buns....and it can used anywhere you have a cigarette lighter plug. Cost is about $32.Take a look at West's catalog: CAFRAMO LTD