Hydronic heating with Dickinson diesel heater?

[patrickkidd]

The Dickenson Newport has an optional hot water coil that you can use to heat your own water circuit with a pump that pushes water through the coil. Has anyone ever used this to create a hydronic heating system? Or hypothetically see any problems with this idea?

A hydronic heating system would mean the boat is partially heated by the heater (i.e. the chimney) itself but in addition the heater warms water that is pumped through baseboard heating throughout the boat.The hypothetical advantage being possibly much more heat without sacrificing much efficiency, and the typical advantages of a hydronic system like even heat through the boat, faster warming, and hot water in the sink/shower.

I have a J/30 with a Webasto diesel forced air heater that hardly gets the boat up to 60F when it’s in the low 40’s and is loud as hell. I value a warm boat and a quiet/near silent boat. I had a Dickinson/Newport in my Catalina in San Francisco Bay with a day tank and it was very quiet, though I never figured out how to really get it cranking with heat. Could have been user error.

Thoughts?

 

[TomY]

One thought, the temperature of your domestic hot water would be around 120 whereas water hot enough to work well in radiation (like a buss heater) should be hotter, like 160 to 180F. I'm not sure if the coil and pump are capable of the higher temps?

I'm surprised your Webasto isn't keeping the boat warmer at temps in the 40's.

Sorry, not much help but your idea is interesting.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

and the typical advantages of a hydronic system like even heat through the boat, faster warming, and hot water in the sink/shower.

A hydronic heating system in a boat should use antifreeze if the boat is in a climate where freezing is possible. Also, note Tom’s comments above about temps.
Another consideration: Forced hot air uses less DC power than hydronic, if you’re thinking about using it at anchor or under sail.