How to Install Diesel Heater on Boat

1. How to Install Diesel Heater on Boat

2. With just servicing every 2 years, a diesel forced air heater that has been installed correctly will keep your boat warm for a very long time. Diesel heater problems are typically related to the installation process. Therefore, it's crucial to perform the installation correctly from the start. The exhaust (top) is insulated and then sheathed in protective ducting. The heater is supported by a mounting plate that should be as horizontal as possible. The air intake (bottom) for combustion is routed through a silencer. If you already have heating installed, give it a once-over to ensure that it was installed correctly and that no parts of the system are damaged. While a damaged exhaust could leak deadly carbon monoxide or cause a fire, a crushed vent might make your heating less efficient. The first stage for those without heating is to carefully determine how you would install it.

3. Choosing the Right Diesel Heater For your heating system to operate effectively over the long term, choosing the proper unit is essential. A unit that is too small for your boat will constantly be running at full capacity, draining power, whereas a unit that is too large will be idle much of the time, risking sooting up like a diesel engine. Depending on how many outlets you need to heat, a 2kW heater may suffice for boats up to 34 feet, while a 4kW heater will work for vessels up to 40 feet or more. You can also install more than one smaller heater to provide separate heating for different areas of the boat, which may be a more efficient solution. Two vents on an Eberspacher 2kW unit were enough for this installation on a Sadler 29.

4. Locating the Heater The heater must be in a separate locker and cannot be placed in any cabin space. Depending on the model, it should be installed as nearly horizontally in both planes as possible. Due to these constraints, most heaters, like those on this yacht, are installed in cockpit lockers that are tucked away and out of the way. Although the exhaust should be lagged the whole length of its length, if you keep lines and fenders in here, be sure they don't lay on the system.

5. Routing the Ducting The heated air will lose some heat as it travels around the boat through the ducting. Where the ducting is straight, this is not a problem because some residual heat can help to keep lockers warm and dry, but on lengthy runs or abrupt turns, heat loss will be greater and the heater will have to work harder. Due to this, duct lines should be as straightforward and brief as feasible. Whereas steep turns cannot be avoided, they should be well insulated with lagging. On this boat, the closing vent was positioned forward in the heads where the heat could be routed through to the forward cabin or to the wet locker, and the fixed vent was located in the saloon by the base of the chart table (which prevents the system from overheating). The heater was placed in the cockpit locker port aft, and the ducting was run down the engine compartment, under the starboard quarter bed, and then forward under the chart table into the locker below the starboard saloon berth, where it was separated using a Y connector.

6. Connecting it up As the batteries and fuel tank are typically near to the engine bay, power and fuel supply should be reasonably simple on most boats. The exhaust outlet needs to be at least 300mm above the waterline, though the higher it is, the better, as long as there is room for a swan neck to prevent water from backflowing into the system during choppy circumstances. The location of the fuel, electricity, and air ducting must also be considered at this point. The gasoline pump must be installed between 15° and 30°, which helps prevent air locks, and it must be situated between 2m and 4m from the heater and the fuel tank, respectively. Drilling a precise hole into the metal tank was necessary to attach the fuel lift pipe, which also had a shut-off valve, to the tank. To avoid debris from entering the tank, this was carried out with a vacuum cleaner right close to the drill bit. The pump already has a tiny filter built in, thus there shouldn't be any further in-line filters because they would add too much resistance.

7. Control System The only restriction on where the control unit can be placed is the length of the connection, though there are several wireless control units available. In either case, the diesel heater needs to be situated inside the heated space and away from outlets, which will affect the thermostat. An external thermostat can be fitted if there is no other choice.

8. Cutting the Holes Installation will be a lot simpler and more orderly with the appropriate tools. A professional installation will benefit from their experience in this area, but it's still important to find out if they have ever fitted a boat like yours. Although most ducting is a standard size, make sure to check your system's requirements. The exhaust skin fitting needed a 38mm (1 1/2 in) hole saw, which was cut inclined upwards using the stainless skin fitting as a reference, and the ducting needed a 67mm (2 5/8ths in) hole saw. Both holes were then fitted with lots of sealant. The only problem was finding some unnoticed cable ducting glassed into the aft bulkhead, so it's a good idea to have a wiring layout of your boat before you start.

9. Insulation and Running Up Only the quarter berth and the passage through the front bulkhead into the hanging locker had sharp edges that could not be avoided; therefore, both of these were insulated with lagging. Additionally, one ducting section had to be unavoidably exposed below the chart table, so a wooden box was constructed to cover it. The system was prepared for operation after covers were placed over the ducting apertures.

10. Contact Us Address: 301-220 Brew St Port Moody, BC V3H0H6 Toronto, ON, Canada Contact Number 1-877-508-3900 Business Email sales@dksi.com Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00AM – 8:00 PM Saturday – Sunday: Closed Website: https://dksi.com/