[C320-list] C320-list Digest, Vol 4429, Issue 1

[Paul Hetherington]

Ade, best of luck with your project.  It is always great to add some heat
to potentially lengthen the season.

Our 1994 came with an old Wallas diesel mounted on the aft end of the port
lazarette.  The location worked out well as it was pretty flush against the
bulkhead.  1 of the two duct runs very successfully heated the rear cabin
for a while.  The other run underneath the galley floor had too much
contact with the cold outer hull and so only delivered a cool draft to the
main salon through the outlet below the galley sink facing the setee.

But when the Wallas died (I put several hundreds into an attempt to extend
it's life but no luck) I couldn't stomach the $3K quote for replacement
because we didn't use it much so opted for the very controversial 'chinese
diesel heaters'.  At $325 it was a planar copy and hard to resist.   After
many hours of research (including talking to existing owners) to get over
the potential fire risk issues, I was satisfied to give it a try.  Because
of its ease of use (less smoking and  belching) we have used it far more
than the Wallas and have been very happy with the performance.   We are
currently only heating the aft cabin, but I am considering a simple run to
an outlet at the forward end of the port lasarette accessing the galley and
using a convection fan to spread the heat from there.

If you are intent on heating the vbirth you might think about a second
heater further up the boat.  A run that long, especially split the way you
would have options to do, in my experience, will have a hard time getting
that far.  Depending on outside temperature of course.

In my research during the install I found that tapping into the main diesel
source isn't advised for reasons I cannot currently recall.  Although I can
see the value in only having to manage 1 fill process.

One potential consideration for you that didn't initially enter my planning
was the battery power needed to kick over a diesel heater.  Some models
need as much as 10amps for short periods to heat the glow plug and run the
fan.  This won't normally be a problem unless you have been at anchor for a
few days and are hoping to warm the cabin in the early morning, before the
solar has had a chance to top things up.  We have a simple system with only
about 150Ah, and our batteries are due for a replacement soon.  So we have
run into a situation where we didn't have the juice and had to rise to a
cold boat.  The injustice of it all.  ;) Your mileage may vary.

Cheers.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Hetherington
Hull 155, Seasun

On Mon, May 15, 2023 at 1:22 PM Jeff Hecht via C320-list <
c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> wrote:

> If you search for air-conditioning installation on the c320.org site,
> that should be helpful—lots of ideas.
>
> From what I saw doing my research, many put it in the stern lazarette and
> used the door to the aft bunk for intake and ran a duct to up higher, and
> then also ran a duct by the breadbox in the galley for the cabin. There are
> more elaborate options that require a good deal of carpentry.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Jeff Hecht
> 973-563-5260
> On May 15, 2023 at 4:05 PM -0400, c320-list-request at lists.catalina320.com,
> wrote:
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> > Today's Topics:
> >
> > 1. Forced air heater ducting (Ade Bateman)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Mon, 15 May 2023 03:10:34 +0000
> > From: Ade Bateman <ade.bateman at outlook.com>
> > To: "C320-List at Catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> > Subject: [C320-list] Forced air heater ducting
> > Message-ID:
> > <
> CO3P220MB0768EE0CFCFDC4511F57B02EE2789 at CO3P220MB0768.NAMP220.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM
> >
> >
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I am researching installing a diesel forced air heater in the aft port
> lazarette. This seems like a reasonable location to be able to route the
> exhaust and easily access the fuel tank. What I am wondering about is how
> others have routed the ducting into the cabin. Ideally, I would like to
> have separate vents for the aft cabin, main living space, head, and
> v-berth. The aft cabin is easy and I'm wondering if I can feed ducting
> under the galley floor to bring it out under the sinks. I'm not sure how
> feasible it is to get to the head and v-berth, so I'm looking for ideas.
> >
> > I'm looking at the Wallas Viking Air, which I've read operates very
> quietly and which can switch between circulating air from the cabin back
> through the heater and bringing in fresh air from outside. Any feedback on
> the Viking Air would also be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Ade.
> > #257 (1995)
> >
> >
> > End of C320-list Digest, Vol 4429, Issue 1
> > ******************************************
>