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Post by Charlie-Bravo on Nov 3, 2019 17:22:21 GMT
We were thinking of installing heating for the chilly weather, DIY, and have looked at some kits available. Interested to hear from those who have it, would 2KW heaters be enough, or would 4 KW be a better choice for a 35 footer in darkest North Wales, intending to explore Scotland next year? Also, we were thinking of installing the heater in the back of the port locker, with a side exhaust so it doesn't melt the dinghy, air in via the transom area or locker, ducting through the 'garage' , behind the heads, and outlets in aft cabin, heads, saloon and maybe forepeak, is this the usual set up, or should it be mounted in the transom starboard side, with ducting under the aft cabin bunk, behind the fridge mech, under/behind the fridge ( haven't explored available space there yet) and under the settee through to the forepeak wardrobe Thanks CB
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Post by MalcolmP on Nov 4, 2019 7:39:38 GMT
Well worth putting an outlet in the heads, makes a massive comfort difference on cold wet days. Bigger will use more power and diesel so need to balance that trade off and study the specs There are several DIY installs in our hints and tips that may help www.jeanneau-owners.com/hintsandtipsindexplumbing.html
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Post by Charlie-Bravo on Nov 4, 2019 9:21:24 GMT
Thanks for the link, I'm still finding my feet with this site, and hadn't come across the info you pointed me to, ..... I was looking in equipment , sure I'll get the drop of it soon. I had. 4kw in a Moody 34, and that got things very warm, but haven't met anyone with a similar sized boat and a 2kw for an educated view on likely performance. Leaning toward 4kw at the moment just because I know it will get things hot, but if a smaller heater would suffice and drink less fuel it might be an option, ..... see if anyone replies with 2kw knowledge.
Thanks again CB
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Post by johannes on Nov 4, 2019 10:04:23 GMT
I am not so certain a bigger heater uses more fuel. For a given thermostat setting they should use about the same, just that the larger one will operate with more margin to max power. The good thing with a large heater is that it will get warm quicker. On the other hand it will be more expensive.
The Eberspächer D2 has power steps 0.85 - 1.2 - 1.8 - 2.2 kW, while the D4 has 0.9 - 2 - 3 - 4 kW. So the lowest power level is about the same. The D2 is recommended for boats up to 26 ft, so if just looking at the recommendation you should go for the 4 kW.
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Post by zaphod on Nov 4, 2019 17:22:20 GMT
It is important to consider your ductwork when choosing the heater size. You must be able to install duct of sufficient diameter and enough outlets to handle the increased airflow of the larger heater. Insufficient outlets or undersized ductwork could result in noisier operation due to air velocity, and potentially cause the heater to run at higher than normal temperatures. This could potentially cause the unit to shut down on thermal safeties.
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Post by shortarseyoda on Nov 5, 2019 9:23:41 GMT
We have a 4.5kw on our SO 35 with 4 outlets and it's not enough. It was just about enough with 3 outlets but adding one to the forecabin with the long run required, doesn't heat the forecabin very well. You can shut off the one in the loo which results in more hot air going to the forecabin, but who wants a cold bathroom lol! I would recommend a minimum of 5kw therefore.
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Post by Charlie-Bravo on Nov 5, 2019 9:35:24 GMT
Thanks All for your imput, all food for thought.
I was surprised the 4.5kw seems not enough, my old 4kw eberspatcher really did push out a lot of heat, hence my thoughts on the smaller model, but duct length and quality of insulation will effect the output for sure. Looking definitely looking at the bigger models now
Thanks again
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Post by shortarseyoda on Nov 5, 2019 10:46:51 GMT
If you are down south at all you are more than welcome to come on-board and check it out and take photo's of tbe installation etc.
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Post by johannes on Nov 5, 2019 11:59:02 GMT
We have a 4 kW Eberspächer in our SO37 and it gives plenty of heat even in the forecabin. It has 5 outlets. I guess it depends on the outside temperature how well the interior temperature can be maintained. The coldest outside temperature we use the boat is about 5 C. I also sometimes use the heater in winter when I work on the boat and it works well, down to about 2-4 C at least.
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Post by zaphod on Nov 5, 2019 20:10:56 GMT
I am not sure what size Webasto we have on our 39i but we do have a problem with the forward cabin not getting enough heat even though there seems to be plenty of airflow. It doesn't bother us too much because we like it cool when we sleep anyway. We just use a heavier blanket.
There are a number of factors that will cause the problem of not getting enough heat at the bow when the heater is in the stern. Return air is important for efficient air distribution. If there is no way to get the cold air back to the heater the space will be colder. In the case of the forward cabin on our boat, if the door is closed the cabin is sealed off from the rest of the boat. The supply air will then pressurize the cabin, and once that happens supply air flow is reduced. Air will take the easiest route which will be the aft cabin and main salon where static pressure is lower. The other problem is the location of the thermostat. The stat is usually installed in the main salon so the temperature of that area is all the system cares about. Again having the forward cabin door closed will isolate the cabin from the thermostat. The system will start ramping down heat output because the salon is warm even though the forward cabin is still cold. The simple solution to these problems is to sleep with the cabin door open, which is fine when it is just us on board, but if we have guests on board and want some privacy we have to live with a colder cabin.
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