Alyssa Jean
New member
By the way, the top of the heater makes a great little drying rack for damp socks or small items that can slide into the space. That is assuming you have the heater on.
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Hot Water Duration
- Thread starter Bob Cat
- Start date
This hot water heater and cabin heater stuff is wonderfully complex and full of options that cry out for SPACE in the boat for installation and hiding. More than a bit like trying to include air conditioning and a generator on board.
The best solution depends on your cruising style and location, etc.
And one system has to be developed with the other in mind (integrated).
With a sufficiently large generator, a reversible heat pump could provide cabin heating and cooling, as well as hot water through an electric heater.
The fridge/freezer could simply be dual voltage and run off the generator and house batteries. Add an electric range in there since we have the power, too.
Now all we need is the generator and shore power when available.
Diesel or gas generator choice would be based on fuel source aboard for the main engine.
This makes a nice "no propane" option for those wary of the explosive gas.
Plus electricity is relatively easy to distribute around from source to appliance as opposed to hot water, refrigeration gases, propane, etc.
I guess I'm also biased to electrical solutions, but this sounds the simplest overall solution.
Still, propane when used carefully, provides instant heat unequalled by any other fuel source used commonly in boats.
If the boats big enough, a big powerplant opens all kinds of doors. Extreme example: Cruise Ships, USS Enterprise, SSN-Ohio, etc.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..................?
Joe.
The best solution depends on your cruising style and location, etc.
And one system has to be developed with the other in mind (integrated).
With a sufficiently large generator, a reversible heat pump could provide cabin heating and cooling, as well as hot water through an electric heater.
The fridge/freezer could simply be dual voltage and run off the generator and house batteries. Add an electric range in there since we have the power, too.
Now all we need is the generator and shore power when available.
Diesel or gas generator choice would be based on fuel source aboard for the main engine.
This makes a nice "no propane" option for those wary of the explosive gas.
Plus electricity is relatively easy to distribute around from source to appliance as opposed to hot water, refrigeration gases, propane, etc.
I guess I'm also biased to electrical solutions, but this sounds the simplest overall solution.
Still, propane when used carefully, provides instant heat unequalled by any other fuel source used commonly in boats.
If the boats big enough, a big powerplant opens all kinds of doors. Extreme example: Cruise Ships, USS Enterprise, SSN-Ohio, etc.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..................?
Joe.
Hmm, and I thought one of the great vertues of the basic C Dory was simplicity!
The hyronic heater works great in a larger boat--we had 45,000 BTU and the system drew only 5 amps running. We used specifically built heater cores with small computer fans--3 zones--one for each stateroom and one for the main saloon. Also copper tubing in the heads and for towel racks and in hanging lockers for radiant heat...but in a 46 foot boat, with all of the stuff that Joe talks about (Holding plate refigeration, etc)--but it seems to me that for the C Dory--simple is still good. I think that a couple of the milliamp fans with a the Wallas will keep any of the C Dory products comfortably warm--but it does not heat the water,unless you ran a coil in close proximity to the burners--
Sounds like Minnow's solution of the rigid foam is excellent. I'll have to check for clearance and access.
The hyronic heater works great in a larger boat--we had 45,000 BTU and the system drew only 5 amps running. We used specifically built heater cores with small computer fans--3 zones--one for each stateroom and one for the main saloon. Also copper tubing in the heads and for towel racks and in hanging lockers for radiant heat...but in a 46 foot boat, with all of the stuff that Joe talks about (Holding plate refigeration, etc)--but it seems to me that for the C Dory--simple is still good. I think that a couple of the milliamp fans with a the Wallas will keep any of the C Dory products comfortably warm--but it does not heat the water,unless you ran a coil in close proximity to the burners--
Sounds like Minnow's solution of the rigid foam is excellent. I'll have to check for clearance and access.
Too much multitasking and I failed to mention my main point in the last post. We added a "bypass" for hot water in some of our boats, so that opening a small valve let the cooler water in the lines run back into the water tank, until the real "hot" water was at the spiget. We figured that saved a gallon of water each time we accessed the hot water. Not as much distance in the C Dory--but if you have a transom shower, it might be a significant saving.
Thataway-
Bob, that's the great conflict some of us have with these design problems, of course, which is the natural nerd tendency is to find increasingly complex solutions using technology. However, the KISS Principle and the size of a C-Dory demand that we find a simple, elegant solution that fits in the available space. The Eternal Struggle! You are totally familiar with this yourself, of course!
I've often thought of using a fairly large tank over the propane cooktop as a solution to some of these problems.
Fill the tank with water at night, heat it up warm enough on the stove to keep the cabin warm during the night, and still have enough warmish water to shower with in the morning.
During the day, the water could be circulated through solar panels in the roof, minimizing the propane fuel needs later.
Insulation around the tank would hold in the heat, and a radiator, either passive or actively driven with a pump and fan, would distribute the heat.
The system could be wall mounted (inside the cabin of course to contain the heat where it's needed, and low for center of gravity considerations), and the water circulated up to and through a tubular heating coil element over one burner.
The same coil could radiate heat at night with the burner turned off. A computer fan could assist heat exchange and circulation.
The water would add weight to the boat, but would also add extra volume for showers until it was consumed and not replaceable from the main storage tank.
The burner could be used at night to boost heat reserves, and would require a fume/exhaust hood during operation.
Personally, I'd be glad to give up one of three or four propane stove top burners to a cabin and water heating system.
This isn't a finished concept, but the basic ideas are there.
It's probably not all that different from some heating systems used in domestic ssituations these days, only simpler/cruder.
Joe.
Bob, that's the great conflict some of us have with these design problems, of course, which is the natural nerd tendency is to find increasingly complex solutions using technology. However, the KISS Principle and the size of a C-Dory demand that we find a simple, elegant solution that fits in the available space. The Eternal Struggle! You are totally familiar with this yourself, of course!
I've often thought of using a fairly large tank over the propane cooktop as a solution to some of these problems.
Fill the tank with water at night, heat it up warm enough on the stove to keep the cabin warm during the night, and still have enough warmish water to shower with in the morning.
During the day, the water could be circulated through solar panels in the roof, minimizing the propane fuel needs later.
Insulation around the tank would hold in the heat, and a radiator, either passive or actively driven with a pump and fan, would distribute the heat.
The system could be wall mounted (inside the cabin of course to contain the heat where it's needed, and low for center of gravity considerations), and the water circulated up to and through a tubular heating coil element over one burner.
The same coil could radiate heat at night with the burner turned off. A computer fan could assist heat exchange and circulation.
The water would add weight to the boat, but would also add extra volume for showers until it was consumed and not replaceable from the main storage tank.
The burner could be used at night to boost heat reserves, and would require a fume/exhaust hood during operation.
Personally, I'd be glad to give up one of three or four propane stove top burners to a cabin and water heating system.
This isn't a finished concept, but the basic ideas are there.
It's probably not all that different from some heating systems used in domestic ssituations these days, only simpler/cruder.
Joe.