Cabin Heating

[Yara50]

There is a thread on TSP on this subject, and I have posted pics of my modified Dixon Toaster, which works well.
http://www.trailersailerplace.com.au/ph ... 171#p88171

IMAG0132 (Small).jpg (21.28 KiB) Viewed 8093 times

Ventilation by propped gap under bottom hatch, and slightly open horizontal sliding hatch at the top.

[Andrew]

Found this great article by Drew Frye about making a DIY cabin heater, using your existing cook stove as the heat source.

Good old boat - Cabin heater https://goodoldboat.com/diy-sailboat-cabin-heater/

It utilises old stainless pot, copper tubes, flexible ss tube and flashing. It can simmer a kettle/pot on top as well. Excellent diagram and pics. Besides heating, it dehumidifies and vents ALL the CarbonDioxide and Carbonmonoxide to the outside. He has a Carbon monoxide alarm and never fires the heater after lights out. He also Busts the "Ceramic flowerpot Myth".

It might be handy down south in winter.

[Peter T]

In my last boat, a 25 ft modified Roberts keel boat, I had a fully gimbled 2 burner gas stove. I used to use a clay pot turned upside down over one of the burners with the gas set to low. Always had ventilation as well as a gas detector and never used it when sleeping, but my word it heated the boat beautifully and in no time at all. Very efficient indeed.

[Andrew]

Hi Peter,

The trick is to set the heat low it seems - Myth is "Plausible". In the article he shattered/exploded quite a few pots - too much heat perhaps. What type of pot did you use? (glazed or terracotta?)

[Ozzie]

The thread on cabin heating referenced in Ian B’s post above on TSP is worth a re-read in conjunction with this thread. I’m thinking that the bit in the good old boat article on not being able to increase the btu output of the stove makes sense. It’s output AFTER the heat source is off that you want. I’m getting a bit long in the tooth to overwinter in Spritzig these days but in the little motorhome I’m interested in this stuff. We have a fully ducted and fan assisted mini range hood built in so CO should not be an issue but obviously that also removes convected warm air, leaves just radiated heat.

Note the bit about how quickly a burning heat source produces dangerous CO level. Scary stuff.

We have an Aldi CO monitor in the Mh but, I remember an article a bloke did on similar such monitors that was not encouraging as to their effectiveness. I’ll see if I can dig it up.

I try where possible to warm the person. A merino wool thermal top under your clobber (coincidentally a weekly special buy yesterday at Aldi as part of Ski Gear Loony Saturday) helps a lot as does headgear, or sticking your tootsies on a hot water bottle. It’s been debunked that you loose a truckload of heat out of the top of your head apparently but chuck a few grand at a university trial to disprove that if your feet are warm you can’t fool yourself your bum isn’t freezing.

My research suggests you can

[Andrew]

Here is a DIY alcohol heater that works in minus 2C,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEOEg-PnN3k MiniD microcamp boat heater - Roy Schreyer.

Those Aldi ski clothes and a hw bottle look good for sailing.

[Ozzie]

Thanks for that one Andrew. Great video. With sensible safety advice too. I see reject fondue sets in thrift shops all the time. I’ll have to keep a look out. Never thought about them as a source for alcohol burners. I totally concur with his comment about really only needing to get the temperature up to “sweater temperature” as he calls it. We really do overheat our houses.

I have memories of visiting my daughter in Britain a few years back we were in a pub in Hay-on-Wye in Wales a few days after Christmas and they had the fire up at “charcoal chicken” levels. I stripped off all my coats and was in the thinnest T-shirt I had and still having to suck down beers to try and keep cool. Go figure Sheesh, don’t the British have thermometers or thermostats in their houses . I found pretty much not when I was there. Paris was the same.

Also love the blokes boat. I have a similar design in my folder of boat pics somewhere with twin crab claw sails from memory. I’m going to have to watch the rest of his videos.

Pouring rain here at the moment and has been for two months apparently. We’ve been away. This thread and the other ones referenced above has got me searching the old links and fleabay. I’ve ordered one of these gazintas as an experiment for outdoor use on my explodo butane stove.

Most places these days ban campfires. We were regulars at the St Albans Folk Festival for years and the highlight was always jamming around a campfire. Festival’s Insurance (that word again) ultimately killed that option. So these types of devices with be all that’s left.

If anyone has a good heating device they have invented tell us about it .

Quote from another forum:
“ As my Scottish Grandfather used to say, Come Laddy . Warm yeself around this roaring candle “

[Andrew]

That looks like a nice outdoor heater ozzie, pity campfires are on the wane.

You've probably heard of ducted RV Diesel heaters. For warming inside a cabin, RV or boat. eg. VEVOR 12v diesel heaters. They have 2kw, 5kw and 8 kw units. Vertical, horizontal or split box shapes. The fumes exhaust outside via a flexi flue and a fan blows heated duct air inside. Under $200 not bad.

Diesel price still reasonable and installs can go into confined spaces.

[Ozzie]

Thanks for that Andrew. You steered me onto looking on fleabay and these are now portable!! I had a mate who had one installed in his caravan but I’ve got fairly limited space as one of my underseat storage area’s already has a Truma gas/240v hot water system. One of these outside blowing hot air in would be good. 12v so ok for free camping, which is when it’s needed most in winter too. Best of all I can leave it at home during summer with the 240v heater Have to do some more research.

Would these be ok for a boat. Guess so.

[Andrew]

They would be ok on larger boats, however the I563 might be too small to fit one, even the smallest 2kw.?

I reckon Ian's toaster mod or the small heater ontop of existing stove is the way to go on a cold I563. Bit worried about the flower pot breaking ..