Quote:
Originally Posted by rmeador
So I finally got a call back from the guy I've been talking to (Ed Hamilton at Ocean Options in RI). He thinks that an Espar Airtronics D5 is the right heater for a Pearson 36 (the boat I've been looking at). He said that it does not draw in outside air for heating, merely recuriculating what's already in there
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I've had serious issues with Ocean Options in Annapolis, so Ed's answer to you from Ocean Options in RI is consistent with my experience here.
Let's back up and start from scratch.
Webasto and Espar are both European companies that have products based on truck and bus heaters. Both make forced air and hydronic systems. Hydronic systems by their nature entirely recirculate inside air. Pros: they can be plumbed to heat domestic hot water; Cons: higher power consumption for circulating pumps and radiator blowers. Forced air systems only have one blower. Pros: warm up the boat real fast; Cons: may be more difficult to install the 3" or 4" vent than 2 x 1" water hose and can't help with hot water.
Both run great on diesel fuel in the EU. In the US our diesel is dirtier and can create issues, moreso with Webasto than Espar. For both, running a gallon of kerosene through once a month in season will help tremendously. I spent three years fighting with maintenance and repair on a factory-installed Webasto before I gave up and replaced it (for half what I sank into the Webasto for repair) with an Espar.
If you just want to live aboard, the water heating capacity of a hydronic system has great value. If you sail your boat a lot year round and count amp-hours then a forced air system makes more sense.
A year-and-a-half into my Espar D5 and I'm thrilled.
For the forced-air models from both Webasto and Espar (returning to Ocean Options not being a good source of information) you can choose where you draw circulating air as an installation option. On my boat I draw air from outside the boat, heat it, and blow it into the boat. Normal boat ventilation provides exhaust from overpressure. One could easily choose to draw air from inside the boat. Combustion air can be drawn from either inside the boat, the engine space (which has some pre-heating benefit), or outside. Exhaust is the most critical since back-pressure cannot be too high or the burner will carbonize. Most installations run directly outboard to just below the toe-rail or (on aft-cabin boats) out the transom. Regardless you have to provide adequate drainage for condensate in the exhaust system.
For a from-scratch installation on a 36' boat you should be able to get an Espar D5 for2k - 2.5k plus installation labor. You really need someone who knows what they are doing. In my personal opinion and based on my personal experience with Ocean Options in Annapolis I would not trust any of their facilities to wash the windshield of my car. You may have different experience and make different choices. So be it.
I clearly have some opinions on this subject, but I do have personal experience (and expertise as it happens) to back it up. Feel free to contact me if you care to discuss heating in more detail.
While you are at it, I highly recommend Roger McAfee's book "The Warm Dry Boat" as a good general resource.
All that said, diesel heat of whatever form is the way to go for living aboard in colder climes. I spent late-winter and early-spring in Sweden, several winters in the Chesapeake, and done a number of offshore passages in winter with diesel heat. Beats the heck out of being cold. Even cold weather watches are okay when you know it will be warm below.
sail fast and eat well, dave
S/V Auspicious
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