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An old gravity fed propane furnace from camper installed on boat-good idea or bad

9K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  norahs arc 
#1 ·
any ideas? I was thinking it might not work or be dangerous due to wave movement?
also-
Anyone tried using a small pellet stove on a boat?
any advice is greatly appreciated.
chris from Canada
 
#2 ·
Hi islandskim. I see that the above post is your first so you are new to SailNet. Let me be the first to welcome you and let you know we are not elitists.
I'm not sure why gravity needs to be used to supply propane to the furnace since the propane is under pressure and that will move the gas to the burner.
 
#4 ·
I think the pellet stove would be a great idea, for heat anyway. I don't get the gravity fed propane thing. I use a propane swing-type stove in the cabin and have a propane BBQ on the back rail. Both work great, and I get great mileage from my propane.

Welcome to Sailnet.
 
#8 ·
thanks for the posts guys. Gravity simply means no fan., Im curious though if the flame would go out while travelling in rough weather. I have found some small pellet stoves online around 3000 new, so don;t think I'll be going down that rout anytime soon. For some reason they don't have those in Canada (Yet). I have seen the "little gnome" pellet stove for example can run on a 12v fan, again not sure if wave action would affect the operation...??? anyone??
 
#9 · (Edited)
The Dickenson Newport is a great little propane fireplace, two sizes (9,000 and 12,000 BTU) we have the smaller on our 34 footer, used the larger on our last boat, a 40 footer. Fully vented, outside air supply, sealed combustion chamber.. really safe and good ambiance due to the glass front and visible flame.

DICKINSON NEWPORT PROPANE HEATER - P9000 Binnacle.com

Under $1K AND it comes with all necessary flue pipe, deck fitting, etc. All you need to add is the fuel line. Only complaint is a rather noisy fan..

 
#11 ·
Is it a Force 10 bulkhead heater? There's a HUGE difference between those and the one posted above, esp on the safety front, but also in the effectiveness...
 
#12 ·
If your boat is insured you should always consider what the ramifications of installing non-marine approved or compliant LPG equipment means. I had to remove an "on-demand" water heater sold and misleadingly marketed as a "marine unit" out last spring. It did not meet any of the applicable marine safety standards even though the owner believed it did due to misleading marketing. It did not pass the insurance survey and the owner had a choice lose insurance or keep the on-demand water heater....

Among other things to be marine compliant the heater needs be vented and also be sealed combustion (not taking combustion air from the cabin). It also can not have a standing pilot light.
 
#13 ·
I had to remove an "on-demand" water heater sold and misleadingly marketed as a "marine unit" out last spring. It did not meet any of the applicable marine safety standards even though the owner believed it did due to misleading marketing. It did not pass the insurance survey and the owner had a choice lose insurance or keep the on-demand water heater.....
Main Sail, can I ask the brand/model of the water heater you had to remove?
 
#19 ·
propane scares me. It is just as bad as gasoline for sitting in the bilges if you get a leak.. and just as likely to blow your boat skyhigh if it ignites.

I like the kerosine and even better, the diesel stoves.. especially if you have a diesel engine already aboard
 
#20 ·
Guess no one has ever seen a diesel "explosion" It can happen in a heater that's hot. and someone tries to relight while the fuel is still being gasified by the hot burner. More often with diesel they will belch soot, so much that every surface will be coated.

With all the safety devices available and common sense. and a diesel engine boat. someone would almost have to want to blow up their boat!
 
#23 ·
Hello,
The size is close to a cafeteria kitchen-sized can of stewed tomatoes, but the fatsco stove bodies are made of stainless steel.
Y'know, i thought about trying to build a decent small low-buck boat woodstove that I wouldn't have to rebuild every season. But, by the time you cost out SS sheet, cut it, form it (the sheer number of blades you go through cutting stainless is damn near cost prohibitive), get a shop to weld it together, etc., you're at or above the cost of a fastco stove, without figuring in your own labour.

Now, if I already owned a tig welder and plasma cutter, then the cost and time drops enough to make it worth considering.

or I could cut down some thick wall steel tube, get it powder coated, etc., etc., ...
It's still hard to beat a Fatsco.
 
#26 ·
Re camper propane appliances of any kind on board - NO! NO! NO!
Use propane products designed for marine use only on board. Ther are major differences in the safety features and materiels used. RV, camping and home products are not safe or suitable on boats.
 
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