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If you want to stay warm in the winter then you are going to need a good heating system on your boat but not all heating systems are the same. Here we look at what heating systems are available to the liveaboard boater with some Pros and Cons of each type.
Heating your boat and yourself in the Winter months is very important and is a common question asked by many thinking about a liveaboard lifestyle.
In this article we are going to look at ways of keeping yourself and your boat warm. From my experience having spoken to many liveaboards the choice of heating system on your boat is a personal one and everyone seems to have their favourite. For this reason I can not recommend a single type or make but I can tell you about the different types of systems to help make up your mind.
So what are the most common types?
Solid Fuel Stoves
These are popular on residential boats and can burn coal, wood or both. The stove has a flue going outside the boat to ensure the smoke does not enter the living area.
The good points.
1. These stoves are simple and reliable and give out a nice dry comfortable heat. Fuel can be purchased almost anywhere and it is possible to find wood for free in many places.
2. Silent in operation
3. Do not need a power supply to run.
4. Good for heating open plan boats
The bad points
1. The heat output is difficult to control.
2. Storing the fuel aboard your boat can be difficult and take up valuable space.
3. Clearing out the ashes can make a mess inside your boat.
4. Depending on the size of your stove it may not last throughout the night so you may wake up in the morning to a cold boat.
5. Many people do not like to leave a lit stove un-attended so may not be as flexible as other options.
6. Not good at heating boats with many cabins.
Diesel Fire
These types of fires are popular as most boats already have the fuel aboard to run the fire as well as the boats engine.
Stand alone fires are similar to solid fuel stoves with a flue pipe extending outside the boat. Diesel is feed to a metering valve on the fire commonly by gravity and this valve puts diesel into the base of the fire where it burns when ignited.
These fires are reasonably safe to use and the heat output can be controlled. They come in many sizes, heat outputs and designs so you should be able to find one to fit your required space.
The good points
1. Fuel storage is already on your boat.
2. Silent in operation
3. Do not use any electrical power
4. Heat output can be easily controlled
5. Clean burning, no ashes to empty.
The bad points
1. Stand alone fires not good at heating boats with many cabins.
Forced air heating system
These types of heating systems are common on recreational use boats to provide heating aboard so the season can be extended. You do find these systems on residential boats in the smaller sizes.
The system consists of a heater unit with a fan that is run on either diesel or LPG gas. From the heater unit metal ducts are run throughout the boats cabins with an outlet set close to the floor. In operation the heater unit produces heat and the fan blows hot air through the ducts and out of the outlets in each cabin.
Units come in different heat outputs to suit your size of boat.
The good points
1. Can be configured to heat boats with many cabins
2. Fuel storage is already on your boat for diesel or include a gas bottle for gas fuelled systems
3. Heat output can be easily controlled
4. Some systems have a timer for switching on and off so you can set the heating to come on before you get home and be nice and warm.
5. Clean burning, no ashes to empty.
The bad points
1. Uses electrical power from your batteries for starting and when in use.
2. Not silent in operation but noise levels are acceptable.
3. Will need frequent servicing that can be expensive.
4. Parts are expensive if the unit goes wrong.
5. Not designed for constant use that is typical of a liveaboard so could be replacing the unit sooner than expected.
Central Heating systems.
Larger boats can have a conventional central heating system with a boiler running on diesel and radiators throughout the boat. Systems are more or less the same as house systems although the boiler is normally built for marine use.
The good points
1. Can be configured to heat boats with many cabins
2. Fuel storage is already on your boat
3. Heat output can be easily controlled
4. Some systems have a timer for switching on and off so you can set the heating to come on before you get home and be nice and warm.
5. Clean burning, no ashes to empty.
6. Generally reliable system good in constant use
The bad points
1. Uses electrical power from your batteries for starting and when in use. Some require a mains supply to run the circulation pump.
2. Not really a practical system for a smaller boat.
So now you know what the common types of heating systems are for the liveaboard boater to keep you cosy and warm you can make an informed decision on what is your preferred system.
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