Zoned hydronic heating system with three zones (thermostats). One each in the Salon, Vberth, and owners cabin. We turn the master toggle switch on at night before going to bed, and in the morning only need to reach up and move a thermostat to begin heating the boat.
Installed tightly in starboard side of aft locker.
I built and tightly fitting a strong aluminum shelf. Prior to installing the shelf in the boat, I preliminarily installed the heater unit, and the main coolant tank, along with the coolant filter unit vertically. I also installed the overflow tank above it, and an additional buffer tank aft of it outside the starboard stern locker enclosure (almost doubling the systems coolant to reduce short cycling). This assembly is very compact and uses little of the lockers usable storage space. I installed a 4 inch stainless
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The following was submitted by Paul McManus. whose C380 resides in the Seattle area where the often-cool [cold?] weather makes a boat heater a very nice feature. Here’s his description of the installation.
Why a Hydronic Diesel Heater- There was never a question about whether Sea Sea Rider would have a heater. The Admiral does not like to be cold and, since this was our first boat, I wanted to make sure she was comfortable. The decision to put a hydronic diesel heater in was driven by several factors. First, we had spent some time with friends on their C42 which had a hydronic heater and found it very comfortable. Next, I liked the idea of running small [hot-water] hoses instead of the large [hot-air] ducts required by air systems. I also preferred individual thermostats for each cabin, an
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After good meals, a key factor in crew comfort is adequate cabin heat. What a treat a warm cabin is after a cold watch…and how nice it is to be able to dry clothes at sea! We have had experience with diesel heaters before in our Catalina 42 and friends’ boats. They are very economical to run (about 0.5 liters per hour), are quiet/safe in operation, and offer loads of nice hot air.
An Eberspacher Model D3LC was chosen for its heat output and reputation for quality. They are readily available in the USA through selected dealers.
This model was designed for a slightly smaller boat, but installation space and other factors must be considered. Finding a way to mount the heater, locate the exhaust, and run the heat output required careful planning. After much thought, we settled on mounting the main
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