Heating your boat when it's actually cold - diesel heaters compared

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[@AlluringArctic]

Hi everyone! This video is a little bit different compared to my previous ones, yes it's mostly just a talking head type of thing, but I think many of you will find it useful. If you're new here then please have a look at my other videos as well for more action! PS. A new "real" episode is coming up soon as well, please stay patient 😉

[@RoryL83]

This was EXACTLY what I've been researching!! Loved your content before this so we must think alike. Anyway, you answered a ton of my questions so thanks and I look forward to seeing more of your videos!

[@gerdontheboat]

Coild you also please give us a realistic idea of fuel consumption per av. day in regular use? Many people run them from the main tank, and cant rally tell because the only use them occasionally.

[@AlluringArctic]

@@gerdontheboat I use around 4-5 liters per day, running the 5,7 kW Refleks heater near minimum, I think I'm running it at around 1,5 kW most of the time. When I wake up I run it at full blast for a while. I really try to save on diesel though and I think most people would use more in these conditions. You can calculate your fuel usage approximately like this: 0,15 liters produces around 1 kWh of heat. You could also estimate your need by bringing in a electric heater (say a 2kW heater) and running it, then you'll get an idea of whether it's enough or not etc

[@gerdontheboat]

Concerning refleks heaters... In the Netherlands you the heatpol heaters are very popular, I think they are really refleks, and can often be found second hand at good prices. For example www.marktplaats.nl/q/heatpol/

[@paulmurphy8549]

Use kerosene instead of diesel for heater burns cleaner,less smoke less soot,plus it's same as airplane fuel doesn't freeze,it's also what that add to diesel to stop winter freezing at about 5% or more,depending where you are,it's airplane fuel,and used in most home heating systems as they can burn diesel or kerosene with change of nozzle,it's just cleaner,and less trouble

[@rockymnthodad3047]

so English is not likely your 'native' language, yet I've never listened to more articulate and accurate speech as this.. well done, information and all.!

[@AlluringArctic]

thanks a lot!

[@TrolloTV]

How you know hes not american: He installed all the heating systems himself and has lived with them for two years in cold af weather, yet only says he has "some experience" and doesnt sell everything he says as plain facts.

[@AlluringArctic]

😅 I've been to the US and yes, Americans are better at exaggerating than we are! 😁

[@landrum3893]

As an American, I resemble that remark!

[@captainchristianguy3307]

Yes as an America my hats off to him. Not lazy, not willing to compromise with where he wants to be, not going cold. Also, not selling everything you can imagine along the way.

[@robormiston2841]

I bet it's more like he has no one there to fix stuff where he is. Have you seen where he goes? Plus a good captain will want to do it himself, American or not.

[@cardio10101]

You've put some serious hard work into your vessel, and she'll reward you. Enjoy it while young because we're all tenants of the earth with a fixed termination date.

[@richardsimms251]

Don’t you need a CO carbon monoxide detector too to avoid the very serious risk of Carbon Monoxide death. Great video. Thank you so much. CO carbon monoxide is different from CO2 carbon dioxide. I know that YOU know this ( but others may not ). Keep up your great presentations. RS. Canada

[@davidc6510]

Great summary on the various heaters and although long it was packed with a large amount of information. It is good to have two sources of heat in that extreme climate and the dry heat is really good as well. Those thermal fans are such a great idea. You must store a lot of diesel for the boat engine as well as heat. Well done again. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!

[@michaelcuthbert3022]

Thanks for this. Just purchased a Planar 2kw heater for my Moody 33. I'm not as far north as you (only at 55⁰) but also a live-aboard and need dry heat. I'm very encouraged by your experience...

[@captainchristianguy3307]

Wow. What a great video! You sir have giant balls to sail that far up and I certainly respect you for that! I just bought a boat and was looking for a heater just to get to where it's warm. Either way I'm not going to put in garbage heater in my boat. And the heater has to work! Very informative!

[@asennaydenov6461]

Great summary, thank you! Few years back I did replace my Wallas 1700 with 5Kw Chinese air diesel heater. I’m quite impressed how stable is preforming. Never had any issues with weekend sailings around Sweden. If you think is good idea dive a try with Chinese one 8KW I mean just for fun and spare heat. Btw I absolutely love your videos combining my favourite two skiing and sailing!

[@mymobile5014]

There is no such thing as a 8Kw diesel heater, that's just typical Chinese exaggeration. The 8Kw are all 5Kw.

[@jamesmead7005]

Thanks so much for producing this video - it's packed with useful information!

[@NickVass1000]

This is an excellent video explaining different types of heaters and installing heaters. Very straightforward info which is to the point without any naff music or pretty pictures. This is great because it shows heaters in use in a bloody cold sailing area. If it works in the Arctic in winter it will work fine in the Solent.

[@AlluringArctic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@qt35732]

Just found your channel, and really enjoyed all so far. This part with some tech and +/- was nice too. And I’d definitely like to hear the details about how the run the burner in the best way. Keep on posting!

[@Sunshinecoastphotography]

Fantastic! Greatly appreciate your insight and experience with heating a boat. I am interested in a type of diesel heater that also acts as a cooktop and I have only seen one or two of them in person, but it seems like the perfect thing for us. It is made by Wallas and until I learn more, I am still looking for an unobtrusive diesel heater. The smaller forced air unit looks like another excellent solution for us. Thanks for doing this!

[@makisp.1428]

"an unobtrusive diesel heater" well put!

[@billdavis3957]

In your discussion of diesel heater in your stern locker and the air inlet is inside the locker, you mention the exhaust tube must be perfect or exhaust gas could leak out and be sucked into the air inlet and you said people should have a CO2 detector. CO2 is carbon dioxide. What you need is a CO carbon monoxide detector, because carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly. In my opinion it is really risky to have the air inlet inside the.same locker right next to the exhaust tube that could leak.

[@EgilWar]

I had forced air diesel heaters in both my boats. They work really well and both also took advantage of the engine heat when the engine was running. The only caveat is that one fuel measuring system was based on a mechanical/electric system using a float in the tank while the other was purely electronic based upon fuel flow. With the first I would know how much fuel was in the tank while the latter it was a guessing game and when we went to refill the tank we would often see that the electronics thought there was much more fuel than actually. As such we were cautions to keep the tank full, or as much as practical, to avoid running out and having to tap into our emergency supply. Its amazing how much fuel you use on a cold night in Canada.

[@stevesleeper2292]

Thanks for the great info! This is my first year staying in the water for winter on my sailboat. I'm in New England so winter may not be quite as cold for me. My question is can you give me any advise on what you do to protect through hulls from freezing when the water does?

[@RoyClare]

Hi Juho, just subbed. Found your channel via your link on FB. Congratulations on some very interesting videos, beautifully produced. This one about the heating was most informative. I have used a charcoal-burning solid fuel heater in a boat in high latitudes when diesel supply was an issue. Charcoal is physically light weight and can be stored in small bags and tucked away in the corners of the boat that aren’t used for anything else. My current boat (a Fisher 25) has an Eberspacher that works very well as you describe. I like your idea of redirecting the ducting to warm up the engine space as my Yanmar Diesel engine has no glow-plug so cold starting can be an issue. Some 25 years ago I had a Wallas heater that I transferred from one boat to another and also proved very reliable. In around 15 years of ownership I only serviced the burner once! In a small camping-style day boat boat I have used a slow-burning ‘tea light’ candle under a ceramic or pottery dome ... typically an upended flower pot ... this device works surprisingly well, but as an open flame is involved it isn’t safe to leave alone and certainly not to use underway! I try to sail all through the year whenever my work permits. So it is inspiring to hear of your experiences in much higher latitudes than mine on the east coast of England. Good luck with your channel. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Roy

[@AlluringArctic]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@man-with-handle]

Very interesting video with some very valid positives and negatives. I use a small Taylor's diesel heater which is now about 22 years old. It's very efficient, use very little fuel but a bit tricky to light and can also suffer from blow-back in a sudden gust of wind. It may well get changed for a Reflek's heater this year so as to provide additional heat to custom radiators and heating hot water. May also look at installing a Wallas system as well for backup.

[@jimhilstad5227]

I live in Gibsons BC (one of the places you sailed by on your way to Alaska) I plumbed in a bus heater in my boat that used the cooling water from the engine. It worked very well. The big advantage is the while underway you get double the use from your fuel, both to run. The engine as well as heating the cabin. One side benefit is that it also aids in cooling your engine if that ever becomes an issue. By the way I really look forward to your video’s👍 you are very down to earth and practical. Thank you

[@Stephen-uz8dm]

Hey. I live on the Coast as well. Did installing the heater affect your insurance?

[@perryjones457]

We have been considering a diesel heater to extend our sailing season into colder months, but not winter. This was very good information. Thank you!

[@OmmerSyssel]

@@charonstyxferryman Insulation of traditional boats has to be considered carefully. It tends to cause condensation, with the amount of hidden corners in boats might be a precription for future desaster! Along with a correct used dehumidifier it could be a good idea...

[@casperholst1757]

Details and experience on the Refleks would be very useful. Looking at fitting one with backboiler on a 12m aluminium boat aimed at higher latitudes and ski touring. Best Casper

[@JamesJackson-jv4pf]

I enjoyed this, thanks. Good to learn more about these different heating systems, and I would be interested to learn more about how the Reflex operates. Cheers

[@UnforgettableSailing]

So nice to learn with you! Someday we will sail into the cold as well!!! Thanks for the episode

[@Dan_C604]

Hello, i just stumbled upon your channel, very interesting! Love your cruising areas! Cheers from Canada.

[@zerofox7347]

The Webasto heaters have been used in lorry cabs and RVs for years. I’ve been using them for 20 plus years and I can say I’ve never had any issues.

[@user-sx4yu3nw4j]

This video is exactly what I was looking for. There’s more than enough videos of people showing how easy installation is, what I want to know is how the various systems stack up against each other. Thank you and well done!

[@sharkamov]

Juho; You're definitely a _'natural born'_ KZbinr, this particular video was nothing short of _brilliant! . . . _ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐😉👌

[@simon2samuel]

I would love an indeep presemtation of the oil burner heater, thank you! Also the aspects of using it on a non-insulated boat as mine, for sailing in scandinavian waters. Thank’s for a very well performed and informative video, it was really great! Simon

[@OmmerSyssel]

Certain issues are irrelevant and can't be done much about.. Boat's are boats and made for sailing.

[@Tenright77]

SV Basic, installed two of the electric diesel, forced air, chinesium heaters in their catamaran... Thanks for your review AA...

[@stevecarlisle3323]

These types of diesel heaters were devoloped in Germany, I believe, and were installed in motor vehicles first, then they spread to other markets. As for import heaters, like china, there are copies of the eberspather, as they were at one time manufacturing them in China, but stopped due to quality control. I currently run 5 heaters from China, on boats and other marine dwellings and buildings. The main heater units have been reliable, but the accessories, controllers, pulse pumps and other installation goodies are Dog Shit ! I have bought my heaters for $150CDN, and the Espar/Webasto are over $2000CDN. My suggestion is buy 2 chinese heater, some extra pulse pumps and hose, clamps, for under $500CDN.

[@marktanska6331]

I love your videos. They are good, but I'm also a Finn. I live in southern Australia. I have 52 foot Hartley with my brother. We do not have heater. Come and sail here to overcome heating problems, and also clothing. T shirt and shorts without shoes. Much better. Love you man.

[@marktanska6331]

@@danc2779 Only on Christmas eve. One day a year I can accept that. You are very brave. You eve worry about skiing all those mountains alone?

[@jeffsteinmetz7188]

Good content and clear presentation of details. Concerning the engine heat I think an integrated hydronic system would be optimal. Hydronic systems can be heated by electric shore power, engine coolant heat exchanger, and be heated by a diesel furnace. I am happy with my Eberspacher hydronic system provided by Rixen’s Enterprises. Rixen’s is a USA company, but I am sure Eberspacher has integrators in Scandinavia. These are not cheap systems, but I think the triple option of heat/energy sources in one system is compelling. All the best!

[@adriansedillo3426]

Great video,very thorough ,always learn from your content.Im going to try blue anthracite coal &pot belly stove for awhile while I find the best system for my type of sailing.34' cold molded gaff rig ketch.L.A. Ca.

[@AlluringArctic]

thanks Adrian! coal stove sounds interesting!

[@vraymond108]

Informative, thorough and well done. Good job!

[@blessed885]

Second vid I've seen from you I'm in the Pacific Northwest on the Puget sound and it gets cold( for us lol )

[@BitcoinNewsTodayLive]

Great video. Don't forget that marine air conditioners with the reverse cycle heat pump option (like the Domestic Turbo) is the one form of electric heat that is more efficient than all the others. I have two as well as a diesel and propane Dickinson and two wall mounted electric fan heaters. I still plan on installing two diesel air heaters at some point. No bus heater for me though, I have a raw water cooled engine. Fair winds!

[@makisp.1428]

Thank you for this additional information. Many heaters. May I ask how long is the boat that it requires all these different heaters?

[@BitcoinNewsTodayLive]

@@makisp.1428 37ft, Tayana Cutter

[@josealemany4525]

Great review! thanks. One question, do you have much diesel smell from the drip type heater. My boat smells of diesel and I blame my Dickenson drip heater.

[@chronicawareness9986]

I watch like 4 different sailing Channels. And there all opposites of this lol. There all in tropical or just not anywhere cold. I was curious about sailors who are in arctic and or Antarctic. Interesting.

[@AlluringArctic]

Thanks! I'm glad you find it errrmm interesting at least :D

[@defunkymonky]

@@AlluringArctic he makes a very good point,, you have a niche in the sailing world,,haven't seen any cold weather live aboard sailboats, ive subscribed b/c you do nice work,,,,and i want to hear more backstory that you mentioned in the 2nd video. good luck, stay warm, be well,

[@timschroeder1637]

I would have loved to hear your thoughts about wood stoves on your sailboat

[@henryk8253]

Tim Schroeder The idea is good, but there are some problems. Like... where are you going to store all that wood on a sailboat? And remember: to get the most efficient burning, your wood logs need to be dry.

[@otherwiseunarmed4187]

Pellet burners would be an option (smokeless, gravity-feed, but produce ash), however, they're nowhere near as-efficient as diesel.

[@adriansedillo3426]

Burn blue anthracite coal instead of wood in a cast iron stove,its 4xhotter,denser cleaner ,cheaper than oak.I have a mini ben franklin.I have a well insulated cold molded gaffrig ketch.You can buy anthracite on line.Do not use bituminous coal thats not clean burning enough.They used to ship for free.

[@finfanfifteen9659]

Hmmm, go cheap on something that you'll need to not destroy your boat in the middle of nowhere. People are funny and I would think those should only be used in a cabin in the woods. Crazy!!! 😁 It seems like some pretty nice options are available. Thanks for presenting.

[@woodroofguy]

Great video. Thanks! I am researching for a 1971 31’ Airstream trailer/caravan. I live only 10 kilometres from Dickinson Marine. Will be checking out their diesel heaters, for all the same reasons you pointed out. Happy sailing!

[@staxter6]

Just joined you, very informative, thank you. Now to binge watch all your adventures....

[@perbear1]

Hi there, I am sorry but I do not even know your name, but I love your videos, that I just stumbled upon. This video of yours is one that really caught my attention. Heat in the winter. Trust me I have been living for twentyfive years in the tropics, 25-35C everyday, 365/24/7. And I do not like cold. Not at all. So wy do I decide to come back to Scandinavia? Your quesion is as good as my answer. But to the point. Island Rover will happen, hopefully she will get her own channel. Soft, sturdy. beautiful and calm. But how do I get her hot? I have seen this video and thank you! However, you never mention the solid biomass stove - fossil or fossil free. Key here is that it would be a "fire place", and a "fire place" for me is a must when it is cold. I do not want a "diesel cooker". I am curious why you never contenplated a wooden stove? Too much fuel storage? There are some great videos out there, from the old converts like Tom Cunliffe (kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6evgoJnarKVqJI) to the newly converted onboard Dawn Treader (kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnWsiYKnbaaalaM). I would just love to have a wooden stove onboard S/Y Intpalee Siyrapreeawat. Well, that will be her name, the Island Rover, the most beautiful HR 312 Mk II, and one day it will happen. And we will Island Rover. Until then I am happy to follow you and others who succeded makinng a dream come true. Thank you very much, and why no biomass stove? Hope to see you one day. Welcome to Lake Vänern. Thank you. Per Holger Per Holger.

[@floripaolo]

Very informative. Yes a video about Refleks would be cool. Do you have a link to your thermoelectric fans? I couldn't find them on the web.

[@AlluringArctic]

I only have the links for Biltema / Clas Ohlson : www.biltema.no/hjem/innredning/peistilbehor/kaminvifte-2000041901 www.clasohlson.com/no/Twin-Fan-kaminvifte/p/Pr411624000 if you're outside the Nordics then try to google "Ecofan thermoelectric fan", as far as I know those are supposed to be pretty good

[@floripaolo]

@@AlluringArctic Thanks Juho. Looking forward to more of your videos about heating, mooring and more practical stuff!! And of course skiing!!

[@philipdonegan9716]

Thank you for this. Very informative and well presented.

[@deborahgordon8387]

Thank you for sharing the information on your different heating sources . This is very helpful for me 👍

[@AlluringArctic]

thank you deborah, glad it was helpful!

[@johnnyandersson5622]

You forgot some important pros / cons. :) All the forced ait heaters are not designed for 24/7/365 use. If you run them like that they will break down fast and need maintainence several times per year. On top of that if the installation is not exactly done according to specs, the electronics inside can be to warm and shorten it's life considerably. Neighbouring liveaboards will also hate you for running the forced air heaters 24/7 because they are noisy and smelly when they turn of and on again. Refleks, Glembring and other similar drip heater can be run continiously for several years without any wear of them. If you have a good chimney, without backdrafts, run it on clean diesel and keep it burning, you will probably need to do maintainance on them after 3-4years of burning. And maintainence then is cleaning it from soot. They are also dead silent. But you missed one large con, no self start, no thermostate, you will need to adjust it manually after outside temperature. I have my Glembring running from the main diesel tanks via a fuel pump that draws less then 1W, I also have a copper coil in mine that feed seven radiators. There is also a circulation pump that draws about 2W. I can turn off the circulation pump but the radiators furthest away will not be warm due to the very slow self circulation. By the way, the electric blowers have different btu/h, yes, I agree that two 1000watt heat elements produce the same amount of heat but there is a huge difference of how much btu/h that comes out from diifferent designs. A bad design produces a lot of noise, very little air movement and runs it's heating element at up to 800 celsius (glowing red), a good design put out a lot more evenly heated air and will keep a way bigger area on your boat evenly heated. The one in your video will probably dissipate all heat straight up in to your seiling.

[@thomaspoussin8663]

Great video. The best I've seen about this subject.

[@AlluringArctic]

thanks a lot thomas! hope it was useful!

[@dzhiurgis]

Have you got an electric blanket?

[@ajbosin]

Hey I wanted to say thank you again for sharing your awesome adventure I saw you uploaded the vid and was actually overwhelmed with excitement which sounds kinda Corny coming from my mind haha but figured id let you know and I know this channel will explode I bet rather quickly keep them up they are quality indeed.

[@AlluringArctic]

I'm glad to hear that, thanks a lot! 😁

[@edshuttleworth1549]

My Bride (married 54 years) insisted on adding heat to Dreamweaver (38') before we cruised up to Maine. I chose a Webasto forced hot water system. THE most difficult installation I have ever done! The system employs a burner, a tank for the water that will be circulated, hoses to link the various radiators and fans, each with it own switch through out the boat. Problems were limited to the hoses leaking at the radiators (anti freeze and teak do not play well together) The hoses just did not want to seal- answer permatex! Trying to get the right SS piping to expel the exhaust out the stern. Also suck up the amps. The up side was it works fabulously. I plumbed a radiator-fan into the head so showers were a delight. Our other problem was condensation on the hatches. I my humble opinion- if your vessel is not insulated- go south to warmer places

[@johnlaband770]

Very good video. I have the same thoughts. I run a solid fuel stove but it takes some dedication to keep it running continuously. I was thinking of a heat pump system but am put off by the electricity consumption. One question I have about the forced air heater is could you take the air supply from the cabin itself so that you don't have to heat up air from outside but use the already warm air inside the cabin.

[@AndyPidsleyAPi]

That is what mine does, so yes.

[@Scramasax]

We have a Wallas Spartan that I installed last summer. Compared to the Webasto we had in the past, the biggest advantage is that it is way less noisy and consumes way less electricity. I also like the fact that you can use your cell phone as a remote control for it as standard. Is it worth the money then? That can everybody decide them selves. Some have installed used EGR-coolers from cars to forced air heaters with unprotected exhaust pipes, like Webastos. In that way you can collect the otherwise lost heat from the exhaust and crank up the efficiency remarkably.

[@AlluringArctic]

That's a good idea with the car coolers! Yeah, Wallas and Safire both use less electricity than the truck heaters. One of those would probably be my choice as well.

[@kevgermany]

Thanks. Really useful. Would love to see the Reflex heater follow up.

[@visca.prescindible]

Hi, Is the hull/deck of the boat insulated? The windows are double-glassed? what is colder in the arctic, the air or the water? If they're not and you decide to do, please update (or at least reply this comment, ah!) And just to add on the electric heater thing, AC units with heat pump (working in reverse) are a bit over 100% efficient because the cool the outsides (but are restricted to much more kinder environments than yours, provably >0ºC)

[@davidmambrose4210]

very cute and knowledgeable guy

[@dn52n56]

your video was really great and informative. you have answered a lot of questions on using heaters. I live on a 30ft power boat and will use the diesel heaters.

[@jimsaranna9011]

Thank you that was really interesting and I have to tell you this I am living onboard and I find that an oil filled radiator is fine for my needs. Now the boat next to me has just finished installing the heating system that you spoke about first he has cut an exhaust only a few inches above the water line and it is just an elbow no more that 6 or 7 inches from the main heater and oppersite my hull !!! He has no silencer at all. He comes down every Sunday with his friends and they sit onboard drinking coffee and eating dougnuts luckily he only put the heater in last week and has not run it yet I have saved the video you made so that said I will give him the video to watch before I quickly untie my lines and head out Sunday. So once again thank you for the information you have probably save me and my boat from a bad day. Take care my friend and I shall look forward to hearing more about your travels. Jim

[@AlluringArctic]

hahah thanks and hope that you'll get along with your boat neighbor! :D

[@stevesimonsgaard973]

That was terrific. I was curious about how you stay warm. We need more videos please.

[@iancameron3970]

For forced air heaters, ensure that the wiring is at least 12 gauge. Otherwise the power-hungry glow plug may not ignite. Enjoy your channel. Thank you.

[@mozismobile]

thanks for the long talking bit, it was interesting.

[@esquire9445]

22:00 try putting two yacht style caps on your H cap to stop the soot problem.

[@Grandliseur]

Amazing you choose to live on the boat during winter. How you can do this is beyond my ability. Preparing food and drink must be difficult as well as keeping enough provisions on hand without all the appliances found in houses / apartments. About heating: it is claimed that kerosene is a lot less stinky than diesel when used for heating. I just checked the liter price in Norway, and Kerosene is also a lot cheaper. I know it would require an extra tank, but wouldn't it be worth it! Check the price yourself. (Your diesel heaters may even be able to convert easily, just check with the manufacturers first)

[@AlluringArctic]

thanks for the tip! the diesel stove actually does not smell at all. BUT I didn't know that about the price of kerosene, I have to look into that! I do know that kerosene burns cleaner... the Refleks stoves can burn kerosene, you just need to adjust the regulator. I'll certainly look into that!

[@DennisWintjes2]

THx for sharing- yes I would love to learn more. Like #1.7K+

[@squirrel132356]

Thank you for your tips, I would love to know more about your refleks stove(we also have one aboard, but until now we just lived the winters of centraleurope and not colder, so we are pretty curious 😁)

[@maxspeed8322]

Juho, I think you meant 'CO' (carbon monoxide) detector, not 'CO2' (carbon dioxide)!

[@AlluringArctic]

true, thanks!

[@Richard-kf6kb]

Hi Juho, like your videos a lot! Go ahead and make one "deep dive" about the refleks heater, please.

[@PhrozenV]

Really informative. I'm curious if you have any knowledge to share on insulation too.

[@bumblebeehald]

Would love to see an instruction to the reflex oven!

[@Gottenhimfella]

Me too. Your explanations are thoughtful, concise, and easy to follow, and you have a nicely enquiring mind so that the questions you answer are very relevant but do not dwell on things which are self evident (the engaging personality is just a bonus).

[@marzsit9833]

diesel drip heaters are nice because they don't require any electricity and when set up and used properly they are very safe and produce a lot of heat while using little fuel. refleks is popular in europe because they are made in europe, dickinson is popular in north america because they are made in british columbia, canada. both are good heaters, refleks costs more here while dickinson costs more over there.

[@AlluringArctic]

exactly! Would be great to have Dickinson more readily available in Europe as well. The cooking/heating stoves they make look great...

[@RVLifeNOW]

Really enjoyed this video..have watched it a few times now! We just installed a Cubic Mini wood burning stove n our boat...praying we will be warm..if not hot! -Rebecca on SV Brick House

[@davidc6510]

Ahoy Rebecca - you found this channel. Juho is doing a pretty darn good job and has some amazing content sailing in the arctic. Great summary on the diesel heaters as well! Take care and Cheers.

[@RVLifeNOW]

David C yes...he has 10 videos I think it is, already 5000 subscribers! Some great adventures and yes loved the info on the heaters!!! -Rebecca

[@thylacine1962]

Excellent summary. You put a lot of practical thought I to this video. Well done. Yes to a video covering the refleks heater. Looking forward to that. Cheers. Safe sailing.

[@Erndog67]

Great video. I drive a truck, which is where the webasto is primarily used. They are usually installed under the bunk and hot air is piped into the sleeper. Many times you will find a slot cut into the forced air tube under the bunk to heat that space also because if you don't, the air in that space is freezing and so is your bed.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Consider insulating your bed with woollen blankets, or better sheep or Rein Deerskin, and try a full size heating blanket, eventually with a timer. I always use this setup for years in the different unheated boats, cars and cabins i lived in Scandinavia. A truely pleasure with a warm and dry sleeping place :)

[@SpencerHammond-v1q]

Watching this long after you posted this, just hoping my feedback can be useful to you anyway. I found this 38.5minutes was packed full of more beneficial information on boat heating than I've been able to collect after about 8 hours of hunting. Brilliant that you shared this. Given your experience, I would like to hear your thoughts on small solid fuel heating. Something that could be fueled with wood or combustible waste paper, cardboard, wood. Sailing the Pacific NW, seems it might be useful if the soot and ash are manageable. The install must be challenging, and heat distribution limited.

[@paanikki]

In 2018 we had to replace the old Wallas 1600 heater in my friend´s yacht here in Finland. The burner itself, fuel pump, the combustion air fan and the fresh air fans still worked, but the electronics controlling the fans and pumps started to fail, and there were no spare circuit boards available for a 40 year old model. The heater was originally installed in 1983 or 84. So it "only" worked for 35 years or so, without major problems, with very little maintenance and service. I also had a warm relationship (and still have warm memories) with the Norwegian Refleks stove-type heaters from my childhood and youth. A stand-alone model, and also an insulated SV model that is used to heat the circulating water for radiators in the 11m (36ft) traditional wooden motorboat. The latter had to be ignited using a small amount of denatured ethanol. You had to drop the burning match in the burning chamber within a few seconds after the ethanol. Otherwise the ethanol evaporated and created an explosive fume in the burning chamber. I burnt my eyebrows a few times before learning the right technique. The air heaters are more convenient and better for drying up the yacht in really wet conditions, when people bring their wet gear inside the cabin all the time. The hot air heater helps to bring the humidity (and condensation) from dripping to a somewhat tolerable level pretty fast.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Refleks is still made in Denmark, not Norway ;)

[@allynonderdonk7577]

Your forced air diesel heater likely uses twice the fuel because it is having to push so much more un pre-heated air into the intake. If you run a return to the cabin it will pull warmer air and thus will not need to burn as much fuel. You probably burn twice as much fuel as you could with a return installed. Plus with the return it would be safer in the event of an exhaust issue. You can keep the soot problem at bay if you run them at full blast for a half hour before shutting them down. Also running a small second tank with kerosene for that final burn might help...you have to give it enough time in the fuel line to get to the combustion chamber. It also becomes a pre burn at start up.

[@AlluringArctic]

Thanks for your comment! Some people argue for pulling warmer air from the cabin, however in Finland where a lot of leisure boats have forced air diesel heaters it would be almost unheard of to recirculate the cabin air. As far as I know none of the professional heater installation companies recommend this... that is because you're effectively recirculating the (probably) moist cabin air. However if it is bone dry then this might be a good idea, I guess an ideal solution would be one where you could choose whether you take the air from the cabin or from outside.. I don't talk about this in the video but the main reason for heating the boat is to keep everything DRY, the cold air is not a problem but as soon as things get wet also, that is a problem. Your point about forced air diesel heater needing more like this is probably correct though. Interestingly enough, for the amount of heat generated I think the fuel usage is still about the same as for the Refleks drip stove

[@smaarch1]

Thanks for the informative video. I have finally gathered all the bits and pieces to install by Taylor diesel heater. Just have to finalize the location and find the courage to drill a big hole in the deck. It will be gravity fed

[@reimakiuru]

Tarpeellista tietoa! Onko sinulla tiedossa paljonko suunnilleen on nyt käyttötunteja Planarilla? Entä kamiinalla?

[@AlluringArctic]

Vaikea sanoa, planarilla joitain satoja ja kamiinalla joitain tuhansia

[@dustinholman9487]

Thanks for a detailed walkthrough of your heating systems. I'd love to learn more about the Refleks heater. I'm planning to do some trips in northern latitudes soon, and am trying to figure out what I should get.

[@IrregularPineapples]

In winter conditions you absolutely need a forced air heater it's the only thing that will get rid of condensation and completely dry out the boat. Refleks heater stoves and similar are unable to do that during winter conditions and you will have an awful time.

[@Beorninki]

Loistava video. Kiitos siitä ja lisää tällaista. Lämmittimet kiinnostavat kyllä.

[@scott.wallace8625]

Good info from a guy in the artic

[@georgecanakis1075]

Very nice video well explained cheers.

[@raymondj8768]

NICE HAIR HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

[@sailing.not.dreaming]

Thank you this has been very informative, you have cleared up a few questions that I had. My biggest question was can you run a heater in high seas and high wind and pitching??

[@AlluringArctic]

the diesel stove can not handle that very well. We've never tried in really bad conditions because we have the other heater (which works well in that type of stuff). But I know at least some people who have gimballed the regulator and says that it works fine now... But no personal experience!

[@OmmerSyssel]

Except for the issue by heeling over, the smoke pipe has a certain length which interferes with the rig etc, and blow back by hard wind will be the next issue.

[@iam5085]

My 2 cents on the propene side: I have a smallish off-grid cabin and was considering the Wallas/Safir heaters but instead chose the more environment friendly propene heater (from Italkero, ECO SC12), of course not an option for boats in general but there are no moisture/CO2 issues as the fresh/used air is taken from outside...

[@makisp.1428]

When imagining an off-grid cabin, wood stoves come to mind. And fireplaces. Isn't hard to move propane tanks off-grid?

[@iam5085]

@@makisp.1428 In Finland, one can build cabins smaller than 30m2 without permits, but one cannot have a fire place in that case - unless you upgrade it to a 'real' cabin with all the neccessary paperworks.

[@captlarry-3525]

Resistance heat is far from 100% efficient, that is why heat pumps replace resistance heaters in electric cars... higher efficiency ! BTU is std. measure of heat. A liquid title tray or pan should be monted under a drip type heater, because a stuck float can cause fuel to overflow (ask me how I know). This makes for a serious fire..so keep it contained. Yes! show us how to light and adjust he Reflex.

[@theislandpackrat]

Great video! just a note if you pour in about two tablespoons of Methyl hydrate too light the stove, stops all the soot buildup and makes lighting real easy! I use it on any diesel stove I've had! Iv'e had them all.

[@AlluringArctic]

I use denatured alcohol for lighting up the stove, I think it's probably pretty close to what you're using, works very well! In addition I use a "soot removing cube" every couple weeks, I don't really know what they're called in English and what would be a comparable item in the English speaking region, but in Europe we have these: www.ebay.de/itm/TILL-Russfrei-Kombi-Wuerfel-10x-8-80-Stueck-Entrusser-Russreiniger-Olofen-Kaminofen-/202540313562 They are REALLY amazing, drop one inside when the stove is hot and it gets the whole burn chamber so clean that you can see the metal.

[@sabergolbaf1364]

You are a very practical sailer , some things I tried to become, but failed. I wish you luck .

[@guyfox68]

very good video. Very informative. I think there is more advantages to the diesel heater as you carry that fuel for your engine most of the time. Would you do a video of your boat sometime so we can see how you have everything laid out inside

[@AlluringArctic]

Yeah for a real heating system on a boat I think a diesel heater is definitely the way to go, the question is then just which kind of diesel heater

[@M_J_nan]

You don't want the yacht-style chimney for your Reflex. We had one but it blew out so often that we finally changed it to the H-chimney. Otherwise you also need the "blow-out-valve" on the chimney.

[@Appalachia02]

G’day sir. I noticed while watching your video early at 3:11. I can see your drive shaft. It looks like you have a sacrificial zinc inside. It this used only for storing a spare zinc or is there an alternate reason? I enjoy your videos. I am not a cold weather boater because my Filipina wife cannot tolerate the cold (we life in Florida). Also I have grown weary of sheets, halyards ect…. So now I have an older 1983 Albin 27FC. Heavily modified for comfort. Thank you for your videos.

[@guybaldwin9629]

very good video thank you well worth watching will try to upgrade me heating on my boat now ..

[@user-zo6xg8bx4l]

Great video. You're still in Alaska, right? If you are, I suggest you find a way to open a checking account with an American bank that uses Zelle. Zelle allows people to effectively write you an electronic "check" which gets deposited directly into your account. And no middleman taking a cut. All that is required on my end is your name and your email address. VERY CONVENIENT.

[@davidbroman8391]

Excellent presentation of how to heat a sailboat in winter. As a Finnish Canadian I had to laugh at your comment about it being hard to talk that much. Yes, that would have been 2 months worth for me. Can’t wait to see some more sailors and skiing! Cheers.

[@Karlosangeles1]

Another Finno-Canadian here out of Vancouver,BC...perkele...

[@codprawn]

It is hard to see from your video but it appears that your forced air diesel heater is constantly sucking in fresh cold air. It should be used to recirculate warm air from the cabin in a continuous loop. It is far more efficient that way.

[@AlluringArctic]

Yes and no.. if you recirculate the air then it won't dry the air even nearly as effectively. Most people up here in north install it this way. Ideal way to install would be to have a valve to choose whether you like to suck in outside or inside air

[@codprawn]

@@AlluringArctic Thanks for the reply. Dry air depends on outside humidity of course. One other worry is that if you have a leak in the exhaust system you could suck Carbon Monoxide into the cabin. With recirculate the air intake is kept totally seperate from the exhaust. I do like the idea of a valve so you can get fresh air into the cabin from time to time.

[@flippatmedbernt]

Great talk on heaters pros and cons. Would like even a more on the Dickinson Reflex diesel. Thanks a lot !

[@secondgrowthhomes]

Great Video Buddy S/V Sage - Southeast Alaska - Tenakee Springs, Alaska

[@YachtHunters]

Good video covering really essential information unless of course you live on the equator. My last boat which was 52 feet came with a solid fuel fireplace which did a great job of heating things up and then I installed a separate Walmart propane heater in the master state room but the best heat source I had was the engine scavenged heat run through hoses to a vent with a fan in it. I can’t remember what the BTUs were but we had to two of these installed and it dried out the boat especially on those long Misti called morning in Maine and it provided enough heat so that when I single-handed the deliveries I could stand up in the cockpit under the dodger with the hatch open and feel the heat float out and warm it in shirt sleeves on a 50° day in early spring. I really loved the system and it requires no maintenance to speak of except to keep the hose clamps tight and I don’t know when your video came out but if you haven’t tried them yet I do recommend them highly and save yourself a lot of money. Truth of matter is cruising sellers tend to use their engines more than they might realize depending on where they live and if there’s not enough wind we turn that thing on and go so we have a nice toasty interior we’ve created hot water for cooking and bathing. Etc. thank you for your video

[@OmmerSyssel]

Using Propane brings some safety and practical issues which has to considered carefully. Correct installation and use is well described. While safe and legal storage of propane cylinders is often neglected, especially in smaller boats Next to that the emission of humidity causes problems which has to be respected, especially in colder environments.

[@Adam-tn8yh]

Great video and very informative. Thanks for taking the trouble to talk for so long. One question: You talk about insulating the warm air ducts for the Webasto type diesel heater to prevent heat loss. Is there specific insulation material that has to be used for this purpose, or would normal pipe insulation material be suitable, given the level of heat in these ducts?

[@AlluringArctic]

Look into Armaflex/Kflex products, you need to consult for the exact product but this is what we use in Northern Europe at least. Google "self-adhesive armaflex pipe insulation", it should look something like this, super easy to install: kz.all.biz/img/kz/catalog/1809941.jpeg But be sure you get the type that can stand the heat and potentially leave the first 50 centimeters uninsulated (I've left a bit of it uninsulated as well, you can see it at the beginning of the video)

[@samcarrs]

What model is your Reflecks? 66 with 5500 btu's or bigger? I hear these run most efficiently at half throttle. I'm currently using a plannar 2D (7000btu)at 3/4 power. I think i may need the model 62 @ 8300btu's for a 30 boat in the Pacific Northwest USA

[@danroberts2055]

Dude, Reef the sails and head south! There is a place called the Caribbean and you wont need that heating and get this NO SNOW or ICE! NO FREEZY FREEZY or Frozen balls. In all fun great video!