Cost for onboard heating

[krush]

Holy cow, 22 cent/kwh? VA is around 6-7 cents average..... First, run the reverse cycle as much as possible until it gets uber cold. It should be more efficient until the water temps get below 50, but could still work down to 45 or so.

For you BTU/hr requirements to be accurate, your load assumptions must be somewhat close. Where did you get the GPH from, the boiler?

There are other more exciting options....run the genny and use the coolant for your heat (and pipe the exhaust through another heat exchanger). Get a big tank and store the heat in water LOL

[nyrussell]

Hey krush,

Try .35/kwh here

[Silverado6x6]

On the bigger boats I wonder how hard it would be to install at some point say an interior rebuild some in floor hydronic heat, loop it through a heat exchanger to a fuel oil burner boiler and also have a provision to run also through another piece of coolant cooled equipment like a genset.

I know for a fact that there are small compact cab/sleeper heaters that use diesel fuel from an 18 wheeler rig, we have a lot of rigs here in Alaska that use those, and you need not have to put in heat tubing but have basically radiators with fans, a good source for that other than Graingers would be some out of school busses, install them in some cabinets and work out some ductwork, not a baling wire/ duct tape affair, I know I could build something that is real efficient.

I would even go for a wood pellet stove. But since I live in Alaska its all against the grain because if I lived on a boat it would be somewhere much warmer.

[SKYCHENEY]

6x6,
That's exactly what we are talking about here. nyrussell put the floor loops in. The Webasto and Espars are the most popular truck cab heaters. While the Espar is a forced air unit, the Webasto is a water heater. That water can be plumbed to a number of things including fan heaters, radiators, heat exchanger tanks, etc.

[nyrussell]

On the bigger boats I wonder how hard it would be to install at some point say an interior rebuild some in floor hydronic heat, loop it through a heat exchanger to a fuel oil burner boiler and also have a provision to run also through another piece of coolant cooled equipment like a genset.

I know for a fact that there are small compact cab/sleeper heaters that use diesel fuel from an 18 wheeler rig, we have a lot of rigs here in Alaska that use those, and you need not have to put in heat tubing but have basically radiators with fans, a good source for that other than Graingers would be some out of school busses, install them in some cabinets and work out some ductwork, not a baling wire/ duct tape affair, I know I could build something that is real efficient.

I would even go for a wood pellet stove. But since I live in Alaska its all against the grain because if I lived on a boat it would be somewhere much warmer.

Yep, Got the radiant floor in and working. Look up the radiant floor thread here on tech. I believe I posted all the necessary pics, but I get the IP stuff if one tries it LOL. It works great, not as good as a cement floor or on home where one can reach the joists, but the wife is warm now, and the floor is not too hot to crack the laminate. A lot of work but worth it.

The trick now is to see if the costs = a savings in fuel burn. Still insulating but that process will be ongoing for a bit. Either way it is noticeable already in heat retention in the aft cabin (where I mostly insulated so far.) The V berth will be next as the saloon/engine room is where I m working right now, so harder to tear up the area to insulate.

I do have to call Alan Hill though and let him know. As for Mike Price, I am sure he can read me posts.

Noel

[Jaxfishgyd]

We've gone from .10 kwh to .15 kwh this year.

Another reason for krush to stay in Va. :}