For several years there are very cheap, but also functioning replicas of warm air heaters. We have opted for the cheapest and purchased a warm air heater and show in this article of our installation.
Since our Catalc 8M – Naos has built-in diesel, we already have the fuel on board. Catalcs with outboard and gasoline can also purchase the heater as a gasoline version.
To heat up the boat quickly, we decided to buy a 5KW version.
But now the big question where to put it and how to distribute the warm air in the ship?
As a place one of the engine rooms offers itself, since here already diesel and air entrances are present. So the question remained whether port side or star board?
We decided for the starboard, because we assumed that we would need more heat on the starboard side than on the port side.
Underneath the old fridge, we hung the heater on threaded rods on the supplied retaining plate. A stainless steel plate would have been better, of course. We just didn’t have one at hand.
The warm air hose goes from here forward under the stairs from the bridge deck into the helm hull. We used a temperature resistant neoprene hose as the hose here.
The exhaust path is led up from the heater into the coaming, from where a hull breach leads to the outside.
Heater below the stairs
Under the stairs in the helm hull, we switch to a standard HT exhaust pipe in 75mm diameter.
These pipes are temperature resistant to just over 100°C and are very inexpensive to obtain in many lengths and angles. With cable ties the pipes can be easily led through the cabinet opposite the galley to the front.
In front of the main bulkhead, we run the pipe up and forward into the sheep compartment to a heater outlet.
Above the bridge deck in the upper compartment of the galley shelf, we run the pipe in the direction of the backboard hull.
Under the table we placed two vents for heating the salon. After a season of use, we learned that one opening is sufficient.
From the salon (area under the table) we continue to the shelf of the backboard hull and from here back down.
Under the bottom of the lower shelf we have installed an outlet for the backboard hull and a branch into the bathroom.
The bathroom has received a further outlet.
