Heat on a boat! Chinese forced air diesel heater install

I install an inexpensive version of a diesel forced air heater on my sailboat.
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[vevfd]

A few quick suggestions from someone who puts wet stuff on hot stuff for a living and has responded to a few vans/RV's burned down by those types of heaters.
1 - Get a bit more space and heatproof insulation between the exhaust pipe and the wood from the wall. Those pipes usually pass thru a metal wall on a vehicle.
2 - The exhaust pipe on those get crazy hot, even with a double sleeved pipe you'll want to keep it away from anything combustible.
3 - The fuel line is awfully close to the exhaust pipe. I would protect it or at least put a heat shield..
2 - As with any combustion based heater, make 110% sure you have at least one working smoke detector AND carbon monoxide detector mounted inside the cabin.Have a few working extinguishers.

Don't forget that at sea you can't just call the Fire Dept or "walk away" so fire on a boat is a MAJOR problem.

[ryangregohara]

Sam is looking more haggard living on land than he does on a long passage at sea 😂. Love it!

[GypsyTinker]

These heaters are GREAT! We installed one on our 36 footer and the dry air makes a WORLD of difference.

[daneulekowski]

Dude, I just asked for this diesel heater install video. Your the best Sam.

[fordfan]

This really is getting to be the Sam and Dave show. "I'm a sail
Love it!

[jmkenny]

Props to whoever bought this little beast! Such a kind thing to do.... 👍

[tommycheshire]

You can fix anything. I bet you could fix the crack of dawn! You are also very lucky to have someone to hep you.

[claytonnicholson]

Sam, I installed one of these in my work shed, and it works great, hope you have as much luck as I have. That fuel pump can be pretty loud, but there's a fix for that. I saw this on another channel (wish I could remember to give the guy credit), but what he and I did, was to suspend the little pump and rubber bracket in the air (using zip ties), rather than securing it to a bulk head. It cut the "clunk, clunk" noise by probably 75%. Food for thought if the current configuration becomes aggravating.

[peterclancy]

Sam, I have installed one of these in our mobile home, make sure you have good clearance for your exhaust and some sort of shroud around the entire length of the exhaust because it will burn wood. If you use the heated air hose this will also scorch wood if it is located too close. I have also rebuilt ours several times because the bearings failed in the original unit. Very easy to do and only costs a few dollars for good bearings and new brushes. They are great heaters and I have installed in my wife's room in our home because she suffers from arthritis and this heating is most economical and very efficient . Because of their cost I now have two so I have a replacement when one needs service and have spare pump and controller. I run the heater of a battery which is charged by a solar panel so it covers us in case of a power failure. I have found that I get about 2500 hour use between services but our diesel tend to leave a soot buildup fairly quickly. This can be alleviated by running the heater at maximum heat for about 10 minutes now and again. I have also run the heater on a kero diesel mix of 1:20 which is also effective at keeping the combustion chamber clean. The main problem I have had is the screen which surrounds the glow plug will become clogged with carbon especially running at low power settings which will prevent the heater from starting. I always carry spares and tools to replace these and the two gaskets and it is an easy job.

[KS-]

Great Video. I’ve seen many Camper / Van Dwellers use that exact model. One thing they all noted was that the Fuel Pump should be at a 15-45 degree angle. Keep up the great content. Looking forward to more of the DIY projects.

[hwoelfl]

Sam for your Safety you might consider a simple inexpensive Carbon Monoxide Detector just incase of a unexpected defect in the heaters core. Great seeing all your progress!

[sailrecoveryify]

I installed one of these on my 45' sloop in December of 2020. It works great. Many complain about pump noise but it not an issue for us. On a day below freezing it'll maintain heat at about 65 degrees after an hour or so. I installed a 12 gal diesel tank dedicated just for heater. We love it!

[tonyhill]

You will love the heater, I have one on my semi and it will run you out of the truck even in below zero temps. Mine uses around .7 gallons of fuel in 10 hours.

[docsfs]

Hi -
you should consider to get a fresh-airintake. I did install a forced-air-heater on my boat last spring, taking fresh (cold-air) from the ouside instead of cycling the cabin-air takes a bit longer to heat the cabin but gets the moisture out. Cycling the cabin-air just heats it, but the cold air from the outside is carrying less moisture, so if you blow that in the cabin (heated) it takes moisture out of the cabin…
It made quite a difference on my boat.
In addition my heater (autoterm 2d) can be switched to ventilation only, it turns out great on a rainy summer day, when you can‘t open the portlights!

Great videos, greatings from Germany!
Sebastian

[longshot]

Very cool, seal that up great! No exhaust in the boat!

[kewil]

Sam trust me. You will need to exhaust to be pointed down. It will collect water and corrode rather quickly.

[cleggsadventures]

Watch that fuel line isn’t laying against anything, you’ll eventually rub a hole in it.👍 Good work Sam!

[russking]

Nice. Something like that might actually get my wife to go on longer trips with me. Be sure to invest in a good *low level* CO sensor. Not a Home Depot type. They don't go off until the CO is dangerous. Get a good one.

[Kathleensailorgirl]

Sam, you continue to amaze with your skills. It will be very nice to have heat especially on cold and rainy days. 👍👍👍💕

[jerrycooke]

My friend, by installing that heater, you are an old will now be exquisite along with Labradors.