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cockpit heater for early spring fishing

Dublin Up

Dublin Up
in This Old Boat

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Dublin Up

Dublin Up

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cockpit heater for early spring fishing

I'm gonna look into installing a 12v/coolant heater that ive used on heavy equipment in the past to take advantage of the hot water from the motor while trolling. In theory it seems pretty easy, T into coolant lines and connect to the heater, and then wire up the blower motor to extract the heat into the cockpit but i've read there might be issues at trolling rpm and the heat output. Has anyone done this and have any tips? sure would make brown trout fishing a lot nicer on those 30 degree mornings

vetting

vetting

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Posted

I did a ton of research on this subject and the general consensus was that at trolling speeds they just dont produce heat.   

 

Better off just running a buddy heater - just dont pass out :)

Dublin Up

Dublin Up

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i'm not giving up that easy lol, at idle my motors run about 150 degrees, def hot enough to produce heat, theres gotta be a way to make it work

lakebound88

lakebound88

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No we use them on our fleet of trucks, the problem with trolling is, you don't have the volume of water moving, it's warm but not enough volume to make the difference, installing a boost pump would make up for it. My tiara has closed loop cooling, so I have a different application. Mine would use coolant, and it would be plenty warm, if I was to tee into mine, I would tee into the hot water tank section.

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Dublin Up

Dublin Up

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Mines CC system also, I was going to tee into my hot water line running to my tank also, just spoke with the guys at heater craft, they said the kit might work without an extra pump..if not its easy to add it after for $100.

Dublin Up

Dublin Up

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i was gonna get the heater craft 300 pro, comes with everything needs, and i was going to mount it in between both motors so that i can run a vent hose and vent to the forward face of both seats, puts out 40,000 btu and i think it would definitely take the chill outta the air with the drop curtains closed. They only issue i see is that i'll only be pulling heat from starboard motor so i'll be running up the hours on that motor in spring time but i guess i can just get them to even out in the summer.

Dublin Up

Dublin Up

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I think it will pull the air from the engine room, so i guess you could get some engine/bilge fumes but i doubt it would be much, nothing smells worse the meat anyways lol

lakebound88

lakebound88

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Posted

That's a nice kit. Perfect, you could just run your hoses up from down under the side wall and mount that up behind the wall and recirc your air from the compartment. I would think, even though there shouldn't be fumes in your bilge, it wouldn't be a good idea.

Making your storeies, Reel Stories, since 2011!!

lakebound88

lakebound88

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Although that's is in fact what it does... I still wouldnt. It's an opinion, a safety one at that.

Making your storeies, Reel Stories, since 2011!!

lakebound88

lakebound88

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Owning a tiara like you do, I would figure you knew where I meant.

Making your storeies, Reel Stories, since 2011!!

Dublin Up

Dublin Up

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Yup, I'll put it forward if my batteries and my coolant line are right there, so will make for an easy install. I can wire right to those batteries and have my control switch under my foot rest


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Xxx

Xxx

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Posted

My buddy has a closed water system also with a 470 in it we T'ed into the hot water side and got a older radiator with a fan behind the unit itself. Plumbed the radiator and it was a 12V system so wired her up works beautiful. He has the drop curtain which really holds the heat in!! Sometimes it gets to hot. So we open the curtains or shut off the radiator. This way you don't have to worry  about the air your breathing.

vetting

vetting

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Posted

Just run the normal hot water lines off the unit to the heater core and place the heater core right in the cabin.  All its really doing is blowing hot air over a coil that is warmed by the engine water.  

lakebound88

lakebound88

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Posted

Vetting, using an actual kit is a bit different than that... but yes, that's what a heater core does. Putting it in the cabin doesn't benefit the cockpit on a boat if his caliber.

Making your storeies, Reel Stories, since 2011!!

Xxx

Xxx

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, pap said:

My buddy has a closed water system also with a 470 in it we T'ed into the hot water side and got a older radiator with a fan behind the unit itself. Plumbed the radiator and it was a 12V system so wired her up works beautiful. He has the drop curtain which really holds the heat in!! Sometimes it gets to hot. So we open the curtains or shut off the radiator. This way you don't have to worry  about the air your breathing.

We used a old car radiator it's a complete unit. It's only like 16"X16"s square we ran a T off the main tank around the back side of the battery  box & along the underside of the gunnal to the self contained unit and back to the cool line, with an in & out line we didn't see the need for a extra pump. He uses a 140* thermostat, we ended up putting a 160 thermostat to maintain 140 on the gauge. It works sweet!!

jimski2

jimski2

Posted
Posted

My Coast Guard boats in Alaska and Puget Sound used engine water heaters with variable speed motors to keep the compartments warm. Also we had a diesel fuel heater from a government contract for heating army tanks when the engines were shut down. Powered by the the boat batteries they held up for the night. Propane is forbidden on boats as it is heavier than air and settles in the bilges and low areas where it is an explosion hazard. Gasoline is just as bad in closed compartments. Gasoline engines running in the engine compartments self ventilate the area through its air intakes. Running the fans for five minutes makes it safer to start the engine as the sparks from the brushes on the starter motor are the source of gasoline boat explosions. I have seen two boats explode at fuel docks and the memory of the people flying through the air never leaves my mind.


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