Boat stove boiler in conjunction with webasto diesel heater

[Maccadam]

Hi,

I have just got a boat and will start fitting 4.2kw diesel heater tomorrow in engine bay. It will run calorifier for hot water and 4 rads. I will at a later date install a multi fuel stove with back boiler. Apprx 4.5 kW but just 1.5kw to the boiler so leaving apprx 3 to stove. I'll be using 22mm copper.

The stove man said system has to be vented, I'm using a header tank with the diesel heater, I believe that makes it vented...am I right?

Following this i have lots of questions, but only if it is feasible to run these 2 systems on one spine and rad set up.

Many thanks

 

[rpm]

Welcome to the forums Maccadam, You tried the canal boat forum?

 

[Best]

This scares me tbh. You need somebody with experience to eyeball the job first.
Hard enough getting it done properly and for safety without also it being on a boat.
Usually a stove requires 28mm primary pipes for a start. Who is the "stove man"??
Stove MIs need to be followed.

 

[Maccadam]

Hi,

Yes on Canal World but ask 6 people and get 6 different answers so thought I'd aim this one at plumbers.

Thanks

 

[rpm]

System sister has on her boat is all 22mm to rads via Squirrel stove with back boiler and electric water heater (LPG?) for shower and kitchen sink.

 

[Best]

It is an unusual job. Basically a job for a heating engineer who is experienced in link up systems involving solid fuel stoves and oil or similar. It still needs same principles of a house system. But on a boat adds plenty of other problems I would imagine.

 

[Maccadam]

Hi,

Boatman Stoves, he makes them under that name. General agreement in stove world is use 22 copper, and have seen articles on Canal World with similar advice.

I guess as a non-plumber my concern was pressure build up/explosion, but assume if it is vented that won't happen. Also thought that stove boiler only generates 1.5kw and I'd be running that on a rad system that I'd made for 4.2kw...so to me the least threatening element was the stove.

My other concern is the webasto has a brain so it will switch its pump off when the heater is suitably cooled. So I'd have have to leave a gap before turning stove pump on else they would conflict with each other.

 

[Best]

1.5 kw is very low output, so I see it will not need piped like large stoves in houses.

 

[REDSAW]

1.5kw plenty for a boat after 30mins unless its a 2 story house boat!