2019 2320 recommendation cabin heater

[Reckless 2]

Anyone have a recommendation on a cabin heater for a 2320

 

[Andy]

Anyone have a recommendation on a cabin heater for a 2320

Here is one very basic, simple, inexpensive way to heat the pilothouse.. (see Youtube link below). When using this (or any other) propane heater I crack one of the side windows to help balance the air/moisture content. (for every quart of propane burned, you typically produce the same amount of water-vapor that is produced when boiling away 1.2 quarts of water). I judge how much I crack the window (typically about 1/2") by watching to see if the pilothouse windows 'fog up'.... When at a dock, I use a small electric space heater. The physical size of an electric space heat is immaterial. (get a small one). For the amount of heat they produce, they are all the same. (does not matter if they are ceramic-disc, radiant, oil-filled, etc; they are all still rated at 1500 Watts on their high setting (the largest allowed by law), and they all produce exactly 5,120 Btu's/Hour on the high setting. (With any electric-resistant item/heater, you yield exactly 3.413 Btu's per Watt; No more. No less. It does not matter if it is a hair-dryer, curling iron, soldering iron, heat-gun, clothes iron, your toaster, toaster-oven, water-heater or space-heater. They all yield exactly 3.413 Btu's of heat, per Watt.


As a side note; I've slept on our 2520 XLD in sub-freezing weather, and with an electric heater on the LOW 800 Watt setting, I had to keep turning it off, because it would over-heat the cuddy-cabin AND the pilot house. The Parker pilot-houses are very easy to heat.

Edit; When burning any 'fossil-fuel' (propane, gas, oil, diesel, etc) you produce 'by-products' of combustion (carbon monoxide, water-vapor and a dozen other chemicals). They are not good to breathe. I mean, you could run a hose from the tailpipe of your car and heat your house, but most folks know that would not be a good idea! It's one reason I don't use the propane heater for long periods of time.

 

[Reckless 2]

Yeah was looking at dc thermal heaters but they draw quit a bit of amps

 

[Andy]

Yeah was looking at dc thermal heaters but they draw quit a bit of amps

You are right. Besides, there is no DC electric heater that produces enough Btu's to heat a pilothouse.; or anything else for that matter.
Back to the basics; Amps X Volts = Watts. (again; 3.413 Btu's per Watt).
For example, using a 10 Amp, DC, 12 volt heater. (most are only 8-10 amps).
12 Volts x 10 Amps = 120 Watts.
120 Watts X 3.413 = 409.56 Btuh... Not enough heat, to heat a bucket! (about the same amount of heat produced by a 120 Watt light bulb).
You would need 13 of those to equal the heat output of a single 1500 electric space heater; and you would need to fill your pilothouse, cuddy cabin and cockpit with batteries! (A slight exaggeration, but not by much).

 

[Mpellet]

Anyone have a recommendation on a cabin heater for a 2320

A “Heater Buddy”. works REMARKABLY WELL in a Parker Pilot House. I have fished my boat in sub 20F weather and it is nothing short of remarkable how quickly the heater buddy makes the cabin very very comfortable. This unit is something I would NEVER attempt to sleep with. I think it’s safe with everyone awake and a window cracked to provide relief on cold days but I would absolutely not recommend it for any kind of sleeping situation.

 

[Mpellet]

Here is one very basic, simple, inexpensive way to heat the pilothouse.. (see Youtube link below). When using this (or any other) propane heater I crack one of the side windows to help balance the air/moisture content. (for every quart of propane burned, you typically produce the same amount of water-vapor that is produced when boiling away 1.2 quarts of water). I judge how much I crack the window (typically about 1/2") by watching to see if the pilothouse windows 'fog up'.... When at a dock, I use a small electric space heater. The physical size of an electric space heat is immaterial. (get a small one). For the amount of heat they produce, they are all the same. (does not matter if they are ceramic-disc, radiant, oil-filled, etc; they are all still rated at 1500 Watts on their high setting (the largest allowed by law), and they all produce exactly 5,120 Btu's/Hour on the high setting. (With any electric-resistant item/heater, you yield exactly 3.413 Btu's per Watt; No more. No less. It does not matter if it is a hair-dryer, curling iron, soldering iron, heat-gun, clothes iron, your toaster, toaster-oven, water-heater or space-heater. They all yield exactly 3.413 Btu's of heat, per Watt.


As a side note; I've slept on our 2520 XLD in sub-freezing weather, and with an electric heater on the LOW 800 Watt setting, I had to keep turning it off, because it would over-heat the cuddy-cabin AND the pilot house. The Parker pilot-houses are very easy to heat.

Edit; When burning any 'fossil-fuel' (propane, gas, oil, diesel, etc) you produce 'by-products' of combustion (carbon monoxide, water-vapor and a dozen other chemicals). They are not good to breathe. I mean, you could run a hose from the tailpipe of your car and heat your house, but most folks know that would not be a good idea! It's one reason I don't use the propane heater for long periods of time.

Andy,

Your v-birth area looks awesome. Mine is always filled with fishing gear and I don’t even keep the cushions in there. I’ve had the boat for 15 years and only slept on it 2 night but it’s nice to see someone who has made the v-birth into an appealing space. Well done......

 

[Minorcian Mullet]

Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, Red-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JP0510BXQVWYMS09AF4N

Use this heater in my 2120. Very pleased with it.

 

[Andy]

Andy,

Your v-birth area looks awesome. Mine is always filled with fishing gear and I don’t even keep the cushions in there. I’ve had the boat for 15 years and only slept on it 2 night but it’s nice to see someone who has made the v-birth into an appealing space. Well done......

Thank you! I've been accused of being obsessively, 'obsessive-compulsive' ! about keeping my boats clean and organized. I was told the engine rooms (diesel engines) in my last two boats were clean enough to perform surgery in! ☺ (I think they were exaggerating)...

 

[Andy]

A “Heater Buddy”. works REMARKABLY WELL in a Parker Pilot House. I have fished my boat in sub 20F weather and it is nothing short of remarkable how quickly the heater buddy makes the cabin very very comfortable. This unit is something I would NEVER attempt to sleep with. I think it’s safe with everyone awake and a window cracked to provide relief on cold days but I would absolutely not recommend it for any kind of sleeping situation.

Totally agree with you about not sleeping with this propane heater or for that matter ANY 'un-vented' fossil-fuel heating system. Some say having a CO (carbon-monoxide) detector will alleviate that issue, but I still don't want to be breathing all the bi-products of combustion for any length of time... I'll get one of the "Heater Buddy" heaters you mentioned, when/ if ? the one heater I have ever stops working. 30+ years and it's still working. Surprises me too!

 

[12lbpug]

I have used the my buddy. It hangs on two small machine screws right under the helm by your feet. I only bring it down if I am using it so all summer all you see is two small screw heads. It’s nice to take out the chill but it’s hard to dress for fishing but then enter a warm cabin. The heater is proven but as said crack a window for air and less fogging up

 

[Andy]

Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, Red-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JP0510BXQVWYMS09AF4N

Use this heater in my 2120. Very pleased with it.

I too like the Little Buddy heaters, but they, nor any other un-vented, fossil fuel heating system, are not safe to use for long periods of time, if being used where people (or other living, breathing animals) are occupying the same place. Yes, they burn relatively efficiently, but they still produce all of the bi-products of combustion; not good to breathe over long periods of time.

 

[Andy]

A “Heater Buddy”. works REMARKABLY WELL in a Parker Pilot House. I have fished my boat in sub 20F weather and it is nothing short of remarkable how quickly the heater buddy makes the cabin very very comfortable. This unit is something I would NEVER attempt to sleep with. I think it’s safe with everyone awake and a window cracked to provide relief on cold days but I would absolutely not recommend it for any kind of sleeping situation.

I agree on all points! I love being out in our Parker on miserable, cold, wet days.... wearing just a shirt, and drinking a hot cup of coffee. The only down side is, I haven't yet figured out how to flush the engine when I get back, from INSIDE the pilothouse! ☺

 

[Andy]

Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, Red-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JP0510BXQVWYMS09AF4N

Use this heater in my 2120. Very pleased with it.

I meant to mention. The portable fossil-fuel heaters that claim to be safe 'indoors', claim so, because they have an 'oxygen-depletion' device that will (hopefully) turn the heater off, just before the human occupants off the room, and the heater, are fighting over the last breath of fresh air; I don't want to trust that to a mechanical device. Besides, they still don't address the issue of breathing all the other bi-products of combustion, and the other issue of the moisture-production, that will sweat, (condensate, rain, reach dew-point; all the same thing) liquid water all over anything that is cold enough to reach dew-point. And the problem with moisture, is that it is one of the five main ingredients needed for mold/mildew growth.