C-WARM water heaters

[vacendak]

I started the thread http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ers-22997.html

found myself a good choise of "double-coilers" at Tek-Tanks:

C-Warm marine water storage heaters

any opinions or good/bad experience in using those ?

[GordMay]

What you seem to be seeking is a typical Marine Electric Hot Water Tank c/w Engine Heat Exchanger Coil as manufactured by (among others):
Force10
Isotemp
Kuuma
Moeller
Raritan
Seaward
Super Stor

[vacendak]

Gord May

nay, what I need is not very typical, alas

Not all of marine boilers are "double coilers";
I speak about boilers with two independent liquid heating coils
(spiral tubes), i.e. they allow to warm up water without
starting an engine or switching on electric immersed heating element.

Such unit is notable with at least 7 (seven) connections:
- engine coolant in/out;
- heater (e.g. Webasto) coolant in/out;
- cold water in / hot water out
- TPR valve

Isotherm has 2 "double-coil" models (40- & 75- ltrs);
Force10 (=Kuuma), Seaward, Raritan - did not find any;
C-Warm = 7 or 8 sizes, but no feedback could be googled

[DeepFrz]

Most installations use valves to control whether the heating water comes from the engine or the diesel fired heater. Double coil heaters are a simpler install. How do the prices and quality compare?

[vacendak]

DeepFrz

hmm... never thought about such installation...
sounds attractive - but needs a fool-protected system with
(at least) 2 valves.

any schematics in mind ?

[DeepFrz]

I did see one but can't remember where. Maybe PM magazine. I'll take a look.

Found this information. ITR actually recommends using a heat exchanger rather than connecting the boat heating systems together with valves.

http://www.itrheat.com/documents/Hur...al%2011_08.pdf

[vacendak]

Thanks, DeepFrz

ITR products look good, but are exotic in our part of the world

[DeepFrz]

I misread the part about keeping the water heater and engine cooling system separate. I didn't realize that the Hurricane II has an internal water heater. I have seen an installation where the hydronic heater and engine cooling system were connected with a hot water heater but can't remember where it was.

[partgypsy]

I hope this is not too off topic, but i'm considering buying an Espar D5W diesel furnace that can send hot liquid through the engines and/or water heater (heat exchanger) and possibly for space heating. Is this going to be a complex arrangement? I have a brand new (never installed) Allcraft 20 gal heater and if I'm going to hook up this rig, I want to do it right.

[Lancerbye]

I have a D5W but at the moment I have it only servicing the radiators at the heating zones. I have thought of hooking the engine cooling system in series with this since the engines now heat only the hotwater heater. The installation is not hard and I would recomend buying a seven day timer with it . The espar is particularly sensitive to tripping the over temp switch inside the unit if any air gets trapped in the boiler chamber. You get a few retrys and then it locks up and you have to call the service rep. The seven day timer unit has a reset capability which is all the rep does. Ask me how I know this.

[partgypsy]

I hear that the Espars are kind of finicky. How can something so simple, be so hard get right? It's the only thing Espar makes and they've had years ro work the bugs out. Having the computer lock you out so you get to be "shaken down" by the tech... who might be 1000 miles away, does not make me too eager to get involved.
Or am I being too cautious?

[Lancerbye]

The technology of heating water in a small boiler the size of your foot requires a lot of safety devices. They are all the same. Just like any other high tech system you have to get to know them or the tech will own your soul. The alternative for a cabin heat source for a four zone heating system in a boat requires too much room.