Propane bulkhead heater install

I

InSync

Member II
Hi everyone,

We purchased a 1974 Ericson 32 last year in San Diego. Being a warm weather boat, it did not come with a heater however, now that it lives in the Pacific Northwest a heater is a necessity! Our original plan was to install a Dickinson diesel bulkhead heater however, after making a cardboard mock up of the heater we realized it was too large and have opted for the smaller propane heater. The plan is to install the heater on the starboard side saloon bulkhead. The chimney/vent will be positioned between the mast step and the hand rail on the coach house.
Has anyone else done this type of install and are there any pointers you can offer?
Many thanks.
 
Loren Beach

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
It's always a Hot topic

See reply #6 in this thread --
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=2542&referrerid=28

Do a search on "dickinson" and you will get a manageable one full page of hits.

Here's another-
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=6618&referrerid=28

Those are popular heaters and quite a few boats in our YC have them. Only complaint, and it's close to universal, is that their built-in circulation fan is noisy. Complaints to the builder have so far been ineffective; I guess that having a virtual monopoly on this market segment does not motivate them to make further improvements. :confused:

Anyhow, hope this info helps a bit.

LB
 
F

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Although we didn't install ours, that is what we have on our E30+, positioned as you describe, and it works great!

Frank
 
I

InSync

Member II
Painted deck - an issue with hot chimney?

Loren,

Thanks for your prompt and informative reply. I didn't think to do a search for Dickinson and my search for "bulkhead propane heater" netted waaaayyy too many replies! I'm new to this, but I'll figure the search thing out sooner or later.

In reviewing some of the posts you recommended I note that people are mentioning the issue of the heat generated and melting of varnish, head liners, etc. with an improper install. I suddenly thought of our Awlgrip painted deck. Does anyone have any idea if the heat at the chimney will cause the paint to bubble/lift etc? Should we look at some sort of extra shielding? If so, what/how/where?

One question leads to another leads to another....

PS We are attending the Ericson rendezvous at Port Townsend this year. I'm wondering if we are best to hold off on the install until we consult with the Committee of Experts down there?
 
R

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
I have the Dickinson P1200 model. It works as advertised and is simple to install. Yes, the circulation fan is too loud. My only complaint. The "charlie noble" is actually cool where it contacts the deck. The exhaust stack/pipe is double walled. The inner is exhaust and the outer intake. The actuall flange at the deck is far enough away that I have never noticed it being hot. I have not noticed any problems with the headliner, bulkhead, etc. either. They get warm, but not even close to hot enough to be a problem. I use the heater infrequently so I have only had to fill the tank once in two years. Still, when I need it its great! When I did the math a ten pound tank would last for 80hrs on low, IIRC? 50-60hrs on high? Not too bad. RT
 
Cory B

Cory B

Sustaining Member
No knock on your plans for the propane heater, we may install one ourselves someday on our present boat....

... but there is room to install the Newport Diesel heater on your 32 if you really want to. We had one in our old 1975 E32. We had an ABI deck plate (with good heat shield to protect deck) that we could screw a small chimney pipe extension into to get adequate length, and we could just remove the chimney whenever we didn't want it exposed. We also had a small gravity feed tank in the hanging locker.

The Newport Diesel even on low would nearly cook us out of the boat, but it was absolutely fantastic for drying out wet clothing and foulweather gear.
 
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I

InSync

Member II
Heat inside good, heat outside bad

Good to hear that there is no issue with the propane heater exhaust heating up the deck. Bubbled Awlgrip would not be so good!
Thanks for the thoughts on installing the diesel in the E32 but we are stuck with the propane heater as we have already purchased it. Got a good deal at the Seattle Boat Show. As we tend to leave winter sailing to those with thicker skin than ourselves I think the propane should keep us toasty enough.
 
G

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Force 10 Cozy Cabin heater stack.

All, As an aside, I used a length of 3/4" copper pipe in place of the more commonly used 1" stainless steel rail for the exhaust stack. I already had the material on hand and much prefer the look of the copper in comparison. It should be noted that I had to use brass shim stock around the 7/8" tube at the top of the heater to create a snug fit for the copper pipe, a simple task. Glyn
 
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