Bilge heater questions

Juliery said:

Nonsense!

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Here, I will write it as it is written, Owner agrees not to leave any portable electrical appliances operating unattended aboard the boat, especially Space heaters, DROP LIGHTS (this includes the lighting you are suggesting) heating strips, and alike. Only USCG approved heat devices. Failure to comply Will result in immediate termination of this contract and power will be cut off till the boat owner complies or the boat is removed.

Also StateFarm will drop you like a hot potato!

anything else you doubt? Don’t think drop light can cause a fire? Go back and look for the fire in Urbanna VA, loss of life and many boats, as well as the boathouse.

you don’t have believe that it can happen to you but how will you feel knowing you burned up ten other boats because you were to cheap to buy a bilge heater, Oh how your slip neighbors would just love you. Camaflo makes a nice heater..

dwna1a said:

Here, I will write it as it is written, Owner agrees not to leave any portable electrical appliances operating unattended aboard the boat, especially Space heaters, DROP LIGHTS (this includes the lighting you are suggesting) heating strips, and alike. Only USCG approved heat devices. Failure to comply Will result in immediate termination of this contract and power will be cut off till the boat owner complies or the boat is removed.

Also StateFarm will drop you like a hot potato!

anything else you doubt? Don’t think drop light can cause a fire? Go back and look for the fire in Urbanna VA, loss of life and many boats, as well as the boathouse.

you don’t have believe that it can happen to you but how will you feel knowing you burned up ten other boats because you were to cheap to buy a bilge heater, Oh how your slip neighbors would just love you. Camaflo makes a nice heater..

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Oh, I suppose we could all die from an asteroid strike, too. What you suggest is the ultimate rare occurrence. Many more boats have been destroyed by propane, faulty cords and poor wiring than by light bulbs. We still use propane and cords, though. I use a bilge heater but have no issue with a guy using a light bulb. Most reasonable people seem to use caged trouble lights, such as those used by mechanics, working over gas powered cars.

I called the owner of Twin Hornet last year and he custom built me a 1000w twin setup. It works great.

Another member has a bilge heater for sale now. He has it at a great price

I ended up ordering a Twin Hornet 1000W twin heater, looking forward to getting it. Hopefully wont be needing it for another month or so here in TN!

Three years ago it was sufficiently cold here in NE FL that our saltwater canal skimmed over with ice. It was in the 20's. Our mechanic said to start both engines and the generator just before going to bed and let them run for 10-15 minutes. Sufficient heat is produced to keep everything from freezing. I still have an approved engine room heater.

This is NE FL not farther north.

If global warming ever reverses course, I may need to block off the engine vents.

LastCall350 said:

I ended up ordering a Twin Hornet 1000W twin heater, looking forward to getting it. Hopefully wont be needing it for another month or so here in TN!

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Did you call him direct? Nice guy.

douglee25 said:

Did you call him direct? Nice guy.

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Yes I did, I wanted his input on sizing, etc as well. For a little more money I decided to go with the 1000w. Seemed like a knowledgable and nice guy, if the heater is quality then it is a steal at his price point versus the extremes.

Have the smaller Extreme (300w I think) in our 310DA. Previous owner made a sheet metal base and it sits on the stringers at the front of the engine compartment between the V-drives. I also bought off Amazon one of those $20 indoor/outdoor thermometers with an outdoor transmitter that displays the last 24 hour high and low of the inside and outside temps. The transmitter sits on the genny in the aft of the compartment with the display unit in the cabin. And a ziplock bag half full of water sits on one of the the centek exhaust stacks. Uncle Sam has us in Northern Va this year and the boat is in the water on a marina off the Potomac. Although I still winterized everything out of a sense of experience taught paranoia, the temps have been in the mid-20s at night of late but the small heater has shown to keep the engine compartment no lower that 41F. Since the marina is 5 min from the house, it has been easy to go by and check the performance. And if the power ever goes out at the marina, the winterizing is the ultimate insurance, and finding the bag of water frozen will let me know if temps got low...