Bilge Heater?

christo15

christo15

New Member
Oct 15, 2013
275
Stamford, CT "Ponus Yacht Club"
Boat Info
2002 320 DA Sea Ray, Garmin 741xs
Engines
350 Mercruisers V-drives
Has anyone skipped the whole winterization process and just gone with a bilge heater? I'm hearing more and more about them and they seem like no brainer. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.
 
I've looked into these and decided against it for a few reasons:

1- They are not inexpensive. Especially for dual engine boats.
2- if you lose shore power at any time the heaters stop working. All it takes is one cold night to damage your engines.
 
I winterize and use a bilge heater. I like the idea of my engine compartment never getting below 40 degrees.

I would never trust my $$$ engines to just a bilge heater.
 
I am looking into a bilge heater. However unsure where to plug it in. I have not taken a good look, but doubt there would be any where in the bilge to plug it in. What does everyone to do to power their bilge heater?
 
I have one and love it. I use it in addition to winterizing the engines. The engine room never gets below 40 degrees and never gets condensation. I have the Boat Safe unit that I ordered with an extra long cord. I fish the cord the cord up the gunnel to the cockpit where I plug it in.
 
Used one last winter for the engines while I still had the 300DA in Northern Virginia. In the mid-Atlantic they aren't that risky. Last few years we haven't had long enough below freezing stretches to freeze a block on a boat kept in the water. And it was kinda fun getting to start and idle the engines in the slip every couple of weeks. I still winterized the water lines, genny and air conditioning.
 
christo15 said:
Has anyone skipped the whole winterization process and just gone with a bilge heater? I'm hearing more and more about them and they seem like no brainer. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I winterize the fresh and black water systems, but not my engines. I have a bilge heater and love it. It paid for itself the second year. I also like that I can go out for a boat ride whenever I want. Of course, I am not as far north as others, so my winters are not as severe.

Btcowboy said:
I am looking into a bilge heater. However unsure where to plug it in. I have not taken a good look, but doubt there would be any where in the bilge to plug it in. What does everyone to do to power their bilge heater?
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't plug in. It is hard wired to a breaker on my panel. I have heard where others run theirs to the outlet on the dock or in their cockpit.
 
I just installed a 1000w boatsafe
I was reminded by the Marina service manager that it does not replace winterization in our climate zone.. I fished the long cord up through the hatch for the genset and plugged it into an outlet on the deck.
the unit should be plugged into a circuit with nothing else operating on it or do a dedicated hard wire.
 
I use a bilge heater plus winterize. The heater buys you a little time at the beginning and end of the season before and after the deep freeze period. You don't have to worry sitting at home when the temps dip to the 20's.
 
I had asurvey done on a boat with a bilge heater (don't recall the brand) and the surveyor told me they were not safe in the bilge on a boat with gasoline engi nes. He said they were not intrinsically safe. I have seent hem in many boats, so it struck me as odd, but I never researched it.
 
I have a Boatsafe heater and they are approved for gas engines.

From their website:

Screen Shot 2013-11-04 at 9.35.14 PM.jpg
 
Is it possible that earlier models (late 90's) are not safe for gasoline engines? I don't know which model it is, but will check it out next time I go to the boat.
 
I have two Davis 1000 bilge safe dehumidifiers and a BoatSafe heater in my bilge. The dehumidifiers get about 125 degrees so they raise the temp in the bilge about 5 degrees. The BoatSafe heater is just in case it gets really cold for some crazy reason. The water here only gets down to about 45 degrees in the winter so many guys do not put any heat in their bilge for the winter.

We also run two Camfro heaters and a 30 pint dehumidifier in the cabin during the winter. Much nicer to go to a warm, dry boat. We go down at least a couple times a week and hang out and or spend the night.
 
My friend Doug went with the bilge heater approach and did not winterize. All went well until his son unplugged the extension cord. Now his engine is junk.

Pete
 
I just installed a 600w Xtreme bilge heater. Its hard wired to the breaker panel. I had the same unit on my prior boat. We boat year round so we don't winterize. Temp in the cabin is set to 55 and I put a space heater in the cockpit. I'm comfortable that I am well protected with this setup absent an extended deep freeze and power outage. In that case, I am close enough to check on the boat as needed.
 
There is one on our boat, installed by a previous owner.

I've never used it (keep the boat in dry stack) but I have busted my head on it a few times.
 
Do both winterize and have a large Xtreme heater (can't recall wattage). It keeps the moisture down hence precludes/prevents some rust problems due to condensation.
 
I winterize and install a bilge heater. 2 reasons - insurance and reduce condensation. I have an Xtreme.
 
Pack66Dad said:
I have two Davis 1000 bilge safe dehumidifiers...
Click to expand...
I looked these up and it seems like snake oil. You put it in a low point of the bilge and it heats the air up with something that uses the same energy as a 100 Watt bulb, causing the moisture to condense and to rise up out of the unit? It doesn't actually dehumidify the air. It just moves the moisture around the bilge from that description.
 
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