Buying a Marine Water Heater and Webasto Diesel Heater

Buying a Marine Water Heater and Webasto Diesel Heater

A marine water heater and webasto diesel heater are vital for keeping your boat warm, extending the season and enabling you to enjoy your cruiser whatever the weather. They’re also essential for the safety of everyone on board. Fortunately, the latest heating systems are safer and more efficient than ever before. For instance, they now use brushless fan motors for low electric consumption and quieter operation. Moreover, glow 'pins' rather than old style bulbs eliminate the risk of 'coking up' and are much more fuel efficient.

The new Eberspacher Airtronic range is a good example of this continuing improvement. These powerful yet safe marine forced air heaters offer a power boost mode for rapid pre-warming, variable temperature settings and a ventilation mode to circulate fresh air on warm days. Some models even have a battery monitor to protect against excessive fuel consumption and low water level.

If you’re looking for a basic, affordable option then try the Refleks Danish made stove heater. These are robust drip fed units that radiate heat rather than pump it around ducting and are popular on many more traditional year round cruisers. These are normally fitted to a bulkhead and can be fed either from their own tank (gravity feed version) or pumped direct from the main diesel tank (main fuel tank version).

As well as having smarter controls with clear LCD displays most of these marine air heaters now feature fully working thermostats with easy timer functions. This allows you to turn the unit on before you leave and set a timer to switch it off before your planned return time or when you’re a few miles away from home. There are even versions with a smartphone app and a GSM module that lets you operate your heater via a mobile phone!

When buying a marine diesel forced air heater, it’s worth checking that it complies with all EU and UK regulations. This is particularly important if you’re planning to install it in a public area, such as a passenger space. It’s also essential to ensure that your system is properly serviced and that a carbon monoxide detector is fitted.

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