Anyone using an "engine room heater?"?

Question

The time has almost come to put the boat away for the year and oh how I hate doing such. No more weekends soaking up the rays. No trips to the restaurants on a weeknight for dinner. No more Friday night happy hours on the dock either. No more nothing until she is de-winterized during the 3rd weekend of March. To go from the first week of December until almost April is just too long of a period…way to long.

Now, someone has said to put in an engine room heater. Not an engine block heater but an actual heater made for the engine room of cruisers. Supposedly keeps everything above freezing (45 degrees) and there’s no need for winterizing the engines. Sounds good to know one can take the boat out then whenever the weather cooperates. But this leads to some questions that are…

1.	Has anyone ever used an engine room heater? If so what are your thoughts? 
2.	How about the cost of running it? 
3.	Lose power to the dock and how fast would it draw down the power from the house battery? 
4.	Pro’s?
5.	Con’s?
6.	Anything else you can think of?

I’m asking for we’ve got a friend on the dock who just put one in. Cost of the heater is mid $300’s and the cost of winterizing the engines and genset is over 600. Sounds like it could be a great plan and one I’m considering…for the 2009 winter…if his does the job it’s supposed to do. 

Let me know if you’ve used one and your experience(s) too.

Thanks!

mark t · Accepted Answer

Hi Boatin, I have used the engine room heaters and they do work well until! You may never have a problem but as Murphy's Law states when it can go wrong it will. I used them in many of the boats I was responsible for when I worked for the Gov. Great right up until a long weekend in January when we did lose power for a few days. I lucked out and even though it was bitter cold and the raw water intakes, hoses etc did freeze we got it in time with no damage. It may be because I sealed the engine rooms up so the was no cold air coming in or just lucked out. After that scare any boat that was not needed was hauled and winterized, the ones we kept in I would still drain the systems including raw water and do it after every use. They were also checked daily.
On my own boat I have to haul by Nov. 15th, then I winterize it myself. But I do drain out the systems (fresh water, s/w washdown, head, a/c) even before I haul it. 
It is a long winter to go without a boat, thats for sure!

? · Answer

Boat Engine Compartment Heater

? · Answer

Boat Engine Heater

Richard C · Answer

I read you question yesterday, but I had to think on it a while.  Back in 1969  when I first started working on boats for Wm. J. Little in DC it was common to put a work light with a 100W. bulb in the engine compartment.  Then later when I had my own boat, I lived aboard, so the cabin heat kept the engine compartment above freezing.  Then later I kept my boat at Fort Washington and winterized it. I remember 10 inch ice on the Potomac.  By the 1980, I was at Bladensburg , working for Safford and had a Bayliner.  It had Volvo's with fresh water cooling, so I "drained" the raw water after taking "Princess III" out.  Which I did a lot in the fall and winter.  What I'm getting at is that there are ways to keep the engines running in the dead of winter, but each requires different steps to be taken due to changing conditions.  Keep in mind that there are several other systems on the boat that you have to keep from freezing, in addition to those in the engine compartment.  Like the Marine air and H2O tank.  Would I buy an expensive engine room heater, No.  I'd just drain those areas that were critical like the intake and strainers, and keep a little heat in the cabin.  I hope this helps.....Fall and Winter is some of the best boating in DC.  Good luck!

Captain Bill · Answer

Have to agree with Mark. I have been on several boats that use engine room Heaters, they do work well.  If the power does go out for only a few hours you will have no problem.  We used them up through the first part of January and would then winterize the engine room when we were done till spring.   (Located Mid Chesapeake Bay area)

Good Luck, Boat Safe!

? · Answer

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Anyone using an "engine room heater?"?
The time has almost come to put the boat away for the year and oh how I hate doing such. No more weekends soaking up the rays. No trips to the restaurants on a weeknight for dinner. No more Friday night happy hours on the dock either. No more nothing until she is de-winterized during the 3rd...

Anonymous · Answer

That sounds difficult to argue, as if the Marina's insurance company has specifically excluded engine room heaters they may not have any room to move on it and still have any cover at all - regardless of your private insurance. I think we all know how good insurance companies are at finding exceptions and exclusions when it's time to make a claim - ignoring this one would be a free goal as far as they are concerned so sadly you are probably stuck with it. We are very lucky where I am (Australia), gets cold enough from time to time down south, but a couple of incandescent light bulbs in batten fittings, or infra-red heat lamps pointed at the critical bits seems to be sufficient. Bit rough if they mean normal comfort heating on a live aboard though - if this Marina allows living aboard that is.

Bill W · Answer

Gee - must have missed the "Tony" attack!

I may be cheap, but I also use the bulb idea (or similar) running on standard 120v shore power. However, my boat (34' diesel trawler type) came with a couple of 75 watt heaters labeled "air dryers" - no, they don't dry air, they keep it warm enough to prevent mildew and freezing. Have used them for 20years without problem.

I would be concerned about anything connected to the boat batteries.

Good luck
Bill
Olympia WA

fairview_101 · Answer

My buddy has a 23' I/O.  I know that that is a lot smaller than what you have, but what he did should work for you also.  We both do a lot of fishing in the winter.  To avoid winterizing his boat every time he uses it, he installed petcock valves at in his coolant lines.  Takes about 10 minutes to winterize his boat in the middle of Jan.  All he has to do is open the valves and all the water just drains out of the block and water pump.  He will fire it up just for a few second after he opens the valves and it is done draining just to make sure that there wasn't any air locks in the system trapping water.  May work for you also.

? · Answer

Do Not go to the link- "Site Advisor" Just blew a fuse when I tried- Really bad link-don't go there!!!!! edit- the Tony attack was on 15 "answers" and said "go to this link" which had a virus on it. 

Now we have the tony attack out of the way; I have seen many people use just a 40 wt light bulb under a tarp to warm up their boats and it seems to be working good as long as it is secure so it doesn't drop on something and melt it.

As far as power consuption goes- being as it is on all the time you can calculate exactly what it will consume over a period of power outage off your converter. --If you have solar or wind, they also make 12 vt lights which give off just as much heat. So do it for free!

Anyone using an "engine room heater?"?

11 Answers