Ghetto cockpit heater?

[iaonbb]

During the couse of my Great-Wasted -Saturday-Fuel-Leak-Escapade...I got to thinking :roll: On the rear of my Mobius LS there are two vents. The one on the observer side has two flex tubes that run into the fuel tank area under the floor panel in the rear locker. I assume they're just there to help vent any fumes in this area. The other vent however runs into the engine compartment and connects to the blower. I remember feeling warm air coming out of the rear vent this Summer and thinking to myself, that would make a nice heater...

Would it be possible to reroute the blower vent using flex tube into the cockpit through the motor box or under the observers seat and connect a nice trim ring just like the facory/aftermarket heaters? It might not be as good, but it's better than nothing to pull out and throw inside your towel for a minute. It's not like it's exhause fumes or anything...

OR, install a second blower in the engine compartment exclusively for this reason instead of the $400-$500 heater?

Any thoughts???

[Wolf-]

It's not like it's exhause fumes or anything...

Any thoughts???


May not be "exhaust" fumes (unless you get a leak), but it is carboned, petrol smelling...
I wouldn't want to sniff it.

[iaonbb]

Hey Wolf...I didn't notice it smelling all that bad...not like that wonderful wet exhaust smell we've all come to love. The exhaust system within the motor box is completely sealed right? So.....theoretically you should just have clean, heated air in there...what am I missing? Thanks

[Wolf-]

Hey Wolf...I didn't notice it smelling all that bad...not like that wonderful wet exhaust smell we've all come to love. The exhaust system within the motor box is completely sealed right? So.....theoretically you should just have clean, heated air in there...what am I missing? Thanks

If the theory is correct, one has to ask themselves why we have an exhaust fan in there to begin with.

It is to remove fuel vapors in order to prevent combustion of said fumes/vapors should a leak occur.

[gotmyboat]

The blower is really only necessary for boats that have a carb. The FI system is sealed and pressurized, so there are no fuel vapors in the motor box. I've never smelled fuel at all around my motor. I also haven't felt a lot of heat in there either. If you are running in a cold lake, the exhaust manifolds are only warm to the touch. I bought a pair of nice slippers that I leave on the boat for those cold mornings. They keep my tootsies warm after my morning sets.

Dave

[dmgx]

Gotmyboat, You are right there is less of a chance of fuel vapors collecting in the motor compartment on EFI models, but Blowers are indeed necessary on EFI equipped boats, there is still a possibility of fuel vapors collecting in the engine compartment. To all: Please follow the instructions in your owner's manual. Jay Warren

[zabooda]

Call the people at Heatercraft. The systems aren't that expensive and they have refurbished units even cheaper.

http://www.heatercraft.com/

[iaonbb]

Just a random thought of course...doubtful I'd actually do it...was looking for super easy install as #1 priority. How about the electric heaters they offer?
1002H - Defroster?
1003H - Blower?
or even better...
1006-H Heater?

Do we have alternators capable of handling these? (As long as the boat is running obviously) The write-up I saw on the marine heaters seemed like more than I wanted to tackle this Winter with so many other projets on the list...a good problem to have though! :D

[zabooda]

1002H Heater is 26 amps so you would need #10 wires and not exceed around 6.6 feet to 8 feet in length. Big wire and you'll need to go under the floor to minimize wire length. No big deal as the person put in monster cable about that same size for the power to my subwoofer for no apparent reason except to look cool. The wattage is 306 watts which would produce about 1/4 of a hair dryer so overall the heater wouldn't be very efficient. I think it is designed for large boats with topside cabins where running water hoses is not practical but a defogger is needed for the windshield.

The 1003H is just a blower with no heating element.

The 1006-H heater is a 800 watt system that somehow uses a 72VDC system so if you managed to amplify your voltage the power requirements remain the same at 800 watts which from your 12vdc alternator would require 67 amps which would make ducting your engine compartment for heat feasible and perhaps required.

A few years back I had to replace my heater core and if your mechanically inclined you could build one (single speed) as all they use is an automotive type heater core with a blower exactly like the one in the engine compartment. When you start getting parts (air & water hoses,air diffuser) it ends up cheaper buying the unit assembly.

Wish you well with whatever you choose. I know I do like my heater.



http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire_Table.htm

[JoeTechie]

No big deal as the person put in monster cable about that same size for the power to my subwoofer for no apparent reason except to look cool.

An 800 watt amp takes the same current as an 800 watt heater. Same gauge wire makes lots of sense to me.

-J

[zabooda]

Good catch Joe. I realized I erred in that statement and actually am 800 watt amp requires more than the rated wattage due to heat losses. The article below says the losses are around 50% which would limit your output or require an increase in power above 800 watts to the amp. I believe the losses are much less than that or one would have to liquid cool the amp with a 400 watt (4-100 watt light bulbs) loss for pegging an 800 watt amp. I only have a 300 watt sub so now I see why I have clipping problems.

http://www.megapoweramps.com/Faq.html

[iaonbb]

So...in summary, the electric heaters are a no go since they are only about 1/4 output of a hairdryer? Might be a winter '07-'0 project then...