Cheap or homemade heater?

[stinky_1]

You deff want to put your outlet from the heater into a fitting BEFORE your raw water pick up. This will create all the flow you want without needing a pump of any sort. Hope that helps.

I was looking at a heater core out of a Chev Safari. the one that is for the rear heater. Its an all in one unit as well. But I didnt look close at the dimensions. That one posted for $169 would be a good way to go too.

You may also consider adding a hot water shower. If your running wet suits you just throw that on and fill the suit with hot water. WHen your done your run fill it with hot water again, then run hot water on your feet to warm them up before you get back in the boat. That got our season right up until it started snowing.

[cadunkle]

Good idea on the shower. It's definitely wet suit season the past couple times out, and it would be great to quickly warm up hands and feet. I see a Heatercraft shower for $300 on Skidim... Any good DIY alternative? Basically for this season I'm looking at either a heater or a shower, don't think I can justify both at the moment unless I figure a way to do them on the cheap.

On the heater I think I may go with the cheaper 3 outlet box I mentioned. I have a drain fitting with NPT threads between my raw water pump and trans cooler, so basically I'm just looking at additional cost of heater hose, two NPT fittings, and some blower hose to bring the heat to where I want it, and maybe a mounting bracket of some sort that I can probably make from some scrap I have laying around, so maybe a little over $200.

I should be on the river in the morning. Forecast is for air temps 51* and water temps 65* if that's to be believed, last time out the water was about 60*. Should be incentive for me to order some heater parts.

[stinky_1]

When I built my system I got one of these pumps

http://www.princessauto.com/all-seas...e-utility-pump

then I bought a shower head from Home Depot with a 10' hose on it. I just cut the threaded part on the end of the shower head off and attached it to some more hose to reach the back of the boat.

Use a Y splitter like this

374330617_446.jpg

Where you see the water tap is where you would put the pump. Each leg of the splitter should go to hot or cold water source. I tapped off the block for hot water, and put a T into my water line in between the impeller and the water pump on the motor. You put your shower head on the other side of the pump. For the first try you will need access to that Y fitting. You need to adjust the levers on there to get your water temp set. Mix the hot and cold until its how you like it. Then you just need a switch for the pump. Turn it on when you want the shower to go, and off when you dont.

There may be a bit of syphoning of the water if you have the whole plumbing system mounted low. A loop that goes up high under the side of the boat will help negate this.

If you find that pump cheap enough you can build the whole system for under $100.

The thing to think of here is that a shower is GREAT for everyone who is getting in the water. We all loved it, and it helped us a TON with getting in and out of the water when it was so cold. The problem is that a heater would have been nice for when we were NOT wet yet, but still cold. We were driving the boat with a full winter coat, Toque and snowboarding gloves. I am sure it was a sight to see!

[cadunkle]

You're making me feel silly for calling it quits last season in October. I want to push this year through Nov. I'll suck it up but I have difficulty finding a driver and spotter, and when the water gets to 50* nobody but me wants to get in. Not that I really want to get in, it's just necessary! lol

[cadunkle]

What about heated seats? I see these waterproof seat heaters that could be pretty nifty.

http://www.amazon.com/WarmSeats-WSHW.../dp/B00355MTEW

I would figure one in drivers seat and another in the spotters seat would cover me for the colder months. Anyone done something like this? Any probs needing a larger alt? Looks like 5 amps per heater, so 10 additional amps. Seems like it would be a pain having a wire coming out of the seat bottom, but I would put some sort of weatherproof plug on it so I could still remove the seat bottom quickly. I've only been in a car with heater seats once, and I remember wondering why my ass was on fire... So I'm thinking this would feel great to sit on with chilly air and getting out of cold water.

[wotan2525]

When I built my system I got one of these pumps

http://www.princessauto.com/all-seas...e-utility-pump

then I bought a shower head from Home Depot with a 10' hose on it. I just cut the threaded part on the end of the shower head off and attached it to some more hose to reach the back of the boat.

Use a Y splitter like this

374330617_446.jpg

Where you see the water tap is where you would put the pump. Each leg of the splitter should go to hot or cold water source. I tapped off the block for hot water, and put a T into my water line in between the impeller and the water pump on the motor. You put your shower head on the other side of the pump. For the first try you will need access to that Y fitting. You need to adjust the levers on there to get your water temp set. Mix the hot and cold until its how you like it. Then you just need a switch for the pump. Turn it on when you want the shower to go, and off when you dont.

There may be a bit of syphoning of the water if you have the whole plumbing system mounted low. A loop that goes up high under the side of the boat will help negate this.

If you find that pump cheap enough you can build the whole system for under $100.

The thing to think of here is that a shower is GREAT for everyone who is getting in the water. We all loved it, and it helped us a TON with getting in and out of the water when it was so cold. The problem is that a heater would have been nice for when we were NOT wet yet, but still cold. We were driving the boat with a full winter coat, Toque and snowboarding gloves. I am sure it was a sight to see!

My local farm supply shop sells those exact same 12v pumps for $49.99. Have never seen them online that cheap and it would work great for a heater!

[wotan2525]

You deff want to put your outlet from the heater into a fitting BEFORE your raw water pick up.

I'm confused. Could someone draw a diagram of how to hook up these heater cores? Before the water pick-up?! Do you mean before the water pump??

[FoiltechLaunch21V]

Cheap and simple!!! This has worked for me on my last 3 boats and a few pieces of earth moving equipment that I have. Get two 3" blowers mount them in the engine compartment connect 3" pvc pipe and fittings to where ever you want the heat to go. I buy the pull out vents from skidim.com for added convenience. You are basically drawing heat from the engine block/exhaust manifold itself. Once my boat has been running and up to operating temps my engine compartment stays nice and toasty for a very long while. No need for idling in most cases after you are up to operating temps.

http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=H521B
http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6001861

KO

[jet]

This is on my to-do-list also. But Im thinking $40 heater core, $29 blower and $30-$40 for heater and blower hoses. DIY-IT!!

[wotan2525]

Cheap and simple!!! This has worked for me on my last 3 boats and a few pieces of earth moving equipment that I have. Get two 3" blowers mount them in the engine compartment connect 3" pvc pipe and fittings to where ever you want the heat to go. I buy the pull out vents from skidim.com for added convenience. You are basically drawing heat from the engine block/exhaust manifold itself. Once my boat has been running and up to operating temps my engine compartment stays nice and toasty for a very long while. No need for idling in most cases after you are up to operating temps.

http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=H521B
http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6001861

KO

This kind of makes sense. Aren't the exhaust risers just giant heater cores, anyway??