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Post by jubjub on Apr 15, 2021 12:19:13 GMT
Here's another old chestnut. Decided the time has come to swap out the old Mikuni heating system. Impossible to get parts even if all you want to do is service it
Anyway before I probably go for Webasto has anyone come across Kabola/Kuranda systems. Apparently they offer three types including a combi style so you don't need a calorifier. Ta
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Post by JohnV on Apr 15, 2021 14:25:20 GMT
Couple of old tugs I have done trips on had Kabola heating units, seemed fine (although they didn't look as if anyone had cared for them for years) but nobody seemed to think badly of them.
The electric consumption was not a problem on biggish commercial vessels but the burner unit on them looked very much like the same kind of burner unit there is on my Bubble PJ
(that I am also happy with, one small fault needing a replacement solenoid valve at under £20 over 7(?) years ...... main problem for most people seems to be it's requirement for 240V .... not a problem for me as the inverter runs all the time as I have a mains fridge freezer.
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Post by cygnus on Apr 15, 2021 20:56:15 GMT
We have a Kabola HR500 240v 20kw. I fitted it about 12 years ago and apart from the odd clean it's never been touched and has run faultlessly. It runs the central heating with thermostat and is Tee'd off to the calorifier. The sales guy at Kuranda tried his damndest for us to have a DC version. I was equally determined to have the AC version, and it's worked out just fine. We switch the inverter on as soon as we cast off. As the weather gets warmer we switch it off, isolate the calorifier from the central heating and start using the emersion heater for hot water. I've just looked up the retail price and they are really expensive though, approximately £3500. It costs me about £40 a week at 75p per litre to run in mid winter. We have 9 school type column radiators and large calorifier. If I was to do it today I would probably look at a small 240v house diesel central heating boiler.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2021 21:07:57 GMT
It's seems slightly odd to compare a kabola with a mikuni.
The Kabola is quite a large unit and I think they have to have a vertical flue ? Not sure maybe they don't but as far as I know they are not at all similar in terms of installation to a mikuni which is a compact package with a simple horizontal exhaust outlet and minimal space requirements..
If considering a larger unit than a mikuni/neverspacher/webasto type then perhaps a Refleks might be worth looking at.
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Post by jubjub on Apr 16, 2021 6:22:31 GMT
Well that's why I was originally looking at the Webasto as I was told it is an easier conversion than the Erberspacher but then I can across the Kabola which is more expensive to buy and looks like it might be more expensive to fit too. We have a 3.5k Victron Inverter with 5 standard radiators and a calorifier and the Mikuni, though noisey, is ok when it works. Fuses always seem to go and glow plugs. It gets coked up a lot even with little use and, as I said, parts are getting difficult to get.
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Post by JohnV on Apr 16, 2021 7:03:22 GMT
My Bubble PJ is very quiet, has a flexible flue pipe exiting horizontally (high above waterline) is very quiet, even when nearby outside you don't notice any noise. It's incredibly quiet compared with the tiny Erbersplutter that used to be on Shapfell
At the moment sitting in the saloon, if I listen very carefully I can just hear it. It gets a quick vacuum out every summer, but if it is burning correctly it should be very clean. I have never priced my heating and anyway my diesel is a cheaper than cygnus pays but I would expect it to be much the same oil consumption.
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Post by jubjub on Apr 22, 2021 7:39:14 GMT
I was looking around for Mikuni parts, which are like hen's teeth, and ended up speaking with MV Heating. The best they can get is a glow plug, no gasket sets to be found. Anyway he started talking about the MV Hydro which a Mikuni replacement. It's Chinese (what isn't these days) but it is a lot cheaper and effectively easier to swap over, you send them the old Mikuni and they replace it and send it back plus a trade in for the old system. Has anyone any experience or knowledge of them? Cheers
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2021 8:43:15 GMT
I have a question regarding heating if I may guys? If I bought a boat without a heating system ie webasto eberspacher etc what sort of price would it be to have a system fitted, say 3 rads?
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Post by Telemachus on Aug 7, 2021 8:50:54 GMT
I have a question regarding heating if I may guys? If I bought a boat without a heating system ie webasto eberspacher etc what sort of price would it be to have a system fitted, say 3 rads? Can’t answer I’m afraid, and it’s a bit of a “piece of string” question. But most boats have central heating installed at build before the fitout. So I think it will depend on what sort of tidiness of installation you want. Our system has the pipes running under the floor, most rads are on the right but the bathroom towel rail is on the left. So the pipes cross over under the floor. The builder left small hatches in the floor at the places where there are connectors (T pieces etc). I think it would be a lot of work to retrofit pipework neatly under the floor, unless the boat had a pretty minimal fitout. An alternative would be to have the pipes above floor level but that is going to be untidy and you are still going to have to route pipes under the floor to change sides. Our boat has a keelson so you can’t just poke a pipe in at one side and hope it comes out the other! So I would imagine a lot of labour cost to do it properly. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2021 8:56:10 GMT
I have a question regarding heating if I may guys? If I bought a boat without a heating system ie webasto eberspacher etc what sort of price would it be to have a system fitted, say 3 rads? Can’t answer I’m afraid, and it’s a bit of a “piece of string” question. But most boats have central heating installed at build before the fitout. So I think it will depend on what sort of tidiness of installation you want. Our system has the pipes running under the floor, most rads are on the right but the bathroom towel rail is on the left. So the pipes cross over under the floor. The builder left small hatches in the floor at the places where there are connectors (T pieces etc). I think it would be a lot of work to retrofit pipework neatly under the floor, unless the boat had a pretty minimal fitout. An alternative would be to have the pipes above floor level but that is going to be untidy and you are still going to have to route pipes under the floor to change sides. Our boat has a keelson so you can’t just poke a pipe in at one side and hope it comes out the other! So I would imagine a lot of labour cost to do it properly. I suspected it would be a lot of work/cost. Info like this will make it easier to choose the right boat for us. I have a few other questions in due course. Thanks |
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Post by JohnV on Aug 7, 2021 9:27:53 GMT
agree with Nick ...... retro fitting is hard unless it was catered for in the initial fit out
mine was, all the main runs of pipe (3) send to heating send to HW and common return were all installed before cladding.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2021 11:04:42 GMT
Retro fitting can be done, I have done it twice. Pipes are attached at the bottom of the wall just above the floor and then boxed in where visible, it means you loose about 50mm width at floor level.
Or if you are artistic you make a feature of the pipes, this means they have to be kept clean😱
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