Heater for bilge...
 

Has anyone used a small space heater to heat their bilge? If so, what kind? I looked at several small ones today, but all of the small ones used the ceramic heating elements, and I am a little nervous about sitting something that glows red-hot down in my engine compartment where it could come in contact with gas fumes. Seems like the oil-filled radiators would be a lot safer for this, but the smallest one I could find stands about 2 feet high. It would still fit, but all I really need is a little bitty one.

I store my boat in a pole barn, so it is out of the weather, but the forecast is calling for the temps to fall into the mid-20's tonight. I have not winterized yet because I still plan to do some testing this month. It seems like a small space heater would be enough to keep things from freezing up for a night. Obviously, if they were calling for extended sub-freezing temps, I would be out there draining everything, but this is only supposed to last one night.

100watt drop light.

I use a small cube 1500 watter with a fan set on the low setting 750 watts I think and the thermostat set to full. It's the spark from the thermostat turning on and off that blows em up.

I use two 100 watt bulbs in a pair of clamp-on fixtures in the engine compartment and run the cord out under the cover.
I'll turn them on during the day while it's above freezing and leave them on all night.
I know it doesn't get down to freezing very often in Florida but I did the same thing up north. Old habits die hard.

The ceramic heaters don't glow red hot. Well, at least you can't see it. I'm currently using two 170w infrared lamps. Gonna get really cold tonight though. I'm not sure if I trust them to raise the temps enough though.

Im in ohio and it gets pretty cold sometimes and two drop lights kept my engine block at 42 degrees even on really cold days.
I bought one of those cheap pet store stick on thermometers and stuck it to my intake.

Drop light works great in Texas.

Thanks for the replies!

So the ceramic heaters don't glow? Does that make them safe enough for an engine compartment? Sure would be a lot easier than lugging the oil heater up there!

I'm not sure I would trust a light bulb. Knowing my luck it would burn out! :eek:

It isnt really getting cold enough to worry to much, Dock Holiday said it takes 24 hours at 20 degrees to freeze over to do damage. Get a NEW light bulb and prey that the power dosent go out. we "winterized" our hot tub last winter (time to use but it was empty?) I think it was a bulb we pulled out of a drawer, probably a GE and it lasted all winter being on all the time.
Must have some good luck here...

Boat US has some .. one model is on sale... Trying it this year for the first time ...A friend has had success with it.

My Merc mechanic has told me that 28* for 8 hours is enough to do damage, but he might have been referring to oil/ps coolers, seawater pumps, and manifolds instead of blocks. It would seem that it would take a lot more than that to freeze an engine block, but I guess it depends on the temp that the water in the block starts at. If temps have been hovering in the low 30's for a few days to the point where the water is at that temp, then it wouldn't take much of a drop for the water to freeze. On the other hand, if temps dropped from the mid sixties to below freezing in a short time, freeze damage would be less likely.

An interesting experiment in the making, perhaps?

I purchase mine at West Marine. They are bilge safe, and have no
switches to arc and cause explosion. Some have fans that will flow air around the bilge

Go to www.westmarine.com

You dont really have to get to fancy, 2 100 watt light bulbs will do fine, why 2 ?? just in case 1 goes bad on you.

OK so the boat doesn't freeze. It's still cold as **** tomorrow so what are you going to do with the boat? Last year I worried my tail off wondering about the temps and didn't winterize until December. Screw all that, put it away, I know it hurts to do it but after all this isn't Florida. Just my .02. Can you tell the potent rum is kicking in now?

I've used this one for a few years and no problem

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=10837

crack your hatch and plug a ceramic heater in. If your bilge is full of fuel vapors, you've got other more serious problems to address.

200 watt bulb plugged into "thermo cube" outlet. It's a small thermostatically controlled outlet that turns power on at 35* F and off at 45* F. Model TC-3.

Radio Shack also has a remote thermometer you can put in the bilge that will transmit the bilge temp to the base unit without having to undo the cover or get in the boat. Also records min and max temps.

Hope your engines came through the night okay. Next time there is a short cold snap expected, why not put your engines on a hose the evening before, run them up to op temp, and let the internal heat help keep the bildge warm overnight? Still use a drop light in there for safety sake, but I think the odds of freezing the engines that night are quite low.

Wear a thicker jacket.

Budman, If enough people send me $ for a new FI 4.3 liter Vortech, I will try out the experiment with the old 1400hour 4.3 now...

When I Get Worried About Freezing I Use A Drop Light In The Engine Compartment And A Electric Blanket Of My Bed Around The Outdrive, Shure I Freeze In Bed But I Know The Boat Is Toasty Warm...............

jeff

I used to put a 100watt trouble light under the hatch and it would keep it 10 degrees warmer than the outside air. If you are worried about the bulb burning out, put a second one in there on a photocell. If you want to check temp, get one of those Radio Shack dual units and put the outside probe in the under the hatch and leave the main unit outside of the boat so you can look at the temp. If you leave your bilge plug out, you can look in and see if the light is on.

I agree,,, 100 watt light bulb !!!!!

I use a magnetic oil pan heater 200watt brings oil up to operating
temp easily keep engine compartment above freezing
and its great for oil changes makes it easy to pump out the oil

Power failure? Have a back up plan.This has happened more than once.I have replaced 3 engines over the years when the owners didn't winterize and had a power failure.

Thanks for the replies...
 

I used one of those oil-filled radiant heaters - set it on low (600W) with the T-stat on high so it would not cycle on and off. Worked like a charm - engine compartment was a toasty 70* when I checked on it the next morning. Ambient temp was about 28*, probably was still above freezing inside the garage, but why take the chance? Backup plan if we have a power failure would be a kerosene heater.


BTW - I am planning to winterize, but I was running short on time this weekend. Besides, still might have a chance to take it out for some prop testing before the really cold stuff hits. Temps are forcast to be in the 60's this weekend.

Yep, I have used two drop lights in the engine compartment for years and it works here in Texas. My backup plan in case of power failure is a kerosene heater for the short term or tow it to a heated shop not far from me until the power is restored.

I never winterize. It just doesn't get cold long enough here in Texas to make the boat not useable all that time. My .02

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

So guys,

What is the final recommendation as far as heaters ( not lightbulbs) for the bilge? Is it safe to use a ceramic heater that you can buy from target as long as it doesn't have a thermostat that cycles on and off? If it is left on constantly then there is no chance fumes in the bilge could start a fire? I really don't want to spend $400.00 for a boatsafe heater if I really don't have to. Please Advise.

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

drop light....

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

The boatsafe heaters have sealed spark proof switches. The others DO NOT :eek:. These can , and usually do , create a tiny spark as the switch opens and closes with the cycling of the heater. Light bulbs left on have no switches to spark. If I wanted to "cheap out" , I'd go with the light bulbs...less chance of a major problem :(

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

What kind of light bulbs? Infared heater bulbs? or Commericail 500 watt bulb?
Whats the word?

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

One or two 100 watt bulbs are usually fine for short periods of mid 20s ( a few hours overnite) in a closed up engine compartment.
If you cover covers the vents better yet :cool:

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

Lightbulbs in a bilge compartment........recipe for failure and disaster, look at some of the pics on BoatsUS.com of others that used these. Lightbulbs can crack and it doesn't take a lot to ignite gas vapor.......better off to buy a heater designed for a marine bilge compartment, Boatsafe or XtremeHeaters.com make one.......I know guys that have used them for yeasrs with no problems but the what if would bother me.....the electric heaters are subject to not running if power failure occurs, I guess I have always been close enough to the dock and known when the power went out so it was not a problem.

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

These heaters get around 300 c and that is deadly around gas
gas will ignite at 250 c and the thermostat will set out an arc that is very dangerous :D
please look her http://www.xtremeheaters.com/tips.htm :rolleyes:

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

I use to keep a light on in my well house and it would either burn out unexpected or would not be enough to keep up with some cold nights and I would be outside heating pipes trying to thaw with out busting them.

Re: Heater for bilge...
 

Spend the money and buy a heater designed for heating the bilge. They are a few hundred dollars but then again how much is your motor(s). I use one at LOTO to get a few more weeks on each side of the season and it has worked very well so far.