BoatSafe Heater Test?

[old-thirty-three]

Greetings,
This will be my first winter w/ this boat. The previous owner had a BoatSafe 750 Watt Heater permanently installed in the engine room. I am trying to test it to confirm it is working okay for the winter. One challenge I have is that I do not know how it is wired up. I can only trace the power cord so far - so I am not sure whihc circuit it is wired to??

Anyway - trying various options - I have been executing the "Freeze Spray Test" as listed in the BoatSafe Manual. I am expecting that I would hear a fan kick on as soon as the heater started? Is that the correct assumption? I know the element is slow to warm up - so I am looking for the quickest way to make sure this thing is turning on. Not knowing the wiring set up is making this difficult - I tried all the easy combinations today w/o luck.

So - does your BoatSafe Heater make fan noise as soon as it turns on??

Thx in advance for any updates.

 

[electricaldoctor]

Try to Google the brand & model number and you should get your answer.

 

[sdarc]

Depending on how old your heater is, the newer 750 watt units have push to test button on the bottom.

 

[Southpaw II]

The newer units have the push button test, but, yes, you should be able to hear the fan after you spray the freeze spray after about 5 seconds.

Don

 

[old-thirty-three]

Great - Thx for the validation that I should hear the fan right away. It is a 2004 model heater and does not have the push button test. I'll go back to testing this weekend to see if I can confirm operation. I'll follow up w/ what I find.

Thx!

 

[Loneranger]

I use one of these units. You can hear the relay click to start the unit after a few seconds BUT if you want to test the actual heating element you will have to keep "tricking" the unit to turn on for about 10 minutes to get the elements warm enough to feel. Mine this last year actually failed this test and I sent it back to boatsafe with a $40 check (there flat rate repair charge) and received it back in a week or so fully functional again. See instructions below:

http://www.theboatsafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/JR_250_Watt_Heater_Installation_Testing1.pdf

John

 

[old-thirty-three]

All is well - the system tested out okay this afternoon. As I said above - I wasn't sure how it was wired up. Turns out it was wired into a GFCI circuit I was not previously aware of. Once I reset that circuit - I was able to test it easily.

Using a freeze spray - I sprayed it onto the thermostat (through the test hole) for about 5 to 10 seconds. As soon as the thermostat tripped (you could hear the click) - the fan came on. The fan noise is very noticeable. So - for anyone else doing this test - you should expect the fan to come on right away. Also, as mentioned above - you do have to wait about 10min for the element to heat up.

Thx for all the help - glad this case is closed!

 

[copb8tx]

Good job posting back your findings and helping out future members searching for answers.