low cost alternative to bilge heater....

CliffA

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2009
4,712
Lake Norman, NC
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 340DA
Name: 'Happy Place'
4.5kW West. Generator
Purchased Nov. 2014
Fresh Water Use
Engines
Twin Merc. 6.2L (MPI)
640 hp (Total)
Raw Water Cooled
V-Drive Transmissions
OK, so this time of year the 'winterizing' forum always gets active with posts concerning the use of bilge heaters and possible alternatives...i just had one of my 'off the wall thoughts' about this and thought i would throw it out to the group and get blasted, err.... i mean have an honest and constructive discussion about it...i winterize my boat by draining the engine block and manifilds and will continue to do so, but this idea (if viabale) may help someone else...

i understand the biggest concern about using any type heating device in the bilge is to insure the device is spark proof....any type device that uses a standard type thermostat to control when it comes on and goes off has a real concern about sparking when the contacts in the thermostat make and causing potential gas fumes to explode...what about a device that has the thermostat outside of the engine compartment and away from any possible gas fumes...i was thinking a simple and inexpensive electric blanket thrown over the engine with the controller/thermostat located outside of the engine compartment....the power use of the blankets is relatively low and the thermostat can be set to come on at low temps...i see one on sale at Wal-Mart for $29....

let the games begin...


cliff
 
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I just leave the fireplace on the low setting.
 
Cliff, I have a friend who once wrapped his out drive for one night in an electric blanket, so I've heard of it.

However my concern would be more about the cheap blanket, which is not intended for outdoor use, catching fire even without a spark. I can think of a couple of different ways that could happen.
 
Ask your insurance company if they like that idea.
 
I would just suggest a small pellet stove..... (auto feeder obviously)
 
Probably a viable idea only if you use a portable generator in the bilge to power it! :grin:
 
Here's the problem, in theory I understand your thought process, but what you have to think about is how is your conversation with your insurance company going to go when you put your claim in???? As Dom mentioned, I think that if you had to tell them that you wrapped your engine in an electric blanket, you may have a problem getting paid....
 
I'll close his discussion out. Cliff, you don't need all that where you live. You are about 30 miles from me by way the crow flys. I don't winterize my 260, all I do is drain the block. If you run pink through your engine you will be fine. That last two years have been the coldest in SC in forever, and I have not had any problems. Keep it out of the wind, hook up the rabbit ears and run some pink through and don't worry about it. As for the electric blanket, I wouldn't sleep with one, much less lay one over my motor.
 
How about a hair dryer duct taped to the riser? (sorry Cliff couldn't help myself)

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Keep it out of the wind.

I don't think that the wind would make the metal colder or the water in the systems freeze!?!? That would be like turning lawn chairs upside down to make them heavier so a hurricane won't blow them away....
 
I don't think that the wind would make the metal colder or the water in the systems freeze!?!? That would be like turning lawn chairs upside down to make them heavier so a hurricane won't blow them away....

When you trailer a boat, that cold air getting underneath the hull is where there possibility of freezing occurs. That is why you are better off in water versus on a trailer. In other words (for those that don't understand what keep it out of the wind means) store in a shed or garage if possible.
 
In water vs out of water storage is a different discussion. I don't see why storing it in a (unheated) shed/garage is any warmer than outside....especially during the day when the sun is out.
 
In water vs out of water storage is a different discussion. I don't see why storing it in a (unheated) shed/garage is any warmer than outside....especially during the day when the sun is out.

I think what he is trying to say is that if it is kept out of the wind on a cold day it will take longer to lose the heat that is stored in the engine. If the temps drop on a windy day it will take less time to get cold than if there were no wind at all. So if it drops below freezing for a couple hours and he is out of the wind the core temp won't drop fast enough to cause damage.
 
This sounds like something one of those big boat gasser guys from Virginia would do.

I don't think that the wind would make the metal colder or the water in the systems freeze!?!? That would be like turning lawn chairs upside down to make them heavier so a hurricane won't blow them away....
 
Awwww! Poor motor will suffer from "wind chills!" How bout putting the boat in a shed and throwing an electric blue tarp over the whole shed.
 
Wind chill increases heat loss! That means an object will get colder faster in the wind versus out of the wind. No it cannot get colder than the ambient temperature, but in the south where it warms up during the day, if out of the wind, it will possibly prevent enough heat loss to keep it from reaching freezing overnite.

To northerners that means nothing because it is cold as a well diggers a$$ in the Yukon all the time. As always, answers to questions can be different based on where you live!
 
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Wind chill increases heat loss! That means an object will get colder faster in the wind versus out of the wind. No it cannot get colder than the ambient temperature, but in the south where it warms up during the day, if out of the wind, it will possibly prevent enough heat loss to keep it from reaching freezing overnite.

To northerners that means nothing because it is cold as a well diggers a$$ in the Yukon all the time. As always, answers to questions can be different based on where you live!

bzzt. Not true.

There is no such thing as wind chill on a dry object.
 
Wind chill increases heat loss! That means an object will get colder faster in the wind versus out of the wind. No it cannot get colder than the ambient temperature, but in the south where it warms up during the day, if out of the wind, it will possibly prevent enough heat loss to keep it from reaching freezing overnite.

To northerners that means nothing because it is cold as a well diggers a$$ in the Yukon all the time. As always, answers to questions can be different based on where you live!

Incorrect. Inanimate objects do not experience wind chill. The shed may or may not help. It could help to keep some heat in, but it may also not allow the boat to heat up as much as it would if it were getting direct rays of the sun.

Edit: Dang it... Even Gary is now a faster typer than me. Serves me right for starting to respond then going to heat up the coffee.
 
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