[Public-List] check valves & solar fans

[Don Lang]

Unfortunately my Alberg is a year or so away from being ready for a heater, I still have to build the interior. The engine I'm considering is raw water cooled and does not have provisions for a closed water conversion so this type of heater would not be suitable for my application (I wish it was).
We installed two in in our old motor home; one was a 5H series (identical to the one in your link with the grill.) The other was a 3H series with ports (similar to the other link you have but with three ports).
The 3H was close to the engine (almost right on
 top of it) and was ducted to 5 Eurovents (dampered swivel vents). The 5H was ten feet downstream from the first one and mounted in the side wall below the fridge. Both controls were mounted to the dash near the driver. On high the air from the front unit was too hot to blow directly onto the skin if you put your hand within an inch or two of it, however the water supply was coming from a
 big block V-8.
We have installed the 5H in numerous power boats, mostly under the main salon step from the cockpit into the cabin. The hot tubes we've installed in the cockpit under the drivers or passengers seats facing the isle between the seats where they could be pulled out and directed forward or aft. Most were V8's or 6's so they put out a lot of hot water.
In the sailboats with small diesels they need to be closed water cooled with a good thermostat in order to produce the required output to get good heat out of the unit.
If memory serves me correctly the heater core of the two units you are considering are the same.
The Heater Craft factory is just 10 minutes away from us and we've had them swap cases on the units for us when we have ordered the wrong unit and required ports instead of a grill.
Only the units with ports can be used with ducting or hot tubes.
One important factor to consider when installing the units is that
 they draw lot of intake air.
If the intake air is restricted then the fan speed will increase considerably as will the noise.

Cheers, Don #473
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Don-

which model of the heatercraft heaters did you use? I am considering this one:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|6880|48311|714835&id=48295&cartId=618127

But also this one:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|6880|48311|732131&id=771953

Which are 2 different styles. WOuld you recommend one over the other?
It would appear that the 2nd one would be easier to
 connect with a hot
tube?

Where, exactly, did you install these units in your Alberg?

Any chance you have some pictures of your installation? I would love
to see that.

J

On 9/25/07, Don Lang <potatosailor at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> We have installed several Heatercraft heaters in our boats, motor homes etc.
> I really like them. They are well made and work very well.
> We've hooked two up in series without a significant loss in output from the downstream unit (10 feet away from the first).
> I really like the three speed fan switch that comes with it and the optional hot tubes that you can get
 for them also.
> The hot tubes have a dryer type duct you can pull out and extend to put the heat where you want it, a nice feature on a cold day if you want to take the heat a few feet into the cockpit and blow it right on you.
>
> Cheers, Don # 473










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