Simple Boat Heating from Sig Marine.

In a technological world that almost rules our very existence, more and more
boaters, (not just sail boater) are constantly looking for alternatives. It’s not that they take an environmental approach, it’s just that they know that every amp counts and in extreme coldness, they need reliable heat. So the criteria is simple - heating that uses no power.

The Sig Marine diesel radiant heaters certainly measure up in all aspects. They are compact, work on a gravity diesel feed and use no amps at all. They are a simple “drip fed” unit which means that you can get good dry heat for 24hrs on just 5 litres of fuel.

Unlike gas heaters which constantly pump moisture into the air, the Sig Marine heater actually takes it away. This can lead to vastly reducing the damp and condensation onboard making an altogether more pleasant atmosphere.

The heaters do have a chimney which plays an important role in ensuring that the heater manages to burn the fuel efficiently. They use a 3” flue which is made from thin walled stainless steel and the sections are sold in 22” long pieces which simply “couple” together to form the interior length required.

The minimum flue requirement would be 3ft for the smallest model and 4ft for the largest. Flue guards are also available to prevent any nasty accidents. The flue then meets up to the ‘through deck fitting’ which is also stainless steel of which an ‘H’ type or cylindrical (DP) cap can be fitted. If the boat is to be left for any length of time then a ‘blanking cap’ can also be fitted to make the flue water tight.

The system is designed to be gravity fed from a day tank although with the addition of a small SU pump, which is of low power consumption, the fuel can then be drawn direct from your main fuel tank direct to the heater through standard 8mm copper pipe.

Ok, so by now you may be wondering “How are they lit”? Well as we mentioned earlier, they are a simple unit, so they do require to be lit manually. There is no fancy ignition system just good old fashioned  technology. After firstly allowing a very small amount of fuel into the burner the regulator is then turned off. A small ‘cap full’ of methylated spirits (meths) is then put into the burner pot of the heater and lit with a taper. Meths does burn exceptionally well, leaves no residue and pre-heats the burner pot far   better than other methods. Once the meths burns away, the flame will die down, at that point the fuel regulator on the heater can then be turned onto its lowest setting.

So, now the heater is running, you can adjust the regulator to give you more heat by simply increasing the oil flow on the regulator.

Sig Marine have 3 bulkhead mountable units within the range of diesel heaters from 2.9kW to 4.9kW making them the ideal choice for the majority of sailing boats.

To find out more information on the Sigmar range, you can Download Sigmar Brochure, visit the shop for prices or Contact us for further information.