Re: New owner 1985 Carver 3607
Posted: December 11th, 2017, 3:46 pm
km1125 wrote:Qr Bbpost Yea, I can't imagine a space heater working to make it comfortable. I have had a 3607 for about 25 years but never have tried living on it in the winter.
At the end and beginning of the season we also use an electric blanket. Only a couple hundred watts and makes sleeping very comfortable. Not as useful in the daytime though.
The difference between a space heater and a reverse-heat A/C... a good space heater on HIGH will provide about 5,000 BTUs of heat with 12 Amps of A/C. A reverse-heat A/C can deliver about 16,000 BTUs with that same 12 amp (but usually even less... more like 9 or 10). Since you're using space heaters I'm assuming you don't have A/C installed on the boat (like me) and you only have one 30 Amp power inlet (like me). You could add another 30A inlet just to power your heating and cooling needs. A 'proper' marine reverse-heat A/C would do OK, but you also need to make sure there is PLENTY of cooling water flowing, as it can freeze up if not flowing enough. If your water temp is below 40, it makes it harder to generate heat but you have a LOT of water surrounding you with heat... you just need to move enough of it through the system.
Tripping breakers might be caused when the water heater kicks in.... in that case, turn the water heater off until about an hour before you need it.
Now, instead of space heaters, think about the portable air conditioners that come with heat. I bought one last year so that the dog could be kept comfortable during hot summer days in the cabin. I bought it used for $200. I built a platform for it on the dinette bench so it would sit higher and plumbed the air discharge through the portlight above the dinette table. IT WORKS GREAT. I also noticed that it provides PLENTY of heat in the late season cool nights. Again, you could put it on a dedicated circuit to handle the continuous power, but we just have it plugged into an outlet and have to manage power when we want to use the coffeemaker or microwave. I have some pics somewhere that I can post. It generates about 16,000 BTU and has a much more powerful fan then the space heaters.
Oh, and second all the comments about shrink or tarp, especially if it's clear... you add a layer of insulation that way and you get a nice 'greenhouse' effect on sunny days too!!
Thanks for the information. I do have A/C and dual 30A service. How can I determine if my A/C is reverse-heat. My apologies for sounding un-intelligent about this, but its my first adventure with a boat this big. thanks again.
