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XTreme Heaters Tips: Why do you need a Bilge Heater?
Of all 50 states, which would you guess had the most freeze-related claims? New York? Maine? Michigan? Guess again. An examination of the Boat U.S Marine Insurance claim files found that balmy California had more winterizing claims than any other state, including any of the “deep freeze” states. While winters may be much colder in the deep-freeze states, the bitter temperatures are a fact of life and preparations for winter are taken very seriously. But in the more temperate states, like California, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia, winter tends to be relatively comfortable in most areas with only an occasional cold spell. And if the forecasts aren’t taken seriously, they can do a lot of damage.
Freeze Protection: The vast majority of the claims in cold climate states involved boats that were being stored ashore. Since water retains heat longer than air, boats surrounded by air are more vulnerable to a sudden freeze than boats surrounded by water. Even a brief cold spell that lasts only a night or two can do considerable damage. Boat owners must winterize engines and freshwater systems, especially when boats are stored ashore. In deep freeze states, boats stored ashore must be winterized earlier than boats stored in the water. When the temperature falls below freezing, if there is water inside your engine or gear case, the result can be a cracked block or housing and a repair bill that runs into the thousands. It is easy enough to prevent this unhappy circumstance by putting your boat's engine to bed properly at the end of the boating season.
At least twice a season, inspect any fittings above or below the waterline that could be letting water into the boat. All too often, skippers rely on bilge pumps to bail them out when they can’t visit their boats. The pump fails and the boat sinks. If you can’t visit your boat regularly, consider using a buddy system with other boat owners to watch each other’s boats. Another alternative is to ask your marina manager to keep an eye on the boat. Many marinas offer routine inspections, but usually at an extra cost .A plastic thru-hull that was an inch or two above the waterline cracked and the weight of the snow lowered the damaged fitting to just below the surface. The boat gradually filled with water and sank.
HOW TO AVOID THE SIX MOST COMMON WINTERIZING MISTAKES
With winter approaching, we reviewed our insurance claim files to share the following six most common mistakes made when winterizing a boat.
1. Failure to drain the engine block: Surprisingly, it’s the balmy states of California, Florida, Texas, Alabama and Georgia where boaters are most likely to have freeze-related damage to engine blocks – and it routinely occurs to boats stored ashore. Water retains heat longer that air so boats left in the slip are less susceptible to sudden freezing.
2. Failure to drain water from sea strainer: Like an engine, the seawater strainer must be winterized or residual water could freeze and rupture the watertight seal. Sometimes you don’t know it’s damaged until spring launching and water begins to trickle in.
3. Failure to close sea cocks: For boats left in the water, leaving sea cocks open over the winter is like going on extended vacation without locking the house. If a thru-hull cannot be closed the vessel must be stored ashore – the sole exception are cockpit drains. Heavy snow loads can also force your boat under, allowing water to enter through hulls normally well above the water line.
4. Clogged petcocks: Engine cooling system petcocks clogged by rust or other debris can prevent water from fully draining. If it’s plugged, try using a coat hanger to clear the blockage or use the engine’s intake hose to flush anti-freeze through the system.
5. Leaving open boats in the water over winter: Boats with large open cockpits or low freeboard can easily go under by accumulated snow. Always store them ashore.
6. Using bimini covers as winter storage covers: A cover that protects the crew from the sun does a lousy job protecting the boat from freezing rain and snow. Unlike a bona fide winter cover, biminis tend to rip apart and age prematurely by the effects of winter weather.
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Fire Hazard Protection: In the winter, portable heaters are the wrong way to keep your boat from freeze damage. Boat U.S. marine insurance claims files confirm the assessment that the leading causes of winter vessel fires are unattended portable heaters and overtaxed electrical systems. Unattended heaters are easily tipped over by wave movement and other forces. In one instance, a sailboat owner left his vessel to visit the marina office, only to return minutes later to an engulfed boat. A portable radiant heater had become dislodged and ignited the blaze. And relying on a heater's safety tip-over switch leaves little margin for error.... Every year, an estimated 4,000 pleasure vessels fall victim to either fire or explosion. Of this number approximately 400 are either a total loss or are extremely costly to rebuild.
A portable heater that tumbled off a dinette started a fire that destroyed eight boats and a boat shed. Luckily, no one was injured.
Never use any portable heater to protect your boat during winter lay-up. Portable electric heaters are one of the leading causes of marina and boat fires and should never be used on a boat. Improper use of electric heaters CAUSES boat fires. And once your boat is burning, it will likely spread to other boats in your shed or storage yard, and can quite possibly burn down the entire marina, resulting in loss of life and significant property damage.
This past January, a vintage 47-foot Chris Craft caught fire and burned to the waterline at a marina in Gloucester Point, VA. A subsequent investigation found that three portable electric heaters had been left aboard while the boat was unattended. Luckily, the fire occurred in daylight and was discovered before any nearby boats were damaged.That isn't always the case; there have been instances where entire marinas--including dozens of boats--were devastated after a single boat caught fire.
Never leave a light bulb burning on your boat in your absence. This is very dangerous because it creates the possibility of explosion as vapor builds up in the boat. It also presents a wiring overheat hazard. People who use a light bulb for heat can encounter several problems. A normal light bulb has a life expectancy of about 750 hours. This means that if left on continuously, it will last about a month - not nearly long enough to last through the winter. A chance of burning out over the winter. It's also vulnerable to vibrations. The problem with light bulbs, in general, is that the very limited amount of heat generated is only effective within a very confined space and where winter temperatures are relatively mild. There have also been cases where an exposed bulb has come in contact with flammable material or has shattered and caused a fire. Bad bulb sockets can rust, arc ,and , ignite fumes in the compartment .This is not a safe way to keep you're boat warm, it would be better to winterize it than trust this method .
Just about all the places we go have 50 amp hook ups. I put one of the electric heaters in the service bay and one in the bay that has the water filter. I found that at 25 below things will freeze even with the light bulbs going. As far as the service bay is concerned, you would not have to use the heater but why burn your propane or diesel if you have power available. The heaters in the outside bays are plugged into a 30 amp cord with the right adapter that is available at all camping stores. All the hook ups that I have seen have a 50 and 30 amp outlet.
Every year, an estimated 4,000 pleasure vessels fall victim to either fire or explosion because of improper maintenance. Of this number approximately 400 are either a total loss or are extremely costly to rebuild.
HINT: Your bilge heater will operate more efficiently when you have covers over the bilge blower vents on your boat. The best method we have found is to have a canvas shop, or an upholstery shop, make a set of simple, inexpensive "snap-on" covers to fit over the vents. When you are ready to use the boat, simply remove the vent covers. When you leave the boat, snap the covers back on. This will keep the cold, damp winter wind out of the engine compartment, and keep the heat in. Without the vents being covered, you will be allowing valuable heat to escape to the outside which could prevent the heater from performing to its full potential. During testing we found this helps temperature rise faster and keep the heat in an average of 40% longer so heater runs less and saves you money. HINT: A boat on a lift will get much colder than a boat in the water. If you store your boat suspended on a lift, in addition to covering your bilge blower vents, you should also cover the out drive unit. This can be accomplished with a custom made canvas cover that snaps, or Velcro's, shut at the top. You can also use a heavy mil plastic to slip up over the out drive unit and or exhaust ports and tie it at the top. This will prevent the heat in the engine compartment from being lost by dissipation through the metal of the out drive unit. An out drive in the down position will drain any water it may have inside. Covering the entire boat helps keep Mother Nature out.
Some shared experiences:
January 09, 2007 - Blaze Hits 8 Boats on Lake Norman
Fire at a Lake Norman marina damaged several boats this morning. The fire was reported shortly before 6 a.m. at the Kings Point Marina, on Kings Point Drive in Cornelius. The marina is off West Catawba Avenue and sits along a cove of the lake. There are no reports of injuries, and fire officials said they brought the fire under control quickly. According to several reports, eight boats were involved in the fire. Four boats suffered major damage, according to fire officials at the scene. There are several reports that one boat sank. Fire investigators say they will question boat owners, in an effort to determine how the blaze might have started. One possibility being mentioned this morning is that a boat owner might have left a heater operating on a craft overnight.
Source: Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC)
State Fire Marshal Steve Dixon arrived at the scene Thursday morning and examined the boat. As of Tuesday, according to Richardson, he hadn't pinpointed a cause for the fire. Dixon hadn't returned this reporter's call before press time Wednesday morning.
"We do know that it started in the area of the boat's diesel engine," said Richardson.
"People are under the assumption that diesel fuel doesn't explode but if there is enough heat and vapors built up in an enclosed area, it will cause an explosion," said Richardson. He said the boat was not running but there was a block heater on board to keep the engine warm.
Yesterday morning we had two boats destroyed by fire in the marina. The likely cause was an electrical heater place on one of the boats in preparation for winter storage. We were lucky the fire department responded so quickly, two boats were burning and third was starting to smolder. We yarded the boats immediately with concerns for sinking and environmental damage. Both owners had insurance which helped with the loss.Boat owners need to be careful in winterizing their vessels. I see trouble every year with boat in storage. Most problems are caused by heating issues like oil stoves, electric space heaters and heat lamp. Talk to your harbormaster or boatyard manager about fire safety standards for their facility. I have an article posted on boat winterizing and upland storage that might be helpful.
"A word of caution about space heaters. My next door neighbor put a small electric space heater on his boat (an Islander 32) and set it to its lowest setting. As the weather got colder the heater cycled on-off until the extension cord melted and set the boat on fire. The fire gutted the entire inside of the boat until another neighbor saw the smoke and put the fire out. The boat was a total loss. It was 5 feet from my boat in the next slip. My neighbor scares me."
Mike Lehman
Electric heaters are a major cause of house fires as well. I don't know what it is about them that lull people into a false sense of security. They are dangerous and need to be handled much like any other heating element, with extreme care.
"Better yet ...don't.
I used to use a light bulb in the winter until the cheapo housing slipped and the whole light came to rest on my holding tank. It was kind of scary to see the burnt marks in the ABS where the plastic had smoldered. I have no idea why the boat did not burn down. The plastic had obviously burned in places. You could not pay me to put a light bulb in my engine compartment now. They were not made for boats and are just too risky".
Brett
"A friend of mine put a bulb in his engine compartment and it slipped from however he hung it. It came to rest against the hull side and you can see the spot from the outside where it warped the fiberglass. Realize the risk you take in doing it..."
Bill
A fire that started by a portable electric heater on a boat docked in a covered marina spread to several other boats, fanned by high winds that impeded fire ground operations.
The boats were moored at a wooden dock that had a wood frame and a metal roof overhang. The boat on which the fire started was at the end of a dock, several slips of which were occupied by other boats. The marina had no detection or sprinkler system and was closed for the night when the fire broke out.
Although a portable heater was identified as the heat source for the unintentional fire, the exact cause and the ignition sequence was unknown, The flames spread to the boat's interior and from there, to the roof overhang and several other boats before firefighters arrived.
Besides electronics, all flammables--spare cooking fuels, charcoal, paints, thinners, and varnish--should be stored ashore, preferably in a tool shed away from the house. All are fire hazards. Portable propane canisters should never be stored below on a boat, even during the season, as the canisters can rust and leak. Leave at least one fully charged fire extinguisher in clear sight.
Take home all food stuffs, including canned and bottled goods. Bunk cushions should be propped up, or better yet, taken home. Open various locker doors, hatches, ice box lids, etc., to circulate air and inhibit mildew.
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