be used at some point in the system to
avoid the possibility of the air flow being
completely shut off.
The combustion air inlet pipe positioned
itself perfectly to draw from the foot of the
starboard quarter berth, at a height where
it was very unlikely to get blocked by a
sleeping bag-clad foot.
Electrical connections
It’s usually the electrics that strike fear into
the hearts of most people but, in this
instance, it could not have been any
easier. We had already pre-wired the fuel
pump as it was screwed to the bottom of
the mounting board, and the power and
control cables can’t be wrongly
connected as the plugs only fit into their
designated socket.
The OLED control panel is now supplied
as standard with all units from Planar UK.
This device significantly expands the
heater’s functionality with a 7-day timer,
programmable run-time, ventilation mode
and an internal temperature sensor for
room temperature control.
We connected the control cable first,
having mounted the panel in the saloon. It
might possibly be too close to the
companionway to give accurate control
over temperature, but it was as far as the
supplied cable would allow. Should this
prove to be the case then apparently,
Planar can supply extension leads.
The power cable supplied is fused on
both the positive and negative sides, so
we connected it straight to the service
battery. Some might prefer to fit an
isolator, but there is probably far more
damage to be done to the unit by cutting
power to it before it has finished its correct
shut-down cycle, than by wiring it directly.Moment of truth
The moment of truth was fast approaching
and we checked through the installation
for any loose connections, chafing pipes
or cables. All looked well.
We had decided to run this system on
white diesel as we had the advantage of
the separate tank.
Having filled the tank, the start button
was pressed on the controller, the fuel
pump clicked, the fan spun and then it all
stopped. This is apparently quite normal
as the pump draws fuel through to the
heater for the first time.
It was third time lucky when we heard
the heater fire up constantly and within
30 seconds warm air was being felt at
the vent.
The unit has been running faultlessly for
10 days. It starts quickly, runs quietly
(unless on full power) and apart from a
few odd whiffs in the first minutes of
running, has been odour-free. It has been
left on for days but has only used 7 litres
of fuel in more than a week.Verdict
Was it difficult to install? No, but give
yourself extra time for planning the piperuns and the position for the heater to
obtain the best outcome possible.
Does it do the job? Oh yes, it most
certainly does.
Is it good value? For a total cost of a little
over £600 for the complete system I think
it is excellent value and one to seriously
consider if you want to spend winter
nights on board.Supplier
On ebay there are many offers on Planar
heaters, generally sourced from Eastern
Europe. But even Planar UK (www.
planarheaters.co.uk), the UK main
distributor, based in Wrexham, in
north-east Wales, was offering the 2kW
package for £500 at the time of writing.
It also carries a wide range of options
and spares to suit.We had to add extra lagging to the exhaust All ready for its first warm-up. It can take a while to get going while the pump draws fuel
The OLED monitor is standard and can be
programmed for up to a weekQ 2kW heater unit
Q Wiring looms for power supply,
pump and controller
Q Fuel pump, 4m of fuel pipe and
tank
Q Exhaust pipe and silencer
Q Combustion air inlet tube
Q All clips and fastenings... And extras we had to buy
Q 1 x heater mounting bracket
£14.00
Q 0.5m of exhaust pipe £9.50
Q 5m roll of exhaust bandage
£12.50
Q 1 x through-hull exhaust fitting
£39.00
Q 2m of hot air ducting £21.00
Q 1 x hot air outlet £10.50
TOTAL EXTRAS COST:
£106.50What’s in the box
Ross Farncombe runs
a marine electrical and
electronics company in
Hayling Island and has
been a passionate cruising
sailor for most of his life.PRACTICAL
About the author