[C38] furnace

[Tom T.]

Hello Paul,

I assume your hydronic heater is 120 volt?  If so, I think they have a loop circuit containing a thermostat, heater element, and a fusible link or thermal breaker.  If you can get to the circuit, check for power at the thermostat following the hot wire, usually black.  If you have power to the thermostat crank up the temperature selection and follow the switched side of the circuit after the thermostat for power to the heater element.  If you have power there, it's the fusible link or thermal breaker that's the problem. The fusible link or thermal breaker can be anywhere in the circuit.

There will usually be an indicator lamp to show when the heater is in operation but that is not critical for the functioning of the heater but may help identify where you are losing power in the circuit.  The lamp is usually fed from the thermostat.

We don't use a hydronic heater on our boat because of the fairly large size of them but they sure are a good idea if you have the room.  Very quiet and not likely to cause a fire but somewhat larger than the small quartz cube heaters which produce the same heat at a louder sound level.  I think the legal limit is 1,500 watts for any 120 volt heater, regardless of type so all produce the same heat. 

My wife uses a totally quiet quartz radiant heater at her desk in the kitchen area which heats via infrared heat but it's bulky and could start a fire if a combustible material was near it.  Your hydronic heater is oil filled and never gets to ignition temperatures making it very safe for marine use although it doesn't produce infrared heat.

Maybe someone with more experience on hydronic heaters will jump in here with more or better info.

Tom Troncalli
Renata, hull 95
St. Pete, Fla (where heaters are usually optional) 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: PAUL NOTTE 
To: listserve at catalina38.org
Sent: 1/3/2009 9:11:49 PM 
Subject: [C38] furnace


Does anyony know a good site that will explain the operation of a hydronic heater, preferable one that is in plain language I'm having a hard time trouble shooting mine it will not start and I've never used one before 

   Thanx Paul
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