Heating and Cooling |
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| We believe that one area of insulation often neglected in the fitting out of a barge is the area under the floor. This is not a place that you can spray insulation as the area must allow for the movement of water that may get into the bilges. We used two systems. Under the master bedroom and bathroom we placed 5 cm or 2 inch styropor sheets which we lodged between the wooden floor support joists. We also used Styropor under the guest bedroom in the stern where we cut the sheets to fit between the steel floor supports. Under the salon and galley we suspended a wire mesh from the steel struts and cut slabs of 10 cm fibreglass to fit the area between the steel supports. Most of this was immediately above the large heating oil tank. Our heating system is comprised of an ACV boiler heated by an Elco deisel fired burner. The ACV unit heats water for the fresh water system and a mixture of water and antifreeze for the radiator system. We installed nine radiators hidden behing rattan screens. The bottom of the panel is open to allow cool air to rise over the rads. The heating system incorporates a pump and pressure tank to keep the closed system circulating. The total cost for the heating system was 9,100 Euros comprised of the heater (2800 Euros), piping and fittings (700),heater installation and chimney (3400), and the plumber to connect the radiator and distribution pipes (2200). This last expense is one we could have avoided and performed the work ourselves, but since the water pipes are fairly well burried in the bilge we didn't want to run the risk of unseen and unreachable leaks. As it turns out we have not leaked a drop over the past 9 months and consider the expense well worthwhile. We also installed a gas fireplace, as much for asthetics as for comfort. In total this cost 1500 Euros and we had the gas work done by professionals. The system includes the fireplace, two propane cylinders, one with Dutch fittings and one with French, a shut-off gas detector, and flame-proof insulation around the chimney and fire box. We were advised that air conditioning was not required in the European climate. Fortunately we decided to spoil ourselves and installed a small 5000 BTU unit in the bedroom. After a summer that set all heat records our only regret is we didn't install one twice the capacity. The cost of the unit was 2300 Euros and it was easy to install so we did the work ourselves. During the 42C heatwave in France this year this unit was able to lower the temperature from the peak by 6C and in the evening to a comfortable 26C. We don't like a chilly boat so this suited our needs very well. |
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| Under the Salon and Galley we hung a wire screen and placed fibreglass insulation on top, then covered it all with a plastic vapour barrier. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A 5000 BTU airconditioning unit certainly came in handy in the 42C temperatures of 2003 | It is important to insulate under the floor to prevent condensation in the winter. We placed ballast then styropor between the runners. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We enclosed all the radiators in boxes with a Rattan front. Air enters at the foot of the box and these heat the boat quite well. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We built in a propane fireplace, complete with gas detector and shut-off solenoid, more for appearances than from any concept of heating the barge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||