Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:04pm

I have an ex-hire canal boat, which has all its radiators down one side. Unfortunately the bathroom is on the other side. Does anyone know of any easy way to heat the bathroom without ripping walls and floors out, e.g.heated towel rail? We are continuous cruisers, and so rely on the diesel ebesbacher heating system, as well as a Morso Squirrel in the Lounge. Any suggestions?

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:24am

Dear Moira, Unless you have a generator then any form of electrical heating will simply destroy batteries. That leaves you with a pipework problem or fitting a vent, high up on the wall and using something like a computer fan to blow the hot air that has risen to the ceiling outside into the bathroom. It's an option, but I have doubts about it being totally effective. This leaves us with pipework Td into the existing diesel system (I am assuming its not a hot air blower) and/or if there is a pumped system on the stove the stove system. They may both be the same system or perhaps the stove does not heat central heating water - you give no information about that. I expect the existing central heating pipes are just above the floor and the Ebespacher is in the engine compartment with a corridor between the pipes and bathroom. I think you have two options, neither easy. One is to run a pair of pipes across the back of the boat and up the other side into the bathroom. You will have to drill bulkheads and cupboard sides but I am sure most of the pipework will be hidden and plastic pipe is fairly easy to thread through holes and bend. The other option, after ensuring there is a gap under the floorboards is to remove the floor covering and the use a router to cut a slot in the floor so you can fit pipes across and under the corridor. Then route a rebate into the side of the slot and fit a metal plate flush with the floor. I am sorry neither is an easy option, but I can not think of any others. Tony Brooks