These are some basic Install Notes for DIY installing a diesel air heater in a boat. As always you should also do your own independent research.

One big advantage of these diesel air heaters, is they provide warm DRY air for heating a boat. They are far safer than many LPG or Propane heaters, and you do not have issues with the high water vapors produced as a by product of gas ignition and hence serious condensation and mildew issues in your boat.

Install Notes.

Position. - Mount where convenient, in a keel boat it is better to mount facing fore and aft close to the center line if possible as the heaters tolerate roll better than pitch. The lazarette in many boats makes an ideal install location. In a multihull or power boat you don't have any real heeling issues so location options are increased.

Wherever the heater is installed it must have venting to outside air.

The exhaust system must be totally sealed using a proper marine muffler and proper exhaust clamps. The common stainless steel worm clamps have no place on a marine exhaust system.

You must have a drain and a water trap at the lowest point in the exhaust system that that not only drains condensation but prevents any exhaust gases entering the boat.

It is not essential, but good practice, to lag the exhaust system. If the exhaust is not lagged there can be no loose or flammable items stored in the compartment, and the exhaust must be bracketed away from the hull and bulkheads.

Before initial heater start, you need to fill the water trap with water to prevent CO and exhaust gases entering the boat on first heater start.

You must have a sea water ingress prevention loop high up in the boat and a proper insulating exhaust gas through hull outlet.

It is essential to check the exhaust system in the boat for any exhaust leaks. Borrow or buy an instant carbon monoxide meter to check for leaks on initial start. A normal domestic CO meter does not measure very low levels of CO and it also has an alarm delay program to lessen false alarms. It is not suitable as a testing instrument.

However it is good safe practice to install a Carbon Monoxide alarm meter in your boat accommodation area to signal dangerous levels of CO..

With the hot air outlet vents, ONE vent must not be able to be closed so there is no possibility of a crew member or guest shutting off all the hot air outlet vents and causing the heater to dangerously overheat.

It is good practice, and also law in some countries to have some form of boat ventilation that can NOT be closed off, so as to prevent hypoxia.

I am reluctant to recommend or list links to products as there are many suppliers, and there are also some sellers who sell a product today and not next week making the links useless.

When you do online searches for marine heater accessories add the words Eberspacher, or Webasto, and the words marine to your search. These two companies are the original manufactures of these heaters, and stating their name helps in the search.

Safe Boating. JMcK