Whether coastal cruising or crossing oceans, enjoying the comforts of home while aboard requires hot water. Marine Calorifiers give you a reliable supply of drinkable hot water for the galley, shower and cleaning while you’re out on the water. They’re compact and efficient, so they suit everything from small sailing boats to large commercial vessels. They guarantee the ultimate performance even in demanding marine environments.
Marine Calorifiers come in a range of sizes, heating methods, and configurations. Choosing the right unit to meet the hot water demands and constraints of your vehicle requires careful consideration. You might also hear them called boat cylinders or boat water heaters.
A calorifier does the same job as a hot water cylinder. The name is simply more common in industrial and marine settings.
Marine Calorifiers are one of many types of water heaters that Newark Cylinders manufactures.
What is a Marine Calorifier?
A marine calorifier stores hot water in your boat’s domestic system. It’s then ready to use at the showers, taps and galley (kitchen).
How is water heated in a Marine Calorifier?
A marine calorifier can be heated directly or indirectly.
The direct method of heating water in a calorifier is through a built-in immersion heater. Direct heating uses the boat’s electrical supply, or solar PV panels, to heat the water.
An indirect method is to provide heated water via a heat exchanger coil. Indirect heating usually takes heat from an external source, such as the boat’s engine.
Additionally, there is the option to include twin coils. This allows you to utilise the heat generated by two separate heat sources.
Factors to consider when choosing a standard or designing a bespoke Marine Calorifier:
- Required water supply – Consider the size of the calorifier based on estimated water usage for showering, cooking, etc.
- Available power sources – Compatible with electric, engine heat exchange, or a combination of these. Other heat sources may include solar, wood burners, boilers, and heat pumps.
- Desired recovery time – Faster recovery requires more heating power. On a bespoke design, we can fit a larger coil. This speeds up recovery, so hot water is ready again sooner.
- Physical size limitations – Check how much space you have for the unit. Fit the calorifier as close to the engine as you can. This cuts heat loss from the flow and return pipes.
- Construction material – Copper resists corrosion well in marine environments
- Cost and budget – Consider the costs of the installation and maintenance, not just the purchase price. Direct models are often cheaper in both cases, as they don’t feature any coils. Standard models are usually more cost-effective than bespoke manufactured ones, as they are mass-produced.
- Safety features – All calorifiers should feature a pressure relief valve. Any immersion heater should have a built-in high-limit thermostat. This protects the cylinder if the control thermostat fails.
- Ease of maintenance -Having accessible connections, in particular the drain valve, is important for maintaining your calorifier. Having plenty of clearance for replacing the immersion heaters is also important.
FAQs
A calorifier is a type of hot water storage vessel that heats water indirectly using an external heat source.A calorifier is usually heated by a coil rather than an immersion heater. Hot water from a boiler, engine or other heat source flows through the coil and heats the stored water.
The heat transfers through the coil wall into the stored water without the two supplies ever mixing.
Calorifiers are common in marine, commercial and industrial settings. They’re ideal wherever you need to store hot water using an existing heat source.
A calorifier heats and stores hot water, ready to use at taps, showers and other outlets. It takes heat from a primary source, such as a boiler, engine cooling system or heat pump. An internal coil then passes that heat to the stored water.
This means your washing water is heated without its own burner or element. Many calorifiers also have an immersion heater as a backup.
Hot water from the heat source flows through a coil inside the calorifier.
As the hot fluid passes through the coil, heat transfers through the coil wall and into the surrounding stored water. The primary fluid and the stored domestic water never come into contact with each other, keeping the two circuits completely separate.
Once the stored water reaches the desired temperature, it is available at mains pressure or system pressure, depending on the installation.
When hot water is drawn off, cold water enters the vessel to replace it, and the heating cycle continues as long as the primary heat source is active.
Installing a calorifier unit is relatively straightforward if your boat has a pressurised water system and space near the engine.
It can be heated via the engine or shore power immersion heater. Read more here
If you are interested in purchasing a bespoke Marine Calorifer, get in touch with us.
