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Cost of Heating via reflex


baldlimey

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Hi

 

Been doing somr maths pn Heating our boat if we decide to live aboard and was hoping someone with real world experience could advise.

 

We are on a 54ft boat with a refleck stove connected to a back boiler.

 

I've figured 1/2 liter per hour to run so 12 liters per day so 360 litets per month.

 

I mudt admit this does not tally (I think) with my experience when we have spent time on the boat during winter.

 

Hopefully someone can tell me where my mistake is.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Pete

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I think the Reflecks Stove is a drip feed stove. Can the OP confirm?

 

If so it is similar to the Kabola Old Dutch 4kW stove we have on DQ.

 

We use around 0.25 litres per hour for every hour the stove is on, with it at its lowest setting. It just gets too hot in the 60 foot narrowboat if it is turned up any more, but that is probably because we have good insulation, Thinsulate.

 

Because the stove is easily lit, we tend to program the Webasto to come on automatically first thing for an hour, then get up, turn the Webasto off and turn the Old Dutch on.

 

After a days winter cruising, we turn the Old Dutch on as soon as we moor up and it keeps us toasty until we go to bed.

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According to the manual my Reflex uses between 0.18 and 0.54 ltr/hr. I rarely have it much above minimum and never above half way (I think I may have put it quite high once just to see what happened and I had to open all the doors and hatches - this was at at Xmas).

 

Having said that I only have it on when I am going to be on board for a full day or more and the temp is below 6 degrees (or herself is around and the temp is under 25c) and have never checked the consumption.

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Once the calorifier and radiators have heated up I turn our Refleks down to the minimum setting. Make sure the stove is adjusted properly and it burns with a blue glow - not a yellow, rolling flame.

At this minimum setting the stove is very frugal. I'd say the 0.18 ltr/hr figure is about right.

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We are on a 54ft boat with a refleck stove connected to a back boiler.

 

I've figured 1/2 liter per hour to run so 12 liters per day so 360 litets per month.

 

I mudt admit this does not tally (I think) with my experience when we have spent time on the boat during winter.

 

 

Your mistake is taking the litre's per hour figure when the reflek is on full and not an average. Unfortunately getting the average all depends mainly on how cold it's outside, your boats insulation and how warm you want it, so others average figures will only be a rough guide.

 

Getting the cost down basically comes down (bar insulating and burning the fuel properly with a blue flame (koukouvagia's post)) too if you can run it on kerosene and/or buy fuel in bulk (ie. if tank over 500litres, pref 1000, get it delivered).

Edited by Robbo
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Once the calorifier and radiators have heated up I turn our Refleks down to the minimum setting. Make sure the stove is adjusted properly and it burns with a blue glow - not a yellow, rolling flame.

At this minimum setting the stove is very frugal. I'd say the 0.18 ltr/hr figure is about right.

Just done my calculations and mine comes out at 0.16 per hour on continuous running so koukouvagia is spot on. My Refleks is now 19 years old so I think that's pretty good.

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