Sigmar Heaters 
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  www.sigmarine.com/our__product_line.htm   

   I've used propane heaters on other boats; propane is not my first choice due to explosion hazard and moisture byproduct of combustion.  I've also used Dickinson Newport heaters, and they are OK, very popular, and widely distributed.

   Our heater is a Sigmar 170 bulkhead diesel heater. It is similar in design to the Dickinson, but seems to produce more heat, gets fully burning faster, and has a unique air intake flange at the bottom which allows venting intake air from outside the cabin. Same installation concerns apply; either a pump-supplied diesel source, or a tank - either gravity or pressure. I believe Doc Freeman's carries them, and I have ordered one for a friend before (wholesale + 10% + shipping).There are lots of new forced-air diesel heaters on the market, and the prices, while 2 - 4 times that of bulkhead heaters, is coming down. Espar and Webasto are very popular, and quite good. There are also hot water radiant heaters available.
 
Greg Tatarian										  November 1999
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All,
   Sigmar seems to carry what looks like a quality unit made in Canada.  Couldn't find pricing.   www.sigmarine.com/sigmar_120.htm. 
 
   Anyone seen all these heaters?  I'm curious to know why prices vary so much.  Quality can be a factor, but almost $1k more?  Wow.
 
fyi, John Hovan	Celtic Dream						 	 November 2004
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   Three years ago we installed the Sigmar 120 diesel heater. Cost was $1200 Canadian. It has been terrific.  We're in Connecticut, and don't turn it on until the weather is below freezing.  Turned it on for the first time yesterday.  It does a terrific job of heating the whole boat.  We do supplement with a ceramic space heater in the head and one at our feet by the dining table. Only 1 or 2 days when it got VERY cold last winter that we felt chilly even with the heaters.

   We mounted it on the bulkhead between the salon and the head, and installed a fresh air intake in the head, piped to the heater.  Also installed a SS gravity tank for diesel in the head with an electric fuel sender to take fuel from the fuel line up to the tank.  Can hand pump it up if the electric pump fails.  We've been very happy with this system.  By the way, it's also very attractive, with the flame showing through a mica window.  

Sue and Jim Goodman	Adelante				 	             November 2004
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   Sounds like an excellent installation. The "balanced draft" option can be installed with most of Sig Marine's diesel heaters. "Balanced draft" is the manufacturer's term for what ABYC calls a "sealed" combustion system in which combustion air is drawn from outside the boat. By sealing the air intake, combustion chamber and exhaust from the boat's interior, you avoid back draft problems, and most importantly, the potential for oxygen depletion (the other silent killer) in the cabin. Oxygen depletion sensors (required by federal law for vent-less propane heaters used in homes, cabins, RVs, etc.) have been used for propane vented marine cabin heaters since about 1980. A comparable sensor system has not been developed for use with diesel heaters. Consequently, the only way a diesel heater that's installed in an accommodation space can comply with the current ABYC standard (A-7 Liquid and Solid Fueled Boat Heating Systems), is if it has a sealed combustion system.
 
   Sigmar product literature and installation manuals can be found at www.sigmarine.com, or call Irwin Allen at 604-737-0101. Sig Marine was bought by Force 10 Marine about a year ago and their product lines will reportedly be merged in the near future.
 
Susan Canfield	Aeolus/T37 #-305	Annapolis, MD	       		  November 2004
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   You will love your heater.  We installed the same heater while our boat was in Kemah 3 years ago.  We're now heading into our 3rd winter in Connecticut, with some days in the single digits. The heater works like a champ! Seeing the fire glowing is such a treat. Only repair has been to replace the mica window once.  We fuel it with a gravity tank mounted in the head, which we fill with an electric pump from the fuel line.

   We had our boat in Kemah for many years, and the pictures of ice and snow are really something.  That's more than we've seen in Connecticut so far this season.

Sue Goodman		S/V Adelante, T-37						     January 2005
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Sue,
   Do you have to clean the heater upon each use?  I was getting a lot of carbon build up inside the unit once I shut it down.  If I don't clean it all out, it doesn't seem to burn properly upon relighting.  Just takes a few minutes, but that carbon black is nasty stuff.    Also, when I shutoff the unit, I hear what appears to be a mini explosion inside the unit when the flame finally dies.  Doesn't appear to harm anything, but caught me off guard the first time I heard it.  Also, are you running your unit in the balanced draft mode?

John Hovan										      January 2005
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   Here is an extremely difficult to find part – a Walbro pressure reducer. Purchased from VE Peterson Company in Ohio.  Part number is 135-631.  Their number is (800) 537-6212.  This part reduces pressure from 7psi to whatever you dial-in.  I have it set to 1-2 PSI.  This part eliminates the need to purchase a second electric fuel pump at a lower PSI since the heater will not work properly over 3 PSI.
 
John Hovan 										      January 2005
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   Unfortunately, the pictured heater installation does not comply with current ABYC standards, i.e., the heater's combustion chamber is not "sealed" from the boat's interior. Sigmar does offer a "balanced draft" option for this heater that is ABYC-compliant. In appliances with "sealed" combustion systems, incoming air, the combustion chamber itself, and outgoing combustion products are sealed from the boat’s interior. See page 4 of Sigmar's owner’s manual: www.sigmarine.com/support/manual_2004.pdf .
 
Susan Canfield									      January 2005
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Harvey,
    The Sigmar heater burns so clean, a buddy of mine said he didn't smell a thing when entering the boat. It sips a minimal 3/4 of an imperial gallon per 24 hours.   While Sue is probably correct with the ABYC standards of sealed combustion, the factory salesperson says that only approximately 20% of the installations done have the balanced draft (i.e. sealed combustion) system setup.   Installers I spoke with recommended that you install the system and determine if you have downdraft issues with your exhaust setup.   I personally am hesitant to put a second hole in the coach roof and am willing to monitor the unit when in high winds.  
 
   I plan on running the heater for a while and seeing how it works out.  I don't plan to run the heater unattended until I build up a great deal of history with the unit, but many owners tell me they run it all the time while gone.  Looking at the design of the unit, there is little that can go wrong.   There is also a damper on the bottom of the unit which can help with the downdraft issue.  Additionally, a fan can be purchased and installed onto the bottom as well. 
 
   The only complaint I have with my install is the constant ticking of the fuel pump.  There are things you can do to reduce the noise including the installation of a day tank, but I probably will put up with it for as often as I plan to run the heater.  Playing music at a low level also masks the sound.   Other than that, my friends all say it "looks hot."  No pun intended. :)
 
John Hovan										      January 2005
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Harvey,
   It was recommended to me, by Irvin Allen of Sigmar sales, to use paraffin for the pre-heat.  He said alcohol has two poor aspects.  First, it will "flare up" when initially lighting and second it is often difficult to see if there is a flame in the unit while burning.  Upon his suggestion, I purchased a couple bottles of paraffin/lamp oil from Walmart along with a small measuring shot glass.  1 oz is all that is required for the Sigmar and the shot glass gives me the right amount each time.  I'm sure it's not critical, but I wanted to develop some consistency with the pre-heat cycle. It usually will burn 10 minutes and then the heater lights right up when the fuel is turned on.  I plan on storing the paraffin in some of the REI MSR fuel canisters for extra safety.  The oil comes in a flimsy plastic bottle.
www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000productId=47575375&parent_category_rn=5760743&vcat=REI_SEARCH

   I will also add that Irwin Allen is one of the most knowledgeable people on the practical usage of diesel heaters that I spoke with while doing research.  He's patient with my 1 million questions and has helped at every step of the way with a positive attitude.  To be honest, I haven't experienced this level of customer support in a very long time!  He's truly a great guy who really knows his stuff and returns phone calls!!  If anyone has questions on Sigmar diesel heaters, he can be reached at iallen@Uniserve.com.  His phone number is listed under the sales section at www.sigmarine.com/contacts.htm . Many of the Sigmar heaters are on backorder.  The unit I was sent was a demo model used at a trade show.  It's physically perfect and I'm very impressed with the quality which I consider first rate.  It was even shipped with protective plastic everywhere on the polished stainless surfaces.

   The Sigmar heater is gravity fed heater.  The electric pump only serves to fill the reservoir on the carburetor.  Once the reservoir is filled, a float shuts off the fuel supply to the reservoir.  The gravity feed to the heater is done via a jet similar to that of a motorcycle carburetor.  The jet is connected to the knob on the top of the carb.  Very neat and simple setup! The manual even has a section explaining how the heater works which was very enlightening and helps me understand what is going on when the heater is operating.  It's quite a bit more complex than what I thought and I marvel at the engineering which went into the heater design.

   I haven't tried firing up the heater while sailing, but the specs show that it will work with I believe 15 degrees of heel.  I wouldn't have any issues firing it up in the right conditions, since the heater is completely sealed once the mica window door is shut.  I'll report back once I use the heater at anchor.

   Regarding the installation, I wanted there to be a dramatic effect when you walked down the companionway.  I think I achieved this since the flame is one of the first things seen when coming down the ladder.  Very welcoming. It also allows visibility to the flame from just about everywhere in the main cabin.  I wanted this for safety reasons. One fact I left out is that I tried using the polished clamps directly on the compression post and found that the two polished stainless surfaces did not provide enough friction to hold the heater in place.  I went back to Walmart and purchased a $3 bike inner tube and cut it in behind the clamp.  It now does not budge.

   Probably a lot more than you wanted to hear.  Can you tell I really like this diesel heater?  :)

John	s/v Celtic Dream	www.TayanaOwners.org				      January 2005
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John,
   I spoke to Irwin at Sig Marine today about this issue.  The soot buildup I was experiencing is normal.  Irwin said that if you are a liveaboard, that the heater can be run 3-6 months without cleaning.   However, the time to clean the unit can vary depending on the contaminants in the fuel used in your region of the US.  I think I will clean it each time just to keep it nice, but Irwin said this really isn't necessary.

   The manual for the 120 is on the Sigmar website and has a great section on how to preheat the unit.  www.sigmarine.com/support.htm  It typically takes 8-12 minutes and goes exactly as stated in the manual.  I plan on getting an egg timer so I don't have to sit and watch.  However, on a few occasions, the pre-heat went out before fully pre-heating.  I have one of the long campfire butane type lighters with 8 inch stem.  I just opened the door and stuck the lighter down in the chamber and re-lit the paraffin. Alcohol may be different.    One of the MAJOR safety issues when using a diesel heater is adding pre-heat fuel to a hot burner.   Thus, if you forget to turn on the heater before the preheat fuel burns out, the unit must be left to cool down before trying again.  After reading the above story and seeing the photos, I have religion on this issue and will not let anyone else fool with the heater!   After a few days of working with the heater, I think I understand its personality.  Full heat output can be had from the unit after approximately 15 minutes.  The boat also heated up relatively quickly with the outside temp at around 55 degrees at a low setting.  The heater goes up to 9 setting on full high.  If it is colder next weekend, I'll let you know the results.

   Yes, it will dry out the cabin if you are not running in the balanced draft mode.  If you are in the balanced draft mode, it will not significantly dry the boat since it isn't using the inside air to run the heater.   After Steve's comment, I may invest in a battery powered Carbon Monoxide detector.  This unit appears to read the carbon monoxide PPM out onto a display and is battery operated!  It would also help to detect an engine exhaust leak etc.  Probably worth having even without owning a diesel heater.  I also have a wool blanket aka 'a fire blanket' nearby when I run the heater.

   Personally, I don't think I would fire up the unit under sail.  There is usually too much going on while sailing and this would just be another area of concern.  The manual says it will work to about a 15-degree heel, but I don't think I would use it while underway unless on the waterway or lying a-hull.  Plus, going forward, one could get burned by the Charlie Noble chimney or a line could melt running against the hot chimney since it is shaped to catch a line.

   Regarding the center support installation, the "Swiss cheese" heat protector does an excellent job at keeping hands and fingers off the hot exhaust pipe. Getting around the stack is no issue and I did several trials with the heater on high.   One can even sit on the settee near the heater without interference from the exhaust stack.  I'm very happy with the setup and it is fairly unobtrusive when moving around the cabin.  The only test which hasn't been done is to use the heater in high winds.  There is a concern that backdrafting can occur more often with a 45-degree exhaust like mine. But, Irwin says to do some testing and see what happens.  In 5-10 knot winds, I haven't had any trouble.  Higher winds may cause some trouble, but so far it is working great.

Hope this info helps, John Hovan	s/v Celtic Dream				      January 2005
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