FredW

Ok, problem solved for now. Used an old pump that was suspect but I hadn’t thrown away & everything works as it had till this morning. Sorry you feel as you do Tony but in my opinion you reap what you sow. I’m not a novice, I’ve been on here for 18 years & first helmed a narrowboat in 1977, owned my own boat for 14 years & was involved in her construction since day one. Still don’t know everything so I thought I’d ask. Regards Fred

Thank you for the replies. My boat was not “ volume built”. She was built 14 years ago to my specifications. As said, I checked everywhere for leaks, even simple ones, taps, joints etc. I forgot to say that I’d checked the PRV on the calorifier but I did & the outlet. This is a brand new unused pump, exactly the same make & model as the one I took off. The fittings are identical & the Accumulater pressure is as advised on here, even though an Accumulater is not considered necessary. I’ve changed the pump previously & never had a problem. I gave as much detail as I could but not the pump model which is a Par-Max 2.9 Model number 31395-0292. I’ve had satisfactory service from these pumps since day one. Fred.

Hi, I know this has probably been covered before but I can’t find the answer. My Water pump started running then stopped for a short while then started running again & so on. Suspecting a leak I searched everywhere but found nothing. Changed the pump which solved the problem but the new pump keeps running on like it’s stopping & starting for a few seconds every time I turn off the tap. Swapped the pressure switch but that made no difference. I know this pump doesn’t require an accumulation but I have one & the pressure seems ok. I’ve changed this pump roughly every three years since the boat was built & never experienced this problem before. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Fred.

Thank you for your reply. I recall you saying something similar in a post last year & it was that that got me thinking. I also read their website but thought it worth a phone call to be sure. I admit that what I was told conflicts with their website. I’ll give it a try and monitor the solution with a couple of nails. I can’t think of anything else. Regards Fred

Hi Cuthound, As my 5 year old Red Antifreeze is coming to the end of its life I’ve been looking at ways of extending the life of the inhibitor. One solution was the one that you suggest, using Morris Ankorsol. I enquired with Morris Oils Customer Services & was told that Ankorsol was only for use in systems where Antifreeze wasn’t required. ie, Engines kept in a frost free environment. Being able to use Ankorsol, or similar, would save me a lot of work. Just disposing of the old Antifreeze is not easy. Have you a way of testing the viability of any added inhibitor please? Regards Fred

One handy thing for absorbing water after a leak are Towpath Talks. They’re like blotting paper. Just lay them unopened on top of the wet spot for a day or two

Used Polytrol on our boat a couple of years ago. Did as you’ve done & wiped off with a cloth, only about a third of one side though. Not the best result I agree so continued the rest without wiping, that worked ok. Read the instructions thoroughly & came to the conclusion that the wiping off is only for plastic surfaces not paint. Did it again this year & it improved the last attempt as well as the rest of the cabin sides. It does restore the colour but only the finish slightly. Painted it on until it stopped running & left it alone as long as possible, ie days. Fred.

Hi K-Rod If you’re keen on doing the Llangollen can I suggest ?http://www.bettisfieldboats.com/ A really friendly & helpful hire company who go the extra mile to make your holiday special. I’ve used them & they stand out from many others. Good luck.

Good Morning, Just an update to this query. Now the warmer weather is here the charging voltages have gone down to what was advised,another lesson learned. No glimmer from the Warning Lamp Tony so all seems ok. Thank you to those who replied,much appreciated. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Regards, Fred.

Will do,thanks again. Fred

Thank you Tony. I’m out for the rest of the day so can’t check but will do so when I get back. Fred

Good Morning, I wonder if any of you good people could help with a problem I think I've just discovered? We've lived aboard our boat as CC'ers since October 2012.She is fitted with a Beta 38 with twin alternators,the Domestic one is a 100amp Iskra.The battery bank is 6 x100Ah Numax sealed batteries that were fitted in June 2012.We have 400w of solar with a Victron Blue Solar 40amp controller.I have a Smartgauge and a cheap Chinese monitor that I use to keep my eye on things.The Chinese one I only use to tell me the what Amps and Volts are going into or out of the batteries,not the SoC,that I leave to the Smartgauge.Both gauges give similar voltage readings at any given time.Having read as many posts that I can find about the SG on the Forums,I think I understand the limitations of the SG,though I could be wrong of course.We have a Victron 1600w Inverter which only powers a 230v fridge,which is off in winter,a Candy 3kg Washer,very occasionally,any charging we don't have 12v adapters for and all lights are LED.I dont think I've ever seen our battery bank SoC go below 75%,and that only rarely.It's usually in the high 80,s or above when we go to bed,after a couple or three hours of watching the 12v telly. If I check in the night with everything off the voltage is usually 12.6 or above. My problem first came to my notice yesterday evening when I ran the engine for some hot water.We'd had some charge from the solar all day and the battery monitor was showing a tail current of one to two amps after a short while,maybe ten minutes, but the charge voltage though was at 14.9 which I think was high and the SG flashed up E3 which I believe is overcharging.This morning,with the SG showing 88%, I started the engine and the voltage was again above 14.7 and the charge current started at around 45amp,dropping quickly to about 12.Could this indicate that the Domestic alternator is on the way out?Where we are at the moment would require a couple of days or so to get a new one & SWMBO doesn't think too much of the idea of ordering one just in case.Sorry to go on a bit but I'm trying to give as much info as possible. Thanks in advance, Fred.

Hi, And how many times in a day or a week are said family going to want to go through the lift bridge? Fred.

Hi, We have half a dozen strings of lights on our roof all the time & I'll add another one or two for Christmas. They are all solar & as has been said, you don't get a lot out of them at this time of year. B&M stores have a good reasonably priced selection as do Poundstretchers on occasion. Fred

And me. Fred. The email, that is.