[Starting engine in this cold weather]

This worked a treat for me today.

I have a kingfisher engine with no heater plugs at all. It's a nightmare to start in cold weather. so today I took off the oilbath type air filter and put it on top of the stove for half an hour. When the oil was nice and hot I replaced the filter and the engine started on the button. simples

[RATS]

Is this rat business a real risk? Since this post started I've been closing the pidgeon boxes at night when I go to bed. Last night I woke up in a pool of sweat with the temperature inside the boat at 25.6 degrees with an outside temp of -3.7!!!

[Single handing]

How!!!!?

[Power audit]

Acoustic Energy's web site states 240V @ 50Hz; 80VA. If we assume 80% efficiency from your inverter that means 96W, or 8A from the batteries. But that's worst case scenario with it turned up full, so you could probably assume only around 1A running at sensible levels. However the only way to know for sure would be to measure it. Heck, it could even be a class A amp, although unlikely.

 

Tony

Thanks Tony. 1A or 2A i can live with. I have a lady coming to visit this weekend so it looks like I can play some soft "mood" music, and have some low lighting on with confidence

[Power audit]

It sounds an inefficient way to listen to MP3 quality music, but I don't want to start a HiFi debate. .......... (sits back with quality headphones and mince pies [yes we now have a seasonal excuse for mince pies rather than popcorn]) ...........

Yes Phil but a boat is not a good enviroment for my PT2 and musical fidelity amps!

[Power audit]

I'm trying to minimise me electric usage.have a gas fridge and solid fuel stove.

I've recently converted most of my bulbs to LED and discovered that my laptop probably draws about 20w throgh a 12v to 19v converter and my mobile charges at about 1 or 2w. That leaves the sound system. An acoustic energy 90w rms active speaker system that I plug an mp3 or the laptop into (sounds great) but how much power will it draw? It's 240v run off a 1500w inverter.......anyone know?

I have 3x 110ah leasure batterys that usually drop to 12.4v by the time I turn in and will show 12.6v when I wake up. at dusk with no usage and a single solar panel they show 12.7/12.8v even on these short dark days.....This seems too good to be true!

[F****ing eppping!]

OK I had another go at the e**ing stove today and by being a little braver with the amount of fuel i finaly got it to draw with only a few wisps of smoke from the top of the firebox (enough to set the fire alarm off though!) The flue only got warm about half way up the pipe and the fire never really got going on coal even with the ashpan door vent open i dont want an inferno in there in case it starts spewing smoke everywhere as I dont think it will be easy to stop once it takes hold. But I would like the boatmans cabin and engineroom warmed up a bit as my clothes are in the cabin and the engine has no pre-heater!

So......more advice please

[F****ing eppping!]

You'll probably find it works OK once the flue is up to temperature, but if there really is so little draw have you cleaned and checked the flue pipe? There is often a damper valve in the flue as well.

 

You think you have problems, but my Swedish wood burning stove in the back cabin expects the smoke to head back down again under the over before heading up the flue. Now thats a hard stove to start!

 

Mike

 

Yes there is a damper in the flue. You can feel it by putting your hand through the little cover on the bottom of the flue. It seems to be seized in the nearly fully open position.

[F****ing eppping!]

OK now that I've tamed my squirrel, its time to turn my attention to the boatmans stove! a little Epping range.

tried to light it for the first time last night and smoke poured from the firebox lid, the oven lid and the ashpan door! But not from the chimney!!

theres also a little door on the bottom of the flue which seems very poorly sealed. with so many places for flue gas to escape on its way to the chimney, is this a CO2 tragedy waiting to happen?

[How much coal?]

So. Does more coal mean it stays alight longer? Although I dont fill it with much fuel it usually goes out with unburnt coal in it. Perhaps theres not enough air, but I would have thought that with the bottom vent two full turns out that there should be plenty.

[How much coal?]

well now that the cold weathers here I need to become a bit more familiar with my stoves!

I've had the squirrel alight a few times and it's lovely and warm, but how much coal should I put in it? I usually have a layer of coal about two lumps thick and that seems plenty warm enough but the fire will only stay in unnatended for about six hours. I've removed the top grate bar because I never have enough coal in it to spill out over the bottom bar. When I visited another boat recently the owner had the firebox just about full of coal!! I think he could have made steel in there!

My chimney is only about 8" long, single skinned and the same diameter as the outside of the flue coller. A stubby bit of pipe essentially! would a longer double skinned chimney help the fire draw (the local boatyard has a nice 18" one or should I order a 24" one?)the fire draws really well with the ash pan door open but needs the bottom vent open about 2 turns to stay in overnight.

Then theres the boatmans stove in the back. I haven't had this lit at all yet, a bit nervous at how close it is to the cabin wall and cupboard sides. How much coal should I put in that little bugger! and is it safe to leave unattended I need to light it as the boatmans cabin and engine room is freezing and The engine has no pre heater so wont start without nice warm air.

[Hot water by back boiler]

There should be a 'bleed valve' at the highest point of the system, I know you had the rads turned off but they may want bleeding as well.

Yes there is an automatic bleed about a foot higher than the top pipe and I bled manually just to make sure

[Hot water by back boiler]

unless thr radiators do not have a bypass pipe. So when they are turned off NO water flows at all? That is the way an idiot fitted the heating system in our boat. So if I turn one off, they are all off and no water flows.

But it could be something else. If this was the case for you, I would expect the water to boil in the boiler!!

Yes both rads are tee'd off between the feed and return pipes so are effectivly in parralel, not series. turning them off does not restrict flow to the hot water tank. Maybe I do need to have the stove hotter for longer.

The boat is called Pheadrus and the previous owner posted here so if you read this perhaps you could let me know if the system works well without a pump.

[Hot water by back boiler]

Air lock ?

 

Pipes too small ?

 

Pipe run incorrect ?

 

You may need to fit a pump.

Pipes are 22mm I think. The header tank is half full and the bleed nipple at the stove has no air in it. The top pipe run is at the top of the hull with the bottom at skirting board level. there are two radiators in the circuit and I had both turned off.

[Hot water by back boiler]

i was almost looking forward to the colder weather so that my solid fuel stove would provide a constant supply of hot water.

Lit my squirrel for the first time the other night and the top pipe of the convection curcuit got hot all the way down to the boatmans cabin where the hot water tank is....but no hot water! The return pipe stayed stony cold. After two and a half hours I gave up and started the engine.

when the stove was not roaring the hot pipe receded back to the engine room. What am I doing wrong?

[Microwave]

Actually come to think of it, the batteries may be 3x110ah

[Microwave]

Hi

I stay on board my boat during the week and find cooking for one to be a bit of a pain. It's much easier to cook for two, eat one, plate the other up and put in in the fridge. That leaves the problem of how to re-heat it though. running the oven for an hour to reheat seems a waste and with 3.9kg bottles expensive! So, what about a microwave. I have an 1800w inverter so surely 700w for 4 or 5 mins wouldn't put much of a dent in the batteries (3x 150ah) would it?

Is there a flaw in my plan?

[Clueless in transit!!]

So I've rashly bought a boat and now have to move it from Iver to Bath. I have no experience and possibly no idea! but am so far loving it more than I thought I could. I've managed to get down the Grand Union and through the Thames up to Teddington meeting some great people along the way. The Polish guy (who's name I forget) who gave me an envolope and a pen and made me promise to come back for cakes and vodka. The girl from Sheffield who wanted to watch us go through a lock in order to pick up some pointers on the correct procedure. She was amazed when I told her it was our first ever lock and if she wanted to see how not to do it, stick around. She came along with us and helped us for the next three locks. (Thanks for that) and of course Sabastian. We picked him up when he waved us down on the Thames and asked for a tow for his dingy up river. We tied his boat on and he came aboard bringing beer with him. Turns out he lives in Richmond so gave us a great commentry on the scenery as we motored upstream pointing out places of interest and telling me of the history of the area whilst also dispensing handy navigation tips as we went. (Thanks mate.)

So now I'm moored just above Teddington and going to move her some more at the weekend and I need some advice. Where to moor mainly? I will have to move the boat only at weekends until I get to Newbury and I'm a bit worried as to where to leave her during the week that will be safe and secure. I've been told that Reading is a bit dodgy but in any event will probably be on the Thames for another two weeks. Any Idea's?

Gary