Stormbringer

Good Luck tomorrow in that heat Nipper ! That is definitely what I would be doing - ignore it and see what happens ...... Cheers andy

I'd say that wire is for when using the toilet in a caravan with a Micro switched water pump system and would not be required in your boat installation, as your water system is pressure switched, so would see the drop in pressure as the flush valve opens , and run the pump as required. Hth andy

Good Info....thanks. Have a green thing too ...for thinking to share ....

Nasty.....

Now I like that MP - 10 out of 10 for ingenuity.... and a greenie Andy

Overheating maybe?

Andy Check out the fuse holders if you reused the originals... I found one of mine melted , guess a bad connection there had increased the resistance. I'd also swap the relay just to make sure it's not that.... Hth mate, cya soon Andy

Yeah - But ! 30 - 50 % was his preferred balance of charge time versus battery longevity and if you read the article again you will see that he is saying that there are some 'rules of thumb' derived from peoples experiences, and from simple maths...but no hard and fast rules. It is all about balance - if you are not a high user then you can get away with a smaller charger. FWIW - I 'only' have a 50 amp charger on a 420Ah bank - but am not a big user and manage just fine....just takes a little longer but is kind to my batteries ! Cheers Andy That's what I would do too - but it does depend hugely on the OPs usage and charge time constraints .......

And it will decide to do something totally different occasionally - just to keep you guessing ! Nice that you got your maiden voyage under your belt without drama ! Cheers Andy

Hi Sorry to just post a link but looking at your two posts regarding electrical issues I believe that you would benefit hugely from doing a bit of reading up and widening your knowledge regarding batteries and charging - after all you will rely on them for everything at some point ! Anyway - have a look here http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/chargesize.html And then put that site in your favourites list and visit regularly - lots of great info available there Good luck Andy

Another vote for Fix your broken one ... But I can also recommend the Zanussi ZWC1301 - our runs from our travel power and victron inverter with no issues.... Andy

Last thruster I know of that stopped working one way had a sticky Albright relay... Cheap and easy fix (strip and clean ).... worth a look ...

NO! Use (at least) 10mm sq flexible multi strand cable ...Household T&E is not suitable for use on a boat For Example http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10mm-sq-Automotive-Marine-Battery-Cable-70Amp-All-Lengths-Black-Red-/221419178181?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item338d9c88c5 Shop around for best prices Edited to add link

It's possible that you have left your battery charger switched on when you switched over to the inverter....and tried to charge your batteries, via the inverter, with your batteries. Don't ask me how I found this out !! Also - take everyone's advice about training and getting to know ALL of your boat's systems (not just the electrics - as important as they are!) They all work together to be the lifeblood of your boat and your life will be much more simple if you know intimately how your boat works. Yes it will take a deal of effort and time investment on your part - but the knowledge you will gain will pay you back time and time again.... Cheers Andy

If the smell is ammonia then it could be a cooling unit leak..

Try Ed at FC Marine, he specializes in alternators and belts and did a great job on my mates Barrus twin alternator set up. He has some info about what he does on his website.

I leave mine in the boat. Boating is far too much fun to have people interrupting by phone, probably trying to sell me something (grrrr)

Nice job Martin, and a very interesting thread. Thanks for sharing your expertise (also thanks to op for sharing their pics etc )

Good bit of recycling there...always good to learn about stuff too and fixing up broken things is the best way... Good luck with the rest of em....

Please also have your (main) gas regulator checked for correct operation. The whoosh of gas you describe should not happen with a functioning regulator (if I have understood your description correctly!) The gas downstream of the regulator should be at quite low pressure (37mbar tops) giving the normal hiss but not a whoosh.

Bad connection in the main engine loom connector plug and socket maybe ? Worn / slipping belt worth checking for too but symptoms not quite the same usually....

Most likely a faulty thermocouple, however if like this from new then check that the connection at the gas valve end is properly made. Check also (compare with working one) that the burner end of the thermocouple is sitting in the flame properly, and is clean...