Rebotco
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Posts posted by Rebotco
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Another vote for CraftInsure.
Been with them for 12 years now. Everything done online and very simple and clear.
Premiums are highly competitive.
Had one large claim a couple of years ago, and they paid out very fairly. (Over £6K).
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5 hours ago, rusty69 said:
That is a very good question, and one I look forward to the experts answering.
We have a small chest freezer that is used as a fridge in the summer months with an external thermostat thing. Obviously there is a large startup current for a compressor fridge, that lasts for a second or two, so the more often it comes on, the more it has this large startup current.
The longer it is on, however, the hotter the compressor will get, so I suppose it depends on its ability to dissipate the warm air that dictates how quickly it will reach the required temperature.
I have our fridge set to between zero degrees and 5 degrees. I was toying with the idea of putting a large computer fan beneath the compressor to draw cool air onto the compressor. Opening the side doors, where the fridge is located also seems to disspitare the warm air above quicker, which has an effect on the fridge.
Hopefully someone will be able to offer a more scientific answer.
In a normal small fridge, the thermostat is operated by the temperature of its evaporator, usually around -18 deg C. It cuts in and out at a fixed differential either side of that. This is because a normal front opening fridge loses all its cold air when the door is opened. The compressor would then run for an excessive time to cool the new warm and humid air to around 5 - 7 deg C, which in turn causes a large build up of ice on the evaporator. This then becomes highly inefficient and progressively less effective. Using the evaporator as the sensing point allows it to be kept relatively clear of excessive icing up, whilst still controlling the temperature of the air.
A chest freezer is quite different in that when the top lid is opened the cold air stays put. I have never run a chest freezer as a refrigerator using its air temperature as the thermostat control, but I imagine it could work up to a point. My concern would be whether it caused short-cycling with the compressor running too frequently and for a short time. It is unlikely the compressor would overheat, as it is doing far less work than it was designed for.
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12 hours ago, Quattrodave said:
Evening, if anyone has a dometic compressor fridge, how often does yours cycle on and off. Mine just feels like it's cycling far too often. The compressor starts & runs for 3 to 4 mins then off for about 15 mins, then on again for 3 to 4 mins....??
My first thoughts are the cable is too small or not enough air flow behind it...
As an ex refrigeration engineer, I would be quite happy with that.
It will run more frequently in a warm environment than cold, of course.
It will also run more frequently when the thermostat is on a colder setting.
I think you are probably worrying about nothing. 👍
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4 hours ago, David Mack said:
You could always draw of a portion of the coolant, mix the antifreeze with that, then pour it back into the engine. That way it will be at least partially diluted when it goes in.
If there's enough room, that's what I will do.
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10 minutes ago, Goliath said:
I’m one of your minority and I’m not sure what you’re getting at, shouldn’t a minority have anything to say?again I’ll have to wait to read the census.
Your views and experiences are as valid and important as any other boaters.
But they are not representative of the great majority.
The danger is that CRT could try and pretend this survey reflects the opinions of ALL boaters - which it won't.
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1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:
Others will say differently but for the ENGINE (not central heating) you can add neat antifreeze, especially if you have a calorifier, as long as you give the engine a good long run to mix the antifreeze.
For the nay sayers, the reason this works is that the majority of engines have a thermostat bypass that allows some liquid to split off from the rest and take a shorter route back to the water pump. The calorifier has a similar effect, so given time it will all mix itself.
Thanks for the advice.
I do have a calorifier and the engine is an Izusu 42, so will do as you suggest.
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I have done this "census" as a leisure boater.
It is nearly all about liveaboards, not the vast majority who are not.
I did point out that any results they choose to extrapolate are totally invalid to boaters as a whole.
They only apply to a tiny minority of all boaters.
To use any of this census as representative of boaters, would be wanton deception.
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Due to a hose clip failure, I recently lost about 6 litres of coolant. Being out in the sticks, I had to repair clip and added just plain tap water.
Due to air trapped in the system, I have also had to top up with small amounts of additional water. So now, mixture is far too weak.
Question is, how do I restore the coolant to its normal 50/50 strength?
Can I just add neat anti-freeze? Will it mix in eventually?
(Don't really want to drain and refill with correct strength if poss)
Advice appreciated.
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This press release from CRT seems to be almost exclusively concerned with information relevant to liveaboard boaters only.
Whilst these are significant, they are nonetheless a tiny proportion of total boaters. By far, leisure boaters are the overwhelming majority.
Probably in the region of 90% of boaters are leisure boaters.
Yet none of their "needs" are highlighted, or even recognised, in this press release.
This leads me to suppose that CRT has an agenda for their census, which is not the well being of the great majority, but the management of the few that give them their greatest headaches!
Whilst I am in favour of them seeking accurate information for that purpose, I am wholly against them dressing this up as a census of all boaters.
Especially if CRT mis-use the results as "evidence" of all boaters needs, rather than of a small sub-group of boaters.
I fear this will will only lead to further erosions for everyone's freedoms, as we have increasingly seen over the past few years.
It is the freedom offered by leisure boating that is its greatest attraction. More interference and restrictions from "authorities" using flawed evidence, is the last thing we need.
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In hot weather my cunning plan is to put about 6" of cold water in the bath/shower tray.
A regular cold paddle works wonders - especially at night.
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7 hours ago, Puffling said:
I'm sure the non-Bluetooth Blue charger is all most people need. However, the app does allow you access to advanced settings and to create individual battery profiles with charging voltages and times. You need to tap through a couple of "Are you sure you want to modify the recommended settings?" warning screens, but it does allow more than the front panel presets.
I wonder if all this discussion of the intricacies of the Blue Smart charger has driven away the OP? They've not returned since their first post 🤔
On the contrary, the discussion has been most helpful. As a result I have ordered the BlueSmart 30 Amp charger for £169 and it is due tomorrow>
I just hope it was the old charger that caused all the shennanigins in the first place!!
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I am likely to have to replace my battery charger for 3 x 110 ah open cell lead acid batteries.
I shall need something on shore power that can be safely left unattended for several weeks at a time.
Does anyone have any experience or advice for THIS CHARGER
Or any other similar recommendations.
Thanks
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7 minutes ago, Bod said:
Having seen the spec's.
1. What is the input voltage for the charger? The website was American, where the mains electricity is 110v, putting UK mains at 240v into a 110v appliance is going to cause trouble!!
2. You are setting this charger up correctly? It has many functions, some of which will cause the problems you have.
3. If the boat is on charge now, it will be best however you do it, to get the charger switched off, and removed.
Bod
The charger is made for the UK market. You may be right that it could possibly be set up incorrectly (?)
That's something I will have to check out.
The charger is now disconnected.
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HERE is a copy of the user manual for my charger.
Hope this will answer some of the questions you have raised.
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1 minute ago, Tracy D'arth said:
7.2 Amps @14.4 Volts is 104 Watts, plenty enough to boil 3 110Ah batteries to destruction over time. Does the current not fall as the batteries charge? It should if the battery charger is suitable for continuous connection.
Thanks all. Here's a link to the charger's specifications HERE
Sorry I can't get to the boat for other info requested for a couple of weeks.
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38 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
Can I point out that a hydrometer does not read voltages, it reads numbers that relate to the specific gravity (relative density) of water and if the figures the OP gives are taken as 1.09 and 1.11 then they are very well discharged. Note: Most hydrometers omit the decimal point because it is assumed the user knows where it goes into the number.
It is usually held that a cell difference of more than 0.03 or 0.025 from Lucas between any two cells indicates the battery is faulty. Yours have a difference of 0.02 so not yet in the faulty stage but getting there.
The dry battery indicates excess gassing so in the absence of the voltage readings others have requested I would begin to suspect cells shorting in that battery. Get it charging on the alternator at (say) 1200 rpm and after half an hour or so feel the battery tops. If the dry one is hotter than the rest then it is almost certain faulty with cell shorts. Ditto if individual cells are gassing more than the rest.
You are quite right of course. The figures are SG 1.09 to 1.10.
The fridge is a standard 12v Lec type, and is only switched on when cruising.
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Thank you gents. That is some enlightening info.
I do not have all the info requested, and the boat is 60 miles away.
However I can say we use very little electricity. No gadgets, gizmos etc. Just a small 12v fridge, led lights and water pump.
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I have 3 x110 ah open cell lead acid leisure batteries, kept charged by 70 amp Alternator, 100 Watt solar, and shoreline Nocco Genius 7.2 amp smart charger.
Also 110 ah starter battery linked by a new split charge relay.
All batteries were replaced a couple of months ago, but have given problems ever since.
As a leisure boater, the alternator charging is used for about a weeks cruising each month. The rest of the time they are left permanently on solar and the smart charger.
When out cruising, the engine warning light and buzzer occasionally come on for a few minutes at a time after about an hours cruising.
After just one day's cruising, the fridge fails to start without running the engine, and overnight the Tracer MPPT shows a red low battery warning light.
The hydrometer readings are showing all cells as between 10.9 and 11.1 volts, and one battery dry, with the other two OK level of acid.
The mechanic replaced the dry leisure battery about 6 weeks ago, but it is dry again now, and now tells me he found them all dangerously hot, almost boiling.
The starter battery has remained fully charged and in good condition throughout with no problems at all.
The initial voltage from the alternator is showing 14.36 v both sides of the split charge relay.
In summary, the new leisure batteries are well and truly knackered, the fridge can't run overnight when cruising, the solar display shows red after first day's cruising when engine is off, and the Isuzu control panel buzzes at random after about an hour's cruising.
The mechanic says he thinks the Nocco charger is causing the batteries to overheat when on extended shoreline power, but can provide no evidence to support this.
I am not sure that would account for all the symptoms either. I'm also not convinced a 7.2 amp trickle charger would deliver enough oomph to boil 3 x 110 ah batteries.
Can any of our electrical gurus suggest a plausible scenario that would account for this range of symptoms?
Any help/suggestions would be mightily appreciated.
Thanks.
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2 hours ago, Loddon said:
Interesting point and one to consider. It's in the back of the car and halfway home (I've stopped for a break) it will go in my workshop for the next few weeks on the 230v stat that I have already to see how it does. If it fails then decision to be made whether to go for a fridge or a freezer with an external stat which is way more efficient than a fridge.
ETA the only evidence I have of continuous running is C telling me it is as I can't hear it 😉
If you find it is not continuously running, and is cooling, then that's what it is supposed to do!!
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14 hours ago, Loddon said:
It's a standard LEC mains fridge nothing exotic and ten years old. It replaced a ,12v fridge that lost its R12 😱
It is not your thermostat!
If it was, you would have also noted the contents of the fridge were far colder than usual.
Milk or water etc would be frozen solid.
If continuous running, with some ice still forming, is your only symptom, then you have lost some refrigerant.
That means you have a leak within the sealed system. That can only get worse and eventually the ice will stop forming.
It is not normally economical to repair, and cheaper to replace the refrigerator.
You will also be wasting your money playing around with alternative thermostats in the meantime.
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I believe they are of light aluminium construction.
So magnets would be useless.
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You can always cheat - like I do!
Method is to have crew member stood on front bow with the long boat pole.
I put into reverse at tickover, and all the steering is done only from the bow with the pole used as a punt.
I just stand on the stern ready to fend off from any contact if needed, and keep the rudder straight.
The most important thing is to keep the reverse speed constant for the front steerer to be able to keep sole control of the direction of travel.
We can reverse for miles without any stress using this method, as well as complex manoeuvering.
You do have to have a crew member you can trust implicitly of course, and they can rapidly get very competent at the task.
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14 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:
Seems more likely.
I presume they don't have to pay business rates if not trading? And probably get tax relief on the empty property somehow so they make more money that way. Capitalism is weird.
Well, you presume wrong.
There is a brief suspension of Business rates for 6 months on empty retail premises, to allow time to find a new tenant.
But then the rates become fully payable by the landlord, so they are actually losing money on their property.
That is why some charity/bookshops get short term rent free shops, especially over the Christmas period.
Although the landlord makes nothing out of them, it at least stops them losing money for a while.
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Have you thought of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal?
You can continue up the River Severn, and run back for safety when bad conditions are threatened.
These are quite predictable, and you soon get to recognise the signs well in advance.
CRT getting tough on the K&A
in Waterways News & Press
Posted
That is not a boat at all - it is a heap of rotting junk that is getting worse year by year. It will never move again in a horizontal direction.
It can only be vertical - either upwards by removal, or downwards by sinking. Just a question of what comes first.
I wonder he did with the £7K he was given to repair it?