frangar

Is there any record of oil changes? Is it a JPM with a separate oil tank or a marinised industrial engine? Oil changes with a dry sump engine aren't cheap…approx 6 1/2 gallons of oil! but 450 hours between changes Does it start easily on high compression (hand wheels on cylinder heads screwed in)? Do they unscrew and reseat when the engine is running easily? Does the sump in the injector pump have diesel in it? (there is a small dipstick on the injector pump to check the level) edited to add:…it shouldn't btw! just a dash of engine oil up to the mark on the dipstick Whats the oil pressure when its running?…should be somewhere between 15-20psi with not much drop at idle Whats the exhaust like? Where is the boat? if you are serious it might be worth getting someone who knows JP's to give it a look over. They are a reliable lump if looked after but it can expensive if they haven't. Cheers Gareth

If it's a dump through type then I use a pressure washer with an angled lance down the "hole" while leaving the pump out machine running. It's quite amazing how much scale & sludge it shifts. If you are careful it's not a messy operation at all. Cheers Gareth

If you go to the distributors page and find your local stockist they will be able to tell you....I think I paid about £20 a tin Cheers Gareth

After using a variety of bilge paints I've used Zinga products in my back cabin bilge which seems to suffer from damp You prime with this http://www.zinga-uk.com/product-range/monoprimer Then topcoat with this http://www.zinga-uk.com/product-range/pu-tarfree-mio It can be a bit fume laden when applying and I would wait till spring now so it dries in a reasonable time. You could always use a long handled mini roller for the hard to reach bits. Cheers Gareth

I don't think they want loads left over. It does seem to be getting more popular each time. They had 83 pre orders this time! And everything else was selling well...like hot cakes even! Sadly the cheese straws we brought don't seem to have made it home.....well it's quite a drive from Braunston to Debdale! Next months is on 13th dec so get there early! Cheers Gareth

Yes indeed!....we pre order what we know we want but alway end up buying more! This is the facebook group link for seeing what they do and putting your order in...the advance order list closes a couple of days before the sale day....I will ask what date the next one is and post it on here. https://www.facebook.com/braunstonbakers?ref=ts&fref=ts There is also a braunston cider group who will be collecting and possibly pressing apples today so hopefully we can look forward to braunston cider soon! Cheers Gareth

Indeed...he's open on a Sunday too! Cheers Gareth

Just a reminder that the excellent pop up bakery is on the green in Braunston today from 10am-1pm. If you haven't visited you dont know what you are missing! It's run by the villagers and they sell rather lovely baked products. It's in a big tent so don't let the weather put you off. I suggest you get there early as the sell out. They run once a month & they have a Facebook page where you can place your order to make sure you get what you want. Cheers Gareth

Well I wouldn't want to swap my nice reliable Alde for a unreliable...expensive to service and hungry for power diesel heating system!...it might use a bit of gas but diesel isn't cheap these days and by the time you have costed in glow plugs..air motors...etc plus having to keep your batteries charged to run them I really don't think there's much in it for overall cost. Having said that I have a solid fuel fire for the main heating....the Alde gets used for hot water when we are cruising or as a top up heating either when it's very cold or not cold enough to light the fire.....it's also very handy if we are away for a few days and there is a risk of frost. Cheers Gareth PS.. I might have to lug gas bottles but when we were frozen in a couple of years back the people with diesel heating had to lug Jerry cans....and quite a lot of Jerry cans at that!

Some liveaboards with a shoreline I know do and they work well, they use too much power to use if you are off grid though.....we do use the crystals you can get placed in underbed storage areas and the suchlike. The other problem with mains operated units is where to find a home for it on a Narrowboat and also the noise they make. Cheers Gareth

Well said!....this is why we now only go to a few boat gatherings....there seems to be less and less people about with any sense of why things are as they are be that decoration or boating infrastructure. Even sadder is the fact that less people have a desire to learn why things have evolved as they have. I'm quite happy to be classed as an old fart although I I'm a young upstart having only been boating for 22 years...and every day on a boat is a schoolday. Cheers Gareth

Because when you open a cold tap there is a pressure drop in the system which may result in hot (well tepid cos it will be at the bottom of the calorifier) water being drawn back into the cold system possibly causing bacteria to grow...or more likely making your hot water cooler!....if you do have NRV you also need an expansion vessel to reduce the stress on the calorifier as the water expands as it heats up. Cheers Gareth

I tend to clear snow off due to the trapped moisture playing havoc with the paintwork! There is no point asking for micro blisters to form. Cheers Gareth

I suppose it might not work quite as well if the hot water take off isn't right at the top of the tank…maybe on some horizontal calorifiers? but it works well on my vertical unit….i usually just open the closest tap which happens to be the bathroom basin but if I want to get most of the water out of the hot water pipes I just open the furthest tap instead. Cheers Gareth

Opening the hot taps will have the same effect. I do the same with my tank but using an Whale inline water pump….works like a dream! Cheers Gareth

I've got a patio weeding tool like this.... http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Landscaping/d130/Garden+Tools+Accessories/sd3271/Heavy+Duty+Ash+Handle+Garden+Tool+Patio+Weeder/p64729 Which I've then sharpened on the reverse sides with an angle grinder...and attached a longer thin rope to act as a safety...worked really well over the summer and isn't so expensive if I do drop it and can't get it with the magnet. Cheers Gareth

I tend to change mine when I service the engine...which is once a year (450 hrs according to the manual!) The reduction box doesn't take much oil....it just fills the ice cream tub that fits underneath it. I find it quite easy to overfill when replacing. The part no for the plug is X99/5843 If that helps....might be worth asking MPS or Sleeman & Hawkin etc. Cheers Gareth