adrian's boat

I see the screw you mean, Machpoint. How does it work? Does clockwise increase both cut-out and cut-in?

Gents, The accumulator is a Cleghorn Waring CW385. The installation instructions can be downloaded here: http://www.jabscoshop.com/files/Accumulator%20and%20Expansion%20Tank%20Instructions%20ZPWL4%20doc595.pdf It seems to be pretty specific about setting the pressure to 7psi (for a 10 psi cut in). I'm happy to try alternatives though, if you recommend a pressure? Also, the spec sheet for the Shurflo AquaKing 4.0 (as can be seen here: http://www.shurflo.com/files/Education-Center/Product%20Data%20Sheets/Fresh%20Water%20Pumps/pds-Aqua%20King%20Premium%2012v%204901-4202%2012.pdf ) and as ditchcrawler notes, it claims to have some adjustment for the pressure. The specs on the sheet are all over the place though, the sheet says 25psi cut in 45psi cut out, the website says 55psi cut out under the Features and Benefits tab and 45psi under the specifications tab, and the box has '30psi' written on it. I'll see if I can find some kind of adjustment screw on it, in the mean time any recommendations for accumulator pressure?

Bob, Thanks very much indeed, that's just the endorsement I was after. Did you name your boat after the Philip Pullman trilogy, by the way?

Thanks, By 'eck and Phil, I have an accumulator which I've set to 7 psi as specified by the manufacturers. The problem with the accumulator is that it lets the pressure reduced very slowly to 10psi (when the pump cuts in again), during which time the flow to the Morco is constantly being reduced causing it to switch off. It drops to 10psi, the pump cuts in, then the Morco is being asked to deal with a pressure which is constantly varying anywhere between 10psi and 25psi. As far as the noise goes the thing still makes a racket if I un-mount it and just hold it in my hand! I wonder if it's a 'Friday Afternoon Pump'? Thanks for the advice on the dual accumulator thing. I don't think that's going to work for me since the pump is one end of the boat and the Morco is in the middle. I'm thinking about a 2 pump system though, maybe one for the cold and one for the hot, with an accumulator each. That still won't deal with the pressure varying between 10psi and 25 psi though, which is why the expensive 'constant flo' things looks attractive (even if shedding expensive). Your thoughts?

Hi, I'm after a bit of help. Our old water pump wore out so I've just fitted a new one. It's a Shurflo AquaKing 4.0 (model number 4901 4215) which cuts in at 10psi and out at 25psi and has a 15 litre per minute flow rate. It is, quite frankly, a nightmare. The pressure cut in is so low that my Morco boiler refuses to co-operate with it. It's also so noisy that it seems to shake the boat to pieces. Does anyone have any experience of more expensive or quieter pumps? I don't mind spending a few quid if I can get something that actually works. Does anyone have any experience of the Jabsco VFlo Constant Pressure System? Is it worth nearly £300? Your advice is appreciated as always.

Problem solved! Thanks to the kind and wise advice of Simon from Isis Electrical I turned up the float voltage to 13.7 volts and it charges everything to 100%. I recommend the Pro Combi set up, far less hassle than the multitude of things it has replaced.

I'm confused about it now. I didn't fit it myself so I'm not quite sure how it's wired, however when it's running on inverter it's definitely using the domestic batteries as the voltage drops across them. Any idea how to post a photo here?

That's crazy and massively counter-intuitive, but also makes really good sense. The only way that would go wrong was if you had to start your engine about 15 times without your domestic batteries ever reaching full charge, then your start battery may not have enough, but could be jumped from the domestics. Thanks Bottle!

It does indeed have a 'charger only' mode. ' Battery charger function utilises advanced multi-stage characteristics and is suitable for permanent connection to the battery. Adjustment is easily made via a selector switch to accommodate alternative battery types. The toggle switch on the controller has 'auto' 'charger only' and 'power save off' modes. I'll post a picture of it if you want to see it (and there's nothing pedantic about doing things right)..

Dear all, Thanks partly to your advice my new Sterling Pro Combi is installed and working well with one exception, so I am seeking your further advice please. The domestic batteries are only charging to 81% of capacity. The starter battery, separated from the domestics with a splitter, is charging to 100% no problem. I suspect this is happening because the final stage of charging is at a voltage below that at which the splitter separates the circuits, so the domestics don't get a full charge. If I run the engine then all of the batteries charge to 100%, the engine alternator not being 'smart' and chucking out a consistent 14 volts. I'm thinking of dealing with the problem by installing a Merlin Smartbank as I've already got the Smartgauge so it would only be another £100. Will that solve the problem or am I barking up completely the wrong tree? Regards, AA

Thanks very much for that. The 40 Amp charger is identical to the one that's just worn out. I got to thinking that if I was spending £300 anyway I may as well look at what else was wearing out, and worked out that I can replace almost everything with a Sterling Pro Combi thingy. It costs about £1000 (ouch), but will sort all my electrics in one go (with a smartgauge of course).

Thank you all for your advice. I've actually decided to go for one of these: http://www.sp-shop.co.uk/Sterling-Power-ProCombi-S-12v-2500w-Sine-Inverter-Charger-PCS122500.html It means I can rip out all of the following: My battery charger My 1kw cheap n nasty inverter My 200w posh sine wave inverter My mains switch over switch. All of the above are getting on a bit and attract spiders, and trying to explain to other people the procedure for switching over from shore power to inverter has always been a bit tricky.

Thanks very much Mr Robbo. I do sometimes charge from a generator, so a rapid charge would definitely be a benefit. Annoyingly the 60Amp model costs £200 more than the 20Amp model, which may be a fatal factor. Thanks again for your advice. AA

Dear all, My trusty old Sterling battery charger has packed up and I'm looking at replacing it with the new equivalent, the snappily titled: Sterling Power Pro-Charge Ultra 12V Battery Charger. They do them in 10amp up to about 60amp, but I have no idea how many amps I would need to charge my single starter battery and my three domestic batteries (all four are 115amp leisure batteries). Can anyone advise me please? Adrian

Hello All, The water on the slough arm of the Grand Union is about six inches lower than usual and boats are sitting on the bottom. I'm not sure how this can be as we're on the paddington basin. If you are travelling up the Slough Arm you can wind at the winding hole east of Mansion Lane bridge and it's navigable up to there. I'll update when we're back to normal. AA