chubby

Good morning Thank goodness your around . I think im going to need some help - quelle surprise . Ok Entirely aware of my inexperience with plumbing i actually took my expansion tank into a large plumbers merchant to acquire the necessary fitting to hook it into my 15 mm speedfit pipes . They told me that Speedfit do not manufacture a connector (3/4" ? i believe ) that can then have a very short piece of 15 mm pipe inserted before fitting the other end of same short 15 mm pipe into a speedfit equal T . They suggested - insisted the only option was a brass compression fitting , PTFE tape on the 3/4" thread and a short piece of copper pipe which then goes into a 15mm speedfit equal T . I took thier advice and to be very fair to these guys they didn t even take any money from me - they just asked that i tell my neigbours as theyre 3 doors away from screwfix who probably get the lions share of walk in trade . I have to admit i was somewhat dubious - i really wanted to keep the entire system on the same " product " ie speedfit for every connection . The result is lots of water under my bed having attempted to follow your very concise and helpful instruction s . ive gone thru screwfix catalog and there appear to be several speedfit 3/4" tap connectors that reduce to 15 mm . i cannot do links to them im afraid - very sorry one type ( 17338 ) has a brass thread , the other ( 85257 ) has a plasic thread . To my mind these MUST be fine . I cannot imagine why Speedfit as a company would manufacture fitting for 90% of the plumbing industry and go " can t be bothered to make a fitting for expansion tanks " Any opinions on these items & sorry again for the lack of link so near and yet ....... cheers

OK folks thanks again for your replies . its been a late start this morning for me . Ive just got hold of a 15 amp glass fuse from the local garage and replaced the switch & ive now got a waterpump thats working again. ! !!!!!! im going to go back now and follow nicknormans advice about setting the pressure on the expansion tank i fitted yesterday . When / if i get this working i will then amend the notes in my boats file tho somehow i dont think im going to be forgetting anytime soon where to find the fuse for the waterpump ! Also i wont adjust the pressure from the pump going out to the calorifier . The pressure reducing valve just after the accumulator is set at 2 bar / 29 psi . So ......... time to leave electrics behind for now and return to the daunting mysterious black art of plumbing ........ cheers all

cheers again Bizzard i thought of using one of the other two good fuses to test whether the blown fuse is indeed the one protecting the pump . but ive got to put a new switch for the pump in first as the original switch is now in bits . What i shall attempt once i have fitted the switch in the morning is to remove the thumbscrew and its fuse from the bottom of the three toggle switches which is for a small light in the engine room . If it too is 15 amp ( ive no idea whether it is likely to be ) then i can use it on the waterpump instead and then find a replacement for the light fuse . All being well this thread may even return to thread about expansion tanks and if the fuse situation is sorted i can the go back to nicknormans helpful advice about setting the expansion tanks psi . cheers again - i am extremely grateful for everyones help as im out of my depth here dealing with electrics & plumbing but im guessing its thru tackling such issues that you learn , cheers again

Thanks again for your replies . My pump issues have been running concurrently on another thread of mine started yesterday about expansion tanks . As i was about to finish my expansion tank work the pump appeared to just pack up . Checking my fuse box and the boats big fat info file the waterpump was protected by one of ten fuses in a small cupboard . But these were all fine . i ve since found another small panel with 3 toggle switches . Each toggle has a thumbscrew to its right hand side which when removed reveals a glass tube fuse and one of the fuses is 15 amp and has blown . Im hoping this is the fuse for the waterpump . If it is then my info file is outdated as the waterpump fuse is nowhere near where the file says it is and ill have to update it all. i cannot get hold of one of these fuses until tomorrow possibly from Halfords and if so i can get the pump running again and finish off the original job of sorting out my expansion tank . Thanks again for your help folks , cheers

OK Now ive just checked the fuseboard & all the remaining fuses are fine . BUT there is also a panel with 3 toggle switches . one is for a light in the engine room . Another is for "running lights " at the top there is another that just says " on " to the right hand side of the panel each of the three toggle switches has a thumbscrew with the word " fuse " . when unscrewed and inspected the one at the top has blown and its 15 amp but its a glass fuse thats tube shaped . Ive seen similar on an " inline " fuse on my whale gulper pump for the shower . im guessing this must be the 15amp fuse for the water pump and if it is then the pumps fuse its certainly not where the boats info file and the fusebox info panel say it is . Im going to mooch around a little cupboard in the engine room for a spare one of these fuses but i expect not to find one but might be lucky as there are plenty of car fuses . If i have no joy is this the sort of thing i can get in Halfords ?? cheers again chaps

cheers again guys . The guide on the fusebox door ( the same info is printed and inside a big file of boat related info ) looks like fuse 1 is at the top , fuse 10 at the bottom and fuse 9 is for the water pump but theres no spade connectors either side so theres no wire running ( like the rest of the fuses ) up into the roof space and then forward to their relavant places within the cabin . Fuse 9 is totally redundant . Theres a blue 15 amp car fuse in its place but no wires from it . So the pump must be fused into one of the other fuses ( the info suggests 15 amp for the waterpump and in total there are another 4 15 amp fuses for other things ( supposedly ) so these will be the first i check . I was going to check tomorrow but ithink i shall look now to see if any of the other 15 amp fuse r blown . cheers

Hi Bizzard thanks again . The only thing i can surmise is that the pumps wiring must be in some way combined with sonething else . But everything else is working fine . Surely if the pump was wired into something elses wiring then the something would be not working too . Ive got cabin lights that dont work . ive got navigation lights that come on if i use one of the ceiling lights so all that info about which fuse relates to which circuit could be nonsense as the last owner may have screwed around too much . Ive already had to repair his " workmanship " in the galley and bathroom . The electrics seem a total mess to tell the truth . The only thing i can think of doing next is to check all the fuses to see if the info panel on the door is somehow incorrect as it does seem strange even to a complete novice like me for wires to just stop working completely whilst everything else 12 v remains fine . It may be that the pump is NOT wired into something else but that some other things are wired together - as i say when i turn on one of the ceiling lights the navigation lights come on and the last owner did this to " free up " room on the fusebox for the pump but never bothered to amend the details on the door panel . Im exhausted so i think i shall have a cup of tea and try to relax a bit and wait till morning to inspect the fuse box . Thanks again Bizzard for all your help cheers

Cheers for your help Bizzard . Im very grateful to uou . Ive got little chance of tracing these wires . They re a mess and thenthey go into black conduit tubes to who knows where . why on earth should fuse 9 be for the water pump and state 15 amp rating but on either side of the fuse where there are spade connections but nothing attached to them ?? its completely meaningless cheers

ok , This is doing my head in . This boat is newish to me ive not had to dig around in my fusebox like this before . On the door there is a list of fuses 1-10 with what each fuse is for and the fuse size that goes there . Eg fuse 8 , pump out toilet, 40 amp . Fuse 9 - water pump - 15 amp BUT !!!! there are no wires either side of this fuse ??? Confused . com!! any ideas - as i say everythimg else is as normal !

cheers folks for the quick replies . ive checked the fusebox and all is well . i ve checked the manual switch . it too is totally dead . All my other 12 v is fine but the feed to the pump is dead . Just as i was winning with my calorifier & expansion tank issues !!! im stumped for ideas . ive no cables i can run from perhaps the 12 v wires to the fridge to the pump to check if its still working . cheers again

Hi bizzard How bizzarre . ive just been doing exactly that . i attached the fan to the tv amp . it worked . then attached the fan to the manual switch for the pump .... nothing . ive rechecked the fuses to make sure ive checked the correct one and have done it correctly . All the other 12 v on the boat is ok . worried now ........ cheers

cheers Bizzard im a touch stressed so thanks for your calming demeanour ! i ve checked the fusebox . it has a 15 amp fuse which ive changed but still nothing !! cheers

Hello ive spent most of my day tryingto rectify huge problems with my plumbing . Im in process of adjusting the pressures of my new expansion tank and have been connecting & disconnecting water pump to do this . BUT. my waterpump has now completely packed up and i think the wires to it are no longer carrying current as i have fitted a 12 v fan that i know is working to the wires but nothing happens . All my lights and the fridge still work but just as im in the final stages of sorting my plumbing issues the pumps failed . Does anyone have a suggestion how / why this has happened and the way forward ?? Any help is appreciated as this situation is not far off driving me bonkers cheers

Hi Thank nicknorman ok im worried now that something is going very very wrong . my waterpump is now not working at all . it is completely dead and im totally lost as to why it has now packed up . it looks like the wire to the pump are no longer working . i ve put a 12 v fan that i know works onto the wires and theres nothing . im really very worried now Any suggestions please thanks

sorry about that - i shall continue after the accumulator theres a pressure refucing valve with a gauge set to 2 bar / 29 psi so i guess this is the max pressure that can flow from the accumulator to the calorifier . So can anyone suggest a PSI that i should set the expansion tank to . The flow actually seems quite weak at the taps so could / should i adjust the pressure reducing valve up to say 2.5 bar and then set the expansion tank according to this pressure instead in order to make the flow at the taps better ? Blackrose suggested some figures in the first reply i got but these are relative to my pumps cut in pressure which i cannot determine again thanks for any help - i feel like victory is not far away but ....... cheers

hello again Thankyou to everyone who has replied with help & suggestions - i am extremely grateful and its very uplifting to receive such a response from folk i dont even know so again , thankyou all . Ive now fitted an 8 litre expansion tank and there was not much water loss from the pipes when i mustered up enough cojones to cut them ! I need to now make the adjustments in the pressure of the expansion tank to hopefully ensure it is working as efficiently as it can . I have no idea of my pumps cut in pressure ( shurflo ) and the manual appears to not have this info . On the side of the pump it says 30 psi . After the accumulator there is a

Cheers folks , Ok . Im unable to drain from the PRV to the engine area as there is a steel bulkhead between the bedroom & engine area . ( its a liverpool boats build if thats relevant ) So i m expecting to possibly fit an expansion tank and keep the PRV piped to a container just incase . Perhaps at a later date - next Spring for instance when i take the boat to a yard to be blacked , i could have a skin fitting added to make a permanent solution as a last resort should there be a problem . In the meantime i need to sort my dripping PRV and elbow joint . Any cuts ive made in the speedfit pipe have been with the special cutter they recommend and ive used the inserts on the pipes so how this one elbow has leaked is , like all plumbing , a mystery . So - im off to Uxbridge now . When i get back i shall follow the procedure i theorised about and which , thanks to your replies appears to be the way forward , to ensure minimal loss of water from the pipes and fit the expansion tank . Then i shall need to get a tyre pressure gauge to make the necessary adjustments to the expansion tank . I have a large bicycle pump with pressure guage - is this suitable .. ish ? cheers

Hello .... again One more thing to clarify before spending more cash . Blackrose mentions i need an expansion tank if theres a NRV between the pump and the cold inlet on the calorifier . Trackman , you say theres a NRV built into the calorifier itself . Therefore i DO have an NRV even tho theres not one between my pump and calorifier on the existing pipework ? This means therefore i WILL need an expansion tank . If so then i should fit the expansion tank and replace the problem elbow at the same time . If so im jumping on a bus to Uxbridge once ive called to see if they have one . I just hope if fits under my bed as thats the ONLY place it can go between the hot outlet & the first hot tap in the bathroom . The opinion seems to be the Screwfix tank is not suitable so I shall take it back . cheers once more ...

Hello again Having now entirely removed all the surrounding cupboard and shelves i can now access the calorifier from all sides . Aswell as the dripping PRV theres the tiniest imaginable leak from a speedfit elbow joint on the hot water side . Theres a damp patch (oo - er ! there hasnt been one of these in my bedroom since my divorce !! - pls excuse my vulgarity ) underneath the calorifier which now makes sense as this leak iisnt big enough to cause a puddle as such but over time will / has create damp . SO . do i - 1 isolate water to pump ... turn the tap 2 disconnect pump from 12 v supply 3 turn on hot tap to draw most of the water from the pipes between calorifier & tap in bathroom 4 disconnect problem speedfit elbow , inspect & replace 5 reconnect elbow & reverse the procedure & test IF successful would this be the same process to follow when / if fitting an expansion tank as it would go onto the same pipe as the probkem speedfit elbow . Once again my apologies to all for my simplistic descriptions ...... a plumber i am most definately not and again my gratitude fir your help , cheers

Hello , Thanks again . The calorifier is a new one i put in in April . The old one seemed to have caused no problems at all for years but had no immersion coil . It had no PRV either and there seems to be no NRV between the pump and the calorifier . The previous owner kept the boat in a marina for a great deal of time and this marina has a shower block which is why they didnt need an immersion fitted. I have a 240 v hook up so bought a 55 litre surecal upright calorifier under the impression that it would be a straight swap , wire up immersion and job done . ive twisted the red knob on the PRV clockwise a few times . Theres a rush of steam and water . This passes into some pipe and into a 5 litre bottle i empty every 4 /5 days . There is NO audible click etc after i do this - should there be ? Yhis was meant to be my temporary fix and i hoped it would prevent further damage to the woodwork but i think the damage was already done . Never mind . What i must do now before this drives me bonkers is get it sorted before i rebuild the cupboard but in a way that enables anyone taller than 4 ft to actually access the thing . After the accumulator theres is a pressure reducing valve limiting the pressure to 2 bar . I fitted this as Surecal suggested the pressure from the pump might be tripping the PRV. . This hasnt sorted the problem. It appears therefore it must be pressure from expanding water / heat causing the PRV to trip . I have switched off my immersion overnight and now the PRV doesnt drip so theres definately too much pressure inside caused by expansion if the water . The temperature is set to just below 60 as i believe its potentially unsafe to go below 55 due to legionaires disease (?) . would this suggest i need an expansion tank regardless of non return valves being present or not ? cheers

blimey !!! im shocked to get replies at this time . Thankyou . i cant sort a link im afraid as the only thing im crappier at than plumbing is computers . The product number on the website & catalogue is 71018 if this helps . Sorry . Just now been measuring the thread and it seems to be 22m . im thinking a tap connector would be suitable as it s thread is 22mm but the opposite end is 15 mm . I dont entirely understand the Non return valve thing . Ive never seen one anywhere between the pump and the calorifier . I shall have determined look under the units in the galley first thing tomorrow but i dont think there is one . I dont understand how / why i wouldn t need an expansion tank if there isnt a NRV ? My dripping PRV on the calorifier is a real problem and its ruined the woodwork of the cupboards which wil all have to be replaced but i thought the expansion tank was the solution but as i say i doubt i have a non return valve ????????? cheers again - im v grateful

Hello , Today i bought from Screwfix a 5 litre expansion tank to fit as hopefully the remedy of my constantly dripping PRV on my calorifier . To my understanding ( which is weak ) the excess pressure which builds inside the calorifier as the water heats will expand into the tank rather than trip the PRV . ? Am i correct to think this is a feasable solution ? When i got the expansion tank onto the boat however it has a massive thread at the bottom which is not going to fit onto my plastic 15mm pipes . I thought it would be a case of just teeing it into the hot water after the calorifier . i really really struggle with plumbing and i'd be prepared to fork out for a plumber but cannot get anyone out to my boat so i 'll struggle on so i apologise if this is all very basic - to me it isnt - its a nightmare . So first things first : How on earth do i get an expansion tank to fit my 15mm plastic pipes cos the expansion tank from screwfix has a thread at the bottom that must be 20 mm or more ?? Shall i take it back and get one from Uxbridge boat centre or will they all look like this ? To install it what is the procedure without soaking my bedroom Once ive fitted the tank to the pipes i will then set about trying to understand the various adjustments relating to the pressures relating to the pump / Prv / expansion tank but first i need to get it actually fitted . Any help will be greatly appreciated as its doing my head and apologies again if this is basic stuff but im a total dunce at plumbing , cheers

Cheers Matty 40s Thats exactly what im thinking . Cruise out beyond London and remain within commuting distance . Id get to work , study whilst using the waterways and using my boat . I would the look to get a winter mooring . I looked on CRT website and there were moorings at Greenford , Kensal Rise and even at Paddington - these seemed v pricey but id be prepared to accept that IF it enables me to cruise the rest of the year . In the winter my tourism work goes quiet and i commit to my Knowledge studies with my saved up summer earnings so being close to London or even IN london at this time could be ideal ? Im off now into Town to do my knowledge for 5 hrs or so around Shoreditch ..... joy ???? cheers again

Thanks guys .Lady Muck ... I've read some of your posts previously about the situation in central London and i'm grateful that you've taken the time to reply to my post aswell . When Ive cycled around bits of London by the canal recently when doing my knowledge ive had a bit of a reccy . Just south of broadway mkt and also in islington there are bits looking overcrowded . To be honest my "plan" (??) would involve largely ignoring stopping in these areas as that situation doesn't appeal at all . I would have to pass thru these areas of course which i,d look forward too but im thinking of stopping for a week-ten days at a time in places such as Enfield , Waltham Abbey and beyond and then return , stopping in slightly different places before heading out beyond London via the GU .Its only do able tho if im able to get to railway stations . Out on GU near Southall i see a number of boats moored up regularly and the canal seems very quiet , little traffic and stopping regularly appears to. cause no probs at all . I might ( probably will ) hold onto my mooring and see if i can get out cruising nearby next spring to see how viable my ideas are . My mooring is privately owned and i need no license so id get a 3/6 month license which is a financial hit if i retain the mooring but i feel it would be worth it as im finding things a bit claustrophobic here tbh . Has anyone got info ( i will look myself - im not being lazy !) on thier experiences . Railway stations used , supermarkets etc . Thanks again

Hello , is it possible to journey around the system and remain within say , 1 hours commute to london ? after yrs of thinking , Earlier this yr i bought my first boat . i love it & it is my pride & joy . it has needed work and needs more still next yr etc . I have a resi mooring and this yr thats been fine but tbh i feel like im missing out . i read on here of folk doing this cruise and that and feel like a bit of a fraud . To explain further . I work in london as a tourist guide . im able to work in wonderful places such as westminster abbey , windsor castle and hampton court palace amongst many others - its a great job that i love . im also studying for my " knowledge" to get a black taxi license and this will take another two yrs max . so i need to be nr london tho not necessarily in london . In Summer i work 6 days a week . In Winter i make my savings last and only work 4-6 days a month and commit to 50 hrs knowledge study per week . My thoughts are this - can i legitimately cruise around london , say as far as hertford, bishops stortford thru london and onto the GU to ? . I want to do it legitimately , fairly - not breaking rules etc and not being a nuissance to other boaters . Maybe i could CC most of the yr and get winter moorings in/near London or ideally get a " home " mooring close ish say , Cowley , or maybe further away , for example where i can leave the boat when visiting family in Suffolk and where i can even " live " for a few weeks at a time before moving off again? I feel like ive made a big step in buying my boat after a few yrs of indecision but feel im not using it for what it was designed for . I realise that my " cruising pattern " would represent only a small area of the system but i would feel like im making the most of both my boat and the waterways in a way im unable to if i remain on my mooring and at a later date ( ie when ive got my taxi license ) i can go further afield . Whatever happens i think i shall remain put until maybe March before moving off to allow for making some changes to the boat . Am i being daft ? Can it be done ? I'm no stranger to making an effort & Im on the boat by myself . I feel more of a floater than a boater and if its feasable then i think i might give it a shot . Maybe even retain my current mooring for a month or two to see how it goes ? Any advise is very welcome .Sorry for the lengthy post but thought id explain my circumstances fully , cheers chubby