mkn777er

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like this could be the solution I was looking for. One final question, do I go for the best rated charger that Victron produce? In the IP 22 range it starts at 10 amp output and goes up to 30 amp charging output. I guess the 30 amp (although more expensive) would be best? Thanks again.

I know this has been asked many times before and I apologise for doing it again. Now, I consider myself a reasonably technically minded type that is prepared to have a go at most things. But for some reason when it comes to batteriies, charging, dis-charging and all that stuff, my mind goes to mush but I need a fix and would like to check my understanding. My (leisure, not live aboard) boat set up is as follows: One Starter Battery Three 110 Ah Leisure Batteries Two 100w Solar Panels for battery charging Access to Shore-line Hurricane Diesel Heating with 'frost' protection mode In normal summer months the solar panels work very well in keeping the battery bank fully charged. However, understandably that is not the case during the dull dreary winter months when they non-effective. And here's the problem. The Hurricane heating needs a good, strong 12v to get going and during the past couple of winters without a regular 'top-up' from the solar panels I have gone to the boat to find depleted batteries and error messages on the Hurricane. So I need to use the shore-line with a battery charger. I have been looking at the Victron Blue Smart IP22. The slaes department tell me it will be suitable for my needs but before I take the plunge could anybody answer these: It has three outputs. Is that one output for the starter battery, and one output for the leisure bank, and one spare? Or is it one output for each leisure battery? (I told you my mind goes to mush!) How is it connected to the batteries? Simple croc-clips, or does it have to be permanent? (would prefer temporary because in the summer not needed and can always use it at home for other batteries if required). When the sun does shine on those rare beautiful crsip cold days, will there be a 'conflict of interest' with the solar panel charging? Many thanks for reading this, and appreciate any thoughts.

Brilliant!! You know that expression "can't see the wood for the trees" that is where I was with my roof. I was thinking along the lines of having to do some sort of spot welding or something like that. Never considered car body filler or leaving the screws in. Right, now I can start planning that much neede roof refurbishment. As ever, many thanks .........

My boat currently has a satellite dish attached to the roof (the plastic dome shape that most people walking past seem to think of as some kind of radar!). I want to repaint the roof and at the same time move the 'dome' to a less obtrusive area. It is screwed and glued down at the moment with just 4 self tapping screws but of course when I remove these it will leave 4 small holes. What is the best way to fill these holes? Thanks !

Now that is interesting. Another problem, which is next on the list is an intermittent tacho. Sometimes it works fine, other times not at all. I assumed this was a wiring problem, so perhaps there is a problem with the wiring loom.

Hi valrene9600 Sorry, I think I crossed with your post above. Thanks for the link, great article and I think the most encouraging sentence was "these filters need changing regularly". I have a sneaky suspicion that the the filter on my pump has never been changed, so I am becoming more hopeful that this will cure my problem. If not, it is also encouraging to note that the other much cheaper pumps are a suitable alternative.

By the way, one other thing I have just thought of. I'm sure in the past I could audibly hear the pump 'clicking' with the ignition switched on before starting the engine. Since I have started focusing on the pump I can no longer hear any clicking. It may be that I am trying to over analyse things but if the pump was functioning normally should it make an audible clicking noise? Also, if it had failed would the engine start and run okay - by 'gravity' feeding presumably?

Thanks all for your responses. I am aware of the filter in the pump and have recently purchased one, but have to get back to the boat to change it. If the filter change does not solve my problem then I am just trying to 'think ahead' as to my next option ie change the pump. My symptoms, which I'm told is not unusual for these engines goes along the lines of: Engine starts easily, runs well at idle, accelerates, decelerates etc. Will also quite happily do this whilst in gear and tied to its moorings. It seems as if it will be happy to this all day. But as soon as you take it out onto the canal it frequently will 'die'. It almost feels like its suffering from fuel starvation and often the cure is nothing more than leaving it for a few minutes and starting the engine again. As I say, I was recently told by a Vetus engineer that this is one of the most common 'faults' that he hears about and is normally cured by changing the filter. Hopefully that will work for me. If not, and on the back of what you said I think for the sake of £20 it will be worth a try to change the pump as well! The engine is circa 1992 and so it would not surprise me if the pump needed changing. Thanks again.

I have a small boat fitted with a Vetus M2.05 engine. This engine I believe was originally supplied with a mechanical fuel lift pump but mine is fitted with an electric fuel pump. I am thinking of changing the fuel pump. But here is the problem. The pump is available on the Vetus website but the cost is an eye watering £349.00. What appears to be the same pump in terms of size and specification is widely available on a famous internet auction house for just £20 which is a spectacular difference. These are the links: http://www.vetus-shop.com/electric-fuel-lift-pump-for-vetus-m3-and-m4-p-2981.html http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Facet-Red-Top-Style-Fuel-Petrol-Diesel-Pump-Kit-Universal-12V-Electric-HRF-027-/391375872622?hash=item5b1fd1e26e:g:Np4AAOSwXshWrfqg Now I am aware that you have to pay a premium for 'genuine' Vetus components, but the price of the 'universal' pump is not much more than the price of the Vetus filter for the pump! Has anybody any experience of these cheaper (Chinese presumably) fuel pumps and more importantly if I get one, will it work? Many thanks

Alan Saunders ..... Hi Alan Many thanks for that post. What you describe is pretty much what I am experiencing. The Tacho used to work, then worked intermittently, and now does not work at all, although I do occasionally see it 'jump' only to drop back to zero. I suspect that it is connected with the other problem. I'm happy that the alternator is working (just been fully re-furbished) so I guess it must be down to wiring. Might have to wait until after the festive season before I get the time to poke around in there again.

This is where I start getting a bit out of my depth. I'm not sure what a W terminal is. On the back of the alternator are just two terminals, one is a single wire terminal plug, and the other is a twin wire plug. They are both in use. I'm sure one of these, if not both are for the Tacho, but again I cannot be sure of the integrity of the wiring. The terminals on the alternator are good (newly cleaned and refurbished) but the plugs are in need of a good clean.

Thanks for the replies. I did also fit a new belt when I re-fitted the alternator (genuine Vetus). The alternator is the original one, as fitted when new, so the setup should be okay. This is more than just a 'blip' of revs to get the light out - I'm talking about almost maximum throttle (and I don't like doing it, only did it today when the engine had warmed up and there was nobody about!). I couldn't tell you how many 'revs' that was, because the tachometer is not working either, that's another job on the list. I suspect this is a wiring issue. I do have a split charge relay, and both the batteries were new back in the summer so they should be okay. As has been mentioned, there is not a lot of wiring involved so once I get a bit more time I will delve a bit deeper, or, probably more realistically seek the help of the experts! It just seems strange that I have noticeably watched this problem get worst over the years - what started as no more than a 'blip' of throttle (quite normal) to now needing almost full throttle. ditchcrawler thenks and sorry, posted at the same time, and came to the same conclusion.

First of all I should explain I am not an expert with engine electrics, but I'm happy to learn! I was fortunate to inherit a few years ago a small 23 ft narrowboat. I had it serviced and checked over and at the time was told the alternator was 'lazy'. What this meant was that after engine start the warning light and buzzer need a few revs before extinguishing, and after that all appears to be fine. I now want to sell the boat (we have subsequently purchased a grown-up version) but the 'lazy' alternator has progressively got worst to the extent that it needs some serious 'revs' for the warning light to go out. I decided it only fair to get the alternator re-furbished and checked over. It came back, gleaming, and fully functional. However, I have put it back on the engine and it is the same. The alternator warning light and buzzer are very reluctant to extinguish. So the question is, what else could be causing this? It is a Mitsibishi alternator fitted to a Vetus M2.05 diesel engine supplying just the starter battery and one leisure battery. Many thanks

I have a Bubble Corner Oil Stove with back-boiler driving 3 radiators and one towel radiator via a 12v circulating pump. It was 'factory fitted' when the boat was built (10 yrs ago) so I have no reason to believe the installation is incorrect in any way. I am now about to enter my third winter, but still cannot get it to run satisfactorily. I can get the chamber to burn diesel, which burns a nice blue flame so on the surface all appears to be normal. I have recently taken apart the Toby Valve, filters, feed lines etc. and thoroughly cleaned all. On re-assembly, its the same, good blue flame but with the following problems: It never seems to get hot enough. At best, it is warm, and thats just the stove! The radiators are nothing more than "not stone cold", so even in these temperate climates the boat remains cold (and I have had it running for more than 24hrs). The oil control rotary knob appears to do nothing other than switch oil on and off. In other words I have no control over the flame. Do I need a new Toby Valve? The aquastat on top of the Toby Valve does not do anything irrespective of where I position the rotary temperature knob - full hot or min temp - the water in the back boiler never gets beyond warm. Do I need a new aquastat or is this also a Toby Valve problem I can physically see oil flowing into the chamber when I switch 'on' the valve and I see it stop flowing when I switch it 'off'. It has been suggested to me that the flame should go out after 15-20 mins from switching off. Mine can take more than 2 hrs! and still leaves a large puddle of fuel in the bottom of the chamber. Is this an indication that the Toby Valve is allowing oil into the chamber, uncontrolled, hence I need a new Toby Valve? I have spoken with Terry at Harworth and he seems to think this could be the problem. Having never seen another Bubble Oil stove in operation just wondering what other users had experienced. Many thanks

Thanks for the input Julynian. I have read much on these forums about the pros and cons of diesel stoves, including the suggestion of dumping it in the cut and getting a solid fuel stove! That said, I can see that it is basically a very simple concept, and I am determined to get it running correctly. Even Harworth Heating very encouragingly tell me "you shouldn't be having those problems, sounds like it needs servicing". I will update these fine pages as and when it happens!

Sorry to jump onto this thread but I also have a Bubble diesel stove on my boat with back-boiler and I have had nothing but trouble with it in the year or so I have owned the boat. Difficult to get going, even harder to stop, poor flame control (in fact, no flame control), and poor heat output etc. etc. I had convinced myself that the Toby valve was faulty and contacted the manufacturers to ask if they would do a factory service and re-set. Not possible they say because the settings are done by Harworth Heating. However, they went on to say that the failure rate of the Toby valve is less than 0.002% and therefore unlikely to be the problem - more probable will be poor servicing. The boat is only 8 years old but judging by the amount of carbon I recently got out of the pot, I suspect it has not been serviced since new. So, as soon as I get the time a thorough service will be done including the flues, door rope, Toby valve etc. Can I just ask a question. In the excellent guide you refer to (I also have a copy) it cautions against allowing air into the system - how did you purge the valve after you re-fitted it? I long for the day when I have to open the windows to let the heat out !!!!

Thanks for the replies and input - this is potentially going to be more complex than I originally thought! I think to start with I might try and get the existing system off, take it to a local exhaust specialist and see if they can make me a new system. Failing that, I might have to do it myself!

I need to get a new exhaust for a small narrowboat which I am slowly doing a lot of work on to try to bring it back to its former glory. It seems to me that the silencer is relatively easy to source, but what about the rest of the pipework? Is it a case of carefully measuring it and going to a 'custom exhaust maker' or is there another source for such things? Many thanks

D'oh!, and there was me just getting very close to the decision of investing in the Hurricane system! I have been looking for some time now at getting a system fitted to my boat. My head is spinning with Webasto, Eberspacher, Mikuni etc. etc. At some point I really will have to make a decision but as I say i was coming around to the idea of going for the Hurricane system reading the manufacturers claims of faultless long-term performance and reliability. Perhaps not? Whatever system I go for it has to be long-term (we intend to keep the boat and so are happy to 'invest' in it). We do not live aboard but visit frequently and so do not want to shut down for the winter so it has to have the ability to be left running on frost free mode and ideally can be controlled from a mobile to give me the option of 'firing' it up before arrival (although my research would suggest this is available on most systems now). So the question is (and I know there will be many different opinions) should I 'invest' in the Hurricane or would I still be getting much the same from a Webasto, Eberspacher type of system at almost half the cost?

Wow! Thanks everyone for your contributions, I've enjoyed reading through them all. I think I'm also forming a clearer picture in my mind of how this system is supposed to work. I have been heartened to read Julynian's contributions because he describes precisely the same experience as mine. By way of background, I have owned this boat for just one year now. It was only 7 years old when I bought it and the system was installed during manufacture so I am happy it was done properly (it has a header tank etc). The boat is not live aboard and most of my visits last winter were spent trying to master the black art of getting the Bubble diesel stove to burn properly, and stay burning. Now that I've achieved that milestone I've moved onto to wondering why it won't get hot - this forum goes a long way to explain that. I think I've been expecting too much from the system. To be honest I would have expected the back boiler to show signs of warmth after a couple of hours. What I hadn't considered is that the system is desperately trying to warm up the calorifier and the radiators at the same time and has been mentioned with only a 4kw output that is always going to take sometime. Because the boat is not live aboard I'm never in a position to let it really get going, at best its just a few days at a time - probably not the best system for this type of usage? Because the boat was 7 years old I have no idea what the state of the fluid is in the system in terms of anti-freeze, it may be far to much which also won't help. So I think I need to try and let the system have a really good run, like at least a week to let it really get going, isolate the calorifier from the system (its not needed with the immersion heater) and when time and weather permit flush the system out and de-scale the back boiler. Thanks again.

I wonder if anybody can help me with this? After about a year of ownership of my boat I am confident that I can get the Bubble stove 'burning and turning'. It works well, nice blue flame etc. what I cannot do, is get it to warm the water and subsequently the radiators! This is what happens. It is fitted with a back boiler driving 3 radiators and a bathroom towel rail - fairly standard I believe. It has a 12v circulation pump which is either on or off via its own switch. I was told to never have the fire running without the pump on because that would quickly lead to the boiler boiling over! But here's the thing. I get the stove going, switch on the pump (I can hear it running) and everything stays cold, including the back boiler - I can very comfortably grab hold of the inlet and outlet pipes to the boiler and they are cold. If I then turn off the pump, the boiler quite quickly warms up and after say 10 - 15 mins switch the pump back on and warm water then surges through the system, for about 5 mins before it goes cold again! I have also discovered that if I use the immersion heater from the shore-line it will also warm the radiators because presumably the central heating system coils through the calorifier - same result with the engine running. So in summary (at last!). Is this system set up correctly? Should the pump run continuously or cycle, because it seems to me that its pumping the water around the system before the boiler has chance to heat the water. Thanks in anticipation!

Sometimes, just sometimes, when I read threads on this forum I have those laugh out loud moments, and this was one of them! Thanks Tim!

Sorry to spoil what continues to be a great summer (19 days to do the Thames ring with only 2 days of meaningful rain - it was too hot on some days!) but my thoughts are turning towards the impending doom and gloom of winter. My boat is not 'live-aboard' but is used throughout the year none the less, so I do not want to 'winterize' it. Sometimes I may go for a week to 10 days without visiting and then stay for a night or two. What I am looking for is the best way to keep the boat heated whilst I am not there. It has a Bubble oil corner stove with back boiler but that can obviously only be used whilst I am on the boat and from previous experience it can be VERY difficult to get going and needs at least 24 hrs to start to warm the boat properly. The boat is in a marina connected to the shoreline. So any suggestions on good, economical electrical radiators that can be put on a timer or anything else that might do the job. I have read on these forums about the 'heated tubes' for the engine bay - any good? Thanks for your suggestions

This is all interesting stuff. I only purchased my boat (first one) towards the end of last year and I am still 'discovering' it as I poke around in all its crooks and dark corners. The TV booster did puzzle me. It has been very well installed, presumably during the boats manufacture. It is located within the TV corner cupboard, it works (the red light comes on!) but when I first got the boat could not for the life of me get a picture on the TV! It was only when I bi-passed the booster that I got a (good) picture. Then after much searching I found its power source - it has been hard wired into the rear of a 12v socket that is above the cupboard (ie it feeds behind the panelling). I have since 'upgraded' the TV which now gives a stunning picture, but when I try it through the booster, the picture pixelates (sp?), breaks up or freezes, just the same as dor mentioned in the above post. Onto more pressing matters. Having just changed the main water pump to a Jabsco par 4, I was having problems with it blowing the 15amp fuse. Shouldn't be doing that say Jabsco, and to their credit a new pump was delivered the next day. That was installed yesterday and worked fine all day until last night when it stopped - you guessed it, the fuse had blown.The rough running, noisey grinding Shurflo never once blew the fuse, so why would a Jabsco which is lower pressure (25 psi rather than 30psi) although higher output (15 ltrs as opposed to 10 ltrs). It was the pump that Jabsco recommended when I told them what services it needed to provide. The learning process continues

Sorry, but to most of you this is going to be a really silly question, but ............ I'm not used to working with 12 volt 'circuits' which, as far as I can tell have just a +ve and -ve line. With some components, it seems to make little difference how they are wired. For example, I have just removed a 12v 'booster' for the TV aerial (because it degraded the picture quality!) and it had very neatly been installed to the rear of a 12v socket - there were just 2, thin black cables not marked as +ve or -ve. Other components, such as 12v pumps do have +ve and -ve. So the question is, what happens if you wire them incorrectly? Will a pump for example not work, have no effect, run backwards or blow up! Many thanks