Opener
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Posts posted by Opener
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"I don't fully understand what is proposed."
I know what I mean!! Never was too hot on explaining to other people.........😏
"The pump and the whole heater is switched via the thermostat switch" - not strictly true - not on mine at least. Your upright unit has its own power supply which includes powering the igniter which, in turn depends upon the microswitch (or, in my case, a manual switch). So, you can turn the heater on to heat the water but, without the pump, only the water in the unit will be heated - not good!! I have a room stat remote from the Alde itself. Once the boiler is ignited and the water temperature is set via the black knob I have to go to the room stat. That has a temperature setting and a switch. The switch turns on power to the pump in the top of the boiler / in the header tank. But the pump will only work if the stat is turned up above room temperature. A bit like your system at home (??) Set the room stat at the desired temp. The pump will work until the set room temp is reached then stop pumping. Temp within boiler unit rises because no demand for water being pumped until boiler thermostat turns gas off. Room temp drops - pump switches on - hot water pumped out of boiler - replaced by cool - boiler stat kicks in - boiler relights. Repeat ad nauseam.
Thus a common complaint with Alde Comfort - it doesn't work. Pump does not come on. Step one - check the temperature set on the room stat. If it is set low it thinks the pump is not required to pump hot water around the heating system. Pump will only work once Winter comes around.
So does your room stat include a switch. If 'yes' switch that on once the boiler is working but set the temp pretty high - I always use the max cos my 'heating system' is useless.
I agree with your sequence for the 2928 - one hand IF your microswitch is operating to spec - mine doesn't. So one hand for the knob and one for my jumper switch which bypasses the microswitch.
If I read this right, you turn on at the room stat first before operating the ignition - had not thought of that or tried that. Nothing wrong with that sequence but my pump is a bit noisy so I prefer to light boiler unit in silence - listen for the whump!! - then turn the pump on via the switch in the room stat.
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As commented elsewhere, ignition of the Alde is very dependent upon the correct adjustment and operation of the microswitch. If you've tried to adjust it you will know how to get at it.
So, why not cheat? Many of us have.
Bypass the microswitch and install a handy 12v manual switch. Then you just need two hands for the ignition sequence rather than one. Turn the control knob to the 'spark' position - operate your switch - wait for ignition (you should be able to hear it) - turn off your switch - hold the control knob until the thermocouple is warmed up - turn the control knob to the desired setting - switch on pump. A pilot lamp in circuit can be handy just to confirm you are getting a good far spark.
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If placing the unit on a plinth leaves legs dangling, surely one solution could be to use a bigger plinth so that the toilet AND the users feet are on the plinth. The answer to that might be defined by what else is at the existing floor level eg cupboard/shower/entrance door. Creative design called for!
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I've got a similar design to robtheplod ie central hatch with an overhang at the front (see about 9:30 in video). My solution was slightly less technical. Length of flexible strip measured to the width between the runners. Height of strip defined by distance from roof up to slightly less than curve at top of front edge of hatch. Then a length of fairly beefy duct tape - I actually got one of the fancy ones that is a similar colour to the boat. Duct tape half on the flexible strip and half on the front face of the hatch so that the strip almost 'wipes' the roof when the hatch is opened.
The intention is not to actually wipe the roof - just to stop heavy rain splashing up off the roof and under the front lip of the hatch. Has worked well so far. Not a permanent solution - the tape probably lasts about a year before it looks a bit tatty but its a ten minute job to remove, clean metal and replace tape.
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On 26/09/2021 at 18:04, Welshmally said:
My daughter is looking to re-felt/repair her roof: it's a wooden top which is largely sound but has an annoying leak. The current material is some sort of felt - any advice on materials would be very helpful. We suspect that the leak is at the edge where it meets the wooded rail - would ordinary sealant be acceptable as an interim measure?
Many thanks
Have a look at " 151 Stop That Leak Spray " available via Amazon. There are a lot of reports from dissatisfied users who have tried to use it on everything but the stated purpose. I've used it on a felted garage roof on leaky joins and overlaps. So far the work appears successful. Needs to be a dry location so that it can adhere, sprayed in the right place so that you are sealing the actual leak but only comes in 'BLACK' (a la Henry Ford) so a repair may look a bit conspicuous. As a user reports, the can is not designed for accurate application - but you will get a wide 'field of fire'. Good luck.
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On 12/09/2021 at 14:56, RoseB said:
So the person who had the boat before me used the stove without the chimney stack on top. Somehow, there is tar on the T&G in the boat, and marking down the side of it outside.
what would be the best solution?
A wide-beamed neighbour had an effective solution. A flat plate with a short upstand at the outside edge. Fits, via a central hole, snugly round the roof collar. Plate naturally slopes overboard. Any nasties run onto/ collect on the plate and run to the lowest edge where a gap in the upstand feeds into an attached straight length of pipe long enough to allow run off to miss the cabin side. A bonus is that it is open to the sky so gets washed by rain. Plate can be round, square or whatever.
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2 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:
Not sure why you quoted me?
Me neither - I clicked on the first OP post 🤔
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13 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:
Welcome.
The Leeds and Liverpool is a great place to cut your teeth as narrowboater. Its where we cut ours before hiring on other canals and buying (then eventually selling).
The Five (and three) rise is a doddle as there are lock keepers who help you through.
Step 1: take a trip to Skipton on a nice day. Take a skippered trip with Pennine (short) or Skipton ((longer/further) - sit and watch the scenery/ducks go by. Even have a meal on board if you fancy.
Step 2: try and book a day boat. Pennine, Skipton and Snaygill all have well equipped day boats. Great for a half-day, day or evening out. You can see a fair bit in a day + no luggage required (take food/refreshments).
Step 3: short break on a full sized boat from any of the above +Silsden. You'll work out whether you can live on/steer a biggun.
Don't worry about L&L locks and bridges. If you get stuck there'll be another boat along soon - could be an experienced skipper or total amateur. You'll work it out between you - that's half the fun of narras.
Go for it!
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Good news - you've got a lock free section between the top of Bingley and the bottom of Gargrave. 17 miles and at least three hire firms with a good selection of boat sizes (period and day hire).
Bad news - there are stacks of swing bridges on the stretch.
Plenty of scenery, towns, moorings and nothing too complicated to navigate.
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19 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:
Are there not enough ducks to eat the duckweed?
If ducks are the solution to duckweed, what do you do about fairy floating moss?
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Boats do weird things to you. Just come back from a few days in a ditch. Usually get a degree of boat head. But at one point, in a known shallow mooring, I had to get off the boat and rock it. I was convinced we were aground cos I was not conscious of any movement as I moved around the boat.
I would hope you get used to the motion otherwise you'll miss out on the joys of boating in torrential rain/ howling wind / etc. Maybe Stugeron is a short-term answer till you 'get your legs'.
PS - what is Mal de Mayor? Is having a problem with your Local Authority?
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21 hours ago, David Mack said:
An overplated boat will always be worth less than others. If you are doing a complete stripout and refit, then it may be worth getting the bottom plate and lower hull sides cut out and replaced rather than just overplated. That will give you an almost good-as-new hull.
But as to whether it is worth it, that is another question. And doing a complete refit is as much work as fitting out a new shell.
I'm minded to agree with Tracy that for what it will cost you in total there are probably better boats about.
Serious question - can you get '..lower hull sides cut out..'? Would that be conditional on a strip out and refit? Presumably interior fittings are fixed to whatever which in turn are fitted to the hull. It would all fall down when the hull is cut out. Sounds a bit like building a boat from scratch (almost) - you'd only have a few original bits to work with.
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19 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:
Is the aluminium one the one that caught fire at/near Braunston
This maybe http://jhalfie.blogspot.com/2017/06/sea-otter-shows-how-aluminium-burns.html
Ask him where he got his cratch board - I want one from there 😁.
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Seriously, can extent of 'boat head' have something to do with ballasting of das boot? When I am at the tiller, I can tell when crew is stationary and when a coffee is making its way to me. If you/the boat is more heavily ballasted there should be less rocking motion and maybe less lasting effect when back on land.
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Yup. Boat Head.
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On 12/08/2021 at 08:15, MartynG said:
Sounds like you need more ventilation and/or better air circulation
I have a small USB desk fan which is surprising effective at circulating air. Perhaps a few of them in a narrowboat?
https://www.homebargains.co.uk/products/15429-status-coolbreeze-4-usb-mini-fan.aspx
We've got a 50ft, cruiser stern. Plenty of ventilation. I always wonder if a dehumidifier, once it has dried the air in the boat, will pull in outside air and try to dry out the canal 🙄. For years we have relied upon dehum crystals - two trays - and a couple of those disposable ones the same size as washing capsule boxes. We've got big windows which do steam up when cooking but soon clears. Stove for cold weather. Have recently added an Aero device which seems to also collect stacks. Never had any concerns or problems with mustiness, mould or damp.
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On 17/08/2021 at 09:29, MtB said:
I think the taper is a parallax effect in the taking of the photo. I have what I think is the same make and model of header tank in my own boat and mine is exactly parallel.
Mine came with a lid though!
So, once you have solved the problem of how soluble your proposed float is in water/auntie-freeze, you drill a suitable sized hole in said lid so that your 'vertical'/ indicator sticks and slides through it. Much more stable.
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3 hours ago, tehmarks said:
If you cruise past a boat while staring blatantly through the windows — and the occupant sat on the sofa waves hello to you — it's rude and a bit weird to continue staring while not waving back. Seems so obvious that it doesn't need stating aloud...so why do so many people do it!?
Have you actually considered that they can't see inside? He's probably admiring the reflection of his Admiral's hat worn at a jaunty angle, his nonchalant pose at the tiller and the lovely shiny paint job he's just paid a mint for. Well, I would if it was me!!
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3 hours ago, Froggy said:
I see what you mean. I'm assuming the drive belt only drives the alternators (it's a twin alternator version of the 1950) and the water pump and that the oil is totally unrelated to the belt and is pumped around by an impeller from the main drive shaft - in which case no risk of damage due to oil deprivation, just the possibility of damage from overheating. She's just sent me a photo and the belt is indeed in a bad way. Hopefully she heard the alarm sounding as soon as it began and turned the engine off immediately and therefore no damage done. I'm also hoping that the belt replacement isn't too much of a faff. I'm fairly sure we have a spare belt onboard. I'll be back at the boat later so can then investigate.
Good luck with finding that spare belt - we had to tear the boat apart to find ours!! Knew I'd seen - just not where 🤔.
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On 11/08/2021 at 19:32, jonathanA said:
OK interesting and sort of plausible given how big and close to the canal mill opposite was.
What was left of the slipway wouldn't have taken much more than a cruiser.
Quite a few I'd say there is the hundred berth reedley marina about 30 mins away and plenty of passing boats. Since the pub "Inn on the wharf " closed this would make a good spot for locals to visit. Although if as Pluto says there aren't any rings then presumably they wouldn't be welcome...
Used to moor at Reedley - Sunday evening sport was to watch moorers returning after a 'good session' at Inn on the Wharf. Got their own bar on site now so no need to travel.
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4 minutes ago, Froggy said:
Thanks for the input folks, but this won't be the issue. We've had the boat about four years so my other half is familiar with starting and stopping the engine. I'm now thinking maybe the belt snapped, or water/oil got low, but the latter would indicate a leak because I check levels every time before starting engine as per Barrus recommendations. What I'm looking for here is any suggestions as to something more untoward. I'm still trying to get in touch with her to find out whether the engine was actually running at the time or whether the issue was just on startup.
One stoopid ?. What time was it? (Told you it was stoopid). Remember that the rev counter has a lamp in it (for when you travel after dark !!)
Alternatively, take a careful look at the belt(s) - I had one instance where the bulk of the belt fell off leaving just the backing so it appeared intact to lazy inspection. Panel + buzzer (and eventual overheating) with engine running.
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On 10/08/2021 at 09:26, Loddon said:
Tower Bridge was broken yesterday chaos reigned 😱
Newcastle also has an iconic bridge. Not the Tyne Bridge in this case but the Swing Bridge opened in 1876. Its ancillary to the other traffic bridges in the city and, with not much river traffic any more, doesn't get 'swung' very often. According to local press reports, hundreds of spectators gathered a few days ago to observe the first 'swinging' in three years. It stuck! See! London does not have a monopoly on everything!!
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On 04/08/2021 at 21:39, NbJune said:Hello all, I would like some advice on cleaning, preparing and coating my integral water tank. I have a 45ft NB (1979) that I am currently refitting. I have drained the water tank and need to plan what to do next. The attached photos show the inside which needed cleaning.Q1. After surface cleaning to get the loose material out what should I use to protect and treat the metal?Q2. What product could I use to coat the space to create a suitable water tank?Q3. What products could I use to purify the coated tank?Thanks in advance.
The first and most important bit of kit to acquire before diving into an integral water tank is a small foam rubber cushion. Invaluable when sitting, kneeling, squatting or lying.
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7 hours ago, BlueStringPudding said:
And if you're going to have Yorkshire Pudding, you gotta have a proper roast dinner to go with it, to really appreciate it. (Lots of decent pubs do a good roast beef with Yorkie puds dinner or carvery on a Sunday lunchtime, if you're not making your own.
Note the 'location' quoted by this heathen - ignore their misleading advice!! A true Yorkshireman/person will be served their Yorkshire pudding as a first course alone but with lashings of gravy.. I know that and I'm not even from Yorkshire. Well, when I'm boating I am.
And hows about a slightly left-field suggestion for your proposed holiday? About 98% of regular boaters have a YouTube channel in which they document their wanderings round the canal system and what is wrong with the way everybody else uses their boat/goes. So, sit yourself down with a map of the canal system, a laptop and suitable refreshment. Fire up YouTube and do a search on 'narrowboat'. That should give you a couple of dozen hits. Most vloggers indicate where they are cruising - link where they are when they film to your map and note down any locations/areas which appeal to you. Most of the primary vloggers have been everywhere so you should get a good flavour of where you would like to go. Tie that up to hire boat bases and, hey presto, you've got an idea of where to visit which is not coloured by the opinions of contributors on here. We all have our own favourite areas and we will defend our choice against all-comers (although I'm actually right!).
And, be warned. Hiring is a dangerous and expensive business. I only hired twice before I ended up buying - hey-ho! 😉
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Alde 2928 continually sparking
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted
Hmm!! My system is configured as I inherited it so don't shoot the messenger! Sounds like you have to switch power to the boiler only via the room stat with switch ON and thermostat saying TOO LOW ie power the boiler and light the gas (presuming the pilot is already lit). If only at startup you still have to power from the room stat end then go through the boiler/pilot light up sequence.
I've never compared my setup to the 'official' wiring diagram - sounds like it is set up in a non-standard config. As previously, I can light the boiler/pilot then main burner with the switch on the room stat off (although the thermostat will always be set high). Then start the pump using the switch on the (remote) room stat. It still cycles on/off normally although it is only hot water that I am after.
The OP is getting continual sparking. I'm guessing regardless of the position of the control knob or room stat. So, as has been suggested, the microswitch is faulty or out of adjustment. With the control knob OFF the cam on the microswitch should surely pop out (switch off power to the sparky thingy) so it is stuck in or blocked in in some way.
Sounds like step 1 is to examine the microswitch.