Ben Plant

Thanks very much all, 1 bank it is, Cheers, Ben Heron

Hi All, First off apologies if this is already covered but every search I do keeps freaking the forum out, producing no results and instigating flood control. Apart from that its going very well. I've just bought 4 x 230AH 12v Monolith Semi traction Batteries. I intend to eventually hook up Solar power and I intend to get a smart alternator regulator, probably the alternator regulator first. Something like this: http://www.shop.sterling-power.com/acatalog/ProSplitR.pdf Solar panel wise I hope to get 2 x290W panels with a 60A MPPT controller. Am I better off having 2 banks of 2 x 230AH 12v Batteries or 1 bank of 4 batteries. Everything on the boat is run off 12V. i have an inverter but don't would only have to use it once in a blue moon. I had originally thought of having 2 banks. the first for essentials and the second for luxuries. Essentials: Bilge Pump Water Pump Shower Pump 2 x 12V lights Headlight Horn Luxuries: 12V Fridge (in summer) 12V TV laptop via 12v car charger USB Phone Charging Car Stereo, Amp and Sub Additional Lighting Having 2 banks I feel like I can run down my luxury bank without worrying about whether I can have a shower in the morning, but another mate suggested that with a big enough bank I'd be less likely to run out in the first place. Another suggestion was that having a fall back system is always good on a boat, maybe i should just put both banks on one of those big switches that lets you use 1,2 or both. I've a sneaking suspicion I've just answered my own question, but I've typed it now so never mind Any thoughts would be much appreciated, particularly a link to a wiring diagram for 3 banks (Starter battery is a 110AH sealed battery), a 12v switch, a 3 output alternator regulator and an mppt controller. Cheers, Ben Heron

Hey Everybody, Thanks very much for all the help and advice, I'll try and do my bit to respond to the questions. I tested boiler 2 by connecting my 11 l/min Jabsco pump straight to it with a length of hose and it fired up straightaway. I swapped back to boiler number 1 and it also worked. Luckily, the top chaps at the marina let me return the 2nd boiler for a refund. (Thankyou). On plumbing back in to the system the boiler wouldn't work so I guessed there must be either a leak or something else leading to low pressure on the part of the system I could not see, behind the tiled walls of the bathroom. Rather than track it down I managed to run a fresh length of hose from the shower taps straight back to the boiler/pump and everything was good as gold. Before having a Morco, Heron had a single coil calorifier which wouldn't have suited my lifestyle. Wake up, quick shower, off to work. Somewhere in the old plumbing to the shower/calorifier was the leak/pressure loss. Thanks again for all the help, for anyone else facing similar problems, the most valuable help for me was the idea of breaking the problem down into its component parts, (i.e. Does your hob work, OK you have gas, next: Plug the boiler into a good water source and see if it works, etc). Even though I do this at work when I'm fault tracing stuff, the new environment of the boat kind of made me forget about this at first. Anyway now on to electrics! Cheers, Ben Heron

Hi All, I've done a bit of searching and I know there's a few similar threads to this, but I can't quite find an answer to this, although I'm sure its not the first time it's happened. I've just bought my boat, theres been a lot of "CSI" style working out why stuff is where it is, or hooked up like that, etc, etc. I purchased a 2nd hand morco d61b with flue which I was assured worked. It was installed at the marina I'm in, by competent and qualified (and very good blokes) engineers. The gas supply was uprated from 1/4" to 3/8" as previously the only gas supply was to a 2 burner hob. The gas supply is now 3/8" up to the morco, then the previously fitted 1/4" to the hob and a SMEV oven. The water supply is via a shurco pump which is not brand new but is now working consistently. At the hot tap in the sink, I can measure a flow rate of 5l/min through the boiler. So, the 2nd hand boiler was fitted, the pilot light worked fine, but the gas field would not light. We replaced the diaphragm in the morco as there had been a small leak, and checked the little pin could move freely. Still the same problem. We decided that there must be a problem with the boiler so I bought a new one, fitted it, same problem. I reckon it has to be either low gas, low water or both. (or if I'm very unlucky and the new boiler is faulty) I think I should: 1: get the yard to measure the gas flow. If thats low maybe try a new regulator. if not: 2: try a new pump. If that doesnt work: 3: try a new pump and a new regulator, in case its a combination of both. I'd really appreciate it if anyone can let me know if I'm going down the right route in my diagnosis, or missing anything obvious. Thanks in advance, Cheers, Ben