Tony Brooks

I suppose you are way up north or west because I have one I would be happy to give you. They have all gone Hive, smart, and radio now but this is the closest to what I have. https://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/avansa-2007-programmable-thermostat.html You would probably have to fit a separate on-off switch for the pump. As you will be running the pilot light when you are away from the boat, I suspect just turning the pump off but leaving the boiler alight would protect from frost apart from in the most severe weather. The boiler would just fire up for a short period now and again and heat would be vented into the boat.

Alde warn against running them at too high a temperature. Trying to remember from the manual, think the suggest 3 to 4 on the boiler thermostat. I once saw this explained, but can't remember it now. I think that they are ideal for your use and a programmable room thermostat would probably be more convenient and may not use that much more gas.

Absolutely correct. It is all just a guide to how to do the best you can for your batteries. If a boater has an old 10/11 AC system as set by the factory then it would be regulating at 13.8 to 14.2 volts and would never go any higher, so it would be of no use to the boater to say dogmatically 14.x volts. I suspect the OP's B2B will give an absorption voltage of around (not looked it up) 14.6 to 14.8 volts, so again it means you can't be too specific over the voltage for this purpose. I suppose even better is to say keep charging until the current has stopped dropping over an hour or so but the OP has B2B and I think those drop into float voltage and as soon as they do the current is likely to stop dropping. The same applies to many solar controllers and battery chargers

I agree with you. I fear that the old Ellis and to a degree tall Alde boilers gave gas boilers the reputation of being expensive to run, not helped by the prices charged by Calor for canal side gas. It's the pilot lights that use the gas but modern boilers use spark ignition.

One could view that as lest piss our employees off so they leave and we can use volunteers to do their jobs type of management.

A gravity circulated wet central heating system from a stove would distribute heat throughout the boat. FWIW I went for a gas boiler instead of a diesel one for short term "warm the boat up" type use.

Re Backrose's post about gloomsters saying using such heater will invalidate your insurance. I can't speak for others, but we have had a case quoted here where an insurance company did advise that any such heaters should be certified for marine use or it would invalidate the insurance. All I have ever done is to advise that you check your policy to ensure it has no such clauses. I think it was only on insurer and they seemed to specialise more in lumpy water boats, so probably think narrowboats leap about and roll like a sea boat will and don't want a heater falling over. I have never heard of a fire or accident being cause by such heaters, or tube heaters, but that does not mean that one should ignore the fact that it was reported that one insurance company would have the opportunity to void the insurance if an accident did occur. And not OK when all the others in the marina turn their heaters on a pop the main circuit breaker and shut power down for a whole section of the marina.

I was not sure if any thermostatic valve could totally close off the hot supply so put that stipulation in, just in case. As Surecal seem to ft their own mixing vale at the factory as standard, they can ensure their valve can't close the hot supply off. If the valve always leaves a bypass for the hot water, then it should make no difference to where you locate the expansion vessel.

No, any voltage above maybe 14.2 will do, it's only a rule of thumb and I suspect the majority of boat alternators have a 14.2 to 14.4 volt regulator. It seems to me the 14.6 only became more common with the introduction of lead calcium batteries that will accept a slightly higher charging voltage before starting to gas. The vital thing is not to do it when a charger, solar, or B2B has gone into float. That will be far too low.

Except, they clearly do not know the science related to their products. I bet the OP was directed to a sales person rather than a technical one. Of course, if you think Pascal was wrong and all those working with his principles since are also wrong, then your assumption is correct, but I rather doubt it is.

Fine, two very experienced people have said it really is not suitable, but f you feel it prudent to believe the marketeers then be my guest. More especially as the link you post ends up on that paragon of truthful advertising, Ebay!

Yes, back to edit it now, thanks. Eyes still blurry after an opticians visit.

#the whole idea of those pumps is bl@@dy silly in my view, still I am sure they are cheaper than a Gulper.

1. Fine, that is as it should be. 2. Yes, all batteries will develop internal shorts when they get old enough and have shed enough plate material. They will do it faster if you abuse them with deep discharges and attempt fast recharging. 3. Ordinary V belt - about 10 mm deflection in the middle of the longest run under moderate finger pressure. Wide, flat polly V belt - use a tension gauge is the correct way, but many tighten it until they can just twist the belt through 90 degrees in the centre if the longest run.

I checked online and have come across the problems with it before. It is sold as a shower cum bilge pump.

One reason is that it may be difficult to get the height above the waterline required for hire boats, but I think one of those yuppy basins stood on top of the work surface should solve that problem.

1. You should never charge at idle, without an ammeter for modern engines about 1200 to 1500 rpm. If it's an air-cooled Lister there are probably other problems to solve re the revs. 2. With a single alternator you must have some type of charge splitting between the engine and domestic bank. The falling voltage while the engine is running suggest to me that the engine battery may have an internal short that drains the domestic bank when the charge splitter joins the two banks, so what type of charge splitter do you have? Photo if you don't know what it is. 3. As long as the alternator drive belt is in good order and correctly tensioned, I suspect you may well be correct about a faulty alternator.

It is fact as long as you don't have a thermostatic mixing valve between calorifier and expansion vessel. Pascal's law says pressure is equal throughout a system, so any pressure rise will be felt equally throughout the hot system. However, water is very slightly compressible, and the pipes may swell a very little under pressure, so given a long enough pipe run it would reduce the pressure rise. I doubt the runs are long enough to do any practical good on a boat. In fact with no NRV at the calorifier inlet the accumulator would act as an expansion vessel to a degree, depending upon volume.

To amplify what Tonka said. The voltage map in the unit is different for a marine unit with lower cut out voltages. If you fit an automotive one, then expect apparent "battery" problems. It won't be the batteries normally, it will be the automotive unit shutting down on low voltage. Then there is the question of CO leaking from an automotive exhaust when fitted into a boat.

To me it sounds as if whoever fitted it has messed with the throttle cable adjustment rather than a gear cable problem. Do as Nick says, re checking the gear cable. Then put the control in slow ahead or astern and disconnect one end. The attachment "pin" should drop straight into the hole it came from, but I think it will jump as you pull it out. This indicates it was adjusted with the lever in neutral, NOT slow ahead/astern. Screw the end fitting so the pin does just drop into place. If that is not the problem It may be that the gear cable has been put into the wrong hole in the operating lever inside the control as Nick says.