droshky
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Everything posted by droshky
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Hi all, our ancient boiler (2nd hand!) is trickling fluid out too fast for use. The expansion tank is nearly empty from full after an hour or two. We can boil water on the hob for washing up, but I get a bit rank after a few days without a shower, so need to fix this! The usual culprit is the expansion tank, and the leak is certainly high up. But the exp tank seems dry. The damp area (after wiping everything dry) starts swiftly on the top of the boiler, and seems to come out of the joint with the flue, which goes up the middle of the boiler, before spreading around the top of the boiler and dripping down it. Could I be right that the heat has cracked this joint? And is this a terminal fault? Not living aboard, this heater quite suits us, and full replacement is arms and legs. But I’m informed that no professional will touch these now, except to remove. Suggestions? Dave
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We were grumbling the other about it being moored too close to the lock. Another boater commented that it was there “as a result of a police incident “. So now we know, sad story in the main but happy for the policeman’s bucket list.
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Irrelevant for now, since there's a stoppage notice on the whole lower Soar due to flood water. We just came up there a few days ago, like a millpond. But we're about to go from Sawley along a mile of the Trent to the Trent and Mersey. You'd have thought that excess water would be around there too! Here's the notice, which only seems to apply to the Soar, but it is so close to us! Obviously we'd ask around if we were physically there now, but we're trying to decide whether to drive up tomorrow or not. We're thinking to wait until the notice is gone from the Soar. Has anyone got a firm view either way?? We advise users of all boats not to navigate the Grand Union Leicester Line Canal from Kings Lock, through to the River Soar at Redhill Lock because the river is now in flood level conditions with strong flows making it difficult and dangerous. Boaters are asked not to travel along this section until further notice.
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Oh dear. So to quote the current CRT Stoppage notice, anyone know if "by the end of June" seems realistic? We've only just got onto the Trent and Mersey from Trent Lock now, so if they stick to that, it'd probably do us. But if it looks likely the date will slip, might need to rethink. Thanks in advance.
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And did it start?
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Thanks very much, monkey, that’s what I was hoping someone would say. As I say, while we’re in a yard, I may well get them to have a look at it, they’ll have the kit. Or I might wait till we get up there after the glorious 12th! Just to be clear, the tank is fairly full. So if we stick a hose gently down to the bottom, that’ll suck up any water and sludge first? Do I need to go carefully, a bit at a time? Aha! Pela type is a manual suction pump, we’ve got one of those!
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There’s a lot of diesel has been sitting on the cut for many months, much more and much longer than usual. Since we’re in a yard, with access to equipment and engineers, what would be the one simple thing to do? Pump out some sludge from the bottom and have a look? Or turn the key and hope for the best? Tank was emptied for a small repair couple of years ago.
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Following a fire on the Menai Straits bridge in the 1970s, rail/ foot passenger services to Dublin were (mercifully briefly) rerouted via the nightmarishly distant port of Heysham, somewhere near Scotland. Even compared to the cattle class transport in Holyhead, this wasn’t luxury foreign travel. I may exaggerate. Anyway, I wish we’d known about this luxury service....probably only available on the Belfast ferry! Of all the often stressful trips I made back home, usually at Christmas, that one took the biscuit. It’s taken me a long time to get back on boats!
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You think I’ll find you have? it was a simple question, can you point to a single case? Not yet
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Well yes chaps, taking in your reasonable points, I don’t think you’ve come near answering mine.
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not in a small marina elsan. If they are there longer term, as we are right now, make your way to a larger unit, as we will. My point was that cassette and pump out facilities have to be available at short notice. Ok your system works perfectly but many don’t. And cassette users need very frequent points. Some people are sensible and well equipped and well done them, but lots of boats, using systems which have inherently frequent service requirements, necessitates an expensive infrastructure. Personally, I think dog owners and boaters are responsible for what they create. So for poll purposes I’m a personal no. But socially I accept that dog poo is an issue needing (excuse me) delicate handling. I’ll leave it at that. Nah they’d never block it
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Instead of repeating myself I’ll just ask: have you (or let’s not be shy, anyone) personal knowledge of a single blockage definitively caused by (what I’d call) misuse of a composting toilet? As opposed to a pile of nastiness which might include substances from various sources
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Well how about once every 2/3 months instead of days? Is that a point in favour? A bit of hassle but compared to finding a pot every week.... I’ve had a look for these “many reports of composter caused blockages” and all I can see is the same 3rd hand “news”. I can imagine stupid behaviour causing an issue, but considering the (as we’re often reminded) tiny number of composters and the very infrequent use we need to make of toilet points, well basically these reports are bx aren’t they? Not many blockages and not usually us, if at all.
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1. I mean by “monitoring” that the marinas could ensure that composters don’t use their facilities. Penalties if they want, I don’t care, I don’t empty there. 2. Sorry, I’m not very assiduously following the forum, haven’t seen these discussions, I’ll have a search...soon 3. I’m suggesting that canal facilities are blocked for the same reasons as domestic ones. I may be wrong 4. Oh come on. I meant that when a pump out or cassette is full you really have to have an expensive facility provided here and now. Ours last for months so there’s no rush unless you’re extremely careless. It’s as easy to check as a cassette, no trusting to the red light I don’t think so
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Because we don’t use pump out facilities
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In 4 years or so I think we’ve done the double bin in a bag once. I’ve stepped in a lot more than that on the towpath.
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I can imagine that careless dumping into small Elsan points would be problematic. Most of these would be in marinas and (comparatively) easily monitored. Have you any evidence that specifically composters are in crt units becoming a cause of blockages? As opposed to the usual culprits of nappies, wet wipes, sts, cooking fat, and random rubbish, can we fairly be described as a “definite danger”? A factor that hasn’t been mentioned much is that if you have any of the other systems, when you gotta go, you gotta go. We can wait till we get to an appropriate facility
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So who puts all the tree decorations up then? Cat owners?
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Answering in reverse order...we empty the poo bucket a couple of times a year into a toilet point. Slowly, adding plenty of water. If we’re on board a lot, it goes home to compost. So to answer no1, why would we expect to pay anything more than cassette emptiers? Actually thanks for bringing this up, I’d like a rebate please as we use much less of everything. The wee bucket goes in a loo if we pass one (!) or on a patch of nettles or suchlike. Other than supermarket wrappings, we hardly touch black bins, nearly all is recycled, often we have to take it home to do so. There should be much more recycling bins, you can have half my rebate for that!
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Mmm, yes that sounds possible, yeuch. Where we are now (if we ever get back on board!) there is a point but it’s titchy with no flush, so we wouldn’t use it. I can imagine it blocking if someone just chucked the lot in. Given the general tenor of this discussion, it seems possible that composters may be carrying the can (boom boom) for wet wipes, nappies and so on. But I surmise.
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No. I mean gradually into an toilet disposal point, same as all those cassettes. We never put it in the bin. It either goes home to the garden in a sealed bin to rot down, or, after winter for example, when that probably won’t work, one of us has the messy job. I’ve never had the remotest sign of toilet point blockage, but I guess if you didn’t do it with a little care there might be. Obviously only use a big point with a hose and a flush. It’s a horrible job but it’s once a year. The rest is rotted and spread. And there’s no rush, if there’s loads of people queuing we can wait a week
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And not into a bin which I agree is insanitary. It was suggested above that what comes out of a cassette is somehow sweeter and more contract compliant. Really?
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Not instantly. If you’re using it most of the time for months, that creates a composting substance which you decant into another bin for a few months, then spread it on yer roses. If you leave it for ages you get a tough crust over an incompostable mess which you Chuck into a disposal thingy
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Do people do that? If we’re on board for a stretch, it composts. If not, it goes the same place as other boat “produce “ in the next conveniently quiet CRT disposal point, same as a cassette but much less produce over the year. What’s the issue?