Maccadam

Thank you LoneWolf. Yes It will be perpendicular in relation to the collar angle, so the angle of the collar will be the same as the angle of the flue and the required rope/fire mastic will be equal around the circumference between the collar and flue (sorry haven't got this far yet but guess that's what you have to do). I think this may be harder to achieve than packing the collar on the roof, but maybe a better way to go?! Cheers David Mc

Hi Canal World, Yet another question about heating, this time the collar for the flue pipe. Installing in a widebeam at the side, Its in a corner next to an internal bulkhead. The roof angle is, as some might expect, different from the angle built-in to the collar. So where the flue attach's to inside collar, and chimney outside, it doesn't provide an upright/vertical fitting for the flue. Is it acceptable to make something for the collar on the outside roof off the boat (packing) causing the collar to be upright, it would mean raising one side apprx 26mm (guessing there may not be enough tube to attach flue to on the inside though) Or is it ok for the chimney to be at a slight angle, and of course the flue to be at an angle...it would be square to the collar! I can cut and weld the flue so it meets the collar square but someone suggested you will need to install 2 angles on the flue...but I can happily do it with one angle. So is one angle in the flue a concern, or is it a concern that the chimney would sit on the roof collar at a slight angle, apprx 7 degrees so not far from upright. Cheers David Mc

Many thanks for the responses. Matchpoint 005 In design, I feel it is simple. Although to the engineers out there it may not be. It is simply using the stove to supplement the heating, plumbing it in as a rad, so reducing the time the webasto will be on...sounds simple anyhow! My requirement is to have the webasto on a timer (or switch through mobile phone) so when I return from work the boat is hot/warm, at which point I put a log in the stove. I could at that point switch off the webasto, or leave it on...albeit I am still listening to comments on this site and will of course change direction if necessary. BEngo It's a Boatman 4kw total, apprx 1.5kw to boiler. The thermosyphoning rad is 1kw. I guess what you are saying would not be resolved by a NRV where the 22mm pipe from the boiler meets the bedroom (top) radiator, so stopping the webasto pump forcing water back into the boiler ... I assume you are thinking that the pump force will still overcome the thermosyphoning force and the boiler water will be stuck in the boiler circuit with NRV or not??!! I guess what you are also saying is the webasto pump will simply draw boiler water out along the return line. Is it possible that the webasto pump will simply add to the thermopsyphoning force by pumping hot water (flow pipe) into the boiler, therefore the force from the boiler along the top pipe to the bedroom rad will be webasto pump force + thermosyhphoning force? Starting to agree about KISS, but still feel there is merit in continuing to look at this option for a while, so any answers and further thoughts are appreciated. David Mack I can remove the PRV but want, if possible, to have the vent pipe rising from the T where the pipe goes into the bedroom radiator, as opposed to directly of the boiler. The pipe is 3m long with a rise of around 20 inches from boiler outlet to top connector on rad, no bends just a straight pipe. This will be the highest point on the pipework. As previously said I can add another pump, and 2 x automated valves and isolate either webasto or boiler from circuit so only using 1. Thanks again David Mc Many thanks for the responses. Matchpoint 005 In design, I feel it is simple. Although to the engineers out there it may not be. It is simply using the stove to supplement the heating, plumbing it in as a rad, so reducing the time the webasto will be on...sounds simple anyhow! My requirement is to have the webasto on a timer (or switch through mobile phone) so when I return from work the boat is hot/warm, at which point I put a log in the stove. I could at that point switch off the webasto, or leave it on...albeit I am still listening to comments on this site and will of course change direction if necessary. BEngo It's a Boatman 4kw total, apprx 1.5kw to boiler. The thermosyphoning rad is 1kw. I guess what you are saying would not be resolved by a NRV where the 22mm pipe from the boiler meets the bedroom (top) radiator, so stopping the webasto pump forcing water back into the boiler ... I assume you are thinking that the pump force will still overcome the thermosyphoning force and the boiler water will be stuck in the boiler circuit with NRV or not??!! I guess what you are also saying is the webasto pump will simply draw boiler water out along the return line. Is it possible that the webasto pump will simply add to the thermopsyphoning force by pumping hot water (flow pipe) into the boiler, therefore the force from the boiler along the top pipe to the bedroom rad will be webasto pump force + thermosyhphoning force? Starting to agree about KISS, but still feel there is merit in continuing to look at this option for a while, so any answers and further thoughts are appreciated. David Mack I can remove the PRV but want, if possible, to have the vent pipe rising from the T where the pipe goes into the bedroom radiator, as opposed to directly of the boiler. The pipe is 3m long with a rise of around 20 inches from boiler outlet to top connector on rad, no bends just a straight pipe. This will be the highest point on the pipework. As previously said I can add another pump, and 2 x automated valves and isolate either webasto or boiler from circuit so only using 1. Thanks again David Mc

Hi All! Another question from a perplexed new boater. I have a nearly completed central heating system, rads/pipes/webasto almost done. I have a Boatman stove/boiler coming next week, I want to install the boiler just like one of the radiators! So I want to attach the flow (hot) pipe of heating system to top pipe of boiler, and the return pipe of heating system to the bottom pipe of the boiler. In-turn the boiler top pipe would also, through a T, and 3 metres of 22mm copper, be connected to the top of the highest radiator in the bedroom. The bottom of the same radiator would be connected to the central heating return pipe, which as described above would be connected to the bottom pipe of the boiler ...but also on a T so allowing the flow back to the webasto when the webasto is on! There will be a non-return valve just after the boiler T (on return pipe) so the cooler water in the return pipe could only come from the thermosyphoning side, and not from further down the line i.e. not from the other rad or calorifier nearest to the webasto. So I think, and I'm not a central heating engineer, I would use the stove boiler to do 2 things - 1.supplement the webasto by supplying heat when the webasto is on (using thermostat connected to webasto), so reducing the time the webasto is on. 2. when webasto is off the stove would thermosyphon to the 1 radiator it is connected to. This would maintain heat in the boat so reducing the requirement for the webasto. No other pump would be fitted to the system, the only pump is on the webasto. The 22mm pipe into the top of the bedroom rad would be T'd off with a vertical pipe which would have a PRV fitted. Is this ok for BSS? The other option is to isolate the webasto using 12 volt valves and install a pump for the stove boiler, so the 2 systems can be separated. Many thanks David

Thanks NMEA and Peter boat for your input. Having looked once again at the location of the header tank in relation to the stove and the flow route I don't think the header will offer any function to the stove boiler side of the system...once the webasto is isolated the header tubes are in a dead end, the boiler water won't be able to flow around that section in a loop...they only flow a few inches beyond. The purpose of setting it up with both heaters is to put webasto on timer for when I arrive back from work, at which point I put the stove on and it maintains the temp...as best as 1.5 kW will do, but also bearing in mind the 1.7kw rad in the same room as the stove will be isolated by the valves, so only warming 2.3 kW of rads! Unfortunately the boiler will serve the calorifier last, as it's closest to the webasto in the engine bay. I'm confident this is a goer but just concerned whether a PRV is acceptable on the boiler hot pipe or if it should simply be a pipe open to the outside. The final concern is whether that pipe should be close as poss to the boiler, or 3 meters away on the hot pipe before it enters the rads, if here it would be the highest point of the hot pipe as after this it runs downhill to the stern...until it goes over the bulkhead. Once again many thanks. David NMEA my header is orientated vertically, dies that matter?

Hi all, Im about 80% through fitting a heating system on my widebeam. I have a webasto thermo E at one end of the pipework (in engine bay) and a boatman stove back boiler at the other end of pipework (stove in middle of boat but pipes take supply to far end of system). I'm using NRVs and 12 volt motorised valves to isolate the 2 heat sources depending on what I'm using. The standard webasto header tank is on the return and is not isolated from the boiler stove when webasto is isolated. Is this a vented system? Or should I fit a vent pipe on boiler flow pipe? If so can I fit this pipe next to header (15 meter pipe length away from stove boiler!!), And curl it into the header tank? Or can I simply fit a PRV to the stove boiler flow pipe, near to stove boiler, and end it outside the cabin wall, and forget about the vent pipe into header tank? I'm using 22mm copper, the webasto is very stern end, the header tank is in the highest point of the cabin stern end, the stove boiler is in middle of 40 foot cabin and piped at natural uphill gradient of boat toward bow end bedroom radiator, entering the system after the rad. Then flow is falling all the way to bow end, then rises 18inches to get through bulkhead. I'm fitting pump for stove boiler, connected to pipe stat to switch pump on when boiler reaches certain temp. Relay will only allow 1 pump to run, webasto or stove boiler...not both. My concern is of course not blowing myself up with poorly installed stove boiler, so PRV or vent pipe, or both? Or maybe if pump fails when boiler on full wack!!! Last question will vent pipe upset the webasto when that is in use, will hot water from webasto find its way up vent pipe instead of to rads. I've 4.2 kW webasto, 4kw rads + calorifier. Boatman has apprx 1.5kw boiler. Thanks David

Once again thanks to all on Canal World. Smiths of the Dean appear to have standard off the shelf tanks and they won't go through the door, or I'd have to buy 2 or 3 and connect them together. I've mailed Hendersons to see if it is food grade PP. Many thanks David

Hi font of much wisdom, Is polypropylene ok for a water tank? Hendersons are offering it in PP, where as tektanks in PE. Yoghurt cartons and ketchup bottles for example are often made of PP. I can't find anything on the net totally against PP. Although I think PE is generally thought one notch up. My concern being leachate. Tank 2m X 1m X 1/2m I've been let down by 2 stainless fabricators. David

Thanks, good to know it works. I'll carry on with it in the morning.

Hi, Just starting to install webasto 4.2kw heater, placing in the engine bay. Not much height so considering placing header tank inside the cabin, just on other side of bulkhead inside what will eventually be a kitchen cabinet. Mad, or ok? This will allow for greater scope of rads, i.e. I can install tall narrow rad. Cheers. David

Well that's unanimous! Thanks to everybody...I'm off to buy a Gulper, which one though...Widebeamboy having thrown up a few questions for me to look at tonight!

Thanks guys, incredibly quick Canal World. Forgive my ignorance but if you fit pump above bath plug hole isn't water going to gather in the bath until sufficiently high enough to trigger pump?

Hi, just fitting my sailaway out! Early days and just looking at fitting 1500 bath with shower at tallest part of boat. With bath sitting on floor there is plenty of height for me at 5'9". Question is sump pump (the boxed version) or whale gulper pump? There is 120mm below the floor so it's my intention to cut a hole in the 18mm ply to fit below bath level. I'm thinking which is easier to fit, which would produce least noise etc? Cheers. David

I have a sail away and just got 4 X 110 agm batteries. Alt not yet connected on positive, I have cable being made tomorrow. Currently neg lead from alt is bolted to block or gear box. Do I disconnect neg altogether and replace with new cable from alt to neg side of battery bank? All assistance gratefully received. Also inverter has earth strap bolt on casing...should I connect this, or in the marine world is there nothing to connect it to? David