Stephen Jeavons

All domestic central heating systems I've ever seen have the 3-port valve going in at the top of the hot water cylinder (i.e the supply from the boiler via the pump) with the return at the bottom. Why should a boat's calorifier (different name, same thing) be any different?

OP has said he isn't keen on free standing radiators

Well, you could just anchor the top of the oil rad with a loop of cord/string to a simple eye on the wall to stop any possibility of it tipping over. At just £15, it's worth trying one out. It can always be used elsewhere if you aren't happy

Until I installed central heating, I used a couple of these. Takes the chill off and very economical. They have their own thermostat. Just 650W https://www.dunelm.com/product/650w-5-fin-oil-filled-radiator-1000153083?defaultSkuId=30650998

Does anyone make a smaller marine heater, say 3 or 4kW? (water not air) Another question: Is the water pump built in to the Webasto or does it require an external one like the Eberspacher? Edit: Just noticed the pump in the above kit so my question is answered

Yes, I could run an extra cable if I needed to and did consider doing so at one point when I was installing the flow boiler as it was a 6kW unit. However the Isolation transformer is rated at 7kW and I didn't want to gobble up all its capacity with the central heating or have to by-pass the IT. Instead I de-tuned the boiler (it has two heating elements so I disconnected one making it a 3kW unit). This left more than enough capacity for the rest of the boat (4kW). I find 3kW adequately heats the 3 radiators as well as the calorifier. ?

So long as I don't exceed 60A I can draw as little current as I need. 32A more than covers my needs. Most marinas only over 16A which limits your usage to around 3kW

Three moorings here, each has a cabinet with smart meter and usual domestic power board with double pole master switch, RCD and MCB's. Pay for electricity directly to utility company. Same setup as in any house. (Each boat has a street address and mailbox)

Many thanks for the info. I still have a few other jobs pending before I get round to doing the diesel heater but will be sure to contact these guys based on your recommendation I'm okay on that score as my res-mooring has full domestic 60A mains. I have a 32A shore line and use a 3kW electric flow boiler for heating and hot water (by-passes the inverter). The Webasto will only be used when cruising. Thanks for all the help guys Stephen

Sounds like a cop-out. The only difference between casual boater and liveaboard in this context is that the Webasto will be used more with the latter. It makes the product sound iffy if they'll only warranty it for occasional use. Does it come with a restricted duty cycle?

Where did you buy yours and when?

You can of course have a shaver /toothbrush socket adjacent to a basin. These have transformer isolation and are considered safe providing they are installed correctly and are fed with the correct fuse. I have one.

Guess I'll just take a chance. I've done everything else on the boat myself. I've no doubt they come with full installation guidelines

On webastomarine.co.uk it says: Only a Webasto Authorised Partner/Dealer can register and commission your Webasto Heater, and only registered heaters will be covered by the Webasto Worldwide 3 year warranty. So, I loose any guarantee if I do it myself?

Got it. Thanks

Okay, understood. I wasn't sure whether "rivers" were considered differently as they are natural rather than man made. It seems not.

I do wonder how one trespasses on a bit of water that is not owned by the council. Slightly off-tack.....I rent a mooring from my own council on a river that is not under CRT jurisdiction. My agreement mentions that I have a licence to moor 1 boat (fair enough). However, if I bought a second boat and moored it against my boat, technically, I'm still only mooring one boat against their land. They don't own the middle of the river so could they tell me to move the second boat? Who actually owns the water anyway?

It does mean that they (the Council) are going to need to employ someone to police the area. Really? What will they do if people continue to moor there, try to fine them? Have the boats removed at £8,000 a pop? Sounds like a massive overhead on the Council's budget. Sabre-rattling perhaps?

I have it from the builder Roger Fuller's mouth. He told me the boat was an absolute shell. Just lined, engine and nothing else other than some ballast. No installed electrics whatsoever. Purchaser had it moored on a private river for 10 years. When I bought it, the only electrics were the water pump and two sockets fed from T&E cable hanging on nails along the inside corridor (which I hastily tore out). We are talking a boat built in 1994 (got my numbers wrong in the earlier post) so that's 26 years ago. That's the year RCD came into being I believe.

Thanks, I have used this stuff before Boat was built as a sail-away sixteen years ago so definitely not RCD compliant. It has been a self renovation since purchase 3 years ago. Arctic Blue cabling used for mains ring throughout and most DC in plastic split-sleeve.

I'm a bad boy. Non-compliant on 7.7. Like to hear from any narrowboat owners who think they comply and how.

Sure, they are options assuming you don't comply to the main requirement i.e. 7.7 A d.c circuit shall not be contained in the same wiring system as an a.c. circuit, unless....... Back to my original query: What is meant by "same wiring system"? That was the bit I found ambiguous. How do you read it? Maybe, ocean-going gin palaces have the space and layout to have separate channels, conduits and spaces to allow DC and AC separation but how many common or garden narrowboats, even built with the requirement in mind, have the space to comply?

Oh! okay. Silly me (I hate reusable acronyms). Thanks Tony ?

Consort is awash with RCD's. Got four of 'em. One on the shore, one downstream of the IT, one on the distribution side after the Victron and yet another in the CH flow boiler circuit. Most cabling is out of sight so unless an inspector tears the boat to pieces.....

I find Para 7.7 ambiguous. What is meant by "same wiring system" above? I have AC systems and DC systems. With a central walkway on the boat, I have DC distribution on the left side and AC distribution on the right. However there are DC and AC circuits on both sides of the boat. The cables for both run (as I'm sure they do on many boats) along the trunking space under the gunwales side-by-side. Am I in violation as I certainly don't have separate cable ducting or trunking (as mentioned in 7.7(b))? My DC and AC cables also cross over from one side of the boat to the other cleated and bundled all together. There was only one convenient place to do this hence they are bundled together. Is this something a BS inspector will pull me up on?