Big COL
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Posts posted by Big COL
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Hi there
the site I went to is http://www.boatshopuk.co.uk/
the lady there is called Loretta
Good service and very helpful,deals with major finance cos
Good luck
Col
Echo
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Hi have see a nice fridge called a frigemaster on somones boat, and one just sold o Ebay.
Can anyone tell me where i can buy one, Ive trawed the internat to no avail.
Or if anyone knows of any bargains on any fridge at the moment please
waiting to pickup a bargain
Col
There's an echo in here.
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what is the logic behind that? As far as I know, anti-fouling only works as a poison to deter weed growth, and it needs freshening up regularly. What has it got to do with cathodic protection?
Hi Chris
To be honest I do not know the logic or chemistry behind this I can only give you my experience and leave it to the chemists to explain.
When I purchased my first boat the hull had been treated with anti fouling from new. The hull survey only showed pitting in the area around the anodes, the remaining area of the hull showed very little pitting.
I was advised by the surveyor to remove the anodes as they react with anti fouling and should not have been fitted, this recommendation was followed through and when the boat was re anti fouled 3years later the pitting was about the same as the survey.
I have followed this system on my new boat and when she came out of the water for re anti fouling there was very little pitting, she will be out again in 2 years time which will be a 9 year period from new, so it will be interesting to see how much pitting has taken place.
A theory I have rightly or wrongly is that in the anti fouling that was used on my first boat contained metals which at that time would have been true. I assumed the metals in the anti fouling became the anodes so the complete hull was covered with an anode the conflict arose by fitting extra anodes hence introducing another metal into the equation resulting in the pitting around the anodes.
When I anti fouled my new boat the formula for the anti fouling had been changed due to certain metals being banned on inland waterways. Just how this new anti fouling works I have no idea I await any further input.
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What about this as an alternative. Only on a new boat or one that has been sandblasted back to clean steel.
leave the anodes off and use anti fouling instead of the usual blacking
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Only certain electrical work now Col. Much of it requires a part P. I have been a spark for over 40 years, and have just had to pay someone to part P certify the ring main in my home kitchen
To the best of my knowledge there is nothing than can stop you fitting gas appliances in your own home as yet.
Hi Catweasel
Had a similar experience. My daughter rents out her flat, the electric shower stopped working, usual call dad can you repair it for me. True answer is yes I can, and no I can't as I am no longer qualified to do so.
Like you Catweasel 40years a sparks and suddenly,
a plumber who has been on a 24hr course is qualified and I'm not. Part P is the electrical version of the gas corgi. God help us, Qualifications for money,I believe that anyone can install the 240v system on boats qualified or not, I am so pleased to be retiring in May, On to the boat and away.
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PRM every time. Just make sure you get the ratio right.
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The technical parameters state use one unit per 18000 watts at 240v this is a current rating of 72amps. through an appliance with a 13amp supply. Having said this the statement is not entirely true, this unit appears to be a plug in capacitor, which will have some pf correction depending on what uncorrected inductive loads exist.
However I believe Domestic meters only charge at a kWh rating which will ignore any pf imbalance.
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I have always understood that you as the owner of the premises ( inc boats ) that you reside in you can personally install both gas and electrical installations
Should you sell either then you then need to have these installations certified by whichever authority.
In the case of a boat if you install a water heater this is permissible unless you sell it before the next BSC. Prior to selling the boat you will need an boat examiner to certify the installation. If you do not sell the boat then the installation will be certified as a matter of examination on the renewal of the BSC
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Has anyone got blown air water radiators fitted to their boat?
If so are they worth spending the money on? Just a thought. After reading the thread on eco I thought maybe they may prevent cold spots, especially around your feet!
Hi
If you use double fin rads there are no cold spots as the heat source is at the lowest point to start with.
People will tell you that fin rads don't deliver the heat that is expected. Ours deliver 500watts per meter, I have not found a conventional radiator that competes with this output space for space.
As an an added extra the installation can be designed to incorporate fans to deliver blown hot air
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Colin
Many thanks for the explanation. I could see that they might just work with the calorifier, although it might take a while to get the cylinder stat synchronised with the tapstat's stat in order to shut the pump off once the water temperature was high enough.
I'm not so sure that using them on the radiator circuit would work as it would be much harder to match the setting of the room stat - perched high on the wall, with the setting of the tapstat, down at floor level, to turn the pump off when the room's are warm enough.
I don't want to keep the pump running all the time if I can avoid it because the action of the pump running will keep making the boiler fire, which wastes gas if we don't need the heat.
Ray
Ray
You are mixing two different types of control. If you wish to use a tank stat and room stat then these will have to control either mag valves or motorised valves, and the pump.
On the other hand if you wish to use a mechanical system of control then you use tap stats, by-pass valves and use a pipe stat to control the pump.
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Colin
It is either late at night or my brain is dying! I can't see how those tap stats work. What makes them open/close?
I can understand how the ordinary stats can make the pump turn on and off but how do the tapstats work and where do the by-pass valves come in?
Sorry if I'm appearing thick, they're not pieces of equipment that I am acquainted with.
Ray
If you google for drayton tap stats etc you should find some pictures and diagrams for their uses.
Very quick description is a valve that you can set a desired temperature to, that is then opened and closed thermally. There is a capillary and phial running from the valve which is attached to whatever calorifier, hot water pipe, that you wish to control.
I have used them with a lot of success for controlling the temperature of a calorifier on a solid fuel boiler system.
When the pre set temperature is reached the valve shuts down one port and opens another allowing the flow to by-pass the calorifier coil.
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Colin
That's something I hadn't seen or considered. I assume that you plumb them in the circuit and the stat opens when it thinks it needs hot water. I can see the advantage of the system in not relying on electricity to work. What I don't understand is how, without the electrical circuit driven by the thermostat, you can turn the bolier's pump on and off.
Am I missing something obvious.
Ray
The alde already has its controls, and you are using them, you wanted to automate your system by not having to manualy use gate valves.
This can be done using tap stats and by-pass valves.
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This IS a knock the police story. I feel it is time to recruit a body of men and women tasked with upholding the law, radical I know but since it's not been tried yet, who knows?
You will have to retrain them to do that, they are far too busy collecting indirect TAXES.
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Thanks for that idea.
I have considered installing a 240v diverter valve where the two circuits divide from the boiler supply - take out the T junction and slip in the diverter valve (and the inverter's only a couple of feet away as well).
However, I was trying to avoid the use of 240v in case we can't use that at any time. I'm also a little loathe to mix 12v - that drives the Alde pump - with 240v - needed to operate the diverter valve as (I think) this would involve the introduction/use of relays to keep both supplies independent.
Ray
Have you considered doing this mechanically using a Draton tapstat or by- pass valve. It will still be auto, an you can still set your hot water temperature. This will eliminate all the electrical problems including the tank stat.
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Thanks Tim,
I was contenplating a 'Lockmaster', but fortunetaly not placed an order yet.
Looks like the long search starts again...prefered the One Payment on Completion'
Anyone any recommendations??
Thanks
Mick
MickG
Try ColeCraft, we paid a small deposit and the balance was paid on completion.
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COM is common, equivalent to CO
CALL is "call for heat" ie the terminal which is connected to COM when the temperature is below the setpoint.
STAT is err dunno, the terminal connected to common when the temperature is above the setpoint.
How the last two map to NC "normally closed" and NO "normally open" rather depends on what the normal is defined as, but a bit a experimentation with a multimeter should reveal all.
MP.
MP
Is stat a typo?
As Co= Common, Call= Call for heat, Sat= Satisfied,
Stat is an abbreviation for thermostat
And depending on the manaufacturer they could also be numbered connections
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well, this is embaressing - but most pleasing... I like praise.
It was GREAT to see you Col, thanks for dropping by and please do come again soon!
Can Joy come as well?
Purdy wants to stay at home she likes her bones just where they are meant to be.
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Met up with our friends the bootiful Bones and our mate Maffi on new years day.
On the construction side we were treated to a pre view of Bones bed, construction only,(sadly) More to follow on completion I'm sure.
Had a great time and a few beers catching up on gossip and getting to know each other even more. It's so nice to have a friendship that survives without the necessity of having to be close to one an other on a regular basis.
Happy New Year to you both.
Health, Wealth, Happiness to you both. Health first.
Colin and Joy
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I went through a stage of our Mikuni being the most expensive to maintain piece of kit on the boat. Literally. It drank more in spares than the engine used in fuel. The cost of glow plugs alone was more than we were spending on coal for the fire!
That was cured by getting a proper fuel supplier who actually sold us red diesel instead of water contaminated gas oil. That dropped the maintenance costs by half. Gas oil wrecks these things in no time. I don't care what the manufacturer says.
That put me into a stage of elation. The thing now only cost 10 quid a week to run instead of 20 quid (plus fuel). Still sh*t, but only half as sh*t.
Now I've finally added the costs up properly. For every 1 quid of diesel we have fed into it, it has eaten at least 2 quidsworth of spare parts. That, by my reckoning, is completely cr*p. If I sold rubbish of that quality I would expect to have been out of business many years ago.
But I know one bloke who has a great relationship with his. No problem, works month in month out with no trouble. I get told "it must be the installation" yet when a Mikuni certified engineer comes out (at costs akin to a barrister as opposed to a plumber which is what he is) he can find no problem with the installation.
Water pumps break, air motors break, everything mechanical breaks. But FFS why are replacement water pumps 100 quid each and air motors 175 quid each? It's not rocket science to make one of those. They should be a tenner a piece.
I agree with OP. In my opinion (allegedly, based purely on my experience etc, to protect the forum owners) They are total sh*t. No right to even be on sale.
Edited to add: You have to accept that is merely my own personal experience of something that has cost me and my family more to maintain than a 65 year old Gardner engine which has done over 5,000 hours in the same period. In fact, adding it up, the cost of spares for the Mikuni far exceeds the cost of gas we have used in the same period!
Gibbo
Crikey me, what a rant, bet you feel better now Gibbo
Well I run a Hurricane series 1. I know Gary has been having trouble with the new series2 and reading between the lines has been having problems with Calcut in resolving them.
However I still think these heaters are the best of a bad bunch for narrowboats. Speaking from my experience of these heaters I cannot fault them, the down side, if you could call it a downside, is they opperate at a very high temperature, and the exhaust gasses can set fire to the bank side if you are moored that way round. The upside is they will run on dirty fuel (gas oil).
I consider this is a small price to pay when you consider at these tempreatures even using gas oil there are no carbon deposits, the carbon is cremated to a fine white chalk like deposit.
If the series2 Hurricane is having problems with voltage fluctuations then order your Hurricane with series1 specifications (horses for courses) Even Gary will admit he had no problems with those.
Happy new year to you all.
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Hi Justme
They look like Ripault connectors, British Leyland used them on their cars in the sixties. I think they are still available from auto electrical suppliers.
See who your local Durite supplier is they should stock them.
Failing that Google Ripault connectors.
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Hello Everyone,
I have a Tankwatch 4 unit fitted to our macerator toilet waste tank. It has worked fine since new (18 months ago) until the last couple of months when the "empty" indicator light stays illuminated all the time, irrespective of the waste level. The "low" light now fails to illuminate although the "medium" and "full" lights still work normally at their usual time/usage intervals.
The tank has had a couple of good rinse-outs so I suspect it will need a new tank sender, unit unless anyone has any ideas?
Many thanks
Edders
Edders
Had the same thing happen a few weeks ago. whats happened is the float bobbins which operate the magnetic switches, have crudded up and are stuck/sticking on their sliders. You will need to disconnect the wires (noting which coloured wire is on which switch), or you will have fun with the sequence when you reconnect.
When the wires have been disconnected you can then unscrew the whole unit from its mounting flange. remove from the tank strip and clean.
If you Google Tankwatch 4 there is a manual that you can download, easy job about 45min start to finish just a bit mucky. Cleaning the unit that is not the download
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Cheers, but not really practical to do, as locations of current windows and hatches make it impossible to move internal bulkhead positions without a ridiculous amount of effort and expense.
Yes, hinging tables off of new cupboard side is an option, as is the possible reuse of one on Desmo legs that can already be erected at the front of the boat, (see below).
I do like the suggestion of an alternate small table, though - we saw something similar on Tony (TeeLLL)'s boat, and it worked very well.
Yes, I've already done a bit of measuring up, and worked out a minimum useful size, which is what's in the drawings. It will allow a fair amount of storage space in another cupboard above.
As already mentioned we do have an existing table, of a fairly unusual design. It is heavily cantilevered off Desmo legs, significantly offset from the centre, but this allows it to be folded back, to reduce it's size by half.
Those pictures show it between the front seats, where you can still easily get past it when folded back. Despite it's very heavy construction, (I didn't build it!), and the very off-centre legs, it is remarkably stable, and provides good meal space for at least four.
It would go into the proposed space too, I think.....
and viewed in plan......
Loose folding chairs or stools could provide seats on the other sides.
The only problem I can see is a likely conflict between table and swing of the wardrobe draw as drawn, although I'm sure that can be worked around.
I'm sure more people will say why create a second seating/table/dining facility, when this can be done in the front of the boat. What, however, is less obvious, is that in the front of the boat one of the long bench seats may be slid across beside the other one, creating a second full double bed. It would actually sometimes be quite useful to leave this set up as such, and to transfer dining activities elsewhere.
But keep the input coming, it really is aiding the thought process.
Alan
Hi Alan
Consider supporting the table from above.
We have a table that unfolds from under the gunnel and is then supported from the end of the table and the ceiling using hook, eyes and a hanging support piece. Our hanging support is a hollow turned barley twist. An ideal off the shelf support piece would be a barley twist stair rail.
A brass ring in the ceiling and in the end of table, with brass hooks in either end of the support rod. when not in use the support rod hangs under the gunnel. The advantage of configuration is that there are no obstructions under the table, no legs to get in the way or bother about when putting up and down.
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Which would hurt more when it hits you? I think it would be the alternator - although I suppose it depends on the voltage rating of the accumulator.
Alan
Probably need to use Newtons second law to find out.
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The pressure will never be near to zero, and there is nothing on the 'hot' side to drive the water backwards. I repeat my challenge to anyone to explain how hot water can be 'drawn off' into the cold side. I'll state it again:
"Let us assume that the system initially has no NRV and no hot-water expansion vessel, but has a pump (operated by a pressure switch) and an accumulator. When a cold tap is opened, the pressure is slightly reduced; some water flows out of the accumulator and some later flows back in; this water is all supplied from the cold tank by the pump. I cannot see any mechanism here which causes hot water to "fall" into the cold"
Can anyone state, rather than guess, how the lack of an NRV could reduce the amount of hot water available.
Alan
I'm with you on this one. Your description is the system I have on my boat.
I also fail to see just how water can fall back, on reducing the pressure on the cold side there will be a small amount of water falling back, this action will create a vacuum in the space created in the top of the calorifier by the action of the water falling back. This vacuum will then stop any further possibility of water falling back.
The same principle as while you hold your thumb on the end of a pipette no fluid can leave the pipette, removing your thumb allows the fluid to empty. Therefor for water to run back from a calorifier there must be some ingress of air on the hot side, which is unlikely, as this would show itself as a leak when the system is pressurised for normal use. Unless I have the physics wrong, water falling back just can not happen, or shouldn't.
Talpidae: problems,
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted
Hi Moley
A few beers will get the old heart rate down. Pleased for you and Mrs Mole that you can get back to boating.