Colin Smith

Foalua A small island near New Zealand - (at least that's what I tell some people) or an acronym for my sentiments when dealing with 'authority'

Whale Water Systems, Old Belfast Road, Bangor, Co. Down, BT19 1LT, Northern Ireland Tel: +44 (0)28 9127 0531 Fax: +44 (0)28 9146 6421 info@whalepumps.com if you have a look on the website, Whale Pumps there is a brochure download for the Whale IC products. The gulley is on page 5. Colin

I've got a Vetus 12v 2-speed extractor fan countersunk into the shower ceiling directly under a UFO vent. To finish it I've used a spare Vetus plastic mushroon vent liner which just happens to be exactly the same colour white. It doesn't have a delay but works very well, is almost silent in use and uses a tiny amount of power. Vetus Fan. Expensive on this site but you can get them a lot cheaper. Looking at it, it is very similar to a simple computer fan so you could possibly achieve a similar result buying a computer fan and switch for a few £ on ebay and mounting it in a piece of plastic drain pipe between the ceiling and UFO vent! Colin

Bit of a long shot but have you tried convertible car roof makers? When I was looking into how to make a removeable roof for the wheelhouse, I talked to a few companies who made replacement roofs for Audis, BMW's etc. I got quoted a price for an insulated double-duck roof that was the same as a vinyl thing from one of the well-known canal boat suppliers! They also offered to travel to the boat, make the templates on it and fit it. As it happened, I've gone for a different solution all together now but you may find it cheaper than the usual Yacht/Boat outlets! Colin

Make sure whatever you buy is fire-retardant. Some of it isn't! If you've a m2 or more to do, then you can get kits such as these: Spray Foam Kits which work well priced from around £35-£500! Colin

Sorting the shower out was a particularly long problem for us. The ‘all-in-one’ solution was (in my opinion) flimsy, expensive rubbish! However, finding a ‘domestic’ solution is problematical. A lot of ‘standard’ shower trays come with a domestic waste which needs around 90mm under the floor. In many cases, for us, the waste outlet was in the wrong place and a lot were the ‘fast –flow’ type which were too big. After much searching and talking to just about all the tray manufacturers in Europe we found the right thing. We’ve used a ‘standard’ stone-resin 1200 x 900 tray (JT Ultracast) which is almost flat to the floor with 80mm high shoulders. The shower quadrant is a domestic type unit 1850mm high – we have 1940mm headroom in the shower. The JT tray has a 50mm dia waste opening in the corner, which enabled us to fit a Whale IC waste (Part # SG3482B). This is only 32mm deep from the bottom of the tray so fits easily under the floor. The outlet from the gulley takes a 19mm pipe which connects to the Whale IC auto waste pump – in our case mounted under the base of a kitchen cupboard (the other side of the bathroom bulkhead) for easy access. With the waste being in the corner of the tray, we’ve installed a small inspection hatch in the floor next to the tray so it’s possible to get to the waste and remove it if required, without disturbing the tray or anything else. We’ve used Plastivan shower boards with a Sealux Cladseal in the shower after tanking the whole lot. The floor was also reinforced to ensure that there’s no flexing under the tray – which was set onto an epoxy resin screed to take up any undulations in the casting of the tray base. The whole setup cost less than a plastic cubical type but, in my opinion looks much better and was pretty easy to install. Colin

I've got one of these: http://www.celectron.co.uk/ It monitors the 3 bilge pumps I have and is connected to two alarm buzzers (one in the saloon and one in the bedroom). I can do a quick check on any 'pump activity' from the helm - where it's mounted - without having to lift boards etc. IMO well worth the £80!! Colin

I've got one of the new Gulper IC pumps and the IC gulley. Fully automatic start and stops when the gulley is empty for 15 seconds, then runs for a few more seconds to empty the drips! Absolutely fantastic if a bit expensive but I expect that it will pay for itself over the years and no messing about with in-line flow switches or having to turn it on/off etc. http://www.whale-pumps.com/documents/brochure/IC_New_Brochure0810.pdf Colin

I bought a chepo Chinese genny (£300). It's a 6.5Kva 'super-silent' thing ie. it has a huge silencer on it. Very basic and pretty rubbish but, I've had it for 2 years and in that time it's been running a 2500W chop saw, various power tools, a 3000W hoover, hover-mower etc. When it's running I usually plug in the 50Amp batt charger too. It seems to be pretty frugal on fuel and has been ultra-reliable. However, the rectifier thing packed up so I got one for a similar genny - think it was a Loncin 6.5Kva (try finding parts for anything cheapo-chinese!) for £16.00. That was 12 months ago and it's still going strong. I decided that £2k for a decent one wasn't justified for fitting out and if it lasted more than a year I'd done well. So, if you have the cash and want the best then maybe go for the Honda. If, like me you're just after something to drive all the power tools and can't be bothered looking after the thing properly, you could go the cheapo route on the basis that you'd have to go through half a dozen of them before the Honda would have been a better investment??!! Colin

I guess someone more skilled in the electrical/electronic side of things could fathom it out but being new kit, there is the question of invalidating the warranty etc.....so back to the drawing board or me and more searching/evaluating until I can come up with a workable solution that isn't going to cost me £3k !!! Cheers, Colin

Hi Tony, Thanks for your input. I have checked and the consumption figure of 180W is for the complete setup - burner, fan and pump. I have also looked at replacing the 240v pump with a 12v pump (a few are available that draw very little power). However, the whole thing (programmer etc) is designed for a 240v pump so it wouldn't work. Regards, Colin

I've actually been looking at a Pressure Jet central heating boiler which is a fantastic bit of kit but......it runs on 240v and is quoted at 180Watt. It's a modulating boiler and when up to temp I would estimate would be drawing power for around an average of 20 minutes in the hour. I've done some calculations based on hot-water only during the summer months with perhaps a couple of hours running in the late evening. In the winter months, it would be more likely to be on for perhaps as much as 8 hours each day and even 12 hours or so when it is sub-zero outside. The unit costs are quite good and the running costs for domestic heating oil very good BUT......there is an overhead in the additional storage tankage required for domestic oil (min 550Ltrs), not a killer but looking at the power consumption when running through an inverter is scary! I could run the genny but then that is using fuel and the power drain over-night would mean more frequent charging of the batteries etc. So, much as this type of boiler has loads of advantages in terms of ease of use, compact size, fuel cost etc I think I'm coming to the conclusion that it wouldn't make sense unless you were in a maina on a shore-power hook-up all winter! - which I won't be. I've now looked at just about every heating option that is available. The decisions/limitations so far are: 1. There is space to fit a 'normal' wood burner/bubble oil stove but I don't want one. The design of the interia and layout doesn't lend itself to them and I can't be doing with messing about with the ash etc. I also have some concerns regarding the safety of 'real' woodburning stoves. 2. I've ruled out the Webasto/Mikuni,Eberspachers because....well just read the info on this forum. 3. Don't have a lot of money to spend so the initial cost is a limiting factor. 4. I would like the option of running on domestic oil but able to switch over to diesel should I struggle to find a supplier willing to deliver to the barge in future. 5. I have cupboard space available (700mm x 700mm x 1950mm) so could install the boiler in there or there is some space available under the wheelhouse but the flue could be a problem. 6. I need about 7/8Kw output So I've narrowed the search down to the following: 1. Kabola E7 7Kw 'drip-feed' in the cupboard (with a 12v pump) 2. Glembring 8Kw 'drip-feed' fully insulated unit in the cupboard (with a 12v pump) 3. Hurricane 7.3Kw diesel boiler (with a 12v pump) None of these options are inexpensive to buy and there are positives and negatives for each. Just can't make my mind up what the hell to do!!! Any sensible suggestions/recommendations....anyone?? Cheers, Colin

Thank you all very much Quite an overhead for 24 hour running! Colin

Hopefully someone with less tired and more powerful cells can help me with this? I’m trying to work out the potential drain on the battery bank running a 240v AC appliance from the 12v DC/AC inverter. The appliance is rated at 180Watts. It will run for about 20 minutes in the hour. The inverter efficiency is around 88%. I have a spreadsheet, calculator, pen, paper, Budweiser and am now completely confused. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Colin

Depends on the toilet! I have a Johnson Pump Aqua T which uses approx 2-2.5Lt per flush. Some such as the Vetus unit use 1-2Lt per flush. It should be on the spec sheet for the toilet. Colin

Mine's 11ft beam. I have a fresh water inlet on either side of the wheelhouse both connected to the single water tank underneath. The black water tank is up front under the bed with a pump-out fitting on each gunwhale either side. For the sake of £60 or so extra, it's worth it. Also have 230v hook-up either side of the wheelhouse. So doesn't matter which way round the barge is facing, all the 'connections' are close to the bank. Colin

Depending on the size of boat you want, buying a 'sailaway' and completing the build yourself can be a good option. If you have enough cash in the budget, you may be able to afford a sailaway with some extra work done. For example, wiring loom in, lined out, window/portholes hardwood trims fitted and the shell painted. This will save you a fair bit of time. Before you do anything, I'd advise that you start a spreadsheet so you can cost things up properly and also do lots of research. There are many decisions that you need to make before you go anywhere near a sailaway: Think about what sort of lighting you want, toilet, pumps, tankage (fresh water and black water if you go for a pump-out toilet), cooker, fridge, heating system etc etc. All of these things will have an impact on your electrical systems and battery requirements. There is a lot of information on this forum so search and search!! Whatever estimate of time you put on the build, double it and you won't be that far off. I went down the sailaway route for my barge but had enough in my initial budget to have the builders do quite a lot of additional stuff. I woefully underestimated how long it would take me to do some of the 'major' work but perhaps that's because I'm slow!! If you do go down the sailaway route, you will save a lot on the cost of a new boat and if you do a decent job of it, it will probably be worth a fair bit more than your outlay. Remember that VAT is going up in January so factor that in too. I spent a lot of time drawing things up and now have three files of drawings - everything from the position of the light fittings to schematics of the wiring and even the timber sections required to build the bedframe, wardrobe etc. Lots and lots of hours spent on the drawings but it has paid off big time. I was able to give detaled instructions for exactly what I wanted to my builder and also when it came to doing a particular job, I was able to buy the exact quantities of parts/items required (no waste) and I had in effect created my own installation instructions! Also means that if something should go wrong or fail years down the line, I have a reference that provides dimensions, locations etc long after I will have forgotton what I did! I was also able to start buying parts, fittings and stuff before and during the time the barge was being built at the builders. This meant I had time to shop around, pick up bargains when they became available and by the time my barge was delivered, I had a huge amount of stuff from hinges to an Inverter ready to be installed. It spread the cost and according to my running 'build account' I've saved in the region of £4000 over normal retail prices for all the stuff I've bought. It's not a small undertaking but fitting out a new boat is a hell of a lot easier than trying to re-fit an old one and it is very satisfying. Whatever you decide to do, you'll find that there are some magnificent people on here that will advise and offer solutions to any questions that you may have. Best of luck, Colin

You do have every right not to pay for something that you haven’t agreed to and/or given your word or mark to. A contract is a business to business agreement – between one corporation and another. A business cannot have a contract with a sovereign person. That is why you will never get an invoice for council tax, fixed penalty notices or pretty much anything else that you get ‘billed’ for. You only ever get a ‘statement’ or demand for payment. More often that not, you get a demand for payment because you have either broken someone else’s ‘rules’ (eg. fixed penalty) or you’ve been fooled into believing that you owe something. Credit cards are a prime example. Credit companies are not allowed to lend their ‘investors’ money. But they don’t have a great deal of money themselves (only their profits which are generally paid out in dividends or retained as ‘cash’) any credit card transaction is in fact, just a promise to pay. They pay the vendors using money that card holders are paying back. So in fact, they are lending you your own money! If you willingly agree to the system and that another human being is superior to you then that’s up to you but you have absolutely no right to impose your own or anybody else’s rules on another human being. Private Council Tax is just that – it’s a tax that is imposed on people without any binding contract. That’s why businesses have business rates and not council tax – it’s a contract. There is only a demand for payment and as such, unless you agree to pay it then you don’t actually have to! True a refusal to pay may end up with a ‘name’ being taken to court – but If you do not recognise the court, it has no jurisdiction over you, a sovereign human being – unless you’re at sea but that’s another matter. The only law that applies to a sovereign human being is common law everything else only has jurisdiction if you agree to it. http://www.tpuc.org/content/wirral-council...ncil-tax-unlawf If I’m going to pay a council some money, then I expect something in return – a fair exchange. I would be happy to pay for the disposal of waste that I create – ideally at the point of collection or delivery. I would be happy to contribute for real policemen whose job it is, is to uphold common law and protect me from harm. I would be happy to contribute to fire and rescue services and to nursing and health services. I do not see why I should pay a contribution to the mayors car, for councillors to go on ‘cultural exchanges’, for the renaming of areas to ‘Mandella Gardens’, for PR and ‘cultural diversity’ staff, for translators, in fact for any of the myriad abuses, non-staff and dubious ‘causes’ that councils waste the peoples money on. If I own land or a property (which I don’t) then I fail to see why I should be taxed on it. In fact I fail to see why I should be taxed at all. I’d rather pay for my waste disposal, pay for my health care, pay for any services that I may want or need directly to the person or organisation that is providing it. And for those less fortunate than myself, I’d be happy to make a charitable contribution to the point of delivery – not to a council or government that may take my contribution and use it for their own ends. As for CC’ers, the only thing they don’t pay is council tax. They pay many taxes like the rest of us, be it on fuel, transport, income tax etc etc. Sorry for the rant but just because some people are ‘in the system’ doesn’t mean everyone else should be or must be. It’s an individual’s choice and as such, should be respected as long as it is not harming another human being. Colin

Hi Nick, Thank you....that does help!! From your comments I understand that the damage could be accumulative so my switch-flicking may not reveal anything for months or years!! Using a transient suppression diode would reduce the potential risk. I’m going back to my supplier to see if they could include such a device and the effect that has on the price. Failing that, I can use a soldering iron and your explanation of what/where to fit I understand – thank you. Given that there is no immediate indication of LED’s being damaged (blowing up!) it’s going to be some time before I’ll know the reality – I will try different things but I may well be posting back in several months/years with my results and conclusions!! I guess that the thing to do would be to get the cost down to an acceptable level and add in some basic ‘protection’. I think getting the cost down as I have makes the ‘risk’ more acceptable and if they last more than a year or so, then it may be that they just become another consumable item. Colin

In closing, I’d like to thank everyone who has posed on this thread. Your knowledge of electronics is staggering and I hope that what may be ‘simplistic’ questions from the likes of me won’t put you off from proffering a solution in future! Ooops..........I meant to type "posted" ...... Colin

“And with that I completely give up. You've worn me out.” Me too……..Whilst I fully appreciate that the experts on here have raised and discussed the various issues with trying to deal with “spikes” and the potential for them to destroy LED lights, It has left me with the impression that there either isn’t a bomb-proof solution or at best only a theoretical one. Just as a reminder the OP asked “do the more knowledgeable think this circuit (unique voltage suppression circuit on the LED light) is worthwhile or just not necessary” and I was after either confirmation as per the OP’s post or if there was something that could be plugged it to the circuit or attached to the potential source of the ‘spike’ to protect the LED’s. I must admit that whilst the ensuing debate about diodes and the like is possibly riveting for those who know and understand the subject, mere mortals such as myself try to understand but just don’t have the background knowledge, experience of expertise in the field to make sense of it all. We all have our own areas of expertise mine is building race engines – I can build an engine that will compete with the best in the world but I can’t make it work without the magic black box and the correct ‘mapping’. For that I take it to a bloke who has a dyno, computers and doesn’t get out much, give it to him and a week or two later he gives it back to me with an invoice and a fantastic power curve. That’s why we ask the questions - in the hope of enlightenment and that someone may say….you need one of these, get it from here and fit it like this. Alas, in this case that seems impossible. I talked to a techy at a major manufacturer of pumps who also distributes high-end LED lights. The combination is fitted on sailing boats and super-yachts. They report no problems (or rampant warranty claims on the lights) and that their pumps have “a degree of protection” whatever that means. The LED lights they distribute are 8-30V DC and as far as I can tell are no different to stuff you can get from various suppliers and on eBay. So, my solution is: I have quality pumps wired directly back to the DC link box next to the batteries via a dedicated switch panel. All the lights are on separate circuits via their own fuse board which is in turn wired directly back to the DC Link box. The other end of my solution is to reduce the cost of the LED lamps to the extent that if I do end up blowing some up, it won’t hurt too much financially. I can now purchase 8-30V DC LED G4 lamps for around $4 each and possibly less in future. This weekend, I will be fitting a couple of dozen, will switch them on, fire up the engine, flush the macerator toilet, run the shower pump, switch both the bilge pumps on and off, repeat several times and see what happens. If anyone is interested, I’ll report back! In closing, I’d like to thank everyone who has posed on this thread. Your knowledge of electronics is staggering and I hope that what may be ‘simplistic’ questions from the likes of me won’t put you off from proffering a solution in future! Colin