pmms
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Posts posted by pmms
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Try Sillette Sonic on 02083377543 they may have engineers down their way. Starter probs should be straightforward but these lightweight Italian engines have an unusual FI system and they have belt driven camshafts, so try and ascertain when (if?) the belt was last changed.
Paul M
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Remember, the big advantage of the E series is the lack of electronics or any power feeds required. If you are fitting into an existing rad. system then a circulation pump may be required. Mount the boiler as low as possible and pay attention to the roof collar, most draw problems with these boilers/fires are flue related, lack of height and a sudden cooling of the gasses at the roof collar causing a "cold plug" of denser(?) air at the roof inhibiting draw.
Good luck
Paul M
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one of the major problems with catalytic heaters is the lack of visible flame, if the pad looses its conversion properties then unburnt (converted?) gas falls over the face of the pad and can either be burnt off by the pilot light or leak unnoticed into the bilge. I have seen , just once , a large flued catalytic heater that worked very well, the flue was fan assisted and the heater would not run if the fan failed. It was an American make, whose name escapes me.
I have seen (at boat shows no less) CE marked heaters, research showed that the CE marking was for use in sheds and greenhouses, the retailers, chandlers, took the view that it was "buyer beware".
PM
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My domestic alternator is starting to play up. It doesn't get excited easily (takes two or three goes) and the engineer who has had a look at it reckons it is not delivering more than 80% of what it should and is therefore reaching end of serviceable life. A different engineer also told me that the bearings are on their way out so I decided I woluld like to replace the offending article. It has seen almost 8000 hours of service.
The engine is a Nanni and A. R. Peachment asked if there was anywhere locally I could get it rebuilt before telling me that a new one would be £257 + VAT.
Any recommendations? The boat is at Aston Marina in Stone but I live and work in Manchester so anywhere in that area would do.
Thanks
Andy
Bowers in Longton, Brilliant service, was there Wed. some prestolite alternators as fitted to some Nanni's now not available but they have an alternative option.
Paul M
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A ball valve with the handle taken off can only be opened with " tools" ie a handle, (same as an acetelene cylinder )
the valve MUST be fitted with a "tools to remove plug,cap or blank". Check 2.8.1 in the current checking procedures.
Paul M
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Unless I am missing something, the requirement for boat steerers to have a licence will kill the Hire Boat trade off overnight. I suspect they are already on to it.
In France, I believe the hire boat operators "issue" temporary certificates of competence for the hire period. At least thats the theory!!!
Paul M
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Update on the pump leak in the OP.
End cover plate secured with 4x 8mm bolts, older pumps may be 5/32", ours is 1993. Seal (£1 from our local FI specialist, Dales of Longport, highly recommended) sits in an annular groove in the pump body and comes out easily, be aware that there is a locating roll pin in the pump body, it is tiny and black so if loose it would be easy to miss if it fell out during removal of the end plate. The inlet screen filter cleaned at the same time (thanks Tony B ) all reassembled and appears to be leak free. As with all things related to fuel injection pumps cleanliness is essential, so I thoroughly cleaned the area before removal of the end plate.
Hope this may be useful.
Paul M
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I think that you will just find the end of vane type transfer pump under there with the regulating valve and springs retained in the end plate by the inlet union (not big hexagon, not the pipe nut). I am sure nothing will spring out at you.
While you are at it think about undoing the big hexagon to check the strainer that may be under it is clean. The springs in the regulating valve will push up but are unlikely to jump out.
Thanks for that Tony, good point about the strainer, the pump is the original, 19 years old so I'm hoping its not a FAME related issue. I'll keep the forum updated
Paul M
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Hi has anyone pulled the end plate assembly off a DPA pump? I have a slight fuel weep from the joint between the end plate and the main body, there is an o ring that sits there ( picking one up today £1) but wondered if there were any catches. Last time I stripped a DPA was '74 doing C&G course and frankly cant remember.
TIA
Paul M
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I would have thought it a question for the BMF or maybee the the RYA? Trading standards are the body responsible for enforcing this legislation, some counties TS are on the ball on the RCR and some not at all. I seem to remember Warwickshire being one of the best.
I remember (back when I was involved with sailaways) that the Annex 3 was issued by a builder when the boat passed on to the person who intended to complete the build, and detailed the standards to which it had been constructed so far. The annex 15 was issued (along with the owners manual) when the boat was "placed on the market". There was no definition of a "complete" boat. Nor was there a definition of when the 5 yr clock started for home completed non CE marked boats.
The annex 3 would be used to support the first years licence issue, after that a BSC (or an annex 15) would be required.
There should be an appliance record that went with the BSC , although these often get mislaid, sometimes on purpose!!
Paul M
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I'm looking for a qualified gas fitter in the Cheshire area - would anyone have any personal recommendations please? North Shroppie, thanks.
Neil
Alan clark at overwater marina
Paul M
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Hi,
Was on the boat over the weekend and after lighting the fire there was a crack sound and the top of the Squirrel looked like this..
The Co alarm is directly above the fire and we did not get any alarms at all. I have seen replacement top covers at Midland Chandlers, without taking it apart (I may need help on that one....) is the cover part of the combustion chamber or is it decorative covering the back boiler etc?
My plan is to use some fire cement to tidy it up and black it in. Boat safety time coming up, will this be a fail ?
Thanks in advance,
Nev
Not sure if that is on a part of the top that overhangs the backof the stove outside the internal fire space, if so then should be no probs. BUT is that an incipient crack forming in the reducer socket (left of picture)?
There is a new (advisory) check coming with the BSS checking procedure review, due to be implemented in 2013, check 8.10.5, "are solid fuel appliances free of unintended gaps" so any cracks should throw up an advisory notice, but not inhibit the issue of a certificate. Once an advisory item has been brought to the attention of the boat owner it is their responsibility to rectify/ignore as they choose.
Paul M
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Hi,
I am contemplating fitting a small "day tank" for the engine and wondered if anyone could point to relevant regs ?
Questions so far include...
a) Could I fit in the Gas Locker ? Pipes exiting would be sealed so no potentially escaping gas could escape into the bilges...
Should / must I use rigid copper fuel pipe or flexy fuel hose ? I am concerned about vibrations fracturing solid pipe, althoughon the other hand, Flexy pipe would burn if there was a fire...
Any other points to ponder ?
Thanks,
Nick
Nick, why would you want to put a day tank in the gas locker??
I strongly suggest you read the BSS guide re fuel systems at www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/164488/bss%20guide%20chap2.pdf
you will note that there is no requirement for piping to be rigid.
Paul M
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Hi Richard, good to see you setting up again, I take it its the old blue haven site? Hope it all goes well.
Paul&Jean Morris
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When my engine was rebuilt, a short bit of solid fuel line was found to be splitting and was replaced by a flexible bit of hose. This is about nine inches long but as far as I can see does not have any BS markings on it. The engineeer swears it's OK but I thought anythign like this had to be kitemarked or whatever to pass the BSS. Looking at the regs, I'm still not sure - can anyone enlighten me and if it does need to be stamped with anything, what am I looking for?
He's coming to do a service in a few weeks so I can get him to change it if needed then.
You do not say in which part of the fuel system the fuel line is located, if it is in the excess fuel return line from the injectors then it MAY not have to be to the appropriate standard but if it is required to be fire resistant then it is best to ensure that the engineer supplies a length of hose appropriately marked (BS EN ISO 7840, SAE1527 or DIN4798). examiners are allowed to accept a written declaration that the hose meets the required standard. My reservation over the written declaration is identifying the hose to which the declaration refers. You should also ensure that the hose connections are in accordance with 2.11.1, it is not acceptable to push flexible hose onto a plain copper pipe and secure with a worm drive clip or clamp.
HTH
Paul M
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Yello,
Could someone please inform me of what's involved in converting a standard natural gas cooker to LPG ? Is it simply a swap out of the 4 hob jets and the grill oven burners remain the same ?
Thanks in advance .... Malc.
Hotpoint and BEKO supply lpg injectors FOC after you have purchased the cooker and given them the serial No, they no longer include them with the cookers although some hob units do come withe the injectors in the box.
Paul M
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We went there for our hospital silencer, measurements given over the phone and we collected when ready. Identical construction to the ones in chandlers and much cheaper (£95 in '04)
When we went there with a Brochure from the crick show, they were making them for TW. BTW they make silencers for hospitals that are as big as a 10ton truck bed.!!
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We have a boat fitted with a cocooned Beta 43. Whilst the package came with a hospital silencer, this was deemed too large for the space available and so a very basic exhaust was fitted. As you can imagine, this rather negates the benefit of the cocoon and so I am thinking of fitting or having fitted a smaller hospital silencer. Can anyone make any reccomendations? We intend mooring for the winter near Crick, but are currently heading south on the Shroppie.
Cheers.
If you are going to Crick then try Servias silencers, they are on the A428 just outside Northampton (sorry lost the phone No) but back in the middle 2000's they were the makers of hospital silencers and were happy to sell to you at the factory. They made a custom silencer and pipework for a client of mine at a v reasonable price.
HTH
Paul m
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Mr Peter Ponting has stated elsewhere that boaters he speaks to are of the opinion that boats with no valid licence on display should be set adrift , he states he is now in Lancashire sailing his narrowboat PEEWEE so i imagine the other boaters he claims share his opinions about setting boats adrift are also in Lancashire and on the Leeds & Liverpool canal , i have not come across any people who hold such opinions as this on the Leeds & Liverpool or indeed any of the other canals or rivers i have cruised on , i have met people who would gladly give a good hiding to people who think its ok to set boats adrift , is this fella for real ? do lots of boaters feel such vile feeling of hatred against boats not showing an up to date licence that they would set them adrift.
I will be keeping a look out on our moorings as it seems he is heading this way ,suggest others watch out boats near them dont get set adrift.
I was told by an Abingdon based PC whose patch included the river thereabouts that to cast adrift a "British ship" was a criminal offence under the merchant shipping act (I forget the section but 20 sticks in my mind). The ship only has to be British owned for the act to apply, as he had successfully done in the past. So is Mr PP is inciting people to break the law?
Paul M
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That is exactly my understanding also.
It was me who mentioned "Jobs for the boys" earlier in this thread. (I wish I hadn't) It was a refrence to the original objections by Corgi registered fitters. Agreed, if an examiner actually worked on a gas system there would justifyably be safety issues as he is not trained to do so. However the examiners gas tightness training and assessment is run by the same people at the training establishment in Evsham. It includes removing, replacing and testing the test nipple screw afterwards. (Someone mentioned the older "fibre" washers which examiners may not know about. They do know about them, and BSS freely supply examiners with replacement washers).
Now where many examiners are allowed to check out "commercial" and "residential"boats they can still check out the gas system, ie check that all connections are properly made, burners work correctly etc etc., it is only removing the screw on the gas nipple that is considered to be "work" that they are not permitted to do. I honestly believe that removing and replacing this screw for a test can hardly be called "working on the system" However, I accept the situation and loose jobs because of it.
Alan
I trained at Berkshire college of agriculture in '96, they had a department dedicated to marine engineering and swung fully behind BSS examiner training, their lpg training was first class, the workshop having a petrol inboard cruiser, an outboard cruiser and a 50'(ish) narrowboat to instruct and assess on. The workshop tech was adept at modifying these boats, so that what you saw during the practical instruction phase had been changed when you came to the boat during the assessment. They also had a gas system laid out along the workshop wall that could be modified to include non compliant items as required. Examining the gas system and testing correctly was assessed rigorously.
The training we received, was I believed very thorough, as was the cpd we did 5 yrs later. It was a great shame when the college decided the marine training dept. was no longer viable and closed it down.
Paul M
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BUT, although a non gas registered examiner can't isn't allowed to use the test point on commercial or liveaboard boats, it's OK on private leisure craft. That's the logic I struggle with!
Iain
Iain,
Back at the start of the BSS examiner training in 1996 CORGI were up in arms about examiners not CORGI registered "working" on the gas systems of boats. This work was using a manometer to test system soundness. The then chief exec. of BW was persuaded that, on private boats, the examiner training course and subsequent assessment was sufficient to ensure competence in this testing, and as private boats were outside the scope of the GSI&U regs. he stood behind the BSS and I am led to believe told CORGI and HSE that examiners were not required to be registered. HSE/CORGI disagreed and when a court case loomed the then deputy Prime Minister, in 1997, (so my "deep throat" says) intervened and came down on BW/BSS's side.
When did logic ever have anything to do with the drafting of regulations?
Paul M
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Ok , going back to '96, I seem to remember that the requirement for the bubble tester to be in the gas locker was an Alde requirement and the Gaslow gauges non acceptance was because the manufacturer would not, or could not, certify how much angular movement of the needle related to how much gas loss.
Paul M
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It looks to be a revision of the wording, which may or may not involve expense if that revision puts your boat in default.
Owners of historic boats may be interested to know that the section on fuel tanks now specifically excludes them from the requirement to have the fuel filler external to the cabin, so that's one less argument with the BSS chap.
No change there. (Re historic boats fuel tanks)
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Yes jubilee clips are hose clamps. Just be sure to avoid generic poor quality clips and make sure to use the correct size.I've checked the guide and
Are hose clamps Jubilee clips?
Richard
Paul M
(Currently in San Antonio Texas)
Should / must I use rigid copper fuel pipe or flexy fuel hose ? I am concerned about vibrations fracturing solid pipe, although
Lombardini 3 cylinder engine
in Boat Equipment
Posted
In answer to your questions, yes, none, none. But I thought you might have known that.
The little knowledge I have I am (was) happy to share so that other people may build their own knowledge base. I am sorry to have gone so far "off topic".
The two points were offered so the OP's friend might avoid the experience of a friend of mine with one of these engines who was right royally kippered by a cowboy "engineer".
I hope these forums continue to offer sound advice when it is sought
Goodbye
Paul M