Onewheeler

Looks like my access, but better. I've been thinking of getting a hatch installed in the back deck above the weedhatch for twenty-something years, but as I've only been down the hatch three times (twice to look at the prop and once to remove a fishing rod bag) it's not been high on my list of priorities. I guess it depends on how often you need to open it. As years go by and my back gets weaker, it may become more important.

Empirically, a 25 mm brass shackle does the job. One can overanalyse a problem.

Brass d-shackle on one side only. They fail reliably. Experience.

In principle you could fit it pretty much anywhere in the pipework. It's often built into the PRV assembly (Screwfix sell one like that, but it gets lousy reviews, mostly due to its poor quality reducer set). Something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRESSURE-REDUCING-VALVE-DZR-BRASS-C-W-REAR-ENTRY-GAUGE-15MM-1-6-BAR-PRV/283028234837?epid=1291027221&hash=item41e5cc2255:g:P0AAAMXQVERSvZTd Plenty of pressure gauges on Ebay, I think glycerin-filled are considered better than air-filled. Your choice of fitting and position: usually 1/4 or 1/8 BSP and bottom or back fitting.

...and put a pressure gauge on the PRV or nearby. It will help diagnose what's wrong when wrongness happens.

Sealed it is then. One less thing to maintain. Can't grumble at the lifetime of those batteries, I'm on the fourth set in my NB in much the same period.

It's time to replace the starter batteries on our shared boat. The old ones (Varta) are nineteen years old, their electrolyte looks like soup, and although they are still working their capacity is getting low. So, sealed or unsealed? (If the new ones last as long as the old ones, none of the current owners will be in a state to care!)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-bristol-47747975?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5cb06b6656005706757d6f6e%26Fish rescued ahead of canal and river lock repairs%262019-04-12T11%3A12%3A11.619Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:31988330-5c61-465c-a5fe-eda87c545386&pinned_post_asset_id=5cb06b6656005706757d6f6e&pinned_post_type=share

Yes, it looks like that frmo the Q&As on Screwfix site. Looks like it would do the stuff. Butyl tape. Ta!

If you have a pressure gauge attached to the PRV on your calorifier, check what it's reading. If you don't have one, they're cheap and worth installing to help with problems like this. If you don't have a PRV, stand well back!

Ta! I await with bated breath the input of another expert. Don't bother photoing it, a picture of a piece of tape doesn't sound very exciting (unless it has the name of the product on the side, in which case a photo may not be necessary)!!

What squashy tape stuff would that be then? It sounds promising...

I desperately need one.

One of our channel glaze windows has been quietly leaking for a while, leaving some rotten wood to repair. Looks like the sealant between frame and hull has failed. I'll be taking the window out (assuming the screws release) and refitting it when weather and time permit. What's the recommended sealant? I'm thinking of Sikaflex EBT+ . Martin/

Your pump has a built in pressure switch which should cut out at about 2 bar. If there's water in the tank and it's not pouring out somewhere, it could be that the NRV in the pump isn't seating and any pressure is seeping back to the water tank. Or the pump is otherwise defective and it's never getting up to pressure.