South West Durham Castle Class

[baldlimey]

Hi,

 

I know there are a few of these boats out there, unfortunately the original manufacturers are no longer about.

 

Have a leak around the calorifier and wondered if it may be from the PRV valve (it drips off round the immersion heaster) but I cannot find it would any other owner have ever found it. As a general rule where would it normally be located?

 

As a general question the leak only seems to happen when the tank is hot, is it likely/possible that adding an expansion vessel may help? It should go in the hot water feed pipe between the tank and the first hot water tap shouldn't it?

 

Thank (again) for any help or advice/

 

Pete

[matty40s]

All the info you need is here.....

And it diesnt really matter who the boat builder was.👍

[baldlimey]

Thanks Matty40,

 

I cannot find anything which looks like the PRV valve in the picture, not sure if it matters I think my tank is copper. Can it be remote from the tank? Maybe I don't even have one.

 

Pete

[john6767]

I don’t know what a castle class is, but our boat was built by SWD, and the PRV is in the bathroom cupboard under the sink behind a screwed on wooden panel.  If it is leaking you will see that from the small outlet in the hull at that location.

[baldlimey]

Thanks John

Disassembled the bathroom cabinet back, which is where my shower drain pump is, and nothing obvious. May I ask where you calorifier is, mine is under the back steps. 

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[john6767]

1 hour ago, baldlimey said:

Thanks John

Disassembled the bathroom cabinet back, which is where my shower drain pump is, and nothing obvious. May I ask where you calorifier is, mine is under the back steps. 

 

Cheers

 

Pete

calorifier is under the bed.

[MtB]

And I thought this thread was gonna be a railway thead about steam locomotives.

 

I have no idea what the thread title has to do with PRVs.

[Boatingbiker]

We had a 2005 SWCC boat and whilst the calorifier was a horizontal unit located below the rear steps, the PRV was located behind the panelling in the bathroom amidships and next to shower pump with discharge via skin fitting at that point.  only minor leak we had was from the drain cock fitted to the calorifier due to brass DC in plastic pipe connection

 

[Athy]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

And I thought this thread was gonna be a railway thead about steam locomotives.

 

 

 

They were boats built for, and marketed by, Nottingham Castle Marina, in the early years of this century. I guess tey came to an end when South-West Durham, after briefly resurrecting themselves under another name (Skirme?) closed down.

[Boatingbiker]

in addition to above, a good way of location small leaks is using a sheet of tissue paper in your hand , which will easily show up any water. Start at the lowest point and move up with a clean sheet until on water found. This is good for finding small leaks from which water travels in different directions

3 minutes ago, Athy said:

 

They were boats built for, and marketed by, Nottingham Castle Marina, in the early years of this century. I guess tey came to an end when South-West Durham, after briefly resurrecting themselves under another name (Skirme?) closed down.

SWD also built a lot of boats for the Canaltime hire boats, 

[Athy]

6 minutes ago, Boatingbiker said:

 

SWD also built a lot of boats for the Canaltime hire boats, 

Yes, that what they're principally known for. I've long had a sneaking fancy for those CT 45-footers.

[Boatingbiker]

Just now, Athy said:

Yes, that what they're principally known for. I've long had a sneaking fancy for those CT 45-footers.

Yea, but I did not like the fact that they had no bow access door for at least emergency exit. The double bed filled the whole width at the bows. 

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, Boatingbiker said:

Yea, but I did not like the fact that they had no bow access door for at least emergency exit. The double bed filled the whole width at the bows. 

They have side hatches beside the bed - on both sides, I think. I like their interior layout.

[baldlimey]

Boating biker,

 

The picture of the end of you calorifier looks very familiar. So it is likely I just  have not disassembled the bathroom enough to find the PRV.

 

Cheers 

 

Pete

[frangar]

4 hours ago, Athy said:

They have side hatches beside the bed - on both sides, I think. I like their interior layout.

As pointed out by the lockies at foxton it meant the front exits were useless in a narrow lock…they then installed Houdini hatches in the roof which were fine if you could haul yourself up through one from the floor inside……

[Athy]

54 minutes ago, frangar said:

As pointed out by the lockies at foxton it meant the front exits were useless in a narrow lock…they then installed Houdini hatches in the roof which were fine if you could haul yourself up through one from the floor inside……

I'm sure that you know your onions, and that the Foxton lockies do too. But didn't they have a "lid" (technical term) over the side hatches, enabling people to get out in a narrow lock?

[frangar]

13 minutes ago, Athy said:

I'm sure that you know your onions, and that the Foxton lockies do too. But didn't they have a "lid" (technical term) over the side hatches, enabling people to get out in a narrow lock?

You may be built like a racing snake but I’m not sure I’d have fancied my chances! 

[matty40s]

39 minutes ago, Athy said:

I'm sure that you know your onions, and that the Foxton lockies do too. But didn't they have a "lid" (technical term) over the side hatches, enabling people to get out in a narrow lock?

Last time I went up Foxton, the lockies were trying to sink a boat in the top lock of the bottom flight by waterfalling its open front deck whilst they let water down from the top.

[frangar]

Just now, matty40s said:

Last time I went up Foxton, the lockies were trying to sink a boat in the top lock of the bottom flight by waterfalling its open front deck whilst they let water down from the top.

I was talking about in the days of Mick & crystal.....dont get me started on those that are there now......I try to get through watford without them noticing!

[Athy]

1 hour ago, frangar said:

You may be built like a racing snake but I’m not sure I’d have fancied my chances! 

Well, Mister Five by Five I am not, but I take your point.

[john6767]

4 hours ago, baldlimey said:

Boating biker,

 

The picture of the end of you calorifier looks very familiar. So it is likely I just  have not disassembled the bathroom enough to find the PRV.

 

Cheers 

 

Pete

That is a good point.  On ours behind the panel below the cupboard shelf is the shower pump.  The PRV is behind the panel above the shelf.  So did you take both panels off.

[Boatingbiker]

10 hours ago, baldlimey said:

Boating biker,

 

The picture of the end of you calorifier looks very familiar. So it is likely I just  have not disassembled the bathroom enough to find the PRV.

 

Cheers 

 

Pete

Hi, our shower pump and PRV was accessible behind a small (24" high x 18" wide approx) panel with 6 screws located at floor level and between bath and cupboard with basin on top. Panel had towel ring attached on outside of panel. Photo attached has been auto rotated by computer. Rotate anticlockwise to correct with pump at lower level.

[Boatingbiker]

[MtB]

In houses it is considered good practise to fit the PRV right by the calorifier, Not just so it can be easily found but because remote installation leads to it being connected up using plastic pipe which is only rated up to 90c, and therefore no good for the 100c water at 3 bar which the PRVs in the photos in this thread could be subjected to.

 

Also in the pic above, there appears to be an isolating valve ahead of the PRV. Presumably so it can be closed to stop it dribbling, jeez. 

[Boatingbiker]

23 hours ago, MtB said:

In houses it is considered good practise to fit the PRV right by the calorifier, Not just so it can be easily found but because remote installation leads to it being connected up using plastic pipe which is only rated up to 90c, and therefore no good for the 100c water at 3 bar which the PRVs in the photos in this thread could be subjected to.

 

Also in the pic above, there appears to be an isolating valve ahead of the PRV. Presumably so it can be closed to stop it dribbling, jeez. 

The photos published were intended to show the location of the PRV on a boat we previously owned.

 

In response to MtB comments I would say

a) house standards for PRV are covered by Building Regulations and do not apply to boat installations and I do not disagree that the PRV should be located as close as possible to the item being protected.

b) the pipe used was Wavin Hep2O, which according to manufacturers data sheet is intended for installation on boats and can be used for short (duration) malfunction at 114 deg C and 3 bar pressure. The pipe in question is also fully enclosed behind side panels throughout it's length. Therefore IF in the event of the PRV operating AND the pipe failing due to prolong temperature /pressure the escape of water / steam would not cause risk to personnel. with is the purpose of PRV's

c) I also strongly agree that an isolation valve should NOT be installed between the calorifier and PRV, and was surprise to find one installed. However, in this instance the valve was in a concealed location and could only be operated by use of a dumpy screwdriver, the valve head  being rotated to almost face the side of the boat. Certainly not ideal but normally not found by Joe Public