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Battery problems

Biafreespirit

By Biafreespirit
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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, LadyG said:

Would it be an idea to remove the covers off the three flooded lead acid batteries to check if there is "water" at the correct level? 

 

I think that eventually yes, but being dry will not stop the battery charging to more than 10.1 or 11.4V. The reason for apparently no charge is what is important right now.

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, Biafreespirit said:

From when we moved to live on the boat, from the engine we just took the hot water just on the tap and the shower on the left side of the boat and not on the calorifier. I was looking for a swich to put hot water in the calorifiers but I couldn't find it. We only used webasto for as long as it worked. Thank you, you been very helpful

 

The water you take out of the tap HAS been supplied by the calorifier - NOT the engine, the engine water will have anti-freeze in it and, it is not connected to the taps.

 

There may be an immersion heater in the calorifier with cable going from it - follow it back until you find a switch and make sure the switch is in the OFF position.

 

This is what mine looks like, but the immersion heater may be in another location on your calorifier. - it could even be on the 'end' if it is lying down.

 

The 'black circle' with the White cable & the 240v label.

 

 

 

CAM00321.jpg

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Biafreespirit said:

We did what you said and no

 

From when we moved to live on the boat, from the engine we just took the hot water just on the tap and the shower on the left side of the boat and not on the calorifier. I was looking for a swich to put hot water in the calorifiers but I couldn't find it. We only used webasto for as long as it worked. Thank you, you been very helpful

 

Read the mechanical notes as well!  Almost certainly you do have a calorifier. It is the marine name for a specially strong indirect hot water cylinder. It is a copper cylinder with  one or two coils of copper pipe in it. One heated by the engine when t s running and one by the Webasto so heat is transferred from the coil into the water in the cylinder. It is that which you get from the taps etc. Calorifiers are often fitted with an immersion heater these days and it is far from unknown for new boaters to leave them turned on being powered from the batteries via the inverter. That kills batteries double quick unless there is a mains shoreline, generator or the engine revving with working alternator(s).

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LadyG Veteran II

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Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, matty40s said:

If you can get hold of a short thick cable, or a jump lead, join the red of the starter to the nearest red of the 3 domestic batteries. This may allow your batteries to charge, or might trick whatever charge controller you may have to start charging(unlikely to kick in at 10.1v)

I assume you mean the red, ie positive post, of the starter battery, so you are forcing the domestic ie house batteries and the starter battery to act as one battery bank, just a temporary fix to charge the batteries. This would be obvious to you, but I suspect OP is like me, it needs to be explained. I'd be surprised if OP had such a cable to hand. 

Edited by LadyG
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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, LadyG said:

I assume you mean the red, ie positive post, of the starter battery, so you are forcing the domestic ie house batteries and the starter battery to act as one battery bank, just a temporary fix to charge the batteries. This would be obvious to you, but I suspect OP is like me, it needs to be explained. 

Yes, as alan mentioned, the engine needs to be running, but you knew that didnt you.

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Biafreespirit said:

The alternator was changed before I bought the boat. Its brans new.

 

But that does not mean it is not faulty or a charge splitter or cable is not at fault. Why the reluctance to tell me about the  warning lamps near the ignition switch?

 

If you are set on not helping yourself and learning about the boat I think the London boaters Facebook page is the place to ask. Because of emission zones and congestion charges many tradespeople simply refuse to work in London so you need real local knowledge. I have driven to West London in years gone by to help boaters but not now.

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I assume you mean the red, ie positive post, of the starter battery, so you are forcing the domestic ie house batteries and the starter battery to act as one battery bank, just a temporary fix to charge the batteries. This would be obvious to you, but I suspect OP is like me, it needs to be explained. I'd be surprised if OP had such a cable to hand. 

She seems to have posted  a photo of it in place, plus a voltmeter that is basically saying "no charge" and "you are probably flattening the start battery". In my view that link needs to come off now.

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Biafreespirit Engager

Biafreespirit

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

But that does not mean it is not faulty or a charge splitter or cable is not at fault. Why the reluctance to tell me about the  warning lamps near the ignition switch?

 

If you are set on not helping yourself and learning about the boat I think the London boaters Facebook page is the place to ask. Because of emission zones and congestion charges many tradespeople simply refuse to work in London so you need real local knowledge. I have driven to West London in years gone by to help boaters but not now.

I don't know what reluctance you mean? Sorry for that but I dint even know what where are the warning lamps... 

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MtB Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Biafreespirit said:

The alternator was changed before I bought the boat. Its brans new.

 

I'm always suspicious to read things like this. As a repair technician myself I often encounter parts replaced by others who just guessed at the cause of a fault, then ran away or got sacked when their replacement part(s) made no difference. 

 

I would not be the slightest surprised if this is an old fault and someone replaced the alternator and never tested to check the fault itself was fixed.

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Biafreespirit Engager

Biafreespirit

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Posted
3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I'm always suspicious to read things like this. As a repair technician myself I often encounter parts replaced by others who just guessed at the cause of a fault, then ran away or got sacked when their replacement part(s) made no difference. 

 

I would not be the slightest surprised if this is an old fault and someone replaced the alternator and 

 

Can someone pls recommend me an electrician that can come and fix it pls?

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
Just now, Biafreespirit said:

I don't know what reluctance you mean? Sorry for that but I dint even know what where are the warning lamps... 

 

Every boat tends to be different but usually close to the ignition or start switch there are some warning lamps and maybe an instrument or two plus perhaps a horn push and tunnel light switch. If the boat is a cruiser or semi-trand  the whole panel is likely to be outside, if it is  a trad the often on one side as you go down the steps into the boat. If you have boated to London or had the engine running you must know where the start key is. The lights are typically charge warning, oil pressure and overheat. We can tell a lot by seeing when they come on and when they go out, if they do. I have twice asked you about them with no answer.

 

Now I doubt anyone here expects you to know everything but I certainly expect you to ask if you don't know the answer to a question. If you want help you also need to help. As I and others explained, this forum is not the ideal place to get recommendations for tradespeople in London, but may well be the ideal place to help you solve the problem. We do understand starting on boat life is a very steep learning curve but there is nothing we can do about that apart from offer such help as we acn.

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Well spotted - that could be an (the) answer.

 

I doubt it if that 10.1 or 11.4 volts was with the engine revving. The load would not help much but the alternator should get to 12V with dead flat batteries and then start to climb.

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