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I have a morco db61 water heater on my 1991 narrow boat from the pictures right from its original build it has had a water heater flued through a mushroom. Although this does not set off either of the two mox detectors on the boat resent surveys have rejected this type of flue (there is a slight  yellowing of flame on max burn). They (the surveyors) have all suggested that all it needs is a morco marine flue top. Any hints on issues with this retro fit, I can see that the dam thing will continually get caught in the centre rope which due to the boat being a light 32 footer I use at every lock.   

Edited by barrowpete
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3 minutes ago, barrowpete said:

I have a morco db61 water heater on my 1991 narrow boat from the pictures right from its original build it has had a water heater flued through a mushroom. Although this does not set off either of the two mox detectors on the boat resent surveys have rejected this type of flue (there is a slight  yellowing of flame on max burn). They (the surveyors) have all suggested that all it needs is a morco marine flue top. Any hints on issues with this retro fit, I can see that the dam thing will continually get caught in the canter rope which due to the boat being a light 32 footer I use at every lock.   

Such are safety regulations. Your choice, comply or don't get a BSS certificate.

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I'm not trying to beet the regs but as with all things on an old boat things are not easy. The surveyors seemed to think all I needed to do was to remove the mushroom top an fit the flue. They do not understand the difference in diameter of a flue terminal and the mushroom the slope of the roof etc. Has anyone  had this work done and what are the results?

 

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My boat (also 1991) had this arrangement,  albeit with a Paloma heater. It failed the first BSS in my ownership (over 20 years ago) for this and a few other bits.

I bought a Morco type flue, cut the flange off the base and fitted the rest of the base (now a cylinder) into the base of the mushroom vent and secured it with a couple of self-tapping screws. I think I had to bore out the base a little.

I then shortened the actual flue and shaped it so it would fit vertically onto the base. It's been there for twenty five years or so with no problems,  and is easy to remove for very low bits (Froghall).

 

Obviously mushrooms vary in size so this may not work for you.

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I installed mine in an awkward position in terms of fitting the flue through the roof, but just cut a hole and had a short section of steel pipe welded in which the aluminium flue goes through. The chimney/flue vent on the outside can just be lifted off for cruising if required. Makes it easy to clean the spiders out too!

 

If you've already got a hole for the mushroom vent with the flue fitted underneath it should be pretty easy to adapt it to fit your chimney.

 

IMG_20220429_163900.jpg

 

IMG_20220429_164030.jpg

Edited by blackrose
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2 hours ago, barrowpete said:

 I can see that the dam thing will continually get caught in the centre rope which due to the boat being a light 32 footer I use at every lock.   

 

 

If you haven't done so already, consider having a centre rope running down each side of the boat to the helm. Even on a small boat it means much less hassle than trying to flick the rope over from one side to the other and it getting caught on things. 

Edited by blackrose
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9 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Sorry to go off topic but do you think those vents would let in less smoke from neighbours' stoves than mushrooms vents? Any other advantages/disadvantages?

Leaves and debris get in under the stainless steel cover, and you can't easily clean them out, meaning they stay in there, get damp, and the rust starts on the steel roof. There are some photos on here from about 3 years ago showing the horrors revealed beneath when I removed mine. I have standard mushroom vents now.

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27 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Sorry to go off topic but do you think those vents would let in less smoke from neighbours' stoves than mushrooms vents? Any other advantages/disadvantages?

 

I really do not know - never had any problems with them, but never had smoke coming in mushrooms either.

 

I have had them on several boats (both inland and offshore) never had any leaks or blockages although some folks do seam to suffer with them.

 

A much better proflie for line handling and walking about around, I'd always choose them over mushrooms, but, mushrooms would not stop me buying a boat.

 

I have 2 on the saloon roof and 2 of the forward cabin roof / deck on my cruiser, and despite having seas breaking over the bow they have not (yet) let water in.

 

 

 

 

 

CAM00012.jpg

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2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Leaves and debris get in under the stainless steel cover, and you can't easily clean them out, meaning they stay in there, get damp, and the rust starts on the steel roof. There are some photos on here from about 3 years ago showing the horrors revealed beneath when I removed mine. I have standard mushroom vents now.

 

Thanks, that's worth knowing.

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I really do not know - never had any problems with them, but never had smoke coming in mushrooms either.

 

I have had them on several boats (both inland and offshore) never had any leaks or blockages although some folks do seam to suffer with them.

 

A much better proflie for line handling and walking about around, I'd always choose them over mushrooms, but, mushrooms would not stop me buying a boat.

 

I have 2 on the saloon roof and 2 of the forward cabin roof / deck on my cruiser, and despite having seas breaking over the bow they have not (yet) let water in.

 

 

 

 

 

CAM00012.jpg

 

Thanks. I imagine it would be easy enough to change from one to the other or back again.

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Thanks everybody great help an tons of ideas. From a safety point of view I've always used two centre ropes but even with only mushrooms you can still get them tied up if your as clumsy as me., that was my real fear.  We do tend to do long distances in a short time which bucks the canal ideal, but commitments and life always seems to get in the way, there is so much to see!

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On 29/04/2022 at 20:00, blackrose said:

 

I'm not sure if it's a fail or just an advisory? This is probably out of date by now as it's from the BSS essential guide 2nd edition.

Screenshot_2022-04-29-19-57-59-275_com.google.android.apps.docs.jpg

Screenshot_2022-04-29-19-58-11-986_com.google.android.apps.docs.jpg

Screenshot_2022-04-29-19-58-19-500_com.google.android.apps.docs.jpg

Yes, obviously. 

 

I was asking which one out of that lot the examiner said it failed to comply with. 

 

 

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Think it would have been the operating efficiently (yellow flame poor combustion) , which by this is advisable. As a ex BT guy who was used to checking my guys could gas test and ensuring they knew the three types we encountered.  Especially as we had an airport on our patch where mox testing was an issue, I may be a little bit paranoid.  The morco flue top is smaller diameter than the mushroom the top of which unscrews easily think I can get away with a 110 to 100 flu reducer which should fit over the inner of the mushroom and then take the morco flu top. Just need to modify the reducer slightly so the flue is vertical not at some silly angle and the whole new section can be removed for tight bridges tunnels etc and the mushroom top re inserted for water protection. 

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On 01/05/2022 at 21:20, MtB said:

Yes, obviously. 

 

I was asking which one out of that lot the examiner said it failed to comply with. 

 

 

 

Yes obviously. We all know what you were asking. I just posted for the OP's benefit as it may have been an advisory rather than a fail.

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks again everyone I have just had the BSS guy and the flue worked great passed a smoke test ( the morco water heater failed still a yellow flame and I got a don't use slapped on it, but after fitting a new burner the best blue flame I've ever had out of the beast appeared)1789550176_max0003.jpg.2bcec09e5d8d7a0fb73b192daff6a8d6.jpg

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And I reckon that there is a very good chance that if you were to revert from the custom Morco vent back to the "mushroom" that you would still have a clean burn with a good blue flame.

On a previous boat, owned for about 10 years, we only ever had a mushroom vent covering the flue outlet, and it passed 3 consecutive BSS examination without it ever getting a mention.

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2 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

And I reckon that there is a very good chance that if you were to revert from the custom Morco vent back to the "mushroom" that you would still have a clean burn with a good blue flame.

On a previous boat, owned for about 10 years, we only ever had a mushroom vent covering the flue outlet, and it passed 3 consecutive BSS examination without it ever getting a mention.

 

 

Until a few years ago there was a special non-closing brass mushroom available (from Davey IIRC), designed specifically for use as a flue terminal. I've fitted them to every boat I've ever owned except the last two, when it ceased to be available. I'd expect any ordinary closeable mushroom vent used as a flue terminal to be an instant fail. 

 

I also suggest that the OP would probably have got their nice blue flame back had they just run the old burner assembly through a dishwasher.

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25 minutes ago, MtB said:

I'd expect any ordinary closeable mushroom vent used as a flue terminal to be an instant fail. 

 

I doubt that as long as you spun  a few nuts up the thread, so it was impossible to screw it right down. Certainly the Thames Conservancy was happy with that in the day. I would probably solder the last one up so none could be taken off easily.

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Or drill across the nut and thread and knock a roll pin in there. 

 

That would lock it open nicely but be convertible back to closeable if needed in future by punching out the pin.

 

 

 

 

Edited by magnetman
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9 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I doubt that as long as you spun  a few nuts up the thread, so it was impossible to screw it right down.

 

 

In which case it ceases to be the "ordinary closeable mushroom vent" I suggested would be a fail.

 

 

 

 

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