The Cat's Corner

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, alias said:

Quite correct, thanks.

There may be a sign at the bottom of the locks, I am not sure 

[alias]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

There may be a sign at the bottom of the locks, I am not sure 

 

I emptied a cassette there and had to pass some artisans tiling a roof. One asked what I was carrying - once I had started to evacuate the cassette they realised and evacuated the area.

 

Not sure what the new hut is, perhaps a toilet for volunteers?

 

Incidentally many of the new vandal resistant Elsans lack a suitably hosed water supply to allow rinsing, and also washing down splashes that the flush didn't get...

[TheShipsCat]

One of the radiators clearly needs bleeding.  The bleeding procedure itself has been described to me but details...

The head tank for the coolant loop is empty.  Here is the had tank:

Under it is a valve, closed.

This is the liquid product I found on the boat:

 

What is the sequence of filling the tank, opening and closing the valve, and bleeding the radiator?  And do I dilute this "ready mixed" antifreeze?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18 by TheShipsCat

[TheShipsCat]

On 18/05/2026 at 08:46, TheShipsCat said:

One of the radiators clearly needs bleeding.  The bleeding procedure itself has been described to me but details...

The head tank for the coolant loop is empty.  Here is the had tank:

Under it is a valve, closed.

This is the liquid product I found on the boat:

 

What is the sequence of filling the tank, opening and closing the valve, and bleeding the radiator?  And do I dilute this "ready mixed" antifreeze?

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, the valve under the head tank isn't a shut-off valve, it's a filler valve from the water system.  Now I get it.

[Stroudwater1]

On 17/05/2026 at 18:03, alias said:

 

 

Incidentally many of the new vandal resistant Elsans lack a suitably hosed water supply to allow rinsing, and also washing down splashes that the flush didn't get...

Im afraid it’s no longer allowed, something to do with a perceived risk of water from Elsan contents sucking back through a tap that’s closed into other water pipes. So instead Elsan contents are left to spread disease.
 

A more likely outcome anyone but a legislator would think. 
 

Fortunately some boat clubs and kind people elsewhere put them back on but it’s not allowed. Same I think at some water points where hosepipes existed especially on the Thames. 

[TheShipsCat]

Does anybody else have a HeatMiser on their Webasto and hates it?  I have seen many horrible user interfaces, but IMO this one is an Olympic contender.

 

(Note that this is not an honest question, just a burst of grousing.)

Edited May 21 by TheShipsCat

[MtB]

1 hour ago, TheShipsCat said:

 

OK, the valve under the head tank isn't a shut-off valve, it's a filler valve from the water system.  Now I get it.

 

None of us do though I'm afraid, which is why you've not had an avalanche of replies and advice. 

 

A pic of a header tank with all its surrounding pipework circuitry concealed with woodwork is hard to decipher. All boats are different, albeit with some common themes often used. Similarly with the valve. Without being able to see the pipe it is in, along with were it comes from and where it goes, about all anyone can say is it was made by SpeedFit about 20 years ago. Possibly. 

 

P.S. What does your RCD manual (that should have come with the boat) say about the heating? Is there a circuit diagram? 

 

 

[TheShipsCat]

2 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

None of us do though I'm afraid, which is why you've not had an avalanche of replies and advice. 

 

A pic of a header tank with all its surrounding pipework circuitry concealed with woodwork is hard to decipher. All boats are different, albeit with some common themes often used. Similarly with the valve. Without being able to see the pipe it is in, along with were it comes from and where it goes, about all anyone can say is it was made by SpeedFit about 20 years ago. Possibly. 

Yes, snowflakes that narrowboats are.  I get it.  I had assumed the setup was common.

 

I needed to bleed out a big air pocket in one of my radiators, but I was concerned that the fluid had to come from somewhere.  My friend searched for and found the head tank, which was empty.  What I had to do and did was to add some antifreeze to the head tank, fill the rest with water by opening the pictured valve and feeling with a finger for when it was full, and then bleed the radiator with the circulation pump off.  All good now.  Rear of cabin is now getting full heat. 

[MtB]

1 minute ago, TheShipsCat said:

I had assumed the setup was common.

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

 

A rooky mistake..  

2 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

I needed to bleed out a big air pocket in one of my radiators, but I was concerned that the fluid had to come from somewhere.  My friend searched for and found the head tank, which was empty.  What I had to do and did was to add some antifreeze to the head tank, fill the rest with water by opening the pictured valve and feeling with a finger for when it was full, and then bleed the radiator with the circulation pump off.  All good now.  Rear of cabin is now getting full heat. 

 

Excellent news, well done. We are impressed. 

 

 

 

[TheShipsCat]

14 minutes ago, MtB said:

Excellent news, well done. We are impressed. 

Ya want impressive?  The reason I knew about the air pocket was from thermal imaging in the pre-purchase survey.

Top image is fully functioning radiator.  Bottom is the one I just bled.

[MtB]

Great images! 

 

Us professionals at this can tell though, without a thermal imaging camera, just by looking at a radiator. 

 

One can feel the radiant heat from a hot radiator on one's face from a distance, once one gets tuned into it. 

 

And if that fails, putting one's hand on the rad immediately removes any doubt! 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

Great images! 

 

Us professionals at this can tell though, without a thermal imaging camera, just by looking at a radiator. 

 

One can feel the radiant heat from a hot radiator on one's face from a distance, once one gets tuned into it. 

 

And if that fails, putting one's hand on the rad immediately removes any doubt! 

 

 

But you can't put your face on a piece of paper to give to the customer 😁

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But you can't put your face on a piece of paper to give to the customer 😁

 

True.

 

Nor can I tell if a radiator is hot by looking at a photograph of it, lol. 

 

 

[TheShipsCat]

8 hours ago, MtB said:

Us professionals at this can tell though, without a thermal imaging camera, just by looking at a radiator. 

Uh, yes, and I respect your experience, something on this subject I ain't got.  I understand that to you using thermal imaging to diagnose a radiator is like having a fancy instrument to tell you it's daylight outside.  But I have never lived with hydronic heating systems other than on narrowboats.  They are very much uncommon where I live, where most homes use forced air.  The difference between a warm and a hot radiator and why it would be that way... just doesn't occur to me naturally.  Without some kind of prompting I would have simply lived with the condition, wishing I was warmer.

[TheShipsCat]

A real and imminent question, what should I know about the Watford Staircase going up?  The only staircases I've traversed had lockies.  Running today, singlehanded.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

6 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

A real and imminent question, what should I know about the Watford Staircase going up?  The only staircases I've traversed had lockies.  Running today, singlehanded.

A good chance there will be vlockies on duty. If not, there will be a notice board with destructions for your efficacious edification. Basically, for any staircase set, going up, bottom chamber empty, ones above full. Empty each chamber in to the one below. Treat each chamber as you would any uphill lock for single handing. For most efficient water use, vlockies will often run three boats up, three down, for a three staircase. Have fun!

[TheShipsCat]

9 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A good chance there will be vlockies on duty. If not, there will be a board with destructions for your efficacious edification. Basically, for any staircase set, going up, bottom chamber empty, ones above full. Empty each chamber in to the one below. Treat each chamber as you would any uphill lock for single handing Have fun!

This would be a grand day to have volunteers on the staircase given the number of boats heading to Crick.  Fun, yes!

[LadyG]

12 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Im afraid it’s no longer allowed, something to do with a perceived risk of water from Elsan contents sucking back through a tap that’s closed into other water pipes. So instead Elsan contents are left to spread disease.
 

A more likely outcome anyone but a legislator would think. 
 

Fortunately some boat clubs and kind people elsewhere put them back on but it’s not allowed. Same I think at some water points where hosepipes existed especially on the Thames. 

There are fittings which stop contaminated water backing up in to clean mains, either way, I always run  water for two minutes before filling my water tank.

I have a supply of bottled water to drink rather than my own boat, stored, water.

PS 

I have been known to use a bucketfull of clean soapy water to rinse the elsan, 

Edited May 21 by LadyG

[MtB]

12 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Im afraid it’s no longer allowed, something to do with a perceived risk of water from Elsan contents sucking back through a tap that’s closed into other water pipes. So instead Elsan contents are left to spread disease.
 

A more likely outcome anyone but a legislator would think. 
 

Fortunately some boat clubs and kind people elsewhere put them back on but it’s not allowed. Same I think at some water points where hosepipes existed especially on the Thames. 

 

There are ways around it. 

 

The most obvious is to have a cistern (a tank and a float valve) filled from the mains water supply which in turn, supplies water to what plumbers know as a "pressure set", this being a water pump, pressure switch and expansion vessel (the same as in a boat!) to supply the Elsan rinsing hose. This provides the proper separation and backflow prevention required in the water regs.

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

32 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

There are ways around it. 

 

The most obvious is to have a cistern (a tank and a float valve) filled from the mains water supply which in turn, supplies water to what plumbers know as a "pressure set", this being a water pump, pressure switch and expansion vessel (the same as in a boat!) to supply the Elsan rinsing hose. This provides the proper separation and backflow prevention required in the water regs.

 

 

There are other ways round it.

 

More obvious to me would be to have what gardeners know as a "watering can"; this being an open topped container with a handle and a spout (the same as in a teapot!). Filled from a tap to supply water to rinse out a cassette. This provides the proper separation and backflow prevention required in the water regs. 😀

[MtB]

26 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

There are other ways round it.

 

More obvious to me would be to have what gardeners know as a "watering can"; this being an open topped container with a handle and a spout (the same as in a teapot!). Filled from a tap to supply water to rinse out a cassette. This provides the proper separation and backflow prevention required in the water regs. 😀

 

Sorry, just too simple and cheap. I thought every solution to non-problems these days has to cost twenty times as much as the old ways we used to do it. 

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

Sorry, just too simple and cheap. I thought every solution to non-problems these days has to cost twenty times as much as the old ways we used to do it. 

 

 

It's not a proper solution now without a 'phone app too. Where's your cassette rinsing gameified app? 

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It's not a proper solution now without a 'phone app too. Where's your cassette rinsing gameified app? 

 

I don't need one. I use my B&Q BlueTooth hose sprayer these days.

 

[Tony Brooks]

2 hours ago, TheShipsCat said:

A real and imminent question, what should I know about the Watford Staircase going up?  The only staircases I've traversed had lockies.  Running today, singlehanded.

 

Hope this is in time.

 

That flight is a bit odd, as is Foxton, in that you have two sets of paddles at one end, a white set and a red one. The rule is Red before white, you'l be all right, white before red gets you a smack in the head (and overflowing side pounds).

 

I am sure there is a notice explaining it and hopefully the lockie will look after you.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

14 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Hope this is in time.

 

That flight is a bit odd, as is Foxton, in that you have two sets of paddles at one end, a white set and a red one. The rule is Red before white, you'l be all right, white before red gets you a smack in the head (and overflowing side pounds).

 

I am sure there is a notice explaining it and hopefully the lockie will look after you.

The colour coded paddle paint and the rhyme were apparently the work of a long ago Foxton lock keeper. He would be the one administering the smack to the head, if you flooded the side pounds. 😀

Are the vlockies trained in administering head smacks to current CaRT health and safety standards?