Morso Squirrel & Backboiler advice needed

[kendo]

Dear Boaters.

 

We have a morso stove, with a backboiler, which heats piping and two radiators.

Turning the big red valve, the heating works fine. But there are a couple of things

i'm unsure of.

 

There's a red rocker switch above the valve, which illuminates when pressed. It doesn't

seem to actually do anything else. So i turned it off again. Is that right?

 

 

Completely unsure what the radiator cap with attached wires is doing tucked

away behind the stove. So I left it alone. Please can somebody advise..

 

 

Biggest concern is that the stove door won't close properly. It doesn't appear to be buckled, warped, or dangling

off kilter in any way. It just won't shut. Is the big bolt on the front for decoration only? Or does it move the chunky

pad on the inside of the door? It was too stiff to move with my hands. Are we looking at a new door? Or can this be fixed?

 

 

^^ This is as much as it closes.

 

Thankyou.

ken

 

edit: the glass is cracked, too. but we know that. cheers..

Edited December 13, 2009 by kendo

[grh]

"chunky bit " moved on its location screws on a friends boat, could not open the door............."big bolt on front" is for allowing air flow to keep door glass clear [if your lucky]....maybe this is fouling chunky bit ?.......other problem..no idea..looks complicated...................Graham

 

"chunky bit " moved on its location screws on a friends boat, could not open the door............."big bolt on front" is for allowing air flow to keep door glass clear [if your lucky]....maybe this is fouling chunky bit ?.......other problem..no idea..looks complicated...................Graham

................................pp...you will have to remove chunky to change the glass....

[Robbo]

My guess is that there's a pump that the "radiator" type valve and switch control, if the switch doesn't do anything when cold if you leave it on and once the temperature rises in the back boiler the pump will come on and move the water around.

[kendo]

"big bolt on front" is for allowing air flow to keep door glass clear [if your lucky]

ahh... thankyou.

 

....maybe this is fouling chunky bit ?

i wasn't aware that 'chunky bit' moved. one to investigate. thanks.

 

.......other problem..no idea..looks complicated...................

lol.... precisely.

 

cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

My guess is that there's a pump that the "radiator" type valve and switch control, if the switch doesn't do anything when cold if you leave it on and once the temperature rises in the back boiler the pump will come on and move the water around.

thanks Robbo. that sounds feasible. the piping send and return got hot without the switch on, but the rads were only lukewarm. i did flick the switch and leave it on for about an hour, while the stove was full on, but i didn't hear or notice any difference. I guess i will just have to be a little more patient and try again.

 

It's not dangerous to run it without the switch on, is it?

 

cheers.

Ken

[bottle]

Robbo's post and looking at the last picture the door lock is not engaged, lift black plastic knob, push door closed, push down on knob and the 'hook' behind should engage a horizontal bar, as you push down door will be pulled in tight.

 

When fitting new glass, you will be fitting a new glass won't you, check also the seals around the door and replace if a tight seal is not made.

[wonderdust]

As others have said the "chunky bit" is allegedly to keep the glass clean, sprayed with wd40 may get this working again. You do not need to remove it for glass replacement!

 

If the door is not closing properly there may be lots debris stuck to the fire rope preventing it from closing. See if this needs cleaning. Easily replaced with stove rope and rope adhesive.

 

If the fire works ok without the pump then it should be fine. If it starts banging and clanking the water is starting to boil so turn the pump on. If this happens think about fitting a pipe thermostat connected to the pump, then the pump will automatically switch when needed.

Edited December 13, 2009 by wonderdust

[Robbo]

thanks Robbo. that sounds feasible. the piping send and return got hot without the switch on, but the rads were only lukewarm. i did flick the switch and leave it on for about an hour, while the stove was full on, but i didn't hear or notice any difference. I guess i will just have to be a little more patient and try again.

 

It's not dangerous to run it without the switch on, is it?

 

It could be that the thermostat, pump and or switch are at fault if you can't hear the pump, I would locate the pump and check all the wiring, etc. Or it could be that the water didn't just got hot enough!

 

If the rads are gravity fed, (see this link for a few diagrams http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26906), it's okay to use stove without a pump, and all backboilers should have some gravity fed radiators. The pump will circulate the water through the radiators, so distribute the heat better than gravity fed alone.

[johnjo]

Completely unsure what the radiator cap with attached wires is doing.

I think that is a sensing thermostat that switches the circulating pump on once the water in the boiler reaches whatever temp it has been set to.

 

As Robbo said find and check the pump is working correctly, ours wasn't at first and could have been a disaster.

 

Also when replacing the rope seal around the glass, if it has a core running through it, remove it before fitting, I didn't and it took a while before reading a thread on here to find out why. Refitted without and all is fine.

 

Do replace the glass if it's cracked which it appears to be from the pic.

[wonderdust]

Completely unsure what the radiator cap with attached wires is doing.

I think that is a sensing thermostat that switches the circulating pump on once the water in the boiler reaches whatever temp it

 

I think that is the pump, a Bolin, which means if you do not hear it when you flick the switch there is a problem somewhere. They are quite pumps so hold it to see if it is working. Check to see if there is a voltage at the pump when the switch is on.

Edited December 13, 2009 by wonderdust

[Robbo]

I think that is the pump, a

 

They could be twins!

 

In that case, the switch looks just to turn the pump on/off then.

[kendo]

the door lock is not engaged, lift black plastic knob, push door closed,

push down on knob and the 'hook' behind should engage a horizontal bar, as you push down door

will be pulled in tight

nod.. but the locking bar doesn't make contact because the door won't close sufficiently.

 

sprayed with wd40 may get this working again

thanks for the tip.

 

there may be lots debris stuck to the fire rope preventing it from

closing. See if this needs cleaning. Easily replaced with stove rope and rope adhesive

that may well be it. the fire rope (which i didn't know existed) was hard and solidified. sounds

like it needs oiking out and replacing.

 

If it starts banging and clanking the water is starting to boil so turn

the pump on.

top tip. thanks. I did hear some 'glooping', but assumed it was water washing under the hull from

a passing boat. (as it didn't continue or go on for very long).

 

I think that is the pump, a Bolin, which means if you do not hear it

when you flick the switch there is a problem somewhere!

it does look remarkably similar. the only noise it made was a slight interference pulsing on the

radio. I'll be back on the boat dec 21st, armed with all these tips and things to check for.

 

yep, we'll definitely be replacing that glass.

 

thankyou.

much appreciated.

[johnjo]

They could be twins!

 

In that case, the switch looks just to turn the pump on/off then.

 

Well that's my theory out the door, , not seen one in situ before even though I'd heard & seen them in ads but hadn't realised just how small they are.

 

Might get one to fit on our new M/F. Will save a lot of space and extra pipework to accommodate the pump that our system uses at the moment.

[bottle]

nod.. but the locking bar doesn't make contact because the door won't close sufficiently.

 

Snip>>>

 

 

that may well be it. the fire rope (which i didn't know existed) was hard and solidified. sounds

like it needs oiking out and replacing.

 

 

Snip>>>>>>>>>>

 

That solves it then.

[Night Hawk]

I've got one of those Morso stoves...can't help with the plumbing gubbins but I did have a situation similar to yours with the door...cracked glass and door wouldn't shut properly.

 

To remove the four screws holding the glass in place took an age....easing oil and my kitchen blow-torch...and then drilled the screws out a bit...once I started drilling, they screws loosened.

 

With the glass out, I took an old screwdriver and hacked out the old fire rope from around the door...then with a wire brush cleared out the grove back to clean metal.

 

I ordered the replacement glass off t'internet along with a metre of the thinnest fire rope suitable, a small tub of fire rope cement, and four replacement screws for the glass. There wasn't a seal for the glass on this stove so I was told.

 

It took no time at all to put it all back together again...and then take everything apart again 'cause I forgot to 'grate black' the door...Once back together, the door was difficult shut but as the fire rope beds in, it should get easier....With my nice black door in place, I ended up blacking the rest of the stove as well....then realised that I should open a few windows when the stove was lit with the fumes rising off the black stuff!

 

Good luck with your project!

[wonderdust]

There wasn't a seal for the glass on this stove so I was told.

 

I would advise using a glass seal kit to prevent fumes escaping into the cabin!

[kendo]

hadn't realised just how small they are.

nod... no bigger than a radiator cap. seemed mighty small for a pump.

confusing for a noob like me. good job i didn't try and twist it with a spanner then.

 

Now i've got the general gist of what's going on, and know that it runs quietly

in operation, i'll get somebody better qualified than myself to check out it's

actually working and the voltages are good.

 

really appreciate people's input and advice.

cheers.

 

thanks for the glass changing tips too, Night Hawk.

nice one.

[wonderdust]

nod... no bigger than a radiator cap. seemed mighty small for a pump.

confusing for a noob like me. good job i didn't try and twist it with a spanner then.

 

Lucky for you cause they aint cheap!