What type of water heater is this??

[alan_fincher]

With my ex-hire fleet engineer's hat on I can see exactly why customers would be told that, even if it were not exactly true. Lack of hot water only inconveniences the customer, flat domestic batteries means a call out and possibly lugging batteries across fields and down towpaths so you need something to maximise the engine running time. What easier than to tell the customer that the engine heats the hot water.

Yes,

 

I agree with you.

 

I think it's likely some or all of those hire companies are being "economical with the truth.

 

I suspect inspection of the Ashby boat would show a fully plumbed in two coil calorifier.

[Guest]

Yes,

 

I agree with you.

 

I think it's likely some or all of those hire companies are being "economical with the truth.

 

I suspect inspection of the Ashby boat would show a fully plumbed in two coil calorifier.

 

Then if that was correct-

 

In November when we hired the Ashby boat why was the water only tepid/verging on cold on a morning even when the central heating was on full all night due to the ambient outside temp. You will remmeber Nov was very cold and windy last year. This was obviously residual heat only from the engine running the day before.

 

It was only ever hot enough for a shower if the engine was ran for at least 15-20 mins., cold morning showers never bothered me that much but Jan used to wait until we’d been underway at least 15-20 mins before the water was hot enough. If I wanted a hot shower I just adjusted my routine and showered late afternoon or on an evening, after we moored for the day/night.

 

If as you say the water should be heated by the central boiler I can only surmise that there must be a way of disabling or diverting the flow through the second coil in the calorfier, if the boat(s) did indeed have one, if not, the water would have been hot enough on a morning, after the heating had been on all night. Would a builder/fitter go to such trouble??

 

However I certainly have no reason to believe that any of the companies would be being ‘economical with the truth’ as you suggest aside from the suggestion above about battery flattening - Ashby Boats in particularly are in our experience an exemplary company to deal with as were Summercraft before them – but as already said Summercraft boats systems were different anyway..

 

Any way the fact is whatever the reason the water was only ever hot with the engine running I can live with it for a week or 2 – living aboard our own boat for an extended period would likely be a different experience and produce a different requirement.

 

 

With my ex-hire fleet engineer's hat on I can see exactly why customers would be told that, even if it were not exactly true. Lack of hot water only inconveniences the customer, flat domestic batteries means a call out and possibly lugging batteries across fields and down towpaths so you need something to maximise the engine running time. What easier than to tell the customer that the engine heats the hot water.

 

I well remember how, when we hired from Stroudwater Cruisers, the hand over chap questioned us closely on where we intended to go, When I asked why all this interest it transpired a customer had hired the boat the week before and just moved up the cut to a very close pub where they stayed for a week with very little engine running - busy battery lugging week.

 

Hi Tony,

 

Please see my reply to Alan,

 

in summary

 

So why didn't the central heating being on all night have the water ready for us the next morning??

[RLWP]

To add more to this, Alvechurch boats have a twin coil calorifier heated by the engine and the boiler.

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

It is possible that some hire companies have for whatever reason decided to either not plumb the calorifier into the central heating, or have done so, but left it disabled.

 

I can only guess at their reasons. It could be as Tony suggests to make sure the engine gets run, and batteries don't go flat. I would suggest that to some extent, whether it's sensible rather depends on whether they are including the diesel in the hire charge, or making you pay for actual amount used.

 

Ultimately most of these companies sell their hire boats on for private use, and a private buyer would expect to be able to heat water other than by running the engine. It would be an odd choice to build a modern day boat where that possibility had not been included, I still believe, and the boat would be less marketable if the facility didn't either exist, or couldn't quickly be enabled.

 

I still suggest you ask them their reasons for not doing it - it would be interesting to hear what they say.

[Tony Brooks]

Then if that was correct-

 

In November when we hired the Ashby boat why was the water only tepid/verging on cold on a morning even when the central heating was on full all night due to the ambient outside temp. You will remmeber Nov was very cold and windy last year. This was obviously residual heat only from the engine running the day before.

 

It was only ever hot enough for a shower if the engine was ran for at least 15-20 mins., cold morning showers never bothered me that much but Jan used to wait until we’d been underway at least 15-20 mins before the water was hot enough. If I wanted a hot shower I just adjusted my routine and showered late afternoon or on an evening, after we moored for the day/night.

 

If as you say the water should be heated by the central boiler I can only surmise that there must be a way of disabling or diverting the flow through the second coil in the calorfier, if the boat(s) did indeed have one, if not, the water would have been hot enough on a morning, after the heating had been on all night. Would a builder/fitter go to such trouble??

 

However I certainly have no reason to believe that any of the companies would be being ‘economical with the truth’ as you suggest aside from the suggestion above about battery flattening - Ashby Boats in particularly are in our experience an exemplary company to deal with as were Summercraft before them – but as already said Summercraft boats systems were different anyway..

 

Any way the fact is whatever the reason the water was only ever hot with the engine running I can live with it for a week or 2 – living aboard our own boat for an extended period would likely be a different experience and produce a different requirement.

 

 

 

 

Hi Tony,

 

Please see my reply to Alan,

 

in summary

 

So why didn't the central heating being on all night have the water ready for us the next morning??

 

 

If what you say is true then obviously the central heating was not heating the calorifier. As to why we can only guess. I simply put forward an explanation as to why customers might be caused to believe they had to run the engine to get hot water.

 

I have long since given up trying to find any logic in boat builders work (for instance from another thread about water heating it looks as if someone is possibly building boats in breach of regulation). For the extra cost I do not understand why the central heating and calorifier are not linked but from what you say they appear not to be. There still may be a valve somewhere or its possible that the central heating coil is air locked. Its even possible that the way the plumbing has been installed its difficult to bleed the central heating coil. We have no way of knowing unless Ashby Boats pop up and explain.

[Guest]

We have no way of knowing unless Ashby Boats pop up and explain.

 

Or indeed one of the several other companies who do the same - reading through the other thread I started on this subject it seems it's not an uncommon scenario.

Edited January 29, 2010 by MJG