Is my calorifier working correctly?

[Mark Edwards]

Hello all.

 

 

I'm very new to narrowboats, and recently purchased my first, please excuse my ignorance. On my boat the only supply of hot water is from a calorifier which works great while out cruising. If, however, I try to use it only at the mooring I get very slightly warm water.

 

 

My boat has a Vetus M3.10 engine, which on the mooring I've ran for some time at normal cruise RPM, but in neutral, to get the engine to a normal cruise temperature. But, I still get slightly warm water.

 

 

Is this normal or do i have a problem?

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

Mark.

 

[smileypete]

Hello all.

 

 

I'm very new to narrowboats, and recently purchased my first, please excuse my ignorance. On my boat the only supply of hot water is from a calorifier which works great while out cruising. If, however, I try to use it only at the mooring I get very slightly warm water.

 

 

My boat has a Vetus M3.10 engine, which on the mooring I've ran for some time at normal cruise RPM, but in neutral, to get the engine to a normal cruise temperature. But, I still get slightly warm water.

 

Could be the thermostat is stuck slightly open or possibly an airlock.

 

When it's working OK, the hose to the calorifier coil should heat up well before the hose to the skin tank gets warm.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Mark Edwards]

Thank you smileypete.

 

It's booked in for an engine service soon, so I'll ask if thay can have a look at it too.

 

Thanks

 

Mark.

[Alan Saunders]

My Vetus M3.10 is connected by a metre or so of 15mm plastic pipe to a small calorifier. Running the engine at 1200 rpm, ideal for battery charging and most canal cruising, produces scalding hot (>60C) water after 30 minutes; sufficient for two short showers.

 

My M3.10 is indirectly cooled and like recent cars the heater (calorifier) is plumbed into the thermostat bypass circuit which may delay engine warm-up but provides almost instant heat.

 

HTH, Alan

[Mark Edwards]

Thanks Alan for the reply.

 

Do you know of any reason why I don't get hot water while at the mooring, but do while crusing?

 

Mark,

[David Mack]

Because when your engine is running unloaded at the mooring it is doing much less work, and so transferring much less heat to the cooling water.

Edited October 12, 2014 by David Mack

[Mark Edwards]

Thanks David,

 

That does make sense.

 

Mark.

[MtB]

 

My boat has a Vetus M3.10 engine, which on the mooring I've ran for some time at normal cruise RPM, but in neutral, to get the engine to a normal cruise temperature. But, I still get slightly warm water.

 

 

Is this normal or do i have a problem?

 

I dunno about your calorifier, but you won't be necessarily making yourself overly popular with your neighbours if you keep doing this...

 

Just sayin'...

 

 

MtB

[Mark Edwards]

 

I dunno about your calorifier, but you won't be necessarily making yourself overly popular with your neighbours if you keep doing this...

 

Just sayin'...

 

 

MtB

 

Hi Mike,

 

I've only done that once, on Sat. My neighbour was away having a boat safety cert, and I checked that none of the boats near me were occupied. I had been on the boat doing a little DIY and needed some hot water. Normally I take the boat out, but as no one was arround I thought I'd say put. But ended up having to got after all to get the water hot.

 

Mark.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Mark Edwards

[nicknorman]

Certainly running the engine in neutral should heat the calorifier water in 20 mins or so - at least the top portion, so very hot water comes out of the tap for a while at least. That it doesn't, when run at the same rpm that, when in gear does heat the calorifier, suggests the engine is just not warming up, rather than an airlock or weak circulation pump. Thermostat, as previously suggested, is a likely cause. You can check this by feeling the pipes to the calorifier and skin tank after running the engine in neutral for 10 mins or so. The calorifier pipe should be very hot, the skin tank one probably not. But if they are both just warm, the thermostat is either stuck or non-existent.

 

Quite a lot of narrowboats are fitted with inadequately-sized skin tanks that can result in overheating when operating at high power. Possibly someone thought that removing the thermostat would help the cooling. It won't, although with a cool engine you would get a bit longer at high power before the overheating sets in. However if the engine runs cool at light loads this is very bad for it, so best check the thermostat asap.

Edited October 12, 2014 by nicknorman

[MtB]

Certainly running the engine in neutral should heat the calorifier water in 20 mins or so - at least the top portion, so very hot water comes out of the tap for a while at least. That it doesn't, when run at the same rpm that, when in gear does heat the calorifier, suggests the engine is just not warming up, rather than an airlock or weak circulation pump. Thermostat, as previously suggested, is a likely cause.

 

I'd go further and say this evidence proves the thermostat is not performing it's task. It is probable the thermostat itself is jammed in the OPEN position or missing, but other reasons cold be the engine is piped up wrongly or, errr... can't think of any other reasons

 

 

 

 

Hi Mike,

 

I've only done that once, on Sat. My neighbour was away having a boat safety cert, and I checked that none of the boats near me were occupied. I had been on the boat doing a little DIY and needed some hot water. Normally I take the boat out, but as no one was arround I thought I'd say put. But ended up having to got after all to get the water hot.

 

Mark.

 

Ah good!

 

I just didn't want you to be or become one of those infuriating boaters who think its fine to run their engine indiscriminately near other boaters during the daytime.

 

 

 

MtB

[Mark Edwards]

 

I'd go further and say this evidence proves the thermostat is not performing it's task. It is probable the thermostat itself is jammed in the OPEN position or missing, but other reasons cold be the engine is piped up wrongly or, errr... can't think of any other reasons

 

 

 

 

Ah good!

 

I just didn't want you to be or become one of those infuriating boaters who think its fine to run their engine indiscriminately near other boaters during the daytime.

 

 

 

MtB

 

Thanks MtB

 

When I first got the boat I would ask anyone near if it's OK to run the engine for a while.

 

Thanks for the help, as I have the boat in for an engine service next week I'll ask if they can check the calorifier / water heating out too.

 

Mark.

[nicknorman]

Thanks MtB

 

When I first got the boat I would ask anyone near if it's OK to run the engine for a while.

 

Thanks for the help, as I have the boat in for an engine service next week I'll ask if they can check the calorifier / water heating out too.

 

Mark.

I think we're getting an "I don't want to touch it" vibe which is quite understandable if you are not an engine chap. However owning a boat is not really like owning a car, they tend to need more tinkering and if you call an engineer out each time it is going to get costly!

 

Could I suggest that you try to get to grips with basic maintenance eg by doing a maintenance course (I believe RCR do them, amongst others). For example to check the thermostat probably involves just removing a couple of bolts and lifting the cover off. It would take me 10 mins to check mine, and 5 of those mins would be getting the spanner and gaining access to the engine. It is really not difficult but all about confidence and having done it, or seen it done, before.

 

Apart from anything else, when you work on your own engine you take pride and care. When a "professional" does it, sometimes it can be a matter of how quickly they can collect your cash and go on to the next job.

[Rickent]

I think we're getting an "I don't want to touch it" vibe which is quite understandable if you are not an engine chap. However owning a boat is not really like owning a car, they tend to need more tinkering and if you call an engineer out each time it is going to get costly!

 

Could I suggest that you try to get to grips with basic maintenance eg by doing a maintenance course (I believe RCR do them, amongst others). For example to check the thermostat probably involves just removing a couple of bolts and lifting the cover off. It would take me 10 mins to check mine, and 5 of those mins would be getting the spanner and gaining access to the engine. It is really not difficult but all about confidence and having done it, or seen it done, before.

 

Apart from anything else, when you work on your own engine you take pride and care. When a "professional" does it, sometimes it can be a matter of how quickly they can collect your cash and go on to the next job.

 

 

 

 

totally agree with this. I am looking for a boat at the moment and know very little about boat engines but in the many years of car ownership I have never taken one to a garage , I have done every job myself from simple things to head gaskets and big end bearings. Over the years I have saved a fortune.

It really is a confidence thing but sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and dive in.

[Mark Edwards]

I think we're getting an "I don't want to touch it" vibe which is quite understandable if you are not an engine chap. However owning a boat is not really like owning a car, they tend to need more tinkering and if you call an engineer out each time it is going to get costly!

 

Could I suggest that you try to get to grips with basic maintenance eg by doing a maintenance course (I believe RCR do them, amongst others). For example to check the thermostat probably involves just removing a couple of bolts and lifting the cover off. It would take me 10 mins to check mine, and 5 of those mins would be getting the spanner and gaining access to the engine. It is really not difficult but all about confidence and having done it, or seen it done, before.

 

Apart from anything else, when you work on your own engine you take pride and care. When a "professional" does it, sometimes it can be a matter of how quickly they can collect your cash and go on to the next job.

 

At the moment, I totally agree. But it's mostly a confidence problem. I don't want to make a simple problem even worse, or go messing around with someting, breaking it and the repair costing a fortune. As I previously said, I'm very new to the narrowboat world, but loving it, and will learn more as I go on. However, I will look into a maintance course, that sounds interesting.