What is the best power set up for a live aboard

[Adam]

Hya what is the best power layout for a liveaboard but going to be taken out on weekend ????

[chris w]

Your question is somewhat ambiguous IMHO. Can you explain your thoughts in a little more detail?

 

Chris

[Adam]

Your question is somewhat ambiguous IMHO. Can you explain your thoughts in a little more detail?

 

Chris

 

well i am fitting out a 60 ft narrowboat and using it on weekends for the next few years then going as a liveaboard but i would still take it out on the weekends i was thinkin i wante dpower on the move and when i am parked up on the weekend but when i am on a residential i should get a shore line shudnt i?

[Keith Lodge]

If you have a residential mooring supplying mains electricity by a landline then this will be you main source of power, with this you can power all you will need on a boat.

 

Whilst on the move you have a number of different options. Your main source of power will be from your engine and will be derived from a 12V alternator. This power will be stored in batteries, this being a similar setup to any car. However you can derive 240v AC from the 12v Dc using an inverter, the size of which is determined by your power requirement for appliances in kilowatts. If a single inverter is not sufficent for your power requirements, they can be multipled to increase their power output, however any power taken from the batteries by the inverter has to be replaced by running the engine to charge them, the more you use the more you will have to run the engine to put it back in. If your power requirement whilst away from your mooring is high, you can have a 240v AC generator fitted in the engine room if there is space, which mostly start from about 4.5kwatts upwards.

 

A lot depends on your engine choice and the output size of the alternator. Although you can get pretty large output alterantors these days, it can be more efficient to run a generator to power your large mains appliances, thus avoiding lengthy periods of running your engine to recharge batteries. Always bear in mind that any engine or generator running is noisey and there are rules about running them between certain hours of the day. You might be comfortable and able to afford to run your engine for 8 hours whilst moored up, but will other boat users and neighbouring canalside households be as happy with the noise?

 

One good rule of thumb is to try to install as much 12v DC equipment as possible, such as tv's etc. as running them directly from 12v DC is more economical than running 240v AC equivents through an inverter, as an inverter uses power to generator AC power, and the losses are quite high. A lot of electrical equipment these days requires a 12v DC input and is supplied with a plugtop or inline transformer to convert from 240v AC. Such equipment is usually marked at the power input socket as to the power supply required. For example, most boat owners install a car stereo as these work off 12v DC. However some items like hair driers although available as 12v DC work are not a patch on 240v AC models. However be aware that some appliances such as microwaves may advertise that they are 12v DC operating, but they are in fact 240v AC with their own built in inverter, but these cost way more that the 240v AC equivelent.

 

Also bear in mind that any 12v DC power you use from the batteries has to be replaced, either by running the engine or generator (if you have a combined invertor/charger or seperate charger the generator will charge the batteries), each use diesel which costs money, and will cost more in the near future as we are losing the cheaper diesel we have had up till now for canal boats. Also the more you have to run either the more wear they receive.

 

Also when selecting electrical appliances look for those that use the least power in kwatts, for example washing machines, not only consider the power consumption in kwatts, but also how much water they take, after all the water has to come from your water tank, and you have to fill that!

 

Many salesmen will tell you that you can install and use any electrical appliances and equipment on a narrowboat, which is true, but they don't have to pay for the diesel to power them!!

 

You may find more useful information from our website which covers the building of our new working narrowboat 'Hadar', which has it's own very unique set of requirements, which is explained at the various stages of the build, but you may find some valuable info there. You can find our site at www.hadar.org.uk