Winterisation but regular weekend use......

[Matt&Jo]

Hi all, 

So me and jo do not live aboard just yet but we will do fingers crossed as of march...next year.

So we spend most weekends up on the boat and as winter sets in what winterisation is a must and what is difficult as regular winter users.....regular use being staying on it in the marina not travelling the cut.

Any tips for us here guys as ive never winterised a narrowboat before

[mrsmelly]

Just now, Matt&Jo said:

Hi all, 

So me and jo do not live aboard just yet but we will do fingers crossed as of march...next year.

So we spend most weekends up on the boat and as winter sets in what winterisation is a must and what is difficult as regular winter users.....regular use being staying on it in the marina not travelling the cut.

Any tips for us here guys as ive never winterised a narrowboat before

If your engine is watercooled just ensure its got the correct anti freeze levels. If you are on hook up leave a couple of oil filled rads on a low setting. I also leave my webasto on a timer to come on an hour evening and morning when I leave the boat for overnight or longer. When I say low setting I have my oil rads at about 8 degrees. 

[rusty69]

Check antifreeze strength in heating system and engine cooling circuit.

 

If you have a calorifier, consider draining it down or taking measures to prevent it freezing with use of shore power.Same with instantaneous gas heater if you have one.

 

Drain fresh water pipes on leaving the boat

 

Put cat out.....

 

[Matt&Jo]

Okay so water first......isolate the water supply into the boat and turn on a tap yes.....drain that water then switch off the pump......is that correct? 

 

Drain down the calorifier that does not sound a simple task or is it simple really? Its under our bed. Is this a manual drain down from a valve on it etc or will it drain when we run the tap and isolate the supply......sorry for the dumb questions

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, Matt&Jo said:

Okay so water first......isolate the water supply into the boat and turn on a tap yes.....drain that water then switch off the pump......is that correct? 

 

Drain down the calorifier that does not sound a simple task or is it simple really? Its under our bed. Is this a manual drain down from a valve on it etc or will it drain when we run the tap and isolate the supply......sorry for the dumb questions

Dont listen to Rusty hes a nutter. Leave some oil rads on low with cupboard doors open. Cauliflower will not freeze. Turn water pump off then just crack a tap to release water pressure. If you dont have hook up let us know.

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Dont listen to Rusty hes a nutter. Leave some oil rads on low with cupboard doors open. Cauliflower will not freeze. Turn water pump off then just crack a tap to release water pressure. If you dont have hook up let us know.

What appens if the electric goes off?

[Matt&Jo]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Dont listen to Rusty hes a nutter. Leave some oil rads on low with cupboard doors open. Cauliflower will not freeze. Turn water pump off then just crack a tap to release water pressure. If you dont have hook up let us know.

Thanks bud your a star. We have hook up and some little oil filled rads. So 2 rads should be fine and yep sure have got hook up but 6amp only ? thats got im gunna trip written all over it lol

[rusty69]

21 minutes ago, Matt&Jo said:

Drain down the calorifier that does not sound a simple task or is it simple really? Its under our bed. Is this a manual drain down from a valve on it etc or will it drain when we run the tap and isolate the supply......sorry for the dumb questions

No. to be honest, its not a 5 min job, and doesn't involve just opening a tap after isolating the supply. If you intend to make use of the boat during winter,and it has a shore power connection you can rely on, then heating the boat on low is probably a better option.

 

You could install a device to alert you if the power goes off (see recent thread).

Edited November 1, 2018 by rusty69

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Matt&Jo said:

Thanks bud your a star. We have hook up and some little oil filled rads. So 2 rads should be fine and yep sure have got hook up but 6amp only ? thats got im gunna trip written all over it lol

You should have listened to Rusty ? 6 amps is hopeless, I remember now from one of your previous threads. How far away from the boat do you live?

[Alan de Enfield]

We have two tubular greenhouse heaters in the engine room (which is below the saloon). These are on timers (rather than thermostats) so are maybe on when not needed.

 

Have one on most of the day, the other one most of the night with both on for a couple of hours dawn and dusk. Cost works out at £0.90 per day. so around £100 for the whole of Winter. Its not worth the hassle of draining down the systems when we know we are going to visit regularly,

The cauliflower is in the engine room and remains 'full'.

I turn of the cold water supply, open all taps and showers let them run dry. Turn off the pump.

Shower heads are taken off the hoses and hoses and shower heads laid in the bottom of the shower.

 

Takes a couple of minutes to re-activate the cold water system.

 

Edit :

 

having seen you only have 6 amps - oil filled radiators are not going to work for you, in cold weather they will be running continuously and even 2x 1000 watts will trip you bollard.

Go for greenhouse heaters and leave them on "continuously" and you'll only be drawing less than an amp. (2x 100w heaters)

The heat is retained during the day and 'topped up' at night (in the coldest part of the day)

 

It works for us.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You should have listened to Rusty ? 6 amps is hopeless, I remember now from one of your previous threads. How far away from the boat do you live?

Probably enough for an electric blanket round the calorifierOr stick a duvet round it.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by rusty69

[Boater Sam]

Light bulbs, the filament type. A few 100w ones in strategic places will prevent freezing.

[system 4-50]

5 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Light bulbs, the filament type. A few 100w ones in strategic places will prevent freezing.

Strategic places is right.  An incorrectly placed one can create a draught cycle that can leave the bottom of the cycle colder than with no heater.

[Momac]

I have the domestic water drained off. As said pay attention to clearing water from shower heads. A shower head is my only loss to frost in the last 10 years of boating.

I have small thermostatically controlled frost protection heater near the calorifier and  a tube heater  set to cut in at 5 degrees in the engine bay.

I have Meaco dd8L dehumidifier  that is run as and when required . I live not far from the boat so can set this to run as often as I please.

We have some 5 litre containers for drinking water , (which we use all year round). The only time this lets us down is if the mains water on the pontoon is frozen solid.

If we wanted to refill the water tank and get  the domestic water system up and running it is not a big job. 

By the way an electric blanket is a must have !

[Momac]

32 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

What appens if the electric goes off?

if that appens   Eclectic  stuff stops working

[Momac]

23 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Light bulbs, the filament type. A few 100w ones in strategic places will prevent freezing.

And surprisingly they are still available for non domestic use

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LSGLS100BC.html?source=adwords&ad_position=1o2&ad_id=45425533757&placement=&kw=&network=g&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=LSGLS100BC&product_partition_id=505714787007&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=CjwKCAjwyOreBRAYEiwAR2mSktBVE_Yp-HLK-R8L2-1pWkVQYAG7k2x-NVnFu8MkJ6ynmiN073njPhoCAMYQAvD_BwE

 

[mrsmelly]

20 minutes ago, MartynG said:

And surprisingly they are still available for non domestic use

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LSGLS100BC.html?source=adwords&ad_position=1o2&ad_id=45425533757&placement=&kw=&network=g&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=LSGLS100BC&product_partition_id=505714787007&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=CjwKCAjwyOreBRAYEiwAR2mSktBVE_Yp-HLK-R8L2-1pWkVQYAG7k2x-NVnFu8MkJ6ynmiN073njPhoCAMYQAvD_BwE

 

Proper lighting so ya can see what yer doin  Ive snaffled a bloomin great box full from my old mums just in case I am ever unfortunate enough to have to live in a house again.

[rusty69]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

Proper lighting so ya can see what yer doin  Ive snaffled a bloomin great box full from my old mums just in case I am ever unfortunate enough to have to live in a house again.

Oh dear smelly. Thoughts of lithium batteries and/or three bed semis in the suburbs. the dark side has you it in its filthy clutches now........

[philjw]

If you have one, drain the washing machine by removing the cover for the filter. Again if you have one, drain the fresh water filter at the sink - I don't mean the one at the pump - but a secondary filter such as a Seagull that is used to take out any nasties from the drinking water.  There will only be a thin layer of water between the housing and the element and being placed high in the boat these are vulnerable to the cold.
I do empty the calorifier using an electric pump and a hose out of the port hole but I fitted a drain cock for the purpose when I replaced the calorifier. Given the level of insulation on the tank I do wonder if it is worthwhile.

[rusty69]

17 minutes ago, philjw said:

Given the level of insulation on the tank I do wonder if it is worthwhile.

A boat I have an interest has never had the calorifier drained down , and hasn't for the last 16 years without problem , through some pretty cold winters- unheated.

 

Not suggesting the OP doesn't consider options though.

Edited November 1, 2018 by rusty69

[Nick D]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

If you are on hook up leave a couple of oil filled rads on a low setting.  When I say low setting I have my oil rads at about 8 degrees. 

Are these any particular type of oil filled rads?  I seem to remeber reading in my insurance documents that only heaters specified for this purpose (i.e. Frost protection) should be used.

[GUMPY]

Two of these

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/freestanding-oil-filled-radiator-500w/8833P?tc=IB6&ds_kid=92700020953276094&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=CjwKCAjwyOreBRAYEiwAR2mSklkloUjBAwUso1pah41_fFhyWJvb4871WYS2yaZu6wYrBSTNvCebgxoCs98QAvD_BwE

 

Will run on a 6amp supply.

My plan for this winter as we are not on the boat full time is to turn off water pump, open taps and leave two similar rads (700w) on a stat set at 7deg one in the engine area one in the kitchen area. Will only be on if forecast is below freezing for a couple of days as it takes at least 3 days before a boats water system freezes

[system 4-50]

My boat gets cold a lot faster since I installed my Morco.  The wind howls up it.  Last winter I stuffed it full of celotex which is ok as long as I remember to take it out again.

[bizzard]

Leave the fridge door ajar to ventilate it or it'll stink.

[mrsmelly]

40 minutes ago, Nick D said:

Are these any particular type of oil filled rads?  I seem to remeber reading in my insurance documents that only heaters specified for this purpose (i.e. Frost protection) should be used.

You are probably right, ive never checked my insurance re this.