Jump to content

blackrose

Member
  • Posts

    28,364
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    19

Everything posted by blackrose

  1. If they're single panel rads you could change them for double panel rads of the same size.
  2. More radiators? Out of interest why do you need to touch the radiators? Hot radiators shouldn't really be an issue, most people complain about the opposite problem. However, if your central heating system isn't large enough to dissipate the heat produced and the water goes back to the Webasto hot then that can cause problems because the unit will cycle down and not burn as efficiently and gradually it will get coked up. Is it a Webasto Thermotop C 5kW? Three radiators doesn't sound like a lot unless they are big double panel rads.
  3. Isn't another approach to proceed very gently at tickover to see if you clear any perceived obstruction, rather than ploughing though and potentially grounding? That's what I do if I'm unsure about the water depth or think there may be some underwater obstruction that I can't steer around. I've grounded the bow before but I was going so slowly that I didn't get stuck and it was possible to reverse off. I see so many narrow boaters who seem to think the solution to everything is more power and haven't learned to manoeuvre slowly.
  4. Because some of them aren't very well prepped and painted by the manufacturer or mariniser in the first place and the paint flakes off after several years. That's the case with mine anyway. As I said, the only real reason to repaint them would be for aesthetic reasons. As you can see from pictures in this thread, a nicely painted engine looks impressive.
  5. Thanks, I just need something simple to install that gives me a rough idea of how much mains is being used while I'm onboard. I don't need it to have WiFi or whatever. I'm have a look on eBay for something cheap.
  6. I was thinking about something with a clamp type sensor rather than something I have to physically connect to the mains ring. Does the Sonoff need to be connected?
  7. It only makes a difference to the aesthetic appearance, which is the idea I think. I don't really understand your glass cabinet comment. There's no practical need to paint an engine, but engine manufacturers seem to do it fairly regularly without supplying glass cabinets with them. There's also no real need to paint the inside of some dry engine rooms but they tend to look better painted.
  8. My old owl energy monitor has stopped working - the remote sensor is no longer sending a signal to the display. What's a good alternative with a decent display to see how many kW of power you're using at any one time? That's all I need it for. I don't need any of the other features. I found that the Owl goes through so many batteries that it would negate any cost savings made though the use of the meter. However I'm not really using it to save energy, but just to avoid tripping any breakers.
  9. Yes perhaps. I'll test it with my multimeter over the weekend.
  10. Mine could also do with a repaint. Doing it in-situ isn't an issue but I think the wiring loom and other bits will need to be removed before the old flaking paint and grime is cleaned off?
  11. I think there are a few others here who have the same GI. I know the status of mine is still within normal limits but I just wondered if others who have this GI see the same sorts of readings? I can't actually remember the brand, but I bought it from Aquafax and others who have the same GI will recognise it. I'm sure the needle on mine was just off centre and wasn't quite as far over to the right a few months ago.
  12. blackrose

    Lemons

    Misogynist! 🤣 Misandrist! 🤣
  13. Ok sorry, in that case ignore my post too!
  14. Jotun - Jotamastic 90. It's an epoxy paint which goes direct to bare steel, so it's effectively a primer. There are different grades of hardener and I'd recommend the (WG) winter grade harder if the boat is going to be out of the water for a limited time. It's also available with glass flake or aluminium for greater abrasion resistance and barrier properties. For example I painted mine with 2 coats of Jotamastic 90 aluminium followed by 2 coats of "standard" Jotamastic 90 black. The aluminium grade is also available in a silver and red tint so that you can see where you're painting subsequent coats. Download the technical data sheet from Google and follow the instructions including steel prep. Pay particular attention to mixing ratios and minimum & maximum overcoating times. Edit: SML have produced a mixing data sheet for Jotun epoxies which allows you to mix the paint by weight rather than by volume which is a lot easier. You just need a set of cheap digital kitchen scales available on Amazon or eBay for about a tenner.
  15. I have a widebeam on a river. It's also a boat which has cruised more canals, rivers and tideways than most narrowboats.
  16. Suddenly the idea of having to get into my integral tank to clean it out and repaint it doesn't seem so bad...
  17. The thing to do if you can wait that long is see if the problem persists into summer. If not then it's not a leak.
  18. So the bottom line is that unless it's a dedicated underwater hull penetration with a proper seacock, all waste outlets, skin fittings and welded-in pipes should be a certain height above the waterline. I think my galley sink outlet skin fitting is about 8" above the waterline rather than the recommended 10" as that was the highest I could put it while allowing the sink to be gravity drained. I decided that was good enough when I installed the sink and the skin fitting so at least I made that decision with some awareness of the issues. Some boats I see have outlets right down to the waterline and I can't help wondering if the owners are even aware of the potential problems.
  19. "You would hope" ...famous last words. I've personally known several people who had absolutely no idea that a waste pipe was leaking into their bilges until they noticed a damp patch on the floor or the boat listing. If you have animals on the boat the smell of wastewater may be masked. Also a corroded pipe may start out dripping but the hole size could soon increase if it's not noticed. Is that really something you want close to the waterline? Holes from damage to a hull will always vary in size whatever their cause and no two holes will ever be the same. But unless we're splitting hairs, I maintain that a hole in the hull that's close to the waterline is effectively the same thing whether it's a sheared skin fitting or a corroded pipe.
  20. Is 3mm thick enough to get enough threads in to make it secure and watertight? I honestly don't know but I'd hate to think about some clumsy oaf with steel toecap boots accidently kicking the fitting and emptying the contents of the skin tank. If you can empty the skin tank with your wetvac then I think it's reasonable to leave it alone and not fit a drain. But I would flush it through with a hose and empty it again with the wetvac to remove as much crud as you can. Have you tried lifting the back (stern end) of the sliding hatch at any point in its travel? Or the same thing with the front end?
  21. Yes I didn't notice that and a steel pipe welded in and ground flush is obviously not going to get damaged in a lock. However, all waste pipes, especially those from galley sinks are prone to collecting bits of crap from above which in turn hold water and can corrode the pipe from the inside, possibly without anyone realising. I'm afraid the result of a welded in steel waste pipe too close to the waterline which has corroded through is exactly the same as a sheared off skin fitting.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.