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Niggles or Concerns?


sooz

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I think that this lot would have been easier to deal with if each question had been asked as the start of a different thread. My little brain can only deal with one thing at once. The other thing is that wit the questions separated the answers would have been easier to find.

 

However the forum has risen to the challenge magnificently so I suppose I should not complain. Sorry.

 

N

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Re the key, I tried all the key-cutters in Reading to get a copy cut and none could do it, being unable to identify the blank.

 

I called Beta marine for a new oil pressure gauge and mentioned this to them. They sent me a new key after looking up the engine number!

 

Mike

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Re the key, I tried all the key-cutters in Reading to get a copy cut and none could do it, being unable to identify the blank.

 

I called Beta marine for a new oil pressure gauge and mentioned this to them. They sent me a new key after looking up the engine number!

 

Mike

There are just 2 styles of Beta key, one all metal and the other with black plastic. Beyond that they are all the same, the key is not specific to the engine number, just the engine number pick which of the 2 styles it is! I tried to get one cut and the guy used the nearest blank he had, which was not identical so he did not charge me for it! It works but you have to wiggle it a bit, so it is good for emergency use. I bought 2 keys from Beta for an rather large sum on money if I remember correctly.

 

 

 

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My thoughts on the fridge are that firstly, as has already been mentioned, it sounds like a caravan fridge which is not particularly efficient on any of the options. As you are mainly going to be using the boat for weekends and holidays for the forseeable future, I would be inclined to go for a low priced high efficiency modern 240v one. The efficiency compared to your present one will more than compensate for any inverter losses, and the cost will be very small compared with a 12v unit. As your boat will spend most of it's life initially on a mains hookup, then you will not have to worry about battery drain if you leave it on when you are away from the boat. Some boats have all the 240v power routed through the charger, to the batteries, then the inverter, but if you spend a lot of time on mains hookup, you could be better off running a seperate mains socket to the fridge, to avoid leaving the inverter on when you are not there.

 

I'm not convinced on the advantage of having a seperate 12v battery for the fridge, as the fridge will consume 40-50 amps over a 24 hour period. If the battery is 110ah and not a new one, then you will take it down to half charge in just a day of use, or further if the battery is a few years old. As the fridge will be the biggest 12v drain, you could be better off having one domestic bank of perhaps 400ah for all your domestic use, which will save you having to fully recharge your fridge battery every day while you are away from the hookup. Also if you take the 240v fridge option, one leisure bank will allow you to run your inverter from that bank and use it for any 240v appliances that you may require in addition to the fridge.

 

The same logic will apply to a TV DVD. If you will have limited use while cruising, but may want to use your TV/DVD while on the hookup, then you may be better going for 240v. If you intend to use it most of the time only when cruising, get a 12v one if available at a similar price, as there will be no point using an inverter to convert 12 -240v if you can run the TV on 12v in the first place..

 

Roger

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Going back to the question of the erratic shower temperature, I'd strongly recommend one of these trigger shower heads eBay clicky

 

When you've finally managed to adjust the hot and cold, no doubt after much fiddling and infinitesimally small movements of the hot and cold, you can just leave the mixer tap in the correct position - don't touch it again - and simply use the trigger whenever you need a shower. It not only saves water, but it's a lot cheaper and simpler than a thermostatically controlled mixer.

Edited by koukouvagia
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I must be weird, I can never find anything I like in Ikea. And I don't like the way it's laid out like some sort of grotto, so you walk through all the different rooms. I like stuff on shelves.

 

:blush:

A big DITTO from me. Only been to an IKEA twice. the first time I couldn't believe it.

 

Martyn. PS. Er in doors has just mentioned that it would be nice to have a look around. flippin ek!!

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:-

 

 

. I fitted a plastic indicator through the top which "goes dark" when there's only 3" left.

 

 

Our cassette loo has such a visual warning device. I christened it the "shitometer".

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But that only measures your deposits. Your wife doesn't do.....does she?

 

Martyn

Eh? Do you mean to say that you've got separate His and Hers loos on Nightwatch? If not, I am unsure what you mean.

This must be one of the longest times that a CW thread has run without going off topic, but wemay be going that way now.

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Oh! Your wife does as well!! Margaret is not the only one then.... thank goodness.

 

Back on topic. When we were on the boat at the weekend we watched a video of Shirley Valentine on our 240v tele powered by our Sterling 3000 what ever inverter.

 

 

Martyn

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12. Pump out

Umm - I've made a graduated stick, which I thrust into the inner bowels of the tank to tell me how full it is.

Loos get more stinky when they fill up - that's a guide.

BTW we use some "snake oil" to reduce the smell and stir the tank occasionally to disperse the solids so that the snake oil works.

I fitted a plastic indicator through the top which "goes dark" when there's only 3" left.

 

OMG I love my cassette!

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4) Key - don't know if it will help, but we were able to buy one for ours of ebay! apparently for some engines all the keys are the same...

 

Not strictly true, however a trip to any half decent locksmith/key cutter would remedy this problem.

 

Phil

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Many older tractors and construction plant use a standard Lucas key.These are fairly crude and are available in most agricultural dealers.I have seen quite a few boats fitted with this type of switch.The switches are cheap and are available to give variations of off/ignition/heat/start so suit a lot of boat engines.Agricultural parts seem to be cheaper than boat parts even when they are actualy the same part!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My thoughts, for what they are worth:

1)Probably the mixer unit. You may be able to replace like for like, otherwise most units have the same centres. Ideally there should be a stop valve nearby to the feed for the shower, turn to off, drain down, remove unit and replace with one from B&Q or a plumbers merchants. (usually access at the back somewhere) Otherwise a plumber will be your friend. Fairly simple job though.

2)In theory it should work. Is it just gravity or is there a pump...you may have missed a pump? Also down to size of rads, how large your stove is, and how long and hot it has been running.

3) If just for DVD's how about just getting a monitor with a dvd player attached, or via a laptop. Whilst your inverter should cope with most of this type of equipment, if you are not running the inverter for anything else anyway, then it in itself is also causing a battery drain. Look into 12v. Not knowing your overall power set up and capacity, it's hard to tell, but we find 12v is always preferable where possible.

4)What engine is it? A JCB standard key may fit, depending on the engine/ignition type. Otherwise contact the engine maker or replace the ignition........mechanic.

5)Does it run on brass runners? (may appear black!!) if so, you could just polish them up. Otherwise WD is do-able...a word of warning though. If it becomes very free, and you open it from inside, beware of thumbs being caught.........experience of a broken thumb and nail bed loss tells me to warn you!

6)Get a Gas Safe person (with an LPG cert) in to have it checked...yes it should be noted already if unsafe, but personally I'd say get it checked...never risk a gas appliance.

7) Sounds like voltage drop, which is likely to be from there being too thin cable/too much load, on that circuit.

8)Yes there will be heat, but that sounds excessive. It may just need some venting behind though, and a good clean behind on the actual appliance. Otherwise have it checked out...again, a cost but safety is more important.

9) A friendly local chippy....do it via a boat yard and you will usually pay a premium, find yourself a good local self employed chippy, and get a quote first.

10) try My link OR, there was someone advertising some jazzy ropes on here not long ago.

11)Yes, cheap and easy to change to a normal switch usually. Anyone with a small amount of electrical confidence and knowledge could change the switch.

12)Tank gauges can be bought from a number of places...they may or may not work for you depending on your set up. If it is a particular 'make' (eg Lee San) they should be able to provide one, or try CAK tanks or similar.

13)Water purifier tablets are available at most camping shops, and tell you the dose on the pack...Aquatabs or Aquasol etc. Or fit a drinking water filter.

14)Ikea? .........you're doomed!

 

Work to do now........but that got the mind going for the morning!! :)

 

 

Thank you for that - loads of useful advice which is much appreciated. Hope it wasn't too much thinking for the time of day!

 

 

 

Hi,

 

Use bottled water (or refilled bottles from a mains tap) for drinking, much easier if you don't use the boat a lot - not sure about the integrated tank, could contain a lot of rust - do you use water from a strorage tank for drinking at home? - probably not so why use it on a boat.

 

Slide - does it slide on brass runners? if so try polishing them or spray some silcone onto a rag and run this along the runners (don't spray silicone direct onto slides as it can be very difficult to remove from paintwork and causes problems if you want to repaint the boat). Don't use grease - as has been written, it gets all over your clothes.

 

Shower - buy a new thermo valve.

 

Fire back boiler - keep experimenting - you probably have to have a good glowing fire to provide the hot water and heat the rads.

 

Have a word with the vendor, he may help you with problems - I normally do when I have sold/purchased a boat or house.

 

Are you sure about the 2010 re-fit...................

 

Best of luck, get a small but useful tool kit and a hydrometer to check the SG of the batteries - sounds as if they could be 'on the way out'.

 

Do you have alternator controller? and get a decent multi-stage battery charger.

 

Best of luck - steep learning curve! - sounds as if you will need crampons.

 

L.

 

PS Don't mean to sound smug - we have all been through it on upon a change of boats, but a little practical knowledge, application and experimentation can save you a fortune, but get a specialist to advise on gas/240volt electrical related problems.

 

Not smug at all - any and all advice is appreciated, thank you. Seems most of my original points are simply niggles but yes, first task is going to be getting the gas looked at and definitely by a proper gas-bod. Also, the interior is indeed 2010. I'm probably doing it all no favours through my obsessive detailing of every single thing we notice, but it really is a pretty nice boat, honest!

 

Got a spare pair of crampons, perchance?! Maybe an icepick or two as well?!

 

 

 

 

Ikea - it gets better. The important thing is to learn the shortcuts through the store and to close your eyes as you pass through the kitchen utensil section and in the queue for the till. That way temptation is kept to a minimum

 

Get yourself an IKEA card though, you can get free drinks with it

 

Richard

 

I never knew there were so many weird and wonderful things available for the kitchen - it was fascinating! We thought we were safe and would never go back, till we discovered that one thing we came away with was faulty. Think we'll need a strategic plan for the return trip, possibly involving blinkers!

 

 

 

All the following are from my opwn years of boating experiences, you may put whatever weighting you like on the veracity of the following:-

 

1). Shower

That's what they all do Thermostatic shower units were designed to run of constant mains water pressure whic is mostly at 3 Bar (45psi) pressure. I think they are a disaster on boats wt=here the actual pressure is often 1Bar or less. Even when twiddling the taps on a straightforward system takes ages to get rignt - and you have to do it eachtime you use it. Whatever system you end up with FORBID anyone to use ANY OTHER tap or flush while the shower is in use.

 

2). Back boiler

Fancy an airlock problem.

 

3). Telly

A TV /DVD combo bought through a boaty outlet is likely to be a lot more than one from Tescos or wherever.

There is also a lot less choice in the former

Unbranded or house brand tvs = Technika tend to be awkward / poor in operation and a pig to retune when moving around (despite you saying DVDs only...)

Inverters are NOT that inefficient so go for a 240V branded make such as LG etc

Anyway the mains socket is nearby....

 

NB most of the comments on electricity come from folks who may be liveaboards who don't cruise every day and / or are not in a marina, so conserving electric power is a serious consideration.

....

 

6). Cooker

THe oven on our cooker does burn with a yellow flame for the first minute or so - it's because of the safety strip. When that heats up the gas flows to the burner which then burns with a blue flame

 

7). Water pump

If the lights flicker then the wiring is too small (cheapskate).

If it's been badly wired check to see whether an accumulator tank is fitted (assume that corners have been cut...) Both may affect how the shower works nicely!

 

8). Fridge

If chucks out lots of heat I suspect it's of the absorbtion variety - which are very inefficient to run (hence the separate battery...) Makes any inefficiency of the inverter pale into insignificance. Consider replacing it.

 

11. Shower pump

This is a press and hold switch because if you leave it running you will most likely burn it out.

 

If you fit a switch, have a routine where you pump out while "you're" drying, then switch off

OR

Fit a unit with a float switch - these do tend to get clogged up (yuk, messy to clean)

Fit a pump - like a Whale - that are designed to run dry. Loadsa money.

 

12. Pump out

Umm - I've made a graduated stick, which I thrust into the inner bowels of the tank to tell me how full it is.

Loos get more stinky when they fill up - that's a guide.

BTW we use some "snake oil" to reduce the smell and stir the tank occasionally to disperse the solids so that the snake oil works.

I fitted a plastic indicator through the top which "goes dark" when there's only 3" left.

 

13. Drinking water

Consider fitting a water filter - Midland Chandlers do one - that has a silver compound which kills any bugs.

 

Fab stuff, thank you, particularly on the tv issue. Reading all the past threads on 240v / 12v tvs did nothing to help my decision, but every so often I have come upon something / someone who has stated that 240v is quite fine depending on the usage. We will definitely be getting a quote for installing a 12v socket in the living area, but should we consider it too costly we'll likely end up with a 240v as we do intend to be cruising every day and the usage won't be huge.

 

Have to ask, by the way, just where do you keep your, err, 'dipstick' when not dipping your waste tank?! Can just picture it being accidentally grabbed hold of... =S

 

 

 

Sounds like a caravan fridge which is designed to run on gas or mains when static, with 12V only used when towing. These are absorption fridges which are less efficient than the compressor type, hence the heat you are finding.

 

The 12V is usually not thermostatically controlled, so better not to use this in the long term.

 

Search for previous threads on fridges on here, but the general advice is to get a compressor fridge. Opinion varies on whether you are better off with an expensive converted-from-mains-to-12V fridge which you can run directly from your 12V supply, or whether to go for a cheap domestic mains fridge and run it from your invertor.

 

Thank you for that. We shall see how we go with it and how the consumption is, but I shall get trawling through previous threads on fridges (one topic I think I missed before!).

 

 

 

I think that this lot would have been easier to deal with if each question had been asked as the start of a different thread. My little brain can only deal with one thing at once. The other thing is that wit the questions separated the answers would have been easier to find.

 

However the forum has risen to the challenge magnificently so I suppose I should not complain. Sorry.

 

N

 

Oops, sorry. I (perhaps incorrectly) assumed that bombarding the forum with that many individual threads would have been poor etiquette, particularly since a good number of the issues were fairly readily solved. You are right though, members have been superbly helpful (as ever) =]

 

 

Re the key, I tried all the key-cutters in Reading to get a copy cut and none could do it, being unable to identify the blank.

 

I called Beta marine for a new oil pressure gauge and mentioned this to them. They sent me a new key after looking up the engine number!

 

Mike

 

Good to know, thank you.

 

 

My thoughts on the fridge are that firstly, as has already been mentioned, it sounds like a caravan fridge which is not particularly efficient on any of the options. As you are mainly going to be using the boat for weekends and holidays for the forseeable future, I would be inclined to go for a low priced high efficiency modern 240v one. The efficiency compared to your present one will more than compensate for any inverter losses, and the cost will be very small compared with a 12v unit. As your boat will spend most of it's life initially on a mains hookup, then you will not have to worry about battery drain if you leave it on when you are away from the boat. Some boats have all the 240v power routed through the charger, to the batteries, then the inverter, but if you spend a lot of time on mains hookup, you could be better off running a seperate mains socket to the fridge, to avoid leaving the inverter on when you are not there.

 

I'm not convinced on the advantage of having a seperate 12v battery for the fridge, as the fridge will consume 40-50 amps over a 24 hour period. If the battery is 110ah and not a new one, then you will take it down to half charge in just a day of use, or further if the battery is a few years old. As the fridge will be the biggest 12v drain, you could be better off having one domestic bank of perhaps 400ah for all your domestic use, which will save you having to fully recharge your fridge battery every day while you are away from the hookup. Also if you take the 240v fridge option, one leisure bank will allow you to run your inverter from that bank and use it for any 240v appliances that you may require in addition to the fridge.

 

The same logic will apply to a TV DVD. If you will have limited use while cruising, but may want to use your TV/DVD while on the hookup, then you may be better going for 240v. If you intend to use it most of the time only when cruising, get a 12v one if available at a similar price, as there will be no point using an inverter to convert 12 -240v if you can run the TV on 12v in the first place..

 

Roger

 

Okay, that fridge info did just fry my brain but on rereading think I've got the gist! Thank you, seems as though replacing the fridge may be something to look into as (or if!) our funds gradually recover!

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