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Niggles or Concerns?


sooz

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Okay, please don't chuck me off the forum for this post, but it is going to be pretty lengthy =/

 

I will add a disclaimer here at the beginning that yes, I do indeed realise that most of these concerns can't be diagnosed / solved from my vague ramblings on here, especially given that we're back home now which is a fair way from the boat and so can't double-check anything. Yes, most of these things are very minor and would definitely be classed as niggles rather than issues, but we'd just like to pre-empt anything that may be on its way to becoming an issue. Also, please know that I have read as much as I can on some of the more frequently covered topics, but would still apreciate any advice relevant to our specific situation. Thank you.

 

Most importantly, we had a fantastic first weekend on the boat, even if we couldn't go anywhere on it. The good vastly outweighed the niggles, but with all that said, we have one or two (or a couple of dozen) questions, here goes:

 

1) This one is my biggest concern. The 'mixer' shower runs at two very distinct temperatures - scalding and freezing. This is no good for the kids (or indeed me, because I'm a wimp at both extremes!). Twiddling the temperature-knob-majiggey, it's possible to find one teeny position where the water will alternate between scalding and freezing every twenty seconds or so, but to the 'red' side of this position it's just too hot and to the 'blue' too cold. Based upon this highly technical description(!) can anybody proffer a suggestion as to the cause or a remedy? I'd say the mixer is not mixing, but that is what we would call an uneducated guess! Is it a task for a plumber or an electrician?

 

2) We have a back boiler on the stove. We had expected it to thoroughly heat the water and get the radiators belting out the heat, but both nights it only produced lukewarm water and the radiators were warm to touch but not really emitting any heat. We hadn't been anywhere and only had the fire going from about 7pm. If we are moored up somewhere, not cruising, and have the fire going all day, could we expect hot water and radiators or will a back boiler only ever get everything lukewarm and we'd have to run the engine or use the alde boiler for proper hot?

 

3) We want to get a small telly and DVD combo but we're unsure on the whole 12v/240v issue. It'll be for DVDs only, we shan't be plugging an aerial in, and it will be mostly for the kids and partly for curling up in front of a film on a winter evening. [Decision made, no discussion on how disappointing it is that we can't live without a telly. I'd rather have it rather than force the children to 'have fun watching the raindrops race down the window' on a miserable evening. Besides, if (as has been alluded to) we will be taking their pals with us too (eek!) I think it will prove to be incredibly tension-saving, for me at least!] Anyway, we will be fine when we're on hookup, but we don't intend to spend much time in the marina so what about when we're out and about? We have a decent 12v system, but no sockets in the living area where the telly would be situated. We have a 1000w pure sine inverter and several 240v sockets in the aforementioned living area. Having read previous threads I've been left confused as to whether it makes an awful lot of difference to go for a 12v over a 240v telly. Also, the prices are comparable so that doesn't help with the decision. Given the predominant usage would be in the evenings, after a day's cruising, would we have any issues with a 240v or ought we to get a 12v socket installed in the living area so that we can use the telly without any limitations? If we do go with 240v, what exactly is it we need to check with regard to the power it draws - is it the ampage? How does one check that?

 

4) The only copy of our ignition key is bent almost beyond all recognition. Having had a key snap in the ignition of an old car, I'm a tad wary of that happening here. Is it fairly cheap / easy to replace the whole ignition business? Is that a task for an electrician or a boat-builder or someone else entirely?

 

5) The top hatch is a tad stiff to slide - what is the best stuff to use to grease it? I know that sounds like a ridiculously simple question, but my technique is WD40 for everything and I wasn't sure if that was recommended for this task!

 

6) The cooker (a Newhome) lost its spark a while ago, as most seem to over time. With a long handle lighter, the hob and grill light just fine and work as they ought to. The oven, however, when lit burns a huge yellow flame and we're pretty sure it shouldn't do this! I know it's not a specific boat issue as it could probably happen to a cooker on dry land too, but since I'm listing our niggles this is one of them. Are there any reasons it might do this and can it be remedied? If not by us then by whom? Also, should the Boat Safety Certificate Inspector have spotted this last week?

 

7) I posted here about an issue with our water pump that we plan to investigate further when we next see the boat. Another issue with it is that every time we flush the loo or the pump makes its 'clicking' noise, the lights flicker. Is this likely to be a problem or not? We can live with it but didn't want to ignore it just in case!

 

8) The fridge is a nice little (a Thetford) that can run off its own battery, hookup or gas. It seems to be incredibly hot in use though (the outside, not in - even I'd know that was a problem!) to the extent that the heat is coming through the 1.5" thick countertop and warming up anything sat upon said counter. I know fridges have to get hot to get cold, but how hot is too hot? (We've only run it off the hookup thus far.)

 

9) What 'type' (for want of a better word!) of person would we be looking to contact to have a couple of drop-leaf shelves made and put under the gunwales? By 'type', I mean carpenter, boat-builder, newsagent, milkman etc?!

 

10) We'd like to get some new ropes. We think we're okay with the length and width we need, but I've been struggling to work out the most suitable materials from those mentioned in other threads. Also, we'd like to get some snazzy-coloured ones if possible - we've seen some on a few, far posher, boats and rather like them. Is there a recommended supplier?

 

11) The shower pump switch is a press and hold jobby. That seems far too much like hard work to me(!) - is it fairly straightforward (read: cheap) to have it changed to an on/off one? Again, who would do this for us?

 

12) This is our first experience of a pump out toilet (please, no debates - we have it and that's that!). Is there a more pleasant way to guage when it's due to be emptied than, how can I say this, peering down the hole? I believe we have what is known as a 'dump through'(?) and the waste tank is deep within the boat. There's certainly no luxury traffic light system in place, that's for sure!

 

13) From one tank to another, is there a way to sanitise the water tank / pipes in order to get drinking water from the taps? It's an integrated steel tank, if that helps, and we'll be getting a replacement hose.

 

14) How is it we went into Coventry Ikea on Sunday (t'other half was, till then, an Ikea virgin) for three specific things, each costing between £5 and £10. Two of these were out of stock, but we still came away £180 worse off. Is that normal or is there someone who can fix such things? Is the only remedy to losing all this money to have never bought a boat in the first instance?!

 

Thank you for reading, any advice would be appreciated, include who to contact for any particular alterations (if there's a one-profession-fits-all who could do electrics and plumbing etc, that'd be handy - particularly on the western end of the K & A!).

 

Thanks again =]

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Here's a few for starters-

 

1) This one is my biggest concern. The 'mixer' shower runs at two very distinct temperatures -

 

have a look for thermostatic mixer taps at any plumbing shop (not a chandlery, if you put the word boat or marine in front of something the price doubles).

 

2) We have a back boiler on the stove. We had expected it to thoroughly heat the water and get the radiators belting out the heat, but both nights it only produced lukewarm water and the radiators were warm to touch but not really emitting any heat.

 

Depends entirely on the setup - if you have two radiators it is common to close down the radiator furthest from the stove until the temperature in the pipes has risen and there is some heat to dump. You may need to experiment with the stove itself or turning one or both rads off until the system is up to temp.

 

3) We want to get a small telly and DVD combo but we're unsure on the whole 12v/240v issue.

 

Any 240v device you run will still run on the Direct Current supply from the batteries but the inverter will convert it to Alternating Current. Doing this will be slightly inefficient as there is a power cost associated with using an inverter. To calculate power usage: Watts = Volts x Amps.

 

4) The only copy of our ignition key is bent almost beyond all recognition.

 

Normally fairly easy to get a spare key depending on make of engine. Shouldn't be an issue. No need to replace whole ignition.

 

5) The top hatch is a tad stiff to slide - what is the best stuff to use to grease it?

 

I'd probably try the same waterproof grease you should have lying around to grease the stern gland.

 

6) The cooker (a Newhome) lost its spark a while ago, as most seem to over time. With a long handle lighter, the hob and grill light just fine and work as they ought to. The oven, however, when lit burns a huge yellow flame and we're pretty sure it shouldn't do this!

 

You need a professional gas bod to check this for you.In general anything other than a blue flame indicates incomplete combustion.

Without being alarmist I would get this sorted before you use the oven again. The risk with incomplete combustion is the production of carbon monoxide. There are qualified gas engineers on the forum who will be able to confirm this but my understanding was that a yellow flame pattern is a definite indicator that Carbon Monoxide is being produced. Might be an easy fix - a partially restricted jet or something that has solidified in the wrong place. Carbon monoxide detectors are not compulsory in a boat but I would not like to spend a night in a boat without one. Can't comment on BSS exanminer, once again there are qualified BSS examiners who post on the forum who may be able to comment.

 

Different people will of course have different answers to all of the above.

 

Cheers

 

John

Edited by JDR
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I will add a few pointers but others will be along to go into more detail no doubt.

 

2) back boiler on the stove.

 

Is it a pumped or gravity fed central heating system? This could make a difference. Has the system been bled? Also depending on the age of the boat/radiators/system it could need flushing through as it might be full of gunge?

 

3) We want to get a small telly and DVD combo - Have a look at getting an LCD one as they use less power. We got a great little one from tesco's which has an integral dvd

 

4) ignition key - If you ask around (often it will be a key cutter in a market rather than those in a shop who will do it) it may be possible to get a key cutter to cut another key. It is likely they will say they can't because it is bent but if you carefully try and straighten (it in a vice making sure the metal is fairly warm when you do it) then it should be fine to get one cut. It is very possible the key will break when you try and straighten it. Before you do so make sure the blank that the key is cut from is readily availailable by asking at a lkey cutters. If it breaks then it can be superglued together to be cut. The key cutter that will be able to do this for you will not guarantee that it will fit the lock afterwards but I have it done on two occasions and each time it worked fine and once the newly cut key was tested I was able to get duplicates made. You might want to check if the key is available and at what price first though but identifying the maker might be a tricky one depending on the age of the boat.

 

6) The cooker - Check that there is no debris around the burner or anything loose in that area. I noticed once that I had a similar large and odd coloured flame and further investigation revealed a cremated sausage that had fallen off a huge tray of them I had been cooking for a banter breakfast about a month ago :(

 

9) Ask around boaters in your area/ marina (and tell the forum where "your area" is) and someone will be able to recommend a carpenter type person who can do this for you

 

12) Pump Out - You will with time get to know the characteristics of your own loo. It is most likely that the fuller the loo tank becomes the more the boat will develop a slight list. Our loo is a macerator so we cannot "peer into the depths" and although it has an indicator light to warn when the tank is getting full there is no way we are EVER going to fill that tank because long before it is full the list of the boat means the cutlery drawers slide open on their own! It has been known for us to be chugging and when turning a left hand bend you hear the drawers open inside the boat. At that point we usually have around 2-3 days left before we get tired of walking around at an angle and get it pumped out. It is no where near full at that time.

 

13) Use Milton fluid.

 

14) Ikea - yes this is completely normal, I can tell you are novices because you only spent £180. The cure for this is to never go there again! Try and find a friend who is going and give them your shopping list or have a look for the item you want on eBay - you may find it cheaper second hand or for an odd £1 more plus postage brand new but it is better to pay the extra and get just the thing you want rather than risk spending all that money again.

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2). The back boiler should be doing better. 50c leaving the boiler, 30c or so at the rads, 25c return pipe to back boiler.

 

That's for back boiler and rads, no pump. Simple 28mm loop set up with two rads dropped in. You should have an unbroken 28mm loop all the way from boiler to the return. With rads completely closed, the loop still has an unchecked flow.

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have a look for thermostatic mixer taps at any plumbing shop (not a chandlery, if you put the word boat or marine in front of something the price doubles).

Very good point, thank you!

 

Depends entirely on the setup - if you have two radiators it is common to close down the radiator furthest from the stove until the temperature in the pipes has risen and there is some heat to dump. You may need to experiment with the stove itself or turning one or both rads off until the system is up to temp.

Okay, we probably did this in rather an inefficient way. We have three radiators but closed down the one closest to the stove in order to bypass it and get the heat further up the boat. When we're back on it we'll try closing down the farthest two and let the heat build up in the first.

 

Any 240v device you run will still run on the Direct Current supply from the batteries but the inverter will convert it to Alternating Current. Doing this will be slightly inefficient as there is a power cost associated with using an inverter. To calculate power usage: Watts = Volts x Amps.

Would you suggest that the inefficiency would be such that we'd be better off installing a 12v socket nearby or is it negligible?

 

Normally fairly easy to get a spare key depending on make of engine. Shouldn't be an issue. No need to replace whole ignition.

 

...

 

I'd probably try the same waterproof grease you should have lying around to grease the stern gland.

Fab, thank you.

 

You need a professional gas bod to check this for you.In general anything other than a blue flame indicates incomplete combustion.

Without being alarmist I would get this sorted before you use the oven again. The risk with incomplete combustion is the production of carbon monoxide. There are qualified gas engineers on the forum who will be able to confirm this but my understanding was that a yellow flame pattern is a definite indicator that Carbon Monoxide is being produced. Might be an easy fix - a partially restricted jet or something that has solidified in the wrong place. Carbon monoxide detectors are not compulsory in a boat but I would not like to spend a night in a boat without one. Can't comment on BSS exanminer, once again there are qualified BSS examiners who post on the forum who may be able to comment.

Thank you. We'll make this one a priority. As for the carbon monoxide detector - it's already sat nicely in the garage waiting for us to properly move all our bits on board. We'll be certain to install it straight away, often such things get put in a cupboard to do 'later'.

 

Different people will of course have different answers to all of the above.

 

Cheers

 

John

That may be, but thank you for taking the time to reply, it's much appreciated.

 

You don't say if you are in a marina, if you are they should be able to fix all these, and they don't sound expensive.

We will be, yes. I guess we'll be spending the first couple of visits getting things tweaked then!

 

Ikea I fear is probably incurable.

I've been fearing the same =S.

Edited by sooz
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Sooz,

re point 7: this indicates that your, or rather the boat's, batteries are not fully charged. When you operate the pump, it takes more current so your lights will dim. When the pump stops working, the battery breathes a sigh of reief, does not need to use so much electricity, so your lights become brighter agin.

Remedy: have at least one day when you run the engine for a long period of time - at least four hours (though this will depend on the batteries) to charge them up well. Also, an electric fridge canes the batteries; switch it off at night.

Sorry I'm not a very technical bod so that's the only one I feel qualified to answer. Oh, hang on, re the hatch slide: rhe trouble with greasing the runners is that they will then grease you. Quite a few boats have plastic runners for the slide. We haven't, we just live with the graunching noise when opening or closing it.

Mike

PS I have now found your marina's web site. It's a new one on me (we were last down there about 2005). As for controversial, all new marinas are until local people get used to them, just as canals and railways were at first.

Edited by Athy
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Is it a pumped or gravity fed central heating system? This could make a difference. Has the system been bled? Also depending on the age of the boat/radiators/system it could need flushing through as it might be full of gunge?

Bother, I don't know. I want to say pump because there are switches for pumps all over the place but I couldn't say for certain. The system was bled last week. It's also just occurred to me that there's a small thermostat on the back boiler itself - I'm wondering if that is set too low. Speaking of thermostats, we couldn't get to grips with the main central heating one - perhaps that has something to do with it. Guess we'll need to have a fiddle (so to speak) next time.

 

3)Have a look at getting an LCD one as they use less power. We got a great little one from tesco's which has an integral dvd

Thank you, LCD seems to be the way to go. Being from Tesco is yours 240v then or did you still go for 12v?

 

Before you do so make sure the blank that the key is cut from is readily availailable by asking at a lkey cutters. If it breaks then it can be superglued together to be cut. The key cutter that will be able to do this for you will not guarantee that it will fit the lock afterwards but I have it done on two occasions and each time it worked fine and once the newly cut key was tested I was able to get duplicates made. You might want to check if the key is available and at what price first though but identifying the maker might be a tricky one depending on the age of the boat.

Thank you, we'll definitely go down that route first then.

 

6) The cooker - Check that there is no debris around the burner or anything loose in that area. I noticed once that I had a similar large and odd coloured flame and further investigation revealed a cremated sausage that had fallen off a huge tray of them I had been cooking for a banter breakfast about a month ago :(

Tasty, haha! There were a couple of blackened chips(?) on the oven floor so we'll have a poke around the back by the jets, too.

 

9) Ask around boaters in your area/ marina (and tell the forum where "your area" is) and someone will be able to recommend a carpenter type person who can do this for you

We'll be at Caen Hill Marina, just west of Devizes on the K & A. I've already been eyeing up a certain boilerman who's not all that far away...

 

12) Pump Out - You will with time get to know the characteristics of your own loo. It is most likely that the fuller the loo tank becomes the more the boat will develop a slight list. Our loo is a macerator so we cannot "peer into the depths" and although it has an indicator light to warn when the tank is getting full there is no way we are EVER going to fill that tank because long before it is full the list of the boat means the cutlery drawers slide open on their own! It has been known for us to be chugging and when turning a left hand bend you hear the drawers open inside the boat. At that point we usually have around 2-3 days left before we get tired of walking around at an angle and get it pumped out. It is no where near full at that time.

This made me giggle a little - try informing people unfamiliar with life on a boat that you can tell when your loo's full because your kitchen drawers start sliding about!

 

13) Use Milton fluid.

Will do, though what quantities for such a system? Is it a case of get it in the tank and then run the taps to draw it through the system?

 

14) Ikea - yes this is completely normal, I can tell you are novices because you only spent £180. The cure for this is to never go there again! Try and find a friend who is going and give them your shopping list or have a look for the item you want on eBay - you may find it cheaper second hand or for an odd £1 more plus postage brand new but it is better to pay the extra and get just the thing you want rather than risk spending all that money again.

Fear not, eBay has proved invaluable thus far with collecting bits and pieces. There just happened to be one particular curtain fitting (a bendable corner joint) that seemed to be only available at Ikea (for a sensible price, at least). And yes, it was nowhere to be found once there (I won't say out of stock since the website that was open on my 'phone at the time said there were 16 in stock but the sales assistant was adamant she wasn't going to go looking for any. Grr.).

 

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...

That's both reassuring and concerning all at the same time!

 

2). The back boiler should be doing better. 50c leaving the boiler, 30c or so at the rads, 25c return pipe to back boiler.

 

That's for back boiler and rads, no pump. Simple 28mm loop set up with two rads dropped in. You should have an unbroken 28mm loop all the way from boiler to the return. With rads completely closed, the loop still has an unchecked flow.

Right, now I know to expect better from it we shall look into it further. If it was considered normal we'd just have left it and run the engine or fired up the Alde. Thank you

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8) Fridge. They generate heat which has to come out, so you may need more air vents at the top & back

 

9) carpenter for shelves. We had some made, brilliant!

 

13) drinking water. We use a Brita water jug/filter, because there is a le el of "murk" at the bottom of the water tank

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re point 7: this indicates that your, or rather the boat's, batteries are not fully charged.

I don't know, I'd say mine are far from charged, too!

 

When you operate the pump, it takes more current so your lights will dim. When the pump stops working, the battery breathes a sigh of reief, does not need to use so much electricity, so your lights become brighter agin.

Remedy: have at least one day when you run the engine for a long period of time - at least four hours (though this will depend on the batteries) to charge them up well.

Ah, thank you. I see now why it's happening. Glad to know it's not a major concern. Just to say, we were on hookup all weekend. Or does this not make a difference because the lights are 12v anyway? I guess then that the pump is 12v too? Also, since we are restricted to weekends and holidays for a good few years yet we'll be doing as much cruising as possible so fully intend to have the engine running most days.

 

Also, an electric fridge canes the batteries; switch it off at night.

The fridge has its own dedicated battery. I'm presuming that it shan't need to be switched off at night since it ought not to be affecting the domestic batteries.

 

Oh, hang on, re the hatch slide: rhe trouble with greasing the runners is that they will then grease you. Quite a few boats have plastic runners for the slide. We haven't, we just live with the graunching noise when opening or closing it.

It might well have to be greased, as t'other half is one of those folk who didn't have the foresight to grow to a sensible height and so she struggles to reach to the full extent of the hatch as it is and the stiffness just makes it tricky.

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A 12v socket is extremely useful. I use mine for charging my phone: running my laptop & for the Hoover type thing.

Spencer at The Boatyard at Hilperton can do any work on your boat. It is the small boatyard not the Alvechurch one. Good luck

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On the matter of boiler temps, I would suggest boiler exit temp should be 85c minimum,

 

Keys get a new one cut pdq, *bitter experience* If you do go somewhere and they say 'cant get blanks' PM me direct. Ditto weird curtain fittings, (there is a really really old fashoined curtain fitting shop in York).

 

As others have said you need a thermostatic shower mixer, but how is your water actually heated? is it via a calorifier (a hot water cylinder to you and me), instantaneous water heater?, Knowing this might explain the sudden and frequent changes in shower temp.

 

Cooker, as others have said yellow=carbon monoxide production. After checking for foriegn bodies in the oven, and giving it a brush out (you can often lift the burner assembly off btw), I would still get it serviced, it also gives you the chance to have the piezo electric ignition fixed. Oh if your like me, I had the oven professionally steam cleaned first, but thats me.

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I'll say a couple of things quickly:

 

Get a few 12V sockets fitted in the saloon, and get a 12V TV, www.kogan.co.uk is a good source for cheap LCD TVs with built in DVD. Running 240V items through an inverter is fine if you have a very efficient inverter, a large battery bank, and a structured battery monitoring and charging regime.

 

Run as much as you can off 12V rather than 240V where possible. I don't have anything that requires the inverter to be on permanently, (but I do have a Sterling inverter charger - if I was buying again, I'd get a Victron or a Mastervolt).

 

I have the same problem with my shower, and will be fitting a proper thermostatic valve soon.

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8) Fridge. They generate heat which has to come out, so you may need more air vents at the top & back

Righto, will see where we can poke some holes!

 

9) carpenter for shelves. We had some made, brilliant!

See you're not all that far from us (or our boat, anyway) - if it's anyone you could recommend please feel to pm me, thanks =]

 

13) drinking water. We use a Brita water jug/filter, because there is a le el of "murk" at the bottom of the water tank

Feeling a tad embarrassed to have not thought of that - was merrily calculating how much bottled water we'd have to buy at a time! D'oh!

 

As to the key it would be useful to know what engine you're running and whether it's got a proprietary instrument panel

The engine is a 1.8 BMC, there's a panel with the battery charge status, water temperature, bilge, horn, tunnel light and glowing lights - is that what proprietary means in this context?! Clearly I'm not as good wiv big words as wot I fort I wos! =S

 

OOOh, you've bought a POSH boat!

Haha, check us out, eh?!

 

A 12v socket is extremely useful. I use mine for charging my phone: running my laptop & for the Hoover type thing.Spencer at The Boatyard at Hilperton can do any work on your boat. It is the small boatyard not the Alvechurch one. Good luck

Thank you for the boatyard advice. We'll be craned in at Hilperton so will get in touch with Spencer to see what he can suggest for us. As for the sockets - there are two 12v one, just none conveniently in the living area.

Edited by sooz
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Sooz, your boat must have been originally built to a very high spec. if it has a dedicated fridge battery. Our first one had just the one leisure battery for everything - we soon learned to keep a stock of candles on board. Even our current boat, which was by no means built as a budget craft, has only two leisure batteries.

There was a thread on here about drinking water - opinions seemed fairly evenly divided between the "drink it from the tank" and "only drink bottled" factions. We are of the latter persuasion. You only need to buy a few bottles of water, after that you just fill them up from a tap (no, not the tap in the galley!) We've had the same four or five bottles on board all year.

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On the matter of boiler temps, I would suggest boiler exit temp should be 85c minimum,

Thank you, will check that one.

 

Keys get a new one cut pdq, *bitter experience* If you do go somewhere and they say 'cant get blanks' PM me direct. Ditto weird curtain fittings, (there is a really really old fashoined curtain fitting shop in York).

Sounds handy, thank you for that =]

 

As others have said you need a thermostatic shower mixer, but how is your water actually heated? is it via a calorifier (a hot water cylinder to you and me), instantaneous water heater?, Knowing this might explain the sudden and frequent changes in shower temp.

Right, let's see if I can sound as if I vaguely know what I'm on about! We have a calorifier, I know that much. Okay, that's the limit I'm afraid.

 

Cooker, as others have said yellow=carbon monoxide production. After checking for foriegn bodies in the oven, and giving it a brush out (you can often lift the burner assembly off btw), I would still get it serviced, it also gives you the chance to have the piezo electric ignition fixed. Oh if your like me, I had the oven professionally steam cleaned first, but thats me.

Sounds like a plan, will be sure to get that done.

 

I'll say a couple of things quickly:Get a few 12V sockets fitted in the saloon, and get a 12V TV, www.kogan.co.uk is a good source for cheap LCD TVs with built in DVD. Running 240V items through an inverter is fine if you have a very efficient inverter, a large battery bank, and a structured battery monitoring and charging regime.Run as much as you can off 12V rather than 240V where possible. I don't have anything that requires the inverter to be on permanently, (but I do have a Sterling inverter charger - if I was buying again, I'd get a Victron or a Mastervolt).I have the same problem with my shower, and will be fitting a proper thermostatic valve soon.

Will look into getting a quote to have this done - it seems odd that there aren't any, because the previous owner put so much thought into the layout and making sure everything was accessible. I think he was on hookup permanently though, so probably didn't need the 12v socket in the living area. Bookmarked that website a while ago as they seemed to be ridiculously good value so would lean towards getting one from there.

 

Definitely want to get the shower sorted so will probably look at doing the same.

 

Sooz, your boat must have been originally built to a very high spec. if it has a dedicated fridge battery. Our first one had just the one leisure battery for everything - we soon learned to keep a stock of candles on board. Even our current boat, which was by no means built as a budget craft, has only two leisure batteries.

It's a 1986 build. The previous chap bought it ten years ago but had it completely refitted in 2010 and seems to have spent the previous eight years figuring out exactly what he would want and where to fully maximise usage. It's so well thought out both layout / decor-wise (bar the lack of 12v socket in the living area) and all the technical bits, too. To quote t'other half, it's "lush"! =]

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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!! :)

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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.

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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

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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

 

The kitchen utensils are the best part, we have draws full of them at home glare.gif

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

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8) The fridge is a nice little (a Thetford) that can run off its own battery, hookup or gas. It seems to be incredibly hot in use though (the outside, not in - even I'd know that was a problem!) to the extent that the heat is coming through the 1.5" thick countertop and warming up anything sat upon said counter. I know fridges have to get hot to get cold, but how hot is too hot? (We've only run it off the hookup thus far.)

 

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.

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