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jono2.0

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Everything posted by jono2.0

  1. Whilst sitting in my narrowboat yesterday in the hot heat I thought about air conditioning. There are basically two separate areas of air con. A compressor that cools water and air passed through the cold water, in turn creating cooler air. We all know a fridge compressor works pretty full on when the inside of the boat is especially hot. Air con would also be very power hungry. But the boat is surrounded by water that is significantly cooler than the air, just putting your hand in it shows that. Could I use water from the canal/river to circulate through some sort of radiator mechanism just like an air con unit would use and then push air through it? I could have a small low power pump circulating the water and a fan pushing the air. I realise it wouldn't be as cool as a dedicated air con unit but surely it could be achieved? What are your thoughts?
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  10. Hello, I have 750w of solar panels going into a Victron system with 4x 110Ah batteries. I'm finding my batteries are fully charged by about 8.30 in the morning on sunny days. I'd like to use some of the remaining day's solar power to heat the water in my tank. That way when moored up for a few days out in the wilderness everything remains charged and water hot. The immersion heater in the tank is 1Kw and is 240v. I have a Victron MultiPlus that can more than cope with that. I'd like to use the switching facility in the Victron controller. When the batteries are full and happy I'd like the controller to switch a 12v relay which in turn would switch the 240v on to the immersion heater. If the batteries go below 85% the immersion relay turns off and the solar goes back to charging the batteries. Basically using the lost solar power to heat my water. My question is, can I use the 100A type 12v relays used in automotive industry? Like the one in the picture, or does anyone know of a DIN rail mounted version as we are talking of 240v and I would like it all to remain safe! Thanks Jono
  11. I'm pleased to say it's now fully working again. It could be because of three possible reasons: 1. I've recently filled my water tank and it's lower in boat - I'm a sail away without a full fit out yet so it may be a little high in the water - as Bazza954 said above. 2. A blockage has become loose and released itself - woo hoo! 3. I've not used it for a few days despite sailing around so maybe the voltage was too low for it to fully do its thing but now it's tip top. Thanks for all your help though. I dread the day I have to flood the locker and take the propeller out!
  12. That is exactly my worry too. "3x 6mm holes drilled as low as I dare" It's just my luck I'd go too far and create a nice feature fountain only for it to become a nice under-water boat exhibit! I know it's 10mm of solid steel to get through but I don't want to risk it. I think I may create inspection squares along one side of the flooring. It's all got to be lifted so I can remove ballast for things like cooker, multi fuel fire, shower weight etc. so I can saw off a corner of each before fitting it back down.
  13. No worries, I've just checked too and I don't have any Keelsons (after Googling what they were!). Not great pics but something I grabbed when I visited it being made. So would you all suggest I 'create' a route for water to travel from bow to stern? 3x 6mm holes drilled as low as I dare on each angle that's welded to the baseplate? One port, one starboard and one in the middle?
  14. What would you suggest I do? Ignore it or raise them up off the baseplate a little. I was in a builders merchant today and I can think of the ideal cheap alternative to raise the bricks off the baseplate but not too much so there is also air above too. Tile spacer crosses! The type you'd use to tile a floor, I think they go up to about 4mm. Cheap and 1000's of them! It would be a pain in the backside but if I need to do it it would be best.
  15. Hi, I've been lifting a few boards from my, just over 2-month-old narrowboat to start removing ballast as more stuff is put on board in the cabin area (the engine bay is completely separate with a steel bulkhead between cabin and engine area). The bilge areas have been painted and bricks with an indented side used as ballast. I've noticed the following: 1. Under every brick, there is water, not loads but more than a few drips 2. The entire bilge areas are rather messy with sawdust and insulation bits 3. There is no pathway from the bow to the stern for water to travel as the metalwork is welded side to side at regular intervals all through boat. I have read this is normal for newer boats but not ideal! 4. There is a gap above each brick of about 1cm before the bottom of the bitumen painted bottom ply flooring. Is this normal, have the bricks been on a pallet in the rain for example and they are just releasing their moisture and it will all just dry out. Or should I clean it all out and dry everything?
  16. I've just measured again after a nights battery rest and it's 12.9v. I can't test it under usage as there is only me and I can't be at the stern and bow at the same time.
  17. I'm about to build the bulkheads either side of my bathroom. It will be a walk-through diagonal style but need some advice regarding door size. Can I find typical narrowboat door sizes anywhere - err no. Searched everywhere on forum and on Google. A very few pictures but zero sizes. I want the type that have the angled top half to accommodate the 'above the gunnel' slanting walls. I'd ideally like to know the width of the top and bottom of the door and the distance between the closest wall and the door so I can work out how far over I need to build the bulkhead. I realise these types of doors are custom made to your sizes but if I can make it as easy and popular as possible it would help. I have a narrowboat. Thanks Jono
  18. I have a GoPro that is waterproof so I may put it on the end of a monopod tomorrow and go video fishing to see if grills are blocked or if I'm lucky, see if the propeller is still there.
  19. I wouldn't do anything before talking with the builder, don't worry.
  20. OK, so I have an 8-week old sail away and it came with a Vetus BOW5512D bow thruster. On the odd occasion I've used it I've ensured it was for short bursts and to mainly get me out of a tricky situation when the wind has picked up. All worked very well. For the past few times I've needed to use it, it's done nothing to help. I can hear the engine going but no thrust. It wasn't until a fellow boater commented yesterday that I've looked into it further. It creates zero thrust, instead a few bubbles and a very slight churn of sedement. It certainly doesn't move the bow. So, looking at the manual, I've either damaged a propeller blade or the drive pin has broken. The outside of the thruster tube ends has grid bars and a sort of cowel hood at the top. All fuses are ok and battery is in good nick (voltage tested). The power gets to the motor fine, it's below water that I think is the issue. The photo is the thruster locker, I've removed the wooden cover from the top of the battery so you can see it all fully. The hatch the thruster is in is floodable (once I've removed the battery). If I've sucked something in and broken the propeller or drive pin it's my fault so I need to fix it. If I find the pin has fallen out and the blade is fine that's another matter but I need to investigate. OK, many of you will likely say best thing for it to stop working, drive correctly, weld the damn thing up etc etc but I'd like to fix it. I'll call manufacturer on Monday but is removal and flood a relatively simple job, all be it a little stressful!
  21. Hello, I'm starting to batten out my sail-away. It's been spray foamed to death and it's going to be an interesting job getting it level. Above the gunnels has been done so I'm just talking about below gunnels. I have vertical metal U-shaped uprights below the gunnel welded to the hull outer. These obviously form the structure and I will be adding wooden 2x1" battens horizontally to these using self-tapping screws. I have needed to take some of the spray foam off the uprights to reveal the metal so the batten can fix to it. Is there anything I should do to stop damp coming through the wood from the cold metal hull? Also, what about longer lengths where metal and wood are joined? I just don't want stain banding or marks on walls 6 months down the line. Any ideas?
  22. Just a small correction to the above. I wanted to run 95mm neg from batteries in engine bay to cabin area but to a shunt before the bus bar.
  23. no, I wanted to keep the cabling to an absolute minimum from the batteries and engine bay into cabin through bulkhead. I was wanting to have just one big thick 95mm cable for pos and one for neg to bus bar. It's not a cheap thin and flimsy bus bar, it's more heavy duty than the inverter connectors if you ask me.
  24. At the moment I have my leisure batteries sitting in their battery box in the engine bay. Instead of having a neg and pos bus bar in the engine bay and loads of long cable lenghts, can anyone see any problem with me having the bus bars in the cabin under the inverter in an 'electrics' cupboard? 95mm cable between each 12v battery in parallel. 4x 110A Lead Acid Leasure Batteries 1x Victron 12/3000/120 Invertor Charger MultiPlus Max load with washing machine at 240v 2.4kw for very short period, especially as I will feed water via thermostatic valve at around 20 degrees c to reduce heating element. Then around 1.8m - 2m 95mm cable from leisure batteries (via fuse and heavy duty isolation switch close to batteries) to bus bars. Two Heavy Duty Copper Bus Bars in electrics cupboard with M8 bolts 50mm cable from Neg Bus bar to engine earth and then another one 50mm from engine earth to hull grounding. (I realise this may be over the top thickness but I have some available) Thanks Jono
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