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KaptinKev
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Posts posted by KaptinKev
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2 hours ago, LondonRascal said:
Lovely NBN with the off topic tack
You're right, I was going to give my input on electric heating in houses, but we need this to go to another forum topic!
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On 19/03/2019 at 20:39, grendel said:
I seem to recall he tried that too.
Don't tell me, he either kept falling off his bike, got ridiculed for wearing spandex, or he had his bike pinched!
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On 16/03/2019 at 08:00, grendel said:
that is correct, there are electricity regulator guidelines on the reselling of electricity that govern the resell costs, it falls under the guidelines for campsites and marinas reselling of electricity, same as landlords are not allowed to hike their electricity prices.
No they are not, but when you are responsible for providing a service, these costs have to be acquired from either moorings or rent.
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On 18/03/2019 at 20:09, HEM said:
I never treated cars as a status symbol to try to impress people with - they are just a convienient way to get from A to B in reasonable comfort.
I was 57 when I took delivery of this - which turned a few heads at our local airfield, particularly when it gave me a significant improvement in cross-country flying:
This is the image that appears on our old TomTom when switching it on.
I see your landing hasn't improved, as you have buckled up the end of your wings AGAIN!
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On 18/03/2019 at 12:11, grendel said:
RRS - Robins Recovery Service
I do like the bloke, but boat or car. the poor man is cursed. I think he should go with a push bike.
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On 16/03/2019 at 16:56, BroadAmbition said:
We at this hovel often use Amazon (Prime) - Other on line retailers are available
Thursday I somehow managed to break the claw end off my crowbar or wrecking bar as some would describe it. I was giving it plenty of welly, pulling out 6" nails that are proper thick out of cls into breeze block. So, late Friday evening I ordered a new un via Amazon.
This morning I did not have to leave the house until 0820, delivery from Amazon arrived before I departed. Large box addressed to me. Strange, what's in here I thought as it is far too big to be the crowbar I ordered. It was. The size of the cardboard box was ridiculous, then paper packing, then bubble wrap, then a plastic sleeve, all for a crowbar? There is no wonder our blue recycle wheely bin gets full proper quick. What a waste of resources / overkill not to mention the amount having to be recycled.
Griff
Unfortunately the packaging outweighs the people who would send it back if the paint was scratched. Also does anyone else think the Amazon emblem looks like the underside of something else!
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On 16/03/2019 at 10:15, MauriceMynah said:
Human beings are part of nature. Does it not then follow that their effects on places are equally natural?
If you ever go on youtube and watch magnet fishing and see what low life's dump in our rivers, I think my rear end complies when humans are a part of nature and are equally natural!
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25 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:
It`s also a misleading photo. The photo is of the 42ft version, so looks much bigger than the real thing, which when ypou read the write up, is only 35ft.
Surely that is clearly fraud and misinterpretation of what is on offer.
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21 hours ago, Wyndham said:
No need to be sorry Speedy, my thinking is not "logical"
You "shouldn't" pay more to moor at a staithe with electric posts BUT a case could be made for introducing a charge.
Electric posts are few and popular, I'll leave it there.
Unfortunately if you moor at a place that has electric posts, these come at a cost that has to passed on to anyone that moors there.
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2 hours ago, finny said:
Griff make sure you are sat down for the price if you need a new pressure vessel- I have just fitted one in my daughters boiler it was quite a shock price wise .
if I was every lucky enough to be given another chance at life the I would come back as a central heating engineer - it's. License to print money for what they charge
finny
That's your problem, expansion vessels aren't that expensive, I have come across heating engineers who not only inflate their call out charge, but charge 200% on materials!
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18 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:
"No thanks, I'd rather use a man's one" I came back into her house with said tape measure and whaddya think she said?
"So that's a mans tape measure is it? - Let me guess it exaggerates and adds on two inches"
Brilliant reply was that, well impressed
Griff
A match made in heaven, you should of married her! (after legal divorce proceedings of course)
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I'm still hoping that a bunch of drunken youths that are hiring a bath tub that has seen better days, take that ridiculous looking Potter Heigham bridge of it's moorings so to speak!
Or we could watch Griff take the bridge out backwards
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On 09/03/2019 at 07:41, Maxwellian said:
If you spec correctly you should not have a problem. Specing properly may of course tell you a combi will not suit your requirements, but fit mine perfectly
That's the problem, too many so called heating engineers are fitting combi boilers that are not suitable for the premises and simply running off with the money. When you have 15mm pipe running throughout the property, 2 showers, a bath, washing machine, dishwasher and a basic family of 4 to severely drop pressure in this type of hot water system, I can see how a person of one with a single shower wouldn't have any problems!
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For me combi boilers are a pain in the back side, and customers and other plumbers have agreed with me on this one. Having a basic boiler with gravity hot water system and pumped central heating with a header top up tank, is the best way to go in my opinion.
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30 minutes ago, Vaughan said:
The modern Eberspacher and Webasto blown air heaters, these days, are factory sealed and cannot be serviced or repaired by you, or the local boatyard. If they go wrong, you have to send them back to the factory. On the contrary, they are very reliable and if they break down it will be because of an "external" problem. There will be one of three reasons :
1/. Fuel supply. it may have enough fuel to start it, but if there is not sufficient flow, or a filter blockage, it will trip out a few minutes after starting.
2/. Electric current. If the wiring has not been installed properly, and there is too much volt drop in the circuit - same symptoms as (1) above.
3/. The most likely.
These units are "room sealed" which means they draw their combustion air from outside the boat and their exhaust also passes to outside. So you have no problems with CO2 or CO in the boat, and no condensation. This is done by the same pipework, which has an inner and outer tube, all going to the same hull skin fitting. This is exactly the same method that you will find on the gas or oil fired central heating in your house. If the intake of combustion air is being stifled, then the O2 sensor in the unit will trip it out after a couple of minutes. This can be caused by a bad installation, where the pipe goes round too many bends and/or is a longer run than the manufacturer's specifications.
It can also be the simple matter that the skin fitting has rubbed up against an earth bank and got partially blocked or there could even be a spider's nest or small bird's nest in the intake pipe. Don't laugh - I have seen this often! You probably haven't used this heater for a long time, all summer.
It could also be simply that the skin fitting on the hull is moored too close to the bank and is being stifled.
Check the simple causes first!
Obviously google is where Vaughan is getting his info from then!
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29 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:
An update...? Yeah, I know been ages.
So, 'Indy' has been a bit chilly of late, this is down to the fact her Eberspacher D5 warm air heater decided to pack up about two weeks ago. It randomly began to shut itself down suddenly (no cool down cycle) one moment it would be running, the next it would not. Upon re-start it would run perfectly fine again until it again would just 'turn off'. I began to ,measure the time it took and every time was no less than 20 minutes but no more than 25 minutes before this would happen.
I got online and downloaded a service manual for it along with some very helpful tips from a Canal Boat Forum with how to check and clear fault codes. My unit had two 'historical' fault codes. One for a miss match between the inlet and exhaust temp and another to do with the fuel. Having cleared these the heater continued to shut down, but displayed no new fault codes.
I made some calls and found Panks were the local agents for Eberspacher. They could not help explain why the heater might be doing what it was, but were certain it would be throwing up a fault code and their gear would show it and they would be able to get to the bottom of the issue. The next issue was would they do any repair under the warranty? They asked me to send over copies of the documents I had after Espar in Plymouth (also main Eberspacher agents) supply and fit the heater.
A couple of hours later I had a call back from Panks with some bad news. They could not help me under warranty because the certificate of installation had not been completed, some of the documents i had in my possession I as the customer should not have because Esper should have sent them to Eberspacher for warranty registration and so it would have to be a 'paid for job'. I was very unhappy - not initially with Panks, but with Esper. I was the customer who had gone to a main agent to buy the heater and have them install it and at a cost of close on £5,000.00 you;d have expected them to have done a good job and the supplied heater to not pack up within a year of fitment.
Panks then agreed they would at least have a look and take up the issue of the warranty further with Eberspacher - they however could not collect the heater form the boat. I did not want to go removing it and then Eberspacher (or anyone else) accuse me at a later date of having done something that exacerbated an existing problem or caused one. I therefore got in touch with NYA who soon came to remove the heater - this also meant it went on the van to Panks later that day.
Days past...But that is the Norfolk way, but after a week of no new I got in touch with Panks who told me they were having issues with Eberspacher and the warranty still. Also Eberspacher claimed that if the heater had done over 1,200Hrs in the first year and had not been serviced within that period by a main agent the warranty was void. I then got hold of a contact at Eberspacher UK and copied them into an email I also sent to Panks. You see what everyone had forgotten was the unit was under 12 months old, I had not been told verbally by Esper and had nothing in writing that stipulated I had to have the heater serviced by a main agent in the first year of within 1,200Hrs of use to keep the 3 year warranty. Furthermore, since the until as under 12 months old since fitting, it still had the original manufacturers 12 month warranty and frankly if something costing as much as this failed within a year when it might be reasonably expected to last longer than a year in use - I would have a strong case under my consumer rights.
Less than 24hrs later I was called to say they were going to honour the warranty (funny that) but there was some bad news...The heater was working fine. It had no fault codes and they could not get it to fail as it had been when on the boat. The issue was they would not take the unit apart in case they they caused an issue! In short, no fault code = no investigation. They did however tell me the heater had operated for just under 800Hrs.
Of course this leaves the question, what if it fails once it is fitted on the boat? Since all the system, wiring and so on was all put in by Esper if it is any of this or the Controller at fault Panks won't come to the boat and work on it for nothing (travel is not included as 'labour and parts within the warranty) so then will Esper drive up from Plymouth to look at it? Let's not think that far down the road for now...
They also said that in order to retain my warranty they would have to service the unit - I asked how they could do this at the same time as not opening up the unit? Urm, well actually servicing the unit only requires the replacement of the glow plug and mesh screen - this does not require the unit to be opened up to do. They quoted me an hours labour plus VAT for this along with the cost of the Glow-plug and mesh. I have politely declined saying I have more than a month before the 12 months is up, or 500 more hours use before these work needs to be carried out. I will get the glow plug myself along with the mesh and replace this - Eberspacher say they would be happy with 'reasonable evidence' this has been done such as an invoice showing original parts have been bought and a photo showing they are fitted.
Seriously, I have never heard anyone, anywhere have this sort of issue (and I am not on a downer over this) but if it going to happen, then it will be me who it happens to lol. In the meantime I wish I had waited until the boat had been brought up to Norfolk and then had JPC supply and fit a Webasto knowing they are local and happy to come visit the boat and in my dealings with them seem very helpful and decent people.
My original idea of using a Diesel fired hot water heater has now come back to my mind - this would effectively heat up the closed-circuit water system that the air conditioning system uses, and which is fed through the Air Handlers. I have got from Germany the original service documents for the system, and from this coded the system to operate the air handlers in fan only mode. By having a small section of pl;plumbing which has isolator valves (by passing the heat exchanger in the compressor driven chillers) I can divert the water flow through a Diesel water heater this is then pumped around the boat through and thus into and out of the matrix boxes in the air handlers - I have 6 air handlers onboard. This would create a true 'central heating' system with no additional pipe work or units required, and because the system can have from new a Diesel fired water heater it is not some 'Heath Robinson' idea. But before any of this can NYA have a new list of works to come for the Spring.
Some of this will be to work on the existing chiller system which throws a pressure fault code if all handlers are used at once. Other issues will be the removal of the hydraulic take off pump from the starboard engine to investigate the hydraulic oil leak this has had since purchase (it leaks about 150ml of oil every 3 months) but is getting everywhere and I am tired of mopping it up. It is suspected a new gasket is all that will be required and not a pump-rebuild. Supply 4 new 230Ah Batteries and 2 new 110ah Batteries (I like the 5 year guarantee they get and the ones supplied fro Trixie are great) find out why I am leaking coolant from around a new valve fitted earlier last year that leads off to the hot water tank, once and for all solve the water pressure and flow issues, replace some hoses on the port engine and for the water intakes to the air conditioning chillers for preventative maintenance and finally re-spray paint both engines which means I can then get on with re-painting the bilges in white and thus make the engine room look a lot nicer and fresher than it is currently.
Then it will be some re-painting of non-slip on the decks, dealing with the Teak decks on the bow, all new seat coverings and a new sun-deck canopy. Not much then eh?
You really can't make this stuff up!
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On 23/01/2019 at 12:36, grendel said:
or he could borrow Indie? though on her delivery trip, I dont think the crew were wanting bevvies as it was a tad rough
heres a link to indies trip up from darn south
it was proper rough when they went past us at dungeness.
When I look at the bottom picture, a submarine term does apply here. Dive dive dive!
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47 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:
Two days of issues and I get over that, only to now hit a new wall on Friday being if it is found the heater has been run for more than 1,200hrs and it has not been serviced by an approved installer or agent in that period then the warranty is void. Thing is, nowhere in any paperwork I hold (nor have been verbally told) at the time I bought it is there any mention of such a clause.
Do you know a good solicitor?
Sarcasm aside, I thought that with the friends you know that could look after boats blind folded, the problems you have with your boats would not ever be much of a problem!
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On 18/01/2019 at 10:06, JennyMorgan said:
I'm with Marshman on this one. The 'dressed' screws might not be visible but surely it's no bad discipline to treat them as if they were.
That's called OCD!
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2 hours ago, Vaughan said:
The diode splitter has 3 terminals and it is easy to connect the cables wrongly, so that both batteries will get a charge but they remain connected when you stop the engine. You may not believe me, but it is a common error.
I look forward to your diagram and explanation of how it has been done, and how it should be!
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1 hour ago, LondonRascal said:
By the way, talking of heaters..
Over on Independence My Eberspacher Airtronic D5 packed up a couple of days back now. It is now with Panks in Norwich being sorted (I hope). I is just over a year since it was installed so it does not make me filled with joy to have an issue with it (it shut down after 15 to 20 minutes of use every time with no cool down cycle but also with no fault codes). This unit minus the installation cost and any ducting etc, was £2,730.00. (The installed cost was £4,861.97)
I have watched with interest as 'cheap Chinese' heaters have begun to come into use more and more and now are no longer the preserve of Ebay but can now be got delivered free with Amazon Prime and backed up with the easy Amazon returns for... £209.99 This comes with all the other bits, fuel pump, silencer, exhaust, ducting and one outlet etc. The only thing you need to do to make them BBS compliant is not use the nylon fuel pipe they come with (and tank) but replace with appropriate BS rated rubber fuel hose. But if you are okay to wait and want one sent from China, can be yours for £140.39. Both these are 5Kw versions unlike the video, so a potential saving £2.589.61 to what I paid.
Now I am sure the next thing to consider is 'do you trust them' well so far I would say yeah, because so many are now using these in campers, boats and caravans and speaking well of them online and nobody's gone up in flames. I prefer the look and back up with a warranty of the Planar Heaters (made in Russia) but which have a UK distributor but I found this video having a good old man in a shed show us how they work:
This is the cheapest style (in the red case) but provides 5Kw of heat. I rather like the idea of using one as a supplemental heat to mean one part of the boat has one and the rest another to cause a more event heat. You can also get a self contained unit for 'outdoor' heating needs so long as you can remove the exhaust gasses for just under £200.00
You do seem to have a lot of issues with your boats that you own, and at the end of the day, it does make your wallet a lot lighter. I think the lesson of today is that if you can afford it and you are not too knowledgeable about boats, then you keep the marine engineers employed.
If you are on a budget, learn your boating upkeep skills well!
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On 07/01/2019 at 12:34, vanessan said:
Exactly how a good driver should drive (mostly).
But now power steering seems to be the norm in a lot of cars, we have got lazy. Along with auto parking, braking, lights on, high beam off, etc, etc!
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I think Robin has a doppelganger, as I'm sure I saw him last year driving a very polished Range Rover and along with feeding the steering wheel through his hands, he really looked 'by the book' Robin to me!
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For me syndicates are a no no. I have to own the boat whole or nothing because I would rather clear up after myself and find the boat as I left it and not after someone else! I appreciate that there are a few syndicates on here who respect the other owners and leave the boat as they find it. But my boat would be like my house, I wouldn't want anyone else unless family inside it.
The Little People
in Broads Chat
Posted
Just a food for thought, the term "Little people" was used on Yes Prime Minister to described the general public.