FairTmiddlin Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 There are 5 hydro stations in the UK that produce from 160Mw to 1728Mw and most can be online within 60 seconds. https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/features/hydroelectric-power-stations-uk/ There are lots more supplying smaller amounts dotted across the British isles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFortress Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 On 28/11/2022 at 21:11, Andrewcook said: As most of you have got Electronic Alarms of various sorts on your Boats. How long can the Boat Back up batteries last before the whole thing goes off? To bring the threat back on topic 😃 To answer your question Andrew I would not worry about my boat until the power has been off for several months. Yes I know my boat has solar panels but this is the first boat I have had that has had them. It is also the first boat I have had that has mains hook up. Previous boats used to sit there quite happily for 3 or 4 months over the winter and then start first time. Just make sure your batteries are in good condition and you have nothing draining to earth. The only thing that is live on my boat is the bilge pump and that only operates sporadically. Other boats I have owned had much larger water ingress into the bilges when it rained and have coped without issue. Last year was the first year that I have left my boat connected up to shore power during the winter and that was only to power a de humidifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karizma Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 2 hours ago, FlyingFortress said: Just make sure your batteries are in good condition and you have nothing draining to earth. I hope I don't regret asking this ()..... but how do you check that you don't have anything draining to earth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFortress Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 7 hours ago, Karizma said: I hope I don't regret asking this ()..... but how do you check that you don't have anything draining to earth? Switch off the battery isolators but ensure bilge pump (s) are still live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 8 hours ago, Karizma said: I hope I don't regret asking this ()..... but how do you check that you don't have anything draining to earth? Next time she's out of the water, check underneath your boat. If there's a little puddle of amps, you have something draining to earth. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadAmbition Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 There’s a far more accurate way. Switch everything off but leave isolators on. Disconnect negative cable off battery, multi meter set to read amps, probes on negative cable and battery negative - take a reading, it should be less than :2 of an amp. Any higher and you have a battery drain. Simples. Fault finding which circuit is draining the battery is also easy by systematically pulling fuses on each circuit taking a reading each time Griff 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFortress Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said: There’s a far more accurate way. Switch everything off but leave isolators on. Disconnect negative cable off battery, multi meter set to read amps, probes on negative cable and battery negative - take a reading, it should be less than :2 of an amp. Any higher and you have a battery drain. Simples. Fault finding which circuit is draining the battery is also easy by systematically pulling fuses on each circuit taking a reading each time Griff You put that better than me Griff 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikertov Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said: There’s a far more accurate way. Switch everything off but leave isolators on. Disconnect negative cable off battery, multi meter set to read amps, probes on negative cable and battery negative - take a reading, it should be less than :2 of an amp. Any higher and you have a battery drain. Simples. Fault finding which circuit is draining the battery is also easy by systematically pulling fuses on each circuit taking a reading each time Griff If you do this, make sure your ammeter if hefty enough to cope with quite a few amps, just in case anything has been left on. Otherwise you could end up with magic smoke, followed by browsing on Amazon for a new multi meter. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annv Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Hi If you have a solar panel connected to the battery bank this will keep the battery's in a fully charged condition through the winter months without having to connect to the grid/shore power or having to disconnect them over winter. Battery's last a lot longer if kept fully charged. John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 1 hour ago, annv said: Battery's last a lot longer if kept fully charged. John I find the same thing applies to glasses. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFortress Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 11 hours ago, annv said: Hi If you have a solar panel connected to the battery bank this will keep the battery's in a fully charged condition through the winter months without having to connect to the grid/shore power or having to disconnect them over winter. Battery's last a lot longer if kept fully charged. John I fully agree John. But I will reiterate that if there is minimal drain on a battery bank then the batteries will last a very long time without either shore charging or engine starting. Without either shore hook up or solar panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughan Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 18 hours ago, BroadAmbition said: Disconnect negative cable off battery, multi meter set to read amps, probes on negative cable and battery negative - take a reading, Or get one of these! They clip onto the battery cable, or any other single wire, and read off the magnetic field created by the current. I have found them just as accurate as electronic ones and the one on the right is nearly 50 years old, going back to my days on Womack Water. I bought these from Panks electrical in Norwich but I imagine they can still be found. Also, if you wave one over the top of a running alternator and the needle goes right over, then the alternator is charging. If nothing happens, the alternator is not "exited". As you say, simples! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 I advise everyone to check for stray currents every day! Just raison awareness..... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annv Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Lead acid battery's self discharge over time this happens more/quicker if connected in a bank, you need a battery maintainer! be it shore power driven or solar for maintaining battery longevity. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFortress Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 26 minutes ago, annv said: Lead acid battery's self discharge over time this happens more/quicker if connected in a bank, you need a battery maintainer! be it shore power driven or solar for maintaining battery longevity. John While I do appreciate what you are saying John I think in answer to the OP a relatively short power cut would not worry many boat owners. Before we had shore power or solar panels we used to leave our boat unused for several months over the winter with no issues. Although we do have more systems on our current boat I can't think of anything that would cause an issue with the battery bank during even an extended power cut even if we did not have solar panels. With regard to solar panels they even worked when we were moored in Richardson's wet shed as I actually have some inherent and unjustified aversion to leaving a boat hooked up to mains I used to still disconnect before leaving the boat for extended periods. It was only last winter that I left the boat connected for the first time in the 20 years we have owned her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFortress Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 An additional thought. Yes you are definitely correct on a battery maintainer extending the life of batteries. Since having solar panels installed around 18 or 19 years ago our batteries are lasting in excess of 10 years 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Slight drift but.... How can I find out the electricity costs on BA leccy posts? Woke up cold this morning at Sutton Green. My £1 card didn't last the night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CambridgeCabby Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Taken from BA website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikertov Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 And what about the voltage rate too ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 2 minutes ago, Bikertov said: And what about the voltage rate too ? 220-240V same as anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikertov Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 More seriously, I hate to think what the rates will go up to in April. I know at home, my gas / electric bill are the same per MONTH that they used to be per QUARTER a couple of years ago. And that is not a DD payment - I am on usage billing not a DD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rightsaidfred Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said: Slight drift but.... How can I find out the electricity costs on BA leccy posts? Woke up cold this morning at Sutton Green. My £1 card didn't last the night! Phone the BA. Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 2 hours ago, Bikertov said: And what about the voltage rate too ? Watt? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 so 1 £1 card will run a 1kW heater for just over 4 hours, 3 cards might just last you the night (12 hours) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughan Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 If I were running a 1KW heater on a boat all night, I would expect to have to pay for it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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