Mick is nearing completion of the engine fit out. He has installed the central heating pipes and radiators, and fitted the Calorifier and Webasto water heater. They all just need plumbing in and, once the bank of batteries is in place, then the whole system will all be ready for testing. This will help test the whole system for water tightness - well before the floor goes in.
The Calorifier is the blue cylinder sitting next to the engine and, at 35 litres, is the largest size for a boat (I'm told). It is basically the same as a domestic immersion heater, transferring heat from the engine coolant to the hot water system. It includes a safety valve in case the temperature gets too high. Locating the Calorifier in this position keeps it out of the living areas where many other people put theirs - much better use of space I think. The diesel powered Webasto water heater is the small bit of kit to the top right corner. It's not cheap but, apparently, it's much quieter than the alternative Eberspacher and according to the instructions is much more efficient too.
The silver pipe (below) is the air intake, the upper black pipe is the cold water intake and the lower pipe is the hot water outlet. The small nozzle between the two is the diesel fuel inlet.
The cold water comes in a pipe from the water tank under the bows along the starboard side of the hull to the heater systems and then goes back along the same side to the sinks and shower. While this means there are up to 5 pipes running along the wall, it does mean they are easily lined up (and can be found in future) and will eventually be hidden behind a single box.
The next photo shows the pipework and three of the four radiators. The nearest one will be in the shower room, the next one in the dining room and the third one has been taken off its wall mounts (beyond) to enable me to paint the T&G wall.
Mick needed to use a little imagination to get the shower room radiator to fit. This required the pipes to take a slight bend but this will not be seen once the boxing is constructed.
Where the pipes go under the bed in the main bedroom, they will not be boxed in - making full use of the heat that they give off. To add to this, Mick has installed a fin-rad. Crafty or what?
While mentioning the water supply, it's worth adding that the water tank and the two other tanks (diesel and waste) are all fitted laterally across the boat. This means that however much liquid they contain, they will not adversely affect the trim of the boat. Obviously if they are all near empty, the boat will ride higher in the water but the boat will always remain on an even keel.
Another little bit of kit to go in the engine compartment is the stern tube greaser. You have to pump a little quantity of grease into the stern tube at the end of each day's cruising to keep it lubricated - only enough turns of the screw to make sure its full (usually half a turn or so). If you give it too many turns it just wastes the grease. If, in time, the stern tube starts to loose its grease, the 2 bolts holding the contraption together can be given a tightening.
We are also having a multi-fuel stove in the cabin located on the port side next to the cooker and oven. This position places it nearer the centre of the boat to more evenly distribute its heat than if it were located at the front of the cabin. The TV aerial cable is being fitted opposite, near the breakfast bar. It seems logical to me that the stove and TV point should be on opposite sides but at the same location so that people siting in the two easy chairs can face them at same time rather than one person being disadvantaged in any way. More on this once its fitted.
No comments:
Post a Comment