Canal Boat — January 2018

canalboat.co.uk

On our new (to us) narrow boat,

we have a Webasto water heater

that heats the domestic hot water

and three radiators. When we switch it on at

the controller, it fires up, heats the radiators,

then shuts off after 40 minutes. It also clicks

all the time it is running. When we get cold

we switch it on again. Is this right or should

it run all night? We have no instructions

and the Webasto website is not very good,

all shiny pictures but little info. I believe the

heater is a ThermoTop E and the controller is

a Thermo digital timer.

NEIL

TONY REPLIES: The clicking is probably the

heater’s fuel pump although I would usually

call it ticking. It may also be the pipework

and radiators expanding but that should stop when the

system is up to temperature.

All makes of heater of this design seem to become

unreliable and carbon up if allowed to cycle between

high and low power. If there are insufficient radiators to

dump the heat, such boilers will cycle so for maximum

reliability it is usually recommended that they be set up

as yours is. It is also the reason the majority of liveaboard

narrowboaters tend to have a solid fuel stove. I suggest

that you may wish to discuss this with an experienced

INLAND Webasto agent. There may be other solutions.

Canal Boat January 2018 73

TONY BROOKS

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Blocking

vital vents

will kill you so make

sure your solid fuel

stoves are safe

Now it’s winter many will be using

solid fuel stoves. Please do not be

tempted to block the BSS vents

because if you do the slightest leak

from the stove could easily kill you

and with inadequate ventilation the

cooker will be doing its best in that

direction as well. I suggest it is vital

to fit a CO alarm with stoves that

are left running all night. Please

have a good sniff around the stove

surround when or just after the

stove has been running hard. There

is enough evidence to show that

surrounds which consist of ceramic

tiles or metal over plywood are a

potentially lethal combination so

the slightest whiff of charring wood

needs very urgent investigation.

This has and does cause boat

fires. I know some people leave

electric heaters running in their

unattended boats over winter. Be

aware it has been reported that one

insurance company will invalidate

the insurance unless the heater is

approved for marine use. It maybe

best to take a very hard look at

your policy if you are thinking about

doing this.

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TONY BROOKS

Technical Consultant

Injectors and sealant do not mix

I have a Barrus Shire TNE engine in my

narrowboat that has developed a leak from

number one manifold (pipe from pump

to injector) where the manifold meets the injector.

This joint is metal to metal and will not seal. Can

you recommend any sealant that is diesel proof to

help seal this joint or any further ideas how to seal

it? I tried tightening by a quarter of a turn with no

success.

VIV CHEWINS

TONY REPLIES: First of all a manifold is

something with a number of outlets coming

from it and there is nothing like this on our

type of engines in the position you describe.

I assume that you are talking about a leak from the

injector pipe with the large nut on it. If so NEVER use

a sealer here because to do so would risk some being

pushed into the injector and damaging it. To do so

would also be impractical because that pipe carries

fuel pressure pulses of around 240 atmospheres or

over 3500 psi. There are probably transient pressures

of at least double that as well. The normal reason you

get a leak from there is that the olive formed on the

end of the pipe has distorted so it will not seal.

Occasionally someone bends the pipe to get

access to the injector rather than loosen the pump

end so it flops out of the way. Unless great care is

taken to align everything upon refitting it can lead to

leaks and a damaged olive. Such leaks can also be

caused by over tightening.

By all means take the nut off and see if the pipe

jumps away from the injector. If it does you can try

loosening the other end so it can be realigned. I

suspect that you will see a sort of sharp disk (like

Saturn’s rings) sticking out from the side of the olive -

take care they tend to be very sharp - or you may see

distortion of the olive. If either are present or if it will not

seal you need a new injector pipe. The good news is

that you probably do not need to buy from the dealers.

Most diesel injection equipment specialists will make

pipes up for you to a pattern (the old pipe).

If this is not leaking from the pipe union please let me

know and email me an image.

A

Central heating leaves us cold

A

Q

Q