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I am in a heated debate may be some one can give their thoughts and why to settle this.
First must remember boiler is solid fuel and there is no mains water supply as all on a boat.
I have put forward the idea that a header tank from a wagon would be ideal as the over flow is in a small ¼ inch pipe which means very small hole is required to pipe to outside and one could if required use a radiator cap to increase the pressure hence the boiling point and since most are made in a hard plastic which is translucence it will be easy to check water level and there would not be a need for an expansion pipe.
However my daughter-in-law says you should not use a pressured system with solid fuel. I would agree the nitrogen filled expansion vessel system would not really work but can’t see why an easy top up car radiator type heater tank should not be used.
I also don’t think the tank they are using will stand boiling water and I am sure a special header tank should be used on solid fuel?
At the moment because the pump is on the return to keep it as cool as possible being 12vdc not 230vac and the expansion pipe is very close to the water level in expansion tank there is a continues trickle of water from the pipe into the tank. This is because the tank feeds the system before the pump at lowest point. And overflow vents the system after pump at highest point. Normal so water does not circulate within the feed pipe.
However a car radiator type header tank since it will stand boiling water could feed system at highest point as it would not matter if it gets hot.
Also when the tank gets hot with an open top it makes the whole boat damp but with a car header tank it would have no way to vent into boat and venting would be out side.
Apart from worry that header tank will not take the heat it is also making boat damp. And to fit a wagon header tank seems such an easy way to cure all.
Am I up the creak with my thinking?
First must remember boiler is solid fuel and there is no mains water supply as all on a boat.
I have put forward the idea that a header tank from a wagon would be ideal as the over flow is in a small ¼ inch pipe which means very small hole is required to pipe to outside and one could if required use a radiator cap to increase the pressure hence the boiling point and since most are made in a hard plastic which is translucence it will be easy to check water level and there would not be a need for an expansion pipe.
However my daughter-in-law says you should not use a pressured system with solid fuel. I would agree the nitrogen filled expansion vessel system would not really work but can’t see why an easy top up car radiator type heater tank should not be used.
I also don’t think the tank they are using will stand boiling water and I am sure a special header tank should be used on solid fuel?
At the moment because the pump is on the return to keep it as cool as possible being 12vdc not 230vac and the expansion pipe is very close to the water level in expansion tank there is a continues trickle of water from the pipe into the tank. This is because the tank feeds the system before the pump at lowest point. And overflow vents the system after pump at highest point. Normal so water does not circulate within the feed pipe.
However a car radiator type header tank since it will stand boiling water could feed system at highest point as it would not matter if it gets hot.
Also when the tank gets hot with an open top it makes the whole boat damp but with a car header tank it would have no way to vent into boat and venting would be out side.
Apart from worry that header tank will not take the heat it is also making boat damp. And to fit a wagon header tank seems such an easy way to cure all.
Am I up the creak with my thinking?
