Jerry Wilhite writes: >I have 2 vacuflush heads aboard. Curently they are setup to flush directly >into the holding tank, then there is a Y valve that allows me to either pump >out at the dock or use a T pump to dischage overboard. I want to change the >system to be able to flush directly overboard when offshore, bypassing the >holding tank, therfore eliminating the need for carrying gallons of >chemicals for the tank. The question is will the VFs flush ok when my thru >hull is 2' below the water line or will they just back up into the vacumn >tanks? I'm not an engineer, and I don't work for Vacuflush, but I can guarantee that they will have no problem pushing this. >I am also thinking I need a vented loop to avoid siphoning which means the >waste will be going up hill before even getting to the thru hull. You do not need a vented loop, because the pump already has a check valve. Now, my editorial comment: I would not do this if I were you. This is a bunch of extra plumbing, a new 3-way valve, and one more thing to forget. Easier to just empty the tanks every morning when you get underway. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Jim Gano writes: >I think I missed a recent discussion on engine room blowers..Over the years >I seem to have purchased several Jabsco engine room blowers (part number >35400-0000). I only run them to exhaust the engine room after a trip. I >seem to replace them pretty often. I am looking for a 4 inch blower that >will last.. Can anyone give me some advice? For what it's worth, I run three full-time fans on Island Eagle. All are standard 12 volt "muffin" computer fans. One is a high-quality 5" Panaflo, the other two are 3" no-name Chinese knockoffs. The Panaflo has been running constantly for the last three years with no problems at all. Cost ranges from about $10 for the knock-offs to about $50 for a good Panaflo or Papst (the good ones have ball bearings, the cheap ones are sleave bearings). These are rated for tens of thousands of hours of use. You can get them at any decent electronics outlet, you can also get them at Mouser Electronics online. They draw less than an amp. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

JHWardJr@aol.com writes: >I really need to spend some time on my system.B I just bought an >inverter/charger that I need to integrate.B Frankly, my boat is 25 years >old, and it will take me a while to sort out what it REALLY is now after >undocumented and questionable mods.B If you need any questions answered I am always happy to help. I also have some stuff I have been meaning to put up on my web site, I'll try and get that done. > >I am guessing by your note that you have a separate alternator for your >house bank that it separate from the starter.B Correct?B Correct. >I am considering that, but as my starting batteries do not work very hard, I >would rather justB use the existing alternator to charge the house once I >set it up as a separate bank.B I will need some isolation to do this, I >think.B I like two alternators because then you have a spare. I'd recommend that you keep the existing alternator for the start bank and get a new high-powered alternator plus a smart regulator for the house bank. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

LA Licata writes: >Might be useful for those that just need their bacon fix.... Growing up in the Arctic, the only bacon we had was canned. It was my standard breakfast food for 5 years working on our boat. Nothing like a nice batch of french toast fried in bacon fat cooked up on a Coleman stove in the 8 foot square cabin of a landing craft out on Hudson's Bay. I found that half a can was just perfect for breakfast. Oh to be 15 again :-) It's great stuff, the only downside is that it's a bit saltier than regular bacon. However if this really bugs you you can soak it in water overnight and it will draw out the salt. One other nice thing is that you always have a can to pour the bacon fat into. By the way, the other thing we used a lot of was canned butter. Again, excellent stuff. Only downside is that it sort of ages like wine. It's slow and subtle, but after several years it's very very "buttery". When you have fresh butter after getting used to aged canned butter, the fresh stuff tastes pretty bland. Finally, I am assuming that pretty well everyone is familiar with Eagle Brand condensed milk as a coffee creamer. It's fabulous, and best of all it's so think that when the can falls on the floor in heavy weather you have several seconds to pick it up before the milk runs out. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Rod Mell writes: > What about a bad oil cooler (heat exchanger). Had this happen to me with >a bad trannie cooler and lots of water showed in the fluid. In fact, I had this happen to me on a Volvo. I reassembled the lube oil cooler but did not install the o-rings quite right. Check to see if he has done any recent work on the engine. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

ron bruno writes: >Anyone know of a supplier of a small waterproof solar panel (1.5 volt) to >power a remote ventilation fan. >Most of what's available won't stand up to the UV and weather of marine >installations. The Nicro-type mushroom solar ventilators come to mind but >I'm looking for just the solar element since the fan is located in a distant >locker. My suggestion is to dspense with the solar panel and just use a very low-powered 12 volt fan. The small ones draw under 50 mA, so even a small batter will power one for months without draining the battery (50 mA is 1.2 amp/hours per day, that's only 36 ah/month). For what it's worth that's what I've done, and those fans move about 10X the air that the Nicro fans do. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Peter Bennett writes: >If two leads, it could be a >current transformer - do you have an ammeter that shows the current in >the red wire? It could be a CT, although it seems a bit large. One word of caution: Current transformers can generate LETHAL voltages on their output if there is no load (meter) attached. Ensure that the wire through the middle (the red #6 wire) is NOT energized before you poke around. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

jim laudermilch writes: >Does anyone have a simple solutions to removing the semi rigid white waste >hose from the barb to which it has been clamped for a number of years? Use a knife and split the hose back about 1 inch. >How >about simplifying sliding new hose in place? A heat gun set on medium and KY jelley. The KY jelley is glycerine based and hardens up when it dries, adding a bit of sealing. I learned both of these tricks from a professional marine pipefitter, and they really work. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

The easiest thing to do with these type of low-end products is to take a quick peek at the DC input cables. First, 5000 watts @ 110 VAC is equivalent to roughly 400 amps at 12 VDC, even assuming 100% efficiency. 400 amps will require 4/0 cable, which is roughly the diameter of 1/2 garden hose. I don't see that on this unit. What I do see looks like about #10 cable, which is rated at 60 amps or 720 watts. That's probably a pretty realistic rating for the unit. If you drew even 2400 watts (200 amps @ 12 VDC) through #10, it would melt the insulation within minutes. But you wouldn't ever draw that amount, of course, since you have provided overcurrent protection based on both NEMA and AYCB ratings, and you've also taken into account both the insulation temperature rating and the ampacity derating when cable is installed in engine spaces. Right? By the way here is a link to a useful set of tables: http://www.marinco.com/page/wire-tech-data Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

ryan.healy@healyautogroup.com writes: >Does anyone have a good source for oil absorbing pads safe for engine room >use? I have a 45 year old Detroit Diesel, so trust me when I tell you I go through these things in bulk (I lose about half a quart of oil a day, I know that sounds like a lot but then again the engine holds 8 gallons of oil). In any event, go to a commercial boat yard or lubricant supply house and buy a bale of the good 3M oil absorbant pads. I get the ones that are about 20 inches square. Here's a link: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=7717&familyName=3M+Oil+Sorbents I get my at my local commercial shipyard for about $50 per bale of 100. The only problem is finding a place to stow them, they are pretty bulky. Scott Welch Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group www.opentext.com 905 762 6101 "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden