Tuesday 10 March 2015

Electrifying

Electrifying
March 2015

It wasn't a good time to discover a problem with the electrics on Wand'ring Bark.

Last weekend I decided to recharge the battery on the Jam Butty using a trickle charger but alas it wasn't to be. I plugged in my hookup and linked this to a trickle charge and then, after a few minutes it tripped the fuse. Not the fuse on the boat, or the fuse on the hook up pillar but rather the fuse to the whole marina. Suddenly the drills and grinders were stilled and a posse was dispatched to identify the guilty party.

We had a similar situation a few months ago and I managed to avoid the lynch mob but this time it was a fair cop - I was to blame.

With our imminent plans to move onto the boat, the need for a reliable power source had never been greater so rather than try and track down the offending element of the system I decided to tackle the problem head on. 

First there was a new 25m hook up cable. The old one was used on our camping trips 15 years ago and in recent years has fallen into the canal on several occasions (not when the power was turned on!). Although it looked OK, the ends were sealed on so it was out with the old and in with the new, having had my wallet lightened by £40 in Midland Chandlers.

Next in line was the changeover switch, which was limited to a quick inspection for loose wires but all was ok, so no work there.

Then there was the extension lean which had suffered crush injuries whilst fitting the new stove. Part of the plastic housing was broken so B&Q assisted with a new friction free replacement, which will always come in handy.

Finally there was the trickle charger. The old one was a Halfrods special from about 10 years ago. Its labels and instructions had come off so deciding which buttons to press was something of a lottery, and as it had been stored in the damp of the engine bay this unit was a likely suspect. Another £40 investment in Halfords saw me the proud owner of a shiny new charger which will also help keep the batteries topped up and the 12v Fridge running whilst we are aboard.

The entire combo was linked up, the power turned on and...... it all worked fine. Lots of power and no Marina Mafia lynch mobs.

2 comments:

Giles said...

Congratulations on all the new electrical Stuff. But... It wasn't fair that you got tarred & feathered - I'd be asking questions of the marina's management if a hookup to what should be a protected outlet blew up the whole marina!

KevinTOO said...

What a 'shocking' experience for you... LOL