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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Tuesday 13 February 2024

Yessss, no more alarms.

 For Goodness’s sake....not again.... we returned from a shopping trip to hear the CO alarm going off. Things were getting beyond a joke. Everything we could think of to rectify the problem had been tried, except for one. So we let the stove go out overnight, brrr, turned very chilly in the cabin, and even with the extra blanket on the bed, it was freezing.  Good job I had my human hot water bottle! 7 am and the diesel heater was fired up. Not as good as having the stove lit but took the chill from the air and stopped me moaning. So after breakfast, Ian drove to Tool Station to purchase a packet of smoke pellets. 10 in a packet, and by Jove we nearly used all 10! Also, he decided to fetch the spare stove door which was in our garage. Why have two stove doors? Well, when we purchased the stove from new roughly 10 years ago there was a problem with the door, so the manufacturers sent a replacement. Anyway, having changed the doors over, placed a smoke pellet inside, this happened! Ha...no wonder we had replaced it!

The silver surround was the original door, the replacement had a gold surround. The door seals were obviously the problem

 So that door was removed and replaced with the other door to try again.

In went another pellet


 Sure enough, smoke was seen escaping from the ash pan door as well as the glass surround.


 

Although Ian had replaced the rope seal from around the door a while ago, a search on the web found he had used the 8 ml rope instead of the 10 ml. Blast! But then he remembered a conversation with Jim (nb Dire Straits) who had the right size rope given by another boater, so maybe Ian could go cap in hand and see if we could purchase it. 

Jim came good, asking not a penny (thanks Jim) and the old rope was removed, and the 10 ml stuck down in its place. He even replaced the rope around the main door.


 

 To try and sort the smoke seen escaping the glass, a brainwave! Take out the glass from the door with the silver surround, replace the gasket seal and try that instead.


 

In went another smoke pellet.


I could swear now....and if Ian had any hair, that would have been pulled out in clumps!

Time was now 3 pm. All blooming morning and into the afternoon, he had been trying to resolve the issue. The heater had been going too and goodness knows how much diesel had been used! Off came the door again. This time another gasket was placed on top to make double the thickness. In went yet another pellet and YESSSSSSSSSS. No smoke was seen. OMG, we both did a bit of a jig on the spot. Grins all round and a celebratory cup of tea. Fire was lit, diesel heating switched off and now back to being nice and toasty and more to the point, not a single bleep has come from our alarms......result.


Update. All is still quiet, last night was stress-free, no windows or doors had to remain open, and I have high hopes this will now continue.

To everyone that has sent suggestions, I say thank-you, your input was much appreciated.

And as today is Shrove Tuesday, for the first time in ages I made pancakes for lunch, 4 for Ian and three for me. There is an argument in this household as to what filling should go in them. Ian is a traditional lemon juice and sugar person, as for me, it has to be golden syrup. Oh, and Ian made a cake! Yep, he found a recipe for the bread maker. Raisin and walnut loaf, and that was even yummier!


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hurrah, all that effort solved the problem at last, so pleased for you now.
Good to celebrate with those lovely looking pankakes and tasty looking loaf!
Well done you and thank goodness for lovely obliging friends and fellow boaters, eh?
Now you can relax ooop there and get restful nights sleeping with your lovely 'human hotwaterbottle'lol.
Ann xx

Ian and Irene Jameison said...

Thank you, Ann. Xxx

Marilyn, nb Waka Huia said...

We here in Waikanae are very pleased you won't be CO poisoned!

Well done, OMWC, and well done to the photographer in chief...

Mxx

Ian and Irene Jameison said...

Thanks, Marilyn, I will tell Ian you approve. (: Xxxx

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