2009/1/23 Captain Beeky <[email protected]> > > On 23 Jan 2009, at 17:12, Michael Askin wrote: > > > My JP2 never seems to get hot enough to be able to do this sort of > > thing! :-( > > Thermostat ? > > Our JP3 does a super job of heating the calorifier, within 30 mins of > start up, but we have some kind of non marine/non Lister thermostat > arrangement in the pipe to the skin tank. At least I assume we have a > skin tank ! >
It is possible to do this sort of thing Mike, believe me. It used to be generally thought that JPs didn't generate the levels of heat for it - but this was because they were never being run at their right temperature. If they're running at this proper level - is it 90 degrees, I haven't got my manual to hand - they're like red hot radiators. Sadly though most people are running them through skin tanks all the time which they don't like. What we have on our JP3 is a rather natty brass encased thermostat made by the guy who used to be at Hillmorton (forgotten his name, brain going tonight). This ensures that the engine gets up to running temperature first before it cuts into the calorifier. As Beeky says, within 30 minutes of start up you have hot water. So hot in fact that you have to be careful of scalding yourself. It's only after that - when engine and water are up to temperature - that the thermostat cuts into the skin tank to cool. The advantage of running the engine at its recommended proper temperature, apart from the fact the engine runs better and if less susceptible to oil seepage because the temperature ensures good seals, is that your engine room is hot. In the summer opening the side doors is enough to cool it down, but in the winter with the doors closed ours is generally 30C. (though the Kabola boiler's in there too) It means you can dry anything instantly as well as providing a terrific source of heat when you're cruising. I open the engine room door to the back cabin and with the external doors closed behind me, and my Aussie Drizabone cowboy cape covering my top half I can, and have, steered through freezing storms in perfect comfort. The back cabin stove's really only for casseroles now. Steve [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
