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K4309

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Posts posted by K4309

  1. 1 hour ago, CarpeDiem said:

    According to the spec sheet on those batteries you can get 1000 cycles by taking them to 100% dod.

    As a weekend warrior, assuming one is sailing every weekend, that would be 10 years... at 100% DOD... which is very impressive, on paper...

    However the spec sheet does not say what the impact on DOD has on capacity.  Generally using a LA battery at 50% DoD will reduce the useable capacity, so your 50% becomes smaller and smaller over time and this happens much quicker than it does for a Li-ion battery.

    What I have read on these doesn't say, no sulphation, rather it says that sulphation due to psoc is minimized.   Would be interesting to see some real world results.

    Yes, Agree with your points. When I say 'no sulphation' it is just a faster way of typing a post than saying 'sulphation due to psoc is minimized'. The point being they are far more resilient to sulphation at PSoC than LA / AGM

    But the cost comparison shifts the decision scales markedly. $900 compared with $3,000 or more.

    On IT's comments about Lead-Carbon not comparing to LiFePo, yes, I understand LiFePo are far more advanced, again they are also far more expensive.

    Question @Island Time, how many people actually charge or have alternators big enough to charge LiFePo at 1C? It sounds great to be able to do that, but you must need a donkey of an alternator, with associated heavier wiring and control systems etc? A typical LiFePo install must be what? 200Ah? My understanding is that alternators start getting really tricky over 125amps?Belt loads, pulling configurations, cooling etc. Obviously unless you are some massive expedition yacht or something. I'm talking in the context of the average cruising boat.

  2. 6 hours ago, Guest said:

    Typo- DIY solar is a forum.

    should read Overkill solar who uses JBD boards and tweaks them.

    https://overkillsolar.com/

    Regarding lead carbon (firefly)being cheaper. Not from my perspective as I had them on order from Maine in 2019 with free freight to NZ. 
    Covid delayed it so I cancelled. Fortunately, as some people were having failures and the warranty logistics made it untenable. (Free freight was a one off)

    The CALB (or EVE) cells were cheaper than AGMs of same capacity. I don’t think the public perception of LiFePO4 and safety requirements are well understood. They are Li ion transfer but not Li-Ion & considerably safer. A couple of levels of safety is adequate, imo.
    Also, name brand proprietary systems are 3x price of diy with exceptional hands off monitoring capability. Bells and whistles. Not my requirement.

    Psyche link covers it. Off grid garage,diy solar, endless YouTube coverage , Nordkyn design.

    https://nordkyndesign.com/assembling-a-lithium-iron-phosphate-marine-house-bank/

    I've never heard of Firefly, and can't understand the economics of shipping one off battery purchases around the world.

    I went Kijo lead-carbon. Couple of supplies in Auckland, Best Batteries and iVent. I went with iVent, based in East Tamaki. Ivent Solutions Limited

    Got 300 A/hr for $900.

    No sulphation so tolerant of Partial State of Charge. i.e. you can leave them half charged, which is very common on boats with a mix of alternator and solar.

    Can charge at up to 0.3C, but recommended between 0.1C-0.2C. Compared with not being able to go over 0.1C for AGM. So for my 300 A/h I can charge at 60Amps (0.2C). I have a 75 amp alternator, de-tuned a touch via a Balmar smart regulator. I haven't seen them take more than 45-50Amps, but what this means is I can replace a days power consumption in 30mins to 1 hr of running the engine*. That covers getting the anchor up and motoring out of the bay typically.

    There is a tail charge when the charge acceptance drops off like a standard LA. But because of the Partial SoC you don't actually need to fully charge them. Solar is ideal for topping up that last 5 amps or so and does it well on modest sized panel set ups.

    These Kijo batteries are cheap, right. You can't get AGM's cheaper than that. There may be questions over cost / quality. So if they only last 5 years I haven't lost anything compared with going with AGM's again. Because they don't sulphate, I'd expect them to last indefinitely (given my typical cycle numbers per year, need to use the boat more).

    For a budget, DIY lithium install I was looking at about $2,500 - $3,000 for the same usable amp hours (100-150 A/h Li compared with 300A/h L-C at 50% DoD).

    To get better value for money the Li would need to last 17 years compared to L-C lasting 5 yrs. It is implausible than electrical or electronic items last 17yrs plus in the marine environment without something going wrong. That, and $3,000 doesn't get top shelf Li, it gets lower to mid range products. Odds on the Kijo Lead-carbons have a greater likelihood of lasting 5 years than cheap Li batteries last 17 yrs. And the deciding factor is the initial outlay. There is far less dollar risk going with the lesser outlay, that and I don't have $3k to drop on boat batteries. If I did have $3k to drop on the boat, there are many, many other shiny toys (essentials) I could spend that type of money on.

    * daily power consumption on a modest 37ft with electric fridge / freezer, instruments, lights, diesel heater (draws power), wireless cellular broadband and one or two devices for the kids. 25-50Amp/hrs per day. Currently charging with a 75Amp alternator and a 90W solar (was 180w solar but one posh enertec panel died after 4 years). I use a 20w solar to float the batteries so they are always 100% at the start of a trip. I should be able to go 3 days without any battery charging at all, so I don't need to run the engine daily. Means if we get a low solar day, or stay on anchor in a bay for a day or two it's not mission critical on battery charging.

    • Like 1
  3. 12 minutes ago, Guest said:

    Yep, but through an argofet isolator. (Splitter). So same benefit of there always being a load.  Also as 4s2p they don’t charge at the same rate. In theory they should but inherent variables of individual cells and then parallel banks make it unlikely. Victron alarm can be set to a level to warn you when approaching once you get to know their behaviour .  If you want “hands off” idiot proof, you will pay dearly.

    Not saying my choice is the ideal budget setup, but I am comfortable with it’s requirements and it’s a vast improvement over the FLA’s especially in the amount of power useable and replenishable quickly.

    Do those argofets have diodes in them? Is the much of a voltage drop over them? And do you need to adjust your alternator output voltage to account for the voltage drop? (assume that is easy if you have a smart regulator).

    I was looking at argofets but was told they were a bit old tech and the voltage drop was sub-optimal. Noting that old tech is normally bomb-proof tech in my view. Nothing wrong with it if you understand it.

  4. 39 minutes ago, waikiore said:

    As a detached observer still with LA that work -I see a terrible amount of money being spent on Lipo batteries without anyone upgrading their charging setup, this seems to defeat the purpose as they are not getting:

    1 Full Charge

    2 Rapid recharging 

    3 Long life

    4 Real safety

    At the price difference of traditional LA or even quality AGM batteries -I have yet to be convinced -also the issues with solar voltage etc etc.

    I think starting with a quality alternator and charge controller may be a better investment for those wishing to upgrade......

    I agree with this. 

    A safe Li install is expensive. You can get almost all the benefits of Li with lead-carbon at between 1/4 and 1/2 the cost, and with a like for like swap out of your existing AGM's, zero risk and zero new system hardware.

    Lead-carbon tolerate Partial state of charge (no sulphation) can be charged fast (up to 30%of C), can give big discharge load if you want to run coffee makers or microwaves. They are heavier than Li, but most of these installs are going into floating caravans, I don't see weight as a factor. Depending on your brand and repeated DoD, Lead-carbon have a huge cycle life, and in many situations will match Li for cycle life.

    Sure, Li are great, but as soon as you apply $$$/Amphr, they are shithouse. If you look at the $$$/Amphr for Lead-Carbon, all the Lithium talk just looks like a marketing / PR blitz.

    • Upvote 1
  5. 2 hours ago, Guest said:

    It seems a symbiotic relationship with little downside but not ABYC endorsed so I did not employ.

    I Went 4s2p with two bms’s (4cells in series x2, paralleled) the same capacity as LA’s.(460Ahr) alternator to splitter . Set 55%, ~80A in the flat of charge curve, never goes over 60C.

    Advantages experienced to date:

    *With the type of sailing I’m doing ( every couple of weeks, the motor to hoist is enough to keep in 20/80% zone for supposed longevity. I often use my field kill switch to stop charging while extended motoring depending on cruising plans.

    *Fridge stays on at dock (no shore power) to provide discharge in case soc is too high on returning. Also I sometimes leave another load on if it’s >80.Means beer is always cold.

    *Every few months before a longer trip I charge from dock to at least 3.6V per cell into the knee .( Top balance each bank to tail current of~ 0.2A) Its a bit tedious currently but I am about to fit an active balancer spec’d 5A to cut in at 3.4V/cell.

    *Was pretty much the same cost as same capacity AGMs. 2k$  Flatten Cu pipe for bus bars etc, cost conscious build.

    *My system: 8 CALB 230Ahr cells and two JBD 200Ahr. Plus Victron bmv 712 for over/under V audibles pre hvd/lvd.

    *I have all requisite fuses, T, anl etc.

    *Open to critique as I would like to add low cost additions improvement/safety features.

    *’Have just received a dcdc 18A iso Victron Li to SFA starter on Black Friday special to look after my 14yro start battery! $150. As there it was getting a bit neglected at Li charging spec.

    *cold 🍺24/7 .

     

     

     

     

     

    IMG_2051.jpeg

    Just to clarify Guest, how do you manage the load dump from the BMS onto the alternator?

    Are your Li parallel with your AGM start?

  6. 1 hour ago, Frank said:

    Our land yacht has LA for the start battery and 330 AH LifePo for the house battery, Its a fantastic but expensive set up with the beating heart of it being the battery which cost north of 6K.  Battery quality  like most things is variable but if you go for a quality product it makes sense to protect the asset by following the OEM's advice on equipping and configuring the system. I will watch the video later but i suspect it does not follow accepted practice and that could have expensive consequences.

     

     

     

    The video most definitely does not follow accepted practice. Whilst I skipped through it looking for the techo / charging detail, it did not provide any.

    CD's summary far exceeds any info in the video.

    In engineering (or almost anything) there is the old saying of what happens in theory and what happens in reality. The theory sounds great, but the reality of having two different batteries with completely different chemicals and charging profiles, both aging and deteriating at different rates... There are just waaayyyy too many variables to make this work safely in reality. That, and I think you loose many of the advantages of LiFePo by parallelling it with LA.

    It doesn't even touch on other charging sources (solar, wind) and doesn't discuss what happens at partial states of charge, or current draw while charging. He did make a big deal that you need the AGM in good condition. I can see if the AGM was in 'used' condition, this system would not work at all, the AGM would flatten the LiFePo, and you'd be back to candle light...

    Fast charging is one, but even the video said you need to monitor alternator temp. Was talking about using a handheld infrared thermometer. That sort of hap-hazard system is going to cause major problems.

    • Upvote 1
  7. I investigated LiFePo recently. Ended up going with Lead Carbon. The benefits of Lead Carbon match all of the positive attributes of LiFePo, are 1/4 to 1/2 the cost and avoid all the risk of uncontrolled load dumps blowing your alternator (as well as other aspects of a simplified like-for-like install).

    This guy talks with his hands a lot, has lots and lots to say but no actual detail. I don't understand how his proposed system works. It comes down to the charging and discharging voltages, which he didn't mention. He just showed a picture of Batman and Robin. Apparently they are complimentary?!? I felt more like I was watching a lifestyle coach than a techo guy (maybe just my perception, meaning, I felt he was trying to convince me of his idea, without giving any facts or details)

    In general, if no-one else is doing it, there is a reason. He was making a big deal about not needing a DC-DC charger, but then needed to install a new AGM to make it work. Both are components that are required to safely charge a LiFePo from an alternator. I'm not sure how using one over the other gets you any further ahead, you still need to spend $$$ on another item so you can charge a LiFePo.

    Did anyone get the actual details on how this is supposed to work? I may have missed it.

  8. How long do you need to pull the vacuum for? Like just a one off pull a vacuum then hold it, or do you pull a constant vacuum for hours?

    You can get a food vacuum packer from the Warehouse for $80. Could almost fit a foil for a 3.7 in the standard vacuum tube, pull the vacuum, seal the bag and leave it while the epoxy sets.

     

    PS, I know this sounds far too simple, and you needs lots of tubes, sticky back and peel ply to make it look techo enough. I'm more interested in what the general process is.

  9. 39 minutes ago, Addem said:

    I understood this too. Northcote point was to be closed. 

    You also have to pay moonbeams for a flag to be able to anchor in tbe boat area. The Sydney ones are $1500 

    Wow. That brings about some civil liberty issues. Going around closing every public space around the harbour for a private commercial event is not on.

    I've no problem paying good money to sit in the grandstands with good views of the racing, but stopping Wilfred and Wilma having a picnic (or some other completely unrelated recreation) on the reserve on the same day as the racing is not on.

    Not to mention the logistical issues too.

    • Upvote 1
  10. The issue is the sea chest. Ideal for smuggling drugs in, but also very good and conveying invassive organisms. Last I checked, yachts don't have sea chests. But every other international ship does. You can't tell me recreational boaties introduced and spread caulerpa on our anchors, when there is a known problem with sea chests on every ship coming into the Gulf.

    From Wiki:

    Ship's reservoir/filter[edit]

    The sea chest provides an intake reservoir from which piping systems draw raw water. Most sea chests are protected by removable gratings, and contain baffle plates to dampen the effects of vessel speed or sea state. The intake size of sea chests varies from less than 10 cm² to several square metres.[1]

    Zebra mussel control in sea chests[edit]

    When the ship is in freshwater, the hard steel surfaces of the sea chest, protective grates and baffles, combined with low water velocities created in this immediate area, provide a suitable environment for zebra mussel attachment. Zebra mussel infestations have been found to clog the individual intakes and gates of the various water piping systems, decreasing the availability of water for onboard operations, which could result in damage to engines and other components that require water for cooling. Sea chests are, therefore, considered to be the most susceptible component to serious infestation.[1]

    Control strategies include coating all surfaces with an antifoulant such as copper-based epoxy paint or hot-dip galvanizing. Periodic inspection and replacement of grates and screens also reduces the risk. Increasing the size of the sea chests by 20% to 30% may delay the onset of serious problems that could force an engine shutdown. Thermal treatment is a highly effective strategy for the control of zebra mussels (McMahon et al. 1995). Thermal treatment may include retrofitting a closed loop system to recirculate the heated water to the sea chest or the addition of a second sea chest system, allowing engine cooling water to be discharged through the idle sea chest. Recirculation of engine cooling water as a thermal control strategy has proved extremely effective in controlling zebra mussels (Palermo 1992, U.S. Coast Guard 1994).[1]

  11. Does anyone know the design displacement of a Whiting 40?

    Asking for a friend, needs to be under 10t to allow hauling at our club.

    Noting that if cruising weight is over 10t it could be unloaded to get down to the permitted weight (i.e. drop water tanks). Any actually design data would be ideal, but general estimates helpful.

  12. 10 hours ago, Addem said:

    The point is they would have got fees and the disruption to shipping would be Nil. Ferries affected would only be brikenhead and hobsonville. 

     

    Don't forget they have permanently cancelled the Birkenhead ferry due to lack of skippers. That is in addition to several other ferry routes either permanently cancelled or dramatically reduced frequency, including Gulf Harbour, all due to lack of skippers.

    So saying SailGP would have disrupted the ferries is a nonsense. The ferries are disrupted anyway.

    I think the problem is BP still own that land, and Council are trying to roger BP over the clean-up / decon. I suspect BP are just saying 'right back at you Auckland Council. I think it is a 'behind closed doors' pissing match between BP and Council, and SailGP is just collateral damage.

    I have had colleagues working on techo-legal aspects of the decontamination waayy back in the mid 2010's. 

  13. I was with Vero a few years ago. Premium went from $1,200 to $2,200 in the space of two years.

    I'm now with Mariner. No pre-requisites. Cover was $900 ish, went up to $1,200 this year. $100k cover on an almost 40 yr old wooden boat on pile mooring. Plus whatever third party is, $10mil I think (either that or $5mil). I phoned and asked about the increase in premium this year. Short story was age of boat. Risk goes up with age.

    It was very hard to get cover without some sort of inspection (for a mid to late 30's boat). Pantaneious wanted me to survey the mooring pole before they'd even give me a quote. I was like 'its round, wooden, about 450mm diameter, and goes into the ground... Most places needed a minimum of an out of water survey.

    I didn't want to do an out of water survey (cost maybe $1,000 - $1,500) to save $500 on my premium. BUT, we have owned our boat for about 25 yrs now, and I'm actually starting to think about getting some sort of inspection or survey for my own piece of mind. She takes a bit of maintenance to keep on top of everything, and I'd hate to have a catastrophic failure because of something I overlooked but could have fixed if I knew about it. Examples being I found the rudder tube badly corroded and weaping. Could have sunk us, but cost about $300 to fix. Have found a soft patch in the keelson once, again easy fix once we found it.

    I'm dreading the insurance invoice when she turns 40. I think that is a really trigger for insurance risk.

    • Upvote 1
  14. 2 hours ago, Psyche said:

     You can repack a stuffing box in the water, its been done thousands of times. A friend did one last year for the first time no problems,  plenty of youtube videos out there, the water pressure is very low and a few rags will stop most of the flow so no need to panic when you are doing it! Or do it on the grid to have a good look at the cutlass bearing as well, no need to pull  it out at this stage.

    Do you think it's possible an overtight stuffing box could stall the engine? It's not something I've heard of.

  15. 55 minutes ago, Psyche said:

    Is it just me or does it seem like there's not much in the way of large public celebrations in our city? It's  like the council is  disconnected, the city needs positive easily accessible events to build some pride in Auckland, especially after the floods, covid, the constant complaining by the Mayor etc.

    They really should have made a huge effort to bring the  GP here, I mean how hard can it be, weve only hosted the worlds biggest sailing event multiple times! It would go a long way towards relieving the disappointment over Dalton removing the cup defense.

    On the celebrations, I think you are the wrong demographic Psyche. The Council gets right into the Pride Parade, Diwali and Matariki.

    Listening to the Auckland events guy last night, he said outright we got Coldplay at Eden Park because we lost Sail GP. Because we lost Sail GP they had the budget to bring in Coldplay. Not sure why us ratepayers are subsidising multi million dollar pop bands, but that is a different issue.

    The tank farm isn't ready because BP have to clean up all of the contaminated land before it can be handed over to Council. It is a legal minefield so I'm not at all surprised there are issues. With a project that complex I'm surprised it took them this long to realise those issues.

    A bit disappointing to see the old 'bag Coutts' narrative coming through. Sail GP needs a 5,000 seat stadium. Where else can you put one of those in close proximity to deep water in Auckland Harbour and not shut down a major commercial port or crippled the ferries? - The Waihekians will have your balls for breakfast if you disrupt their commute.

    In none of the media have I heard mention of what other locations were considered. You could close Tamaki Drive for 2 weeks and build the stadium there? I'm sure no-one in the Eastern suburbs would care? Easy to make Sir Russell the scape goat, but there are zero facts to show there was a viable alternative. Or even any alternative, viable or not.

    And the fundamental difference with all the America's Cup events and Sail GP is that Sail GP is a stadium event. That has never been done before in Auckland.

    • Upvote 1
  16. That sounds like a real can of worms. I've never heard of that happening, and I wouldn't want to be finding a suitable engineer to investigate that this close to Christmas.

    What sort of stuffing gland is it? Like the standard thing with flax stuffing (square fibre, like hemp with lots of grease) and you pump grease into it every time you've been out?

    Why do you think it is the stuffing gland that is stalling the engine?

    When was the last time you had a bum clean, and is the shaft, prop and cutless bearing free of barnacles and oysters? i.e. have you had a look underneath and confirmed it isn't something else? 

    You haven't just ran over a fishing line have you? They can choke around the cutless bearing and could cause similar symptoms. Especially a bit of net. They will stall an engine and choke up around the prop / cutless bearing. Infact, the only time I've had a laboured and stalling engine I ran over a fishing net combined with seaweed in Falmouth Roads. A diver soon had it sorted.

    I'd be keen for other's opinion on here, but I'd be surprised if a cooked stuffing box could stall an engine by itself. It would make loads of heat and stuff, but there isn't enough surface area to overcome the torque on a prop shaft. Shafts do get 'necked' over time too, but that wont cause the issues you have. Normally just make the stuffing gland drip more.

    My bet it's something else. If the shaft was completely out of alignment it would cause a hell of a vibration normally, but not stall the engine. How are the engine mounts? Has the engine dropped down? It is possible to break engine brackets (I've broken two on a 35 yr old engine) which cause the engine to drop. All the weight would go on the shaft at the stuffing gland then. It could give symptoms that make you think it is an issue with the stuffing gland. Generally the main symptom is vibration like you have a jack-hammer pounding on your hull as well (very bad vibration) which is a sign of other issues.

    Back to the stuffing gland, if you back the nuts off do you get water out, or is it completely dry, i.e. sea water dripping or dribbling out of the stuffing gland? It is possible to cook the stuff inside them. I think basically you have to pull and pry the stuff out with needles and hooks and put some new stuff in. Best done on the hard, as once you get the stuff out water comes in uncontrolled until you get the new stuff in. Very tedious, but a straight forward DIY job.

    A haul out might give you some insight into what is wrong. If it's a net or fishing line it is an easy fix. If you need to re-pack the stuffing gland you have to do that on the hard. If it is something more complex you can rule out the first options, but it back in the water to save on hardstand cost, and work out what to do then.

    Linking back to your original question, I think it would be challenging finding an engineer at this time of year and with a problem with real scope for not being a simple fix / getting bigger on investigation. That doesn't mean there isn't anyone around, I just don't know of any. 

  17. 20 minutes ago, funlovincriminal said:

    Can also ditch matches and rub sticks together for fire. Or better still eat your Sabre tooth Tiger raw?

    Got a 25 litre Calorfier in the 1020. Heats up quick, since I repacked the insulation inside the case and lagged all the pipes it'll stay hot overnight. IMO if you have an engine driven fridge/freezer it's a no Brainer. Plus, the extra fresh cooling water capacity must make engine cooling circuit more efficient? 

    Diesels need to run at the optimum design temp, no point running them colder. And I've got a lectric fridge so I can just run it off solar and not make lots of noise and fumes with said diesel.

    By explanation, took the kids to Rangitwotoes this weekend. We were checking out the old batches along the Issy Bay side that appear to be managed by DoC now. Proper old school. Shelves full of books (for reading). Board games. Card games. Shower was a canvas bucket with a shower head on it. Gas stoves. No wifi. No internet. You interact with people by talking to them, like to their face and everything. No TV's. No devices.

    Being in Nature.

    PS, I'm fairly sure Sabre Tooth Tigers are on the CITIES list now. But as for raw, I understand it's the latest way to eat kingfish (or many other fish for that matter). If you want to be posh you call it Sashimi. Or you could go OTT, add some lime juice and call it Ceviche. So yeah, eating game meat raw is on trend. The original 'food from nature'. No ultra-processed-foods when you're doing that ;-)

    Imagine, being in Nature and eating food from Nature. What ever next.

    • Haha 1
  18. What do you guys use all this hot water for?

    I've got a kettle. Goes on the stove. If we want instant hot water, we fill a thermos. If we want lots of hot water, we fill two thermos. Very handy if you want a cup of tea but can't be bothered turning the gas on etc. Always have hot water for washing the dishes. Zero faffing.

    • Upvote 3
  19. Jimmy at Cando Lifting is also experienced at getting boats off beaches. He got the Kathleen (34ft Van de Stad) off Stanmore Bay Beach August last year. He's recovered a number of boats previously.

    Also very handy at getting engines in or out of boats (he did mine and many many others), and things like masts. Based on Whangaparaoa and very good rates. He gave the owner of the Kathleen such a good rate he basically didn't charge him, noting his boat had just been written off, and the public service aspect of getting the wreck off the beach before it broke up and spread debri all across the marine environment.

    Keep a note if you ever need a man with a 4x4 truck and hiab in a hurry (i.e. you find a boat busted a mooring and need it sorted asap).

    4x4 rear mounted palfinger, 22m reach with 240kg out the back.

    +64 27 222 6366

    Facebook

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 3
  20. 47 minutes ago, Addem said:

    Really?  I'd have thought that was asking for a blockage. 

    Paradoxically, it is the other way round. Small diameters mean higher velocities which convey the solids out. If the diameter is too great you don't get sufficient velocity to move the solids, you just move the water. The solids accumulate and eventually block up.

    You need velocities greater than about 0.6 m/s to move solids. I've never worked out what the velocities are for a standard pump on marine heads, but I assume it can't be too far wrong cause the tend to work most of the time.

    Obviously there is a practical constraint with going too small. You couldn't use 15mm bute pipe for fairly obvious reasons

    • Haha 1
  21. 11 minutes ago, Ex Machina said:

    Apparently a dose of vinegar once a day will prevent calcification of the pipes . I have had good success eleminating holding tank stink with no-flex digestor . After researching the heck out of it it’s basically an oxygen bleach , flush a tablespoon once a day through your system and it neutralises the sulphur dioxide ? Stink . It has the added bonus of dissolving organic solids but it won’t shift calcium deposits . Once it runs out I will be using off the shelf supermarket oxygen bleach for a fraction of the price . It’s nice opening up the boat and not being greeted by a potpourri of rotovegas and diesel .

    I see the active ingredient is 80% Sodium Percarbonate. A quick google shows it available and loads of places, cleaning products supplies at $45 for 5 kg, home brewing supplies for $10.50 / kg.

    Burnsco have the Noflex, $60 for 475gm.

    I've been using BioMagic for my holding tank odours. Has similar claims as the Noflex. I can't find what the active ingredients are, but always assumed it is calcium nitrate, as it provides a preferential oxygen source for facultative bacteria. It's $60 for 5l, and I've only just started on a new bottle. It is effective at knocking back the holding tank odour.

    I am keen to start adding white vinegar to the heads line though, to avoid the dreaded calcification. I might get some of that sodium percarbonate just for the shear pleasure of not having the hydrogen sulphide smell after not using the boat for a while. It's either that or a carbon filter for the siphon break vent, which is about $70 I think.

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