Descaling Engine Heat Exchangers [and other raw water plumbing...]

Is your engine starting to run warmer than usual?

Based upon this descaling article in Practical Sailor, we chose to use CLR (among several tested and rated products) annually to descale the raw water circuits on our propulsion engine and generator (which include several copper-nickle heat exchangers.)  

CLR is also safe to use on the dibghy outboard engine since there is aluminum to be found in its raw water cooling cirsuits.

We chose CLR because it is safer to work with, has no fumes (unlike muriatic acid...) and CLR won't harm any aluminum (or anodes) in the raw water circuit when used as directed in the above article and per manufacturer's instructions. 

CLR is also effective at removing rust stains, cleaning the shower floor and walls, clearing air conditioner/ heat pump raw water circuits, descaling coffee pots, outboard motor cooling circuit, etc., etc. (Everything on a boat should have more than one purpose, right?)

Instead of removing the various heat exchangers and soaking in a bucket, we leave them in place and use a small pump to recirculate 50% diluted CLR (per above linked article) through the raw water coolant loops of the main engine and generator annually.  

If you prefer to purge any raw water from the cooling circuits before descaling, pump some fresh water through first- discharging into the bilge instead of the bucket. Then put your hoses in the bucket of diluted CLR and turn on your recirculation pump.

Recirculating 50% diluted CLR clears the deposits in the raw water side of the heat exchangers. 

Keep it going until the discharge stops foaming.

       

The time elapsed between above photos was ~ 2 hours. (Severe deposits can take hours longer- even overnight...)

The red return line in the above photos is the disconnected exhaust elbow raw water injection hose on our generator (you wouldn't want to hydrolock your engine with the descaling recirculation pump...)

The black hose is the suction hose which normally goes to the raw water through-hull (strainer) for that engine.

 

This is a routine part of our annual maintenance. It also provides an opportunity to inspect the exaust elbow injection site for corrosion since we have to remove that hose to recirculate the descaling solution.

When we are finished with each engine, we dump the bucket of used CLR solution into the bilge with the primary (lowest or maintenance) bilge pump off. (We have several bilge pumps installed- each above the previous- and they are left on, so are covered in an emergency...) 

After adding the 2nd bucket full, we turn on the maintenance bilge pump for a few seconds to fill the discharge hose, and then turn it off again to let everything soak overnight. To empty the CLR from the bilge, capture the bilge pump discharge and dispose of properly. 

Three-way valves strategically placed in the bilge pump discharge and engine raw water hoses mentioned above make this annual maintenance quick and easy with no hoses to remove... (With well planned 3-way valves you could even use the bilge as the bucket, and the maintenance bilge pump to recirculate the descaling mixture...)

Win-Win.

 

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Links to related forum discussions:

Nauticat USA Forum 29-Jan-2023 

Cruiser's Forum 27-Jan-2023

Five year bottom paint?

We cruise N Pacific waters above 56°N. Aggressive hard growth (mainly barnacles and mussels) is very normal here. 

Water temps (°F) vary from mid 30's in some of the glaciated fjords, to as high as the low 50's in the Gulf of Alaska- with seasonal variations. You can see barnacles, mussels, etc. on the rocks at low tide everywhere. 

We can even judge the depth of tide by which intertidal growth layers are visible. (Sounds like fodder for a future post...)

Sometimes those cruising warmer waters think hard growth in minimized in cooler water. It isn't. Anyone who takes their dinghy (or kayak, etc.) to shore in these parts can attest to the razor sharp growth attached to any hard surface that spends at least part of the time underwater... 

The following photo we took in Jul-2022 demonstrates an extreme example of this. The image shows a small portion of Margerie Glacier (a tidewater, or fixed glacier at 59°N; 137°W), and barnacles growing on the (fairly) recently exposed adjacent bedrock. I can assure you this is not tepid water...

 

What antifouling paint do we use? Divers cleaning other boat hulls in the harbor often ask us this since ours has yet to need cleaning.

The owner of a commercial fishing boat across from our slip told us about a time he couldn't back out of his slip. He thought his transmission had malfunctioned. A diver revealed he had over a foot of mussels and barnacles coating both sides of his 48 inch 4 blade prop. All was well after the diver used a spud bar to peel off the growth- which had accumulated over 5 months of sitting at the dock in winter. 

We first applied this ablative antifouling paint in Apr-2017. 

Our next haulout was 4 years later in May 2021 (because we needed an insurance survey.)

Note that Denali Rose spends all of her time in the water- except during routine, ~1 week haulouts every few years. 

Following are a couple of photos of the hull as it is still dripping from being hauled-out after sitting at the dock for 4 months over winter: (4 years and 1 month since it was last painted...)

Denali Rose is 50 ft. OAL. This is the smallest travel lift in the yard @ 150 tons.  
We prefer it when our boat looks like a toy in the travelift...

Pre-pressure wash image demonstrating the clean hull [after 49 months in the water full time] with hard growth on some of the metal components.

We coat UW metals with Pettit Prop Coat. It lasts us about 3+ years when overcoated with Hydrocoat per the manufacturer's directions.

Note a bit of greenish slime on the hull and keel from sitting unmoving at the dock for 4 months over winter...

In the above pre-pressure wash images, you can see the 4 year old black Hydrocoat paint would likely have lasted at least another year, but there was some hard growth on some of the underwater (UW) metals (which represents about 13 months growth since the last time a diver cleaned the zinc spray coated UW metals and replaced the anodes. No diver hull cleaning. Ever.)

We have never had a diver clean the bottom since we started using Hydrocoat, but every year or two we do have a diver renew the anodes and remove any hard growth on underwater metals as needed. (We inspect the hull every 6 months or so using a GoPro camera mounted on a boat pole.)

Of course, since we were hauled out for the insurance survey, we renewed the bottom paint in May 2021.

We started using water-based Pettit Hydrocoat ablative bottom paint  in Apr-2017. (NOT the ECO version without copper...) We re-applied Hydrocoat during our insurance survey haulout  4 years later (in May-2021) the day after the above photos were taken. (And the hull is still pristine as of the publishing of this post on 19-Jan-2023...)

Our next haulout is currently planned for 5 years after the last painting in May-2021; spring of 2026.

Stay tuned...

Of course, YMMV...

PS: Other advantages of using a water based (low VOC) bottom paint include we can have it mailed USPS-  which is typically our most ecconomical shipping choice in remote locations. And we can use it to coat through-hull transducers that specify water-based antifouling paint only. (Most potted transducers.)

PPS: What about bottom paint considerations in areas with warmer waters?

In case you aren't familiar with Practical Sailor's [continental US] regional bottom paint testing results, here is a representative article that may be useful. (Scroll to bottom to see extensive rating tables...)

Jamestown Distributors [JD] also conducted bottom paint surveys for several years in a row, and I found this recap article in case it is of interest.

Following are a couple of informative graphics from the JD article linked above:






I couldn't find their live Google map, but I remember you could drill-in and read individual submissions, so asking JD for access may prove useful if you are interested in what boaters reported using (and their ratings) in specific regions of the world.



I recall using a hard, high copper bottom paint (Trinidad?) when I spent 7 years in the S Pacific tropics decades ago on a different boat. Cleaning the bottom monthly was good exercise...


More FWIW info.

This is for the birds...

We are now classifying Eagles as another hazard to navigation [instruments at least...]

I took the following photos of a friend's boat from our deck yesterday evening... [If all those lights and instruments have to be replaced he is out ~$800 + a fun trip to the masthead...]

What about our boat? So far the eagles are into us for $650 as they took out our wind direction indicator [part of anemometer…] We haven’t installed the solid state no moving parts eagle-resistant replacement yet and its cable yet…

Tidbit: Snags in the boatyard...

Subtitle: Cutlass bearing replacement [in a strut] without removing the prop shaft

This is one of a series of brief, no nonsense posts that we call aTidbit: 

noun; small and [possibly] particularly interesting item of gossip or information...

The purpose is to share succinct posts about lessons learned, or things we use or do that work [or don't...] that are common to most of us boaters. 

The goal is to garner feedback from those of you having first-hand experience with a different approach/ solution/ product/ or additional useful information to share...  

We never assume what we are sharing is the ideal or only; it just seems to best suit our needs [and/or habits and/or budget] from our experiences thus far...

Note: The original blog post [below] has been inducted into Tidbits since it qualifies, but was published almost 2 years before we initiated the Tidbit series...

                               ➛ ➛ Peruse the right-hand sidebar for the up-to-date list of Tidbits ➛ ➛                               

We are just wrapping up our first maintenance haul out of the boat since she became ours in mid 2014.

It was time to refresh the bottom paint, replace the cutless bearing [one in the strut], replace the bellows on the dripless prop shaft seal, and install the new forward looking SONAR.

This post is about how the little things can be costly... In this case, a set screw that refused to budge...

A boat buck [and 3 extra days in the boat yard] took care of that 40¢ screw alrighty...

Following is my first attempt at embedding posts from our Denali Rose Sailboat Facebook page, where these events were originally chronicled... [Along with several others...]

I do this out of pure laziness with total disregard for what you might prefer... [and because, well, we are still on the hard and very busy...]

Please let us know what you think of this approach. [Not that we will do anything about it...]

Note that you do not need a Facebook account to read the two following detailed posts with annotated photos.

Fuel Systems & Consumption

The following post was converted to a permanent and maintained page in our Stuff we have and use... sidebar on 25-Mar-2016.


Please go to that permanent page for the most recent information and updates.

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Original Post:

This post is part of a series describing some of our common boat systems and their operation. 

We refer to these often not only for our own use, but also when asked specific questions about systems on Denali Rose, and when participating in discussions on various forums.

Overview

We have a single 90 hp diesel propulsion engine [Ford Lehman SP90] and a 10kw diesel generator [3 cylinder Kubota]. [Both are naturally aspirated.]

Our SOP is to use 10µ filters in our twin Racor 500 filters, but keep 20µ & 30µ filters on hand in case of problems with contaminated fuel. [So theoretically we could motor for longer periods between filter changes if needed due to abnormal circumstances...]

Details

More details follow to provide context regarding fuel handling, storage and maintenance, fuel types, consumption, monitoring, etc. if you are interested in how busy our filters are.

Fuel flow management:
We have an a couple of 12VDC fuel pumps that perform several functions depending upon which valves we open: [I mention this because all of these functions pump through the Racor filters.]

• Help bleed the fuel circuits [propulsion engine and generator]
• Runs the fuel polishing loop [recirculate or fuel transfer to another tank]
• Transfers fuel between tanks or into external jug [through the Racor filters]
• Backs-up the fuel pumps on the engines [will provide fuel flow in the event an engine pump fails]

Fuel Storage:
Our two steel tanks each have 10 x 12 inch clean-out hatches above each baffled section of each tank [and were last mucked out and cleaned in 2009.]

Each tank also has sump drains which [to date] routinely yield pure fuel in the samples [no water or sediment... yet...]

We also installed H2Out air dryers on each fuel tank vent to help reduce moisture ingress via the vent lines.

Consequently- knock on wood- so far the fuel remains in great shape. [And local conditions in some of the straights we routinely transit make sure our fuel is well agitated several times each year...]

Capacity:
2 tanks; 216 US gallons total: 86 gallons #2 diesel for engine and generator: 130 gallons #1 for the heater. [For the curious: The 130 gallon tank is original. The 86 gallon tank was the max size the previous owner could reasonably fit when the other 130 gallon tank needed to be replaced...]

Both tanks have analog fuel gauges [and calibrated sight gauges with shut off valves...]

Design note about the sight gauges: The sight gauge is plumbed to a 3-way valve which is plumbed to the tank sump drain hole. Therefore the 3-way valve can be: off [normal position]; open to drain/sample fuel from the sump; or open to charge the clear sight gauge [and then closed after the gauge has equalized and is read.]

After fuel fills we let it settle overnight [when in a calm anchorage or at the dock...] before opening the sight gauge valve on each tank. Since the gauge is filling from the tank sump- and the fuel in the sight gauge is lower than the fuel in the tank after a fill- we get a visual inspection of the fuel from the sump when the sight gauge fills...] 

We can also see the fuel from the sump by pushing the fuel out of the sight gauge through it's top valve with a couple of strokes from a bicycle hand pump. When it refills we see what's in the bottom of the tank... [I call this non-invasive sampling...]

Future plans include replacing the factory analog fuel gauges with the CruzPro digital fuel gauge which also tracks consumption per hour once calibrated.

Fuel type considerations:
The Espar heater prefers #1 fuel oil with no additives [extends time between maintenance periods; it can also run on #2 without issues, just more frequent maintenance.]

Therefore we dedicated one of our two tanks to #1 diesel to accommodate the heater since we are dependent upon it year around in our current cruising grounds.

The engine and generator both prefer #2 diesel [with temperature dependent additives to prevent waxing. [They can both also operate on #1 without short-term issues per manufacturer's documentation.]

The other tank is full of #2 diesel.

There are times when we are 'out there' when we need to transfer #1 diesel to the #2 diesel tank for the engine. When we do this, we just add the appropriate amount of additive to the engine tank to up the lubricity rating of the fuel to keep the diesel engines happy. [Note: both engines can run on straight #1 without any short term issues (according to the manufacturer's documentation) so if needed, we can just switch tanks and keep motoring/generating...]

Consumption:

• Engine [Ford Lehman SP90; 4 cyl, 90 hp] 
• 1.3-1.8 gph @ 7-8 knot- depending upon conditions
• Generator [Kubota D 722; 3 cyl]
• 0.3-0.8 gph- depending upon load
• Forced Air Heater [Espar D5LC]
• 0.15 gph- on high [worse case]

In our current cruising grounds where we motor ~80% of the time, we typically top-up diesel fuel once or twice a year.
[Note: When buying fuel from a low volume source, we run it through our large Baja filter on its way to the tank...]

Annual consumption currently averages around 200 gallons in our current cruising grounds- with 30-40% of that being used by the Espar heater while at anchor...

Fuel filter plumbing and monitoring:

Design note: Our twin Racor 500 filters are plumbed so we can use one at a time [SOP] with the other as an instant fail-over, or run them in series. [e.g., Put a 30µ filter in the first Racor, and a 10µ filter in the second.]

Future change: Add a vacuum gauge per filter to facilitate use in series; not necessary when used individually. Additionally, as currently plumbed we can sample pressure on each filter by switching the 3 way valve the vacuum gauge is plumbed to. 

The Racors are mounted in the engine room and, while very accessible, are not visible from either helm station. Therefore, I installed a vacuum gauge that reads the active filter, and the gauge has a red tell-tale needle to show the highest reading on the gauge since the last reset. Very handy.

I intend to install a second gage (with tell-tale) in the overhead display with the other engine gauges at the lower help position in the near future.

We also installed water sensor alarms on both Racors to get an early warning that the active filter is at risk of shutting-down due to water in the bowl...

Related References:

• How to change fuel filters (video)
• How to repair/rebuild Racor 500 fuel filters

Dehumidifier

This post has now been added to our Stuff We Have and Use [and Do...] sidebar...

Please also see that version of this information, as it will be updated over time...

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As we have mentioned in some of our posts about living aboard a boat in cooler climates, we run a dehumidifier inside our boat during cooler weather when at the dock and sometimes while at anchor. [We can also fire up our air conditioners (we have 3 separately controlled units built-in.) They take care of excessive moisture quickly.]

Earlier this winter, our not so old, heavy duty [and noisy!] workhorse name-brand compressor type dehumidifier quit working. The GFCI outlet it was plugged into was tripped. It immediately tripped upon reset, and did the same to any other GFCI circuit it was plugged into. Therefore it was no longer safe to use...

It also had other issues inherent to that technology. For instance, if the interior temperature of the boat got much below 40°F in that it would frost-up [This would happen if we were away from the boat traveling...] And the electronic controls had to be manually reset after a power outage because it wouldn't automatically start back up when the power was restored. And did I mention how noisy it was?...

Our search for a replacement revealed a new technology that doesn't rely on an air conditioning compressor. It uses a self-recharging desiccant technology [not Koolatron 12 volt cooler technology, which we tried in the past. They frost up quickly and stop removing moisture even though they continue to run after freezing-up...]

This new one is really efficient, very quiet, lightweight and compact [we can actually store this one onboard...] It has an optional drain hose [which we lead to a shower sump] which eliminates manually emptying the built-in tank when it is full. 

This new unit also puts out a small amount of heat, and has a high setting to facilitate clothes drying; all using far less power than the old compressor style dehumidifier. It also continues to operate normally down to 34°F [per the manufacturer- we haven't tested this yet...]

Low setting is 330 watts [120 VAC] so we can easily run this on our inverter as needed.

After extensive research we bought the model linked below with manual [vs. electronic] controls that allow the unit to resume operating after a power outage. [This is important if you leave it running while away from the boat (at the dock) for extended periods as we sometimes do...]

We couldn't be happier.

EcoSeb DD122EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier, 15-Pint, White, 120V

Shore-power Lost; AC connections at fault [Updated Dec-2018]

[Updated: 30-Dec-2018; 22-Jan-2015; 1-Oct-2016]

Murphy struck while we were away from the boat.  [6-10 flying hours away...]

The other day our remote vessel monitoring system sent an SMS to our cell phones notifying us that shore-power to the boat was off. [Several times within a 3 hour period.] 

We immediately contacted our diligent caretaker who quickly confirmed that power was indeed on in the marina, but found that the 50 amp AC connection between the shore-power cord and boat had failed.  

Receptacle on boat. (That is the Neutral post that was affected.)

Output (Boat) end of shore power cord

Something caused poor connectivity/conductivity of the neutral terminal.

Typical causes include:

• electrical connectors [mating tangs] were no longer tight, or the connection worked loose [rotated to the unlock position of the twist-lock] 
• [Yes, the power cord was secured to the receptacle with the threaded lock cap- which was reported as still tight. And when the new plug was put on the cord, the wires showed no sign of shorting or overheating. I'll see what the wires on the boat receptacle look like when I replace it this spring... Update 22-Jan-2015, below; the wires were fine...] 
• water ingress 
• [Our caretaker reported the socket was dry, but the heat generated by the resistance of the bad connection could have cooked off any moisture...] 
• corrosion [most likely...?]
• or were just worn out
• [The previous owner completely revamped the AC system in 1999-2000, so these components may be that old...]

What about too much current you ask? 

Well, that 50 A female connector is actually part of an 30 A to 50 A adapter [pigtail]. I had the 30 A (10 Gauge) cord running to the 30 A 115 VAC dock power and connected to the boat 50 A inlet through the adapter. [The boat has two 50 A 125/250 VAC input receptacles.] Therefore, even if we were drawing a maximum of 30 amps the 50 A adapter cord and receptacle should not have been overloaded.  [The most I measured (before I left the boat) with everything running was 18 A... The dock breaker will trip when it hits 30+ Amps; something we have inadvertently demonstrated on several occasions...]

Since we needed AC power to keep the batteries charged, and for the dehumidifier and modicum of heat we left on to prevent mildew, the quickest resolution [predicated by what parts could be obtained locally...] was to replace the damaged socket on the shore power cord and plug it into the 2nd power inlet on the boat. [We have one on both port and starboard sides for convenience.] 

We left the fried receptacle as it was for the time being. [Since the two power inlets have separate breakers on the boat AC panel, and since only one can be switched on at a time due to a physical lock-out mechanism, I deemed this a safe approach, although a temporary one...]

This met our need for continued AC shore power for the time being...

But what to do for the long term to reduce the possibilities of this occurring again in the future? 

One approach is to replace the damaged input receptacle with the same set-up. [We have these heavy-duty stainless receptacles on the boat...]

Another is to eliminate the receptacle all together and just hardwire the shore power cord in place. [Like may RVs and campers do...] There are cord reels made for this type of install, but since we have two inlets (port and starboard for convenience) I decided not to take up space in 2 lazarettes with 2 cords and 2 reels.

Therefore it was time to research replacing the input receptacles on the boat with something better. [Since it looks like we will be stuck with the current twist-lock standard on North American docks for the foreseeable future, why not limit the issues to that end of the shore power connection?]

I've know about the SmartPlug alternative for some time, and did a bit more research now that I was contemplating a change. 

This is not an uncommon problem with the old style connectors, and things could have been much worse if it weren't for our extremely reliable and capable caretaker. [Thank you, Kim!] 

It seems to me like the SmartPlug is the way to go for all the reasons given on the manufacturer's web site as well as 3rd party information I read online. [Search the internet for SmartPlug and you will find plenty to read...] 

Where to buy? We ordered ours from Amazon at very competitive pricing and free shipping. 

Want to learn more? This post thoroughly covers the problem we had, and the solution we chose [Spoiler alert: SmartPlug advocate...]

Update 26-Dec-2014: We ordered a new Smartplug 50Amp inlet and cord end (per photos above). We will order another set (remember the boat has 2 inlets...) if it works out as expected when we install it this coming spring...

Update 22-Jan-2015: I had a chance to stop by the boat as part of a trip to Seattle, so I took the opportunity to install the new SmartPlug 50A inlet between rain squalls while I was there. 

It easily fit into the hole for the socket being replaced, and wiring was easy- especially since the manufacturer uses stainless steel socket head set screws instead of the usual slotted set screw.

The only minor modification I had to make was to drill the mounting screw holes slightly larger since oversize screws had been used to mount the legacy outlet. I also increased the tapered countersink to accommodate the larger flathead screws I had to use. Five minutes freehand work with the drill, including clean-up. [The body is stainless steel, so use sharp bits, and do this before installing if warranted...] 

Before securing the socket, I wrapped a couple of layers of self-amalgamating silicone tape around the area where the set screw heads are accessed as an extra precaution.  [Even though they are slightly recessed as you can see in the next photo. (Sorry. I didn't think to take a photo after installing the tape...)]

Update: Dec-2018: We have not had a single issue with shore power connections on the boat since converting both of our AC inlets to 50A SmartPlugs. 

I have even tested the limits by running all 3 air conditioners and some portable electric heaters to put maximum load [~48 amps per 115V AC leg =  96A of 115V AC] on the 50A [230V AC] dock service, and the SmartPlug hardware never even got warm to the touch...

The following photos are of the first SmartPlug inlet replacement on our boat. It shows a 50A inlet, and a 50A plug on our 30A [10 AWG] shore power cord. [Which is smaller in diameter than the 6 AWG 50A cord, so I had to fill the black rubber strain relief on the 50A SmartPlug cord fitting with silicone to make up the difference in size and get it to seal around the smaller, 30A cord...]

We now have both SmartPlug receptacles installed on the boat, and the 50A shore power cord has the 50A connector on it as well. 

Would I do it this way again? Without hesitation; this is the next best thing to hard wiring the cords to the boat. 

Putting her to bed for the winter...

It is nice to be back on the boat again, even if it is only to prepare her for our absence the next couple of months... [Uh Oh; Her again. For those who read the Dream and the Search page, you know Robert (French: 'row-bear') will be getting disgruntled... again...]

Taking care of the home in Fairbanks where the weather is far more extreme than in Wrangell (where the boat is slipped) takes priority.

While I'm here, along with the usual seasonal maintenance, I'll also be installing a remote monitoring system from Siren Marine.

It will send SMS and eMail messages based upon how we configure it (and we can do so remotely...)

For example, we will be monitoring:

• Temperature inside the boat
• Bilge pump cycles and duration
• High water alarm (in bilge) [based upon sensor placement]
• Motion detection in the main cabin [Intruder alert]
• Boat battery voltage [set notification thresholds]
• Shore power on or off [notify if off]
• Location [and it will notify us if the boat has moved, and track it if so]
• Etc.

Here is a follow-up post regarding the Siren Marine device and service.

New Batteries (with a built-in watering system!)

This post has been updated and is now redirected to the maintained permanent page in our sidebar under the grouping Stuff we have and use [and do...]

Please go to that page [which was last updated Apr-2017] to see the most recent information, as this post will become out-of-date over time... 

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Out-of-date original post follows: [2-Aug-2014] The text is aged parchment color to remind you this is the old version...

Battery: Electrochemical storage device capable of lighting an incandescent lamp of wattage about equal to that of a refrigerator bulb for a period of 15 minutes after having been charged for 2 hours...    (Sailing Pocket Dictionary by Henry Beard & Roy McKie)

This page is now out of date! See the most recent version.

When we were evaluating the boat for purchase, we learned the broker had once forgotten to plug the boat into shore power after moving it to a different dock. This resulted in the battery bank draining completely, killing two of the eight 6 volt Trojan T-105 [lead-acid] batteries [which were ~6 years old...] Instead of replacing all batteries, only those two were replaced (contrary to everything I have ever read, heard, or understood about maintaining battery bank integrity. i.e, all or nothing…)

Therefore I figured we would soon need to replace the entire bank. After cruising a couple of weeks, this became evident; the batteries were barely getting us through the night at only ~120 AH consumption [from a 900AH initial capacity bank.] Due diligence lead me to verify the charging systems were working correctly, and they were. I also equalized and load tested the battery bank the next time we were in a marina with shore power. (Ketchikan, Alaska) My suspicions were confirmed: the bank was down to ~50% of its original capacity. Time to go shopping.

Fortunately the local Crowley fuel depot in Ketchikan is a Trojan dealer and stocked the T105 batteries (and at competitive pricing!) They even agreed to deliver the 8 new batteries [~500 lbs] to the boat, and cart off the old batteries for no charge. Done deal.

Update Aug-2016: I recently learned Trojan has introduced their 'Smart Carbon' technology for their 'RE' [Rural Energy] battery line. And they offer a direct replacement for the T105 battery we are using; the T105RE . These Smart Carbon batteries are purported to tolerate not always reaching a full state of charge better than the standard battery line, yielding a longer useful lifetime. [~15%]

I will be researching this further, and watching for first-hand accounts. In the meantime, were I ordering new batteries today, I would probably go this direction assuming pricing is not out-of-line... 

However, before committing, I needed to decide whether to change over to AGMs ["maintenance free"] or stay with wet cell batteries that require the routine addition of distilled water. This was especially important because the location of all 8 batteries is a vented, custom locker under what remains my tool and spare parts storage area. That means all that heavy stuff needs to be moved and temporarily relocated every time I inspect and water the batteries. 

AGMs offer other advantages as well, but I was most attracted to the “maintenance free” aspect. AGMs also came at a ~50% premium, so I researched ‘remote’ [single point] methods of watering lead-acid wet-cell batteries. That is when I discovered Trojan (and Flow-Rite) offer just such a system for a lot less than the price difference between the battery types (and it will fit future batteries next time they need replacement…) 

Enter the Trojan HydroLink™ Watering System (I chose the Clampless Tubing option…)

[I also investigated the offerings from Flow-Rite but stayed with Trojan in this instance due to the lower profile, seemingly more robust design-including purported spark and flame arresting capability- and availability at the time...]


This page is now out of date! See the most recent version.

Trojan HydroLink™ Watering System with clampless tubing. (Photo from sales literature.)

The quick-disconnect [with internal check valve] is the large black fitting. The orange rubber caps cover unused connections on the T's, and the T's floating to the sides of the batteries [not on battery caps] must be for illustration purposes since they came pre-installed on the manifolds...

HydroLink components replace the stock single battery caps [3 on a 6 volt battery] with a single cap [manifold] that covers all 3 cells, has a built-in pivoting T fitting for the clampless tubing [which strongly resembles heavy duty 1/4” ID fuel hose…] a visual indicator [fiber optic] of water level, and small float valves in each cell that allows new water in only if below a prescribed level (and acts as a check valve to prevent electrolyte from entering the watering manifold plumbing.) 

The whole job consumed about 4 hours of my time [including polishing the battery and cable terminals.]  The most demanding portion was lifting the old batteries out and carrying them to the dock for pick-up. (Bringing in the new batteries was mostly downhill…)

I re-used the well thought-out 4/0 cables Jack [the previous owner] had fabricated for the last set of batteries, and finished the installation by figuring out the most efficient way to route the rubber Clampless Tubing between batteries. That took all of 5 minutes... [Trojan is a bit stingy with the tubing; I had 6" left over...]

I put the single quick-disconnect [with built-in check valve] for watering all the batteries in the engine room. The Hydrolink kit I purchased came with an outboard motor style fuel bulb with a clear hose with check valve on the intake end (for dropping into a bottle of distilled water) and a quick disconnect fitting mating with the one on the end of the battery watering hose I terminated in the engine room. 

I fully charged the batteries overnight [Trojan warns to only add water to fully charged wet-cell batteries because the liquid level increases slightly as the cells charge...]  The next day, while the batteries were still out in the open, I grabbed a bottle of distilled water and dropped the check valve end of the hand pump into the bottle. I next purged the fill line of air by pumping it until it was full of distilled water (holding the quick disconnect over the jug of distilled water- effectively recycling the water) then attached it to the battery fill quick-disconnect fitting. I squeezed the bulb a few times (~4) until is wouldn’t squeeze any more. I checked for leaks and found none. I squeezed the bulb pretty hard again just to make sure, and all connections remained dry.

Wow. I just watered my 8 new batteries from my engine room in less than 30 seconds- including set-up time. It took longer to put the bottle of distilled water and the pump hose assembly away…


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Lessons learned? 

• Do your own research. The Trojan dealer, while great to work with, admitted no knowledge of remote watering systems. If I hadn't pursued this on my own [and I had no idea if such a system existed at the time...] I wouldn't have discovered these watering systems. 
• This experience seems to reinforce the all-or-nothing strategy when it comes to replacing weak batteries in a bank.
• In a pinch [e.g., this happens 'out there' where new batteries are not readily available...] removing the weak battery(ies) (in proper numbers- pairs in this case) would reduce bank capacity but also prevent the weaker batteries from weakening the entire bank.
• If I could have it would have been great to take delivery of the batteries with the HydroLink manifolds pre-installed instead of having to order the kit from a different supplier and install them myself. While the installation is trivial, they do snap tightly into place giving the impression there is a possibility of breaking a manifold component if you aren't cautious when applying the required pressure.... 
• Don't take this wrong: the manifolds are very sturdily constructed...
• On the other hand, perhaps it makes sense to install the manifolds yourself after the batteries are placed into position- eliminating the opportunity to break a manifold while handling the heavy battery.

I can highly recommend this single-point watering system for anyone who desires to use wet-cell lead-acid batteries. [Total cost of the watering system for all 8 batteries was just under US$200 including shipping to Alaska in summer 2014...]



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Additional information and resources:

• Designing Battery Banks:
• Estimating your 12 volt energy needs
• Wiring battery banks

• Videos of watering systems:
• Here is a video from another manufacturer (Flow-Rite) of a similar battery watering system that demonstrates everything I've attempted to describe here.
• Here is one of Trojan's videos, but demonstrating a different tubing option from what I chose... 

• Related articles/posts (that we know of) that are worth reading:
• The Boat Galley 

• Trojan Hydrolink T105 Battery Watering Kits 
• [All included the hand pump for water and the clampless tubing option when we listed the following links. Shop prices carefully; they are all over the place...]
• 8 battery kit [the one we bought]
• 6 battery kit

• Flow-Rite Battery Watering Kits
• 2 Battery Kit [includes hand pump]
• 2 Battery Kit [without hand pump]
• 1 Battery Kit [without hand pump]

• Cable and Wire Resources:
• Pacer Group
• GenuineDealz

Photos of our project:

Looking down into Denali Rose's battery bank right after the new Trojan T-105 batteries were placed into position. [Showing original battery caps.] The HydroLink watering line with the quick disconnect will be lead through the hole the battery cables go through in the upper right of this photo, terminating in the engine room.

Here is the same view showing the finished installation of the HydroLink battery cap replacements plumbed with the small diameter black tubing and red rubber caps on all unused T connections. 

Also showing are the 4/0 battery cables wiring 4 pairs of 6 volt batteries in series (yielding 12 volts DC) and then paralleling those 4 pairs into the 900 amp-hour house bank we enjoy.

Note the through-bolted blocking securing the batteries in place.

All that remains to be done after this photo is to install the top of the battery locker and re-stow the tools and heavy parts boxes on top of it.

I can't figure out why the boat has a slight list to this [port] side... 


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