Energy

Our re-furbished stove has, of course, a door.

And a very nice-looking door it is. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to close! No amount of force applied to the handle/catch would get it into position. So at 8 a.m. I was in the Wharf office, telling those Whom It Might Concern. Rob said he hadn't been able to close it either. He'd assumed I had some sort of knack, or was stronger than him (though, looking at his muscles…).

So he came and took it to the workshop, and found that underneath the rope seal a bit of rust had developed. Once that was cleaned off, and new rope glued in, everything was as it should be. Very little energy required to shut the door! I remember someone saying something about this some years ago, and will have to try and remember it for future occasions. If in doubt, clean the rust off!

So the only job left is the business of what Bad Thing is signified by the charging light coming on when the engine is running. Rob said they would be furiously busy in the yard today, all their energy devoted to some task that had to be completed for this afternoon, but he'd come by later. So I tried to get my head around what I thought was the issue. In the engine 'ole are two alternators, originally one for charging the domestic battery bank, and this one for putting energy into the battery for the starter motor.

From the wiring diagram I had an idea what the issue was, but it depended on a particular wire still being in place following some modifications we'd done back in 2013. And I couldn't find the wire anywhere!

The red one was in place, and the main output, but what about the brown and yellow wire? Finally, leaning over and twisting down and round I spotted it lurking behind some other tubing. Phew! Theory still in place, and in prospect a reasonable discussion with the wharf people about the problem.

Unfortunately they were busy all day (again). I have a nasty suspicion that tomorrow they will remove the alternator, send it to a local engineering specialist they use, for diagnosis and repair. And that this will take all weekend.

And that we shall be parked up 50 yards from the A38 for the whole time!