Delfin
Grand Vizier
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2010
- Messages
- 3,822
We have a 40,000 BTU Kabola B-17 boiler. We love it. Very efficient, quiet and it supplies all the heat and hot water we need.
However, there is a defect that owners with 24 vdc units should understand. Our B-17 ceased to light up last week. After poking around, I found that a connector to the main board had signs of scorching around the + and - 24vdc supply.
In talking with the distributor - Marinetec in Anacortes, WA - he said that the 24vdc model had been discontinued by Kabola and there were no replacement boards available. Turns out, the Dutch fellars only sell 240 vac units in Europe and they created the 24vdc model for the U.S. market. However, because dc voltages on boats are subject to a fair amount of fluctuation, it is very hard on the board and they poop out.
So, the advice part - inspect the main board on your Kabola if it is supplied with 24 vdc. Look for any signs of the connector getting hot, and if you see signs invest in a voltage smoothing device to ensure steady 25 vdc volts to the unit regardless of what level the batteries are at.
Incidentally, the distributor of Kabola at Marinetek has been fantastic. He is caught in the middle and has done everything he can to help sort out a solution. In my case, that turns out to be a conversion to a 240 vac burner supplied via a 24vdc to 240 vac transformer. Not cheap, but since the Kabola is very robust it will be essentially a new and more reliable boiler when the conversion is done.
However, there is a defect that owners with 24 vdc units should understand. Our B-17 ceased to light up last week. After poking around, I found that a connector to the main board had signs of scorching around the + and - 24vdc supply.
In talking with the distributor - Marinetec in Anacortes, WA - he said that the 24vdc model had been discontinued by Kabola and there were no replacement boards available. Turns out, the Dutch fellars only sell 240 vac units in Europe and they created the 24vdc model for the U.S. market. However, because dc voltages on boats are subject to a fair amount of fluctuation, it is very hard on the board and they poop out.
So, the advice part - inspect the main board on your Kabola if it is supplied with 24 vdc. Look for any signs of the connector getting hot, and if you see signs invest in a voltage smoothing device to ensure steady 25 vdc volts to the unit regardless of what level the batteries are at.
Incidentally, the distributor of Kabola at Marinetek has been fantastic. He is caught in the middle and has done everything he can to help sort out a solution. In my case, that turns out to be a conversion to a 240 vac burner supplied via a 24vdc to 240 vac transformer. Not cheap, but since the Kabola is very robust it will be essentially a new and more reliable boiler when the conversion is done.