New Calorifier ( Water Heater ) Installation Help

[onlinelee]

Hi Friends,

I just installed a new Cube type 25L Quick calorifier on my B361. As it was a like for like unit the install was pretty straight forward. However, the replacement does not have a bleed point at the top on the engine "cooling out", as per the old heater.

After filling and bleeding the heater with fresh water and checking the electrical immersion side worked fine, I then assumed if I took the radiator cap off and opened the "engine coolant" stop valves on the engine side the internal coil within the heater would fill itself by gravity, no such luck!! I tried running the engine for a minute with the rad cap loose but this failed to work too.

Both out and return coolant pipes from the engine are located just below the main coolant tank and exit near the water pump itself. Both are around 2 - 3 ft higher than the heater.

All and any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I assume that calorifier is a fancy word for water heater. One way is to fill the heater thru the hoses While disconnected from the engine. Then collapse the hose ends and re-fit to the engine.

 

[onlinelee]

Yes, sorry to all my American friends, when I say " water heater " to anyone in Europe, Im always told " You mean a calorifier " I see that I can isolate the in/out hoses from the engine, disconnect, prime one with coolant until coolant comes out the other hose and then re connect both, is that right? Makes sense, thank you Leslie.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

yes - you can try with one hose connected (what ever is on the lower side of the engine) one disconnected and see ..if you get air to flow out - but both sides always works -- you may have to "Burp" the system to get the last of the air out - but that is engine dependent. Note - if you get air around the coolant temp sensor - it can read cold even normal - and you could still be overheating the engine - so check with an IR temp gauge.

Les

 

[onlinelee]

Thanks Les, that seems like the simplest quickest solution.

 

[jssailem]

With my system, when I installed a new WH (calorifier) last year, I made the hose connections, opened the top of the coolant tank, poured in fresh coolant/water, then had my 200 pound friend stand on the gunnel and rock the boat a bit. I could hear the air bubble and escape. Added more coolant/water and did it again. After about 10 minutes no more bubble. Then I started the engine and watched the fluid in the coolant tank after about 10 minutes it had dropped down so I topped it off. Once sealed up it has remained at a constant level for the past year. Hot water when I run the engine. New WH has improved insulation, the water stays hot for 24 hrs.

 

[onlinelee]

Im going to struggle finding a 200lb friend but its worth trying before I disconnect any hoses, thats for sure, thanks.

 

[Ron20324]

Im going to struggle finding a 200lb friend...

I'll be your friend if you get me a ticket. I'll even pay for my own inflight meal !

 

[jssailem]

I'll even pay for my own inflight meal

You just want to fatten up so you qualify... Ron...

 

[NYSail]

When I do an antifreeze change I always remove thermostat while flushing engine. When I do final fill I pour into thermostat housing to fill water heater lines then replace new thermostat. Seems to get all air out

 

[onlinelee]

Super, will look at that solution too NY. This side of the pond we use Kg, so 200lb sounded like one very large individual to me, but in reality not so

 

[jssailem]

No not overly big. It is not the size but where you put the weight. Holding a shroud hiked out over the water, rocking the boat. Physics over Brawn. I did need to feed him a beer after.

 

[onlinelee]

Hi all, the solution that worked was to remove both hoses at the engine and suck, blow, fill the loop that way, all good now, thanks for your help.

 

[jssailem]

Good plan.
Still think the boat jiggle and beer would have worked and would have given smiles to your fellow boaters. Did mine. Beer helped.
What I experienced was you just need to enable the engine pump to push out the air from the lines. With the coolant tank above the pump I needed to add enough fluid to keep the pump full and let it do its job.
Glad it worked and you can enjoy a hot shower.

 

[onlinelee]

Thanks John, I tried your method first, took the cap off, rocked the boat, turned over the motor too, it just wasn't having any of it. I hoped it would, better that than the mouth full of antifreeze I ended up with, then I went for that beer

 

[jssailem]

I went for that beer

Like an Olympic Athlete sounds like you stuck the dismount.

 

[pateco]

Try removing upper hose, and the using a wet dry shop vac to suck coolant through until it comes out that hose, then reconnect.

 

[onlinelee]

Chip, I had to remove both hoses in the end and do some serious sucking but got there in the end, thanks to all.

Just to let you all know, the reason I had to replace my heater was I had mistakenly drained all the water from one of my tanks and thus the heater itself, so after then running the engine on a trip the hot engine coolant in the coil without surrounding coolant was sufficient once pressurised to rupture the coil and cause engine coolant to be evacuated from the engine. It was 13 years old so this error just pushed it over the edge I guess.