by pass water heater

[CMM]

Hey Peggy,

My hot water heater suffered damage from freezing over the winter. While I hope to replace it at some point, I would like to bypass it for the time being ? I don't think connecting the two fresh water supply hoses would be an issue but what about the hoses that come from the engine ? Can I connect them together ? The boat is a 1989, Catalina 30.

Thanks

CMM

 

[Chuckbear]

CMM, You can certainly connect the engine hoses together since that is exactly what the connections at the hot water heater do. If the engine water still circulates without leaking through the hot water heater you could just leave it connected unless you plan to pull the heater. Just be sure to run both your water system and the engine for a period of time to be sure all connections are good and don't leak. Chuck

 

[Maine Sail]

CMM,

It is unlikely the water heaters HX froze and split as it has engine antifreeze circulating through it, so it may not be necessary to by-pass it. It's easy to by-pass with a hose barb splice but you then may need to top off and bleed the engines sealed cooling system after some antifreeze drains out in the by-pass process.....

 

[CMM]

makes sense

That makes a lot of sense that it would not have froze.

I think I will keep it in the boat and just by pass the water supply for the time being.

Have either of you had any experience removing the heater from under the quarterberth ?

I am not too worried about damaging the heater on the way out but getting a new heater back in may be more challenging. It is very close to the fuel tank.

thanks
CMM

 

[Stu Jackson]

Burping the engine

See reply #6 here: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4518.0.html

You can simply remove the hoses to the HW heater, which are 5/8" at the heater end and replace the 3/8" connections at the freshwater engine cooling pump and the bottom of the thermostat with a short 3/8" hose, or you can butt the 5/8" ends together at the heater end. The original engines, which are tractor engines, didn't come with hot water heaters (!) so the 3/8" hose just connected the pump and the thermostat. (Assuming an M-25 series engine)

 

[CMM]

heater is out

Wow, was that water heater tank trashed from the freeze ! I had to cut the metal box to get the tank out.

No way is another heater going in unless I move the fuel tank back, which I don't really want to do. Does anyone of another option to have a hot water supply? A different tank than the Seaward six gal model?

Thanks
CMM

 

[Stu Jackson]

W... unless I move the fuel tank back, which I don't really want to do.

Rare is it, that even on a boat, two things can occupy the same place at the same time. The fastenings for the fuel tank aren't that complicated. Why not just loosen them, move the tank and install a new heater?