Hello All! My first time posting & I’m hoping for your expertise! My 12gal Raritan hot water heater is leaking into a hose that goes into my bilge. There are no drips or signs of leaking to be found on the outside of the tank. Is there a shut off valve to keep the leaky hot water tank from pulling water from my fresh water pump, it’s running non-stop if I turn the breaker on (& consequently running my bilge pump constantly)?
Hot Water Heater Leaking...
- Thread starter GingerSailors
- Start date
Sounds like the pressure relief valve is leaking. Should be a water distribution box that will let you turn off cold water going to heater. Not sure where it is located on your boat
My Raritan was doing the same thing last year at this time. After haul out the tank got removed. A giant rust through cancer hole was found on the bottom, The tank had totally failed. Replaced with a Kuuma all aluminum water heater.. Prior to installation, a winter manifold was added to the tank.
+1 for the pressure relief valve being the likely culprit. Check on the valve and see if it has a lever that has been pulled into the open position.
Some heaters have a shutoff and some do not. If yours doesn’t you could get a water heater bypass kit, usually used for winterizing, to bypass the heater and be able to use cold water while you get the valve sorted.
Some heaters have a shutoff and some do not. If yours doesn’t you could get a water heater bypass kit, usually used for winterizing, to bypass the heater and be able to use cold water while you get the valve sorted.
The T/P (temperature/Pressure relief valve) sounds to be the problem since many are rigged with the relief plumbed too the bilge. not hard to replace if you can get access to it in the boat.. you'd need a model number and brand to get a replacement.. It also could be a bad thermostat overheating the water and causing the valve to work as designed..
There is no Raritan heater which has a drain hose. As other said, it’s a pressure relief valve diverted down toward the bilge and these are prone to corrosion and leaking requiring periodic inspection and replacement as part of a routine maintenance task. Just replace it.
Thank you all! Tank is toast, so for now I have bypassed the water heater from the pump so we can have running water in the boat until the tank is replaced.