Hot water heater

[John]

About a week or so ago I posted a question about my hot water heater. Well, I removed it from my boat and it is a Atwood which is also labled Seaward 6 gallon. when I took it apart inside the galvanized box is a 6 gallon aluminum cylinder. When I flushed it out a LOT of sediment came out of the fresh water side. I am going to reinstall it as it appears fine with no leaks. I have wire brushed and cold galvanized painted the outside and improving on the original insulation which was just 1/2 inch fiberglass. I don't intend to reuse the sheet metal box. I am also covering the electrical connections with a pvc electrical box. I will also be replacing the engine hoses to and from the heater. Is there anything else I haven't thought of?

 

[Steve O.]

test it

I would test it before I re-installed it, just to make sure it works.

 

[O salt]

Good Job

Good Job rescueing the hotwater heater. The sediment in the tank is from the water that has gone through your system. All hotwater heaters are big settling tanks.I would run a plumbers snake through the heat exchanger and make sure the slag is not blocking the heat exchanger.I could not fit the seaward tank through the hatch to install it so I also removed the cover and did not re-install it.Good Job!

 

[Eric Lorgus]

Check the engine coolant exchanger for leaks

After chasing an elusive overheating problem on my Yanmar 2GM20F since last fall, it appears I've finally found the problem -- a coolant leak at the hot water heater. Still haven't isolated it to connections or the heater itself, but this was a tough one to track down.