Replacing the water heater

[mregan]

Just realized my water heater is cracked somewhere.  Water keep dribbling out the bottom of it.  At least now I know where all the water in the bilge is coming from.
Two questions. 
1.Will the water heater fit through the access door or do I need to remove the counter? 
2. If I decide not to replace it, at least for now, can I just connect the cooling fluid lines together with a coupling.

Was thinking of making the space a storage area.  Never had hot water on the old boat and so far don't really use it on this one.  Mostly weekend cruisers with the kids in the summer so hot water has never been a big demand.

[Stu Jackson]

1.  You need to remove the door frame, you do not need to remove the counter.

2.  You could splice the hose together at the heater end, better yet buy a piece of 3/8" hose and connect it at the engine end, above the coolant pump to below the thermostat where the hoses take off to the heater from the engine.

It could also be that only your pressure relief valve is faulty or clogged and may need to be replaced, rather than the entire heater.

[mregan]

I'll check the pressure relief first.  If it is clogged, wouldn't that mean that water wouldn't be coming out of it and the tank is bad?  I have a raritan.  There is a black plastic base on the bottom.  Water seems to be coming out there.

[Ron Hill]

mre : You have the "round" water heater.  

It has been my experience that when a pressure relief valve "does it's job" there is too much pressure usually caused by too high a temperature!!  
Look at your pressure relief valve and I believe it is 200degrees F and 150 psi.  

Your problem could be that your hi temp AC switch isn't working and it is over heating?  It is also my experience that with an older hot water heater that when the pressure relief valve (PRV) releases the crud from the inside of the tank contaminates the valve seat and the PRV will never completely seat  again.

If you have experienced the leakage from the engine running then it could be an internal leak.  

As I've previously posted, take a nylon nipple and thread it into the PRV and take a short section of hose and angle it into the bilge.  
That way you can try the AC and then the engine running and find out which causes the leak and the water won't be running down the WH!!  

A few thoughts