Water Heater Leak

[Brad Young]

I have a major water heater leak.
With waterpressure turned on, water flows out the drain hose.
This hose is located on the pressure relieve value.
It flows at the normal rate that would normally come out of the faucet.
At the faucet it just sputters.

Do you think the pressure relief is bad, the whole water heater or something else?

At least the water in the bilge is nice and warm

[Noah]

Start by changing out pressure valve and see.

[KWKloeber]

 If the water heater went to bed ( a leak in either side, of the coil), it see no reason that it would cause the relief  valve to pass water. It's strange that it's not simply dripping, but rather a large leak. As Noah said start with that. Just to  ask the obvious question, the relief valve lever isn't open by any chance?

[Dave Spencer]

Hi Brad,
Are you using the pressure relief valve as a drain valve; say to drain your tank for winter storage?  If so, the pressure relief valve is almost certainly the problem since presumably, you can't build any water pressure with either hot or cold water at the faucets.  If you are heating the tank electrically, I would strongly recommend turning the power off until you are able to fill the hot water tank without it leaking into the bilge. 
It sounds like your boat is different than mine which is not a surprise.  I have a separate drain valve and pressure relief valve.  Here's a picture of my hot water tank under the galley sink.  Pressure relief is on the right and the drain valve is on the left.  If I leave the drain valve open and operate the house water pump, water flows out the drain valve at the max rate the pump can produce and I'll get no pressure at any of the other faucets in the boat. 

[Noah]

And mine:

[Brad Young]

1) I am jealous of both of Noah and Dave. Your  waterheater placement is great! Mine is virtually on the hull, with a thin plywood platform. Therefor all my connections are well below the door. I will have to remove the waterheater to be able to pressure valve. I will probably build a platform once I Get the waterheater out.

[Ron Hill]

Brad : If you still have the round hot water heater it is the original that was installed is all 1986 and most 1987 C34s

If so you might want to change to a square HWH on a new higher platform. This will raise the height of the connections.

A thought

[Brad Young]

This is mine.

[Ron Hill]

Brad : Looks like a PO installed a square heater on the plywood pedestal made for that original round heater!!

Guess what!!  Remove your HW heater and build up the pedestal - then reinstall your HW heater !!

A pain, or leave it as is and complain!! 

A few thoughts

[Dave Spencer]

Ouch!    it looks to be well tucked away and difficult to maintain for access.  But just think how much better your boat performs with all that weight down so low!      

[Hawk]

Guys, I just returned from the boat as I was checking why the Shurflo fresh water pump was not cycling off as it normally would once pressure was up. Oh oh a sizable water leak was coming out from the bottom of the water heater at the attachment plate location right in the middle as you look at the tank. My tank is the Seaward S600 6 gal, same as Dave Spencer's photo above. The water does not seem to be dripping down from the pressure relief valve or the drain valve but rather from the bottom??

Any thoughts? Can you get a Seaward replacement? Not that I want that project!

Thanks
Tom

[Dave Spencer]

The Seaward S600 (or F600) looks to be readily available.  S600 = rear heat exchanger fittings, F600 = front fittings.

Canadian source: http://ca.binnacle.com/p6299/Seaward-600-Water-Heater-6-Gallon-Galvanized/product_info.html
United States Source:  http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C51%7C2234308%7C2234311&id=2092235  and http://us.binnacle.com/product_info.php?products_id=6299

[Jim Hardesty]

Any thoughts?

If you decide to delay replacing the water heater I suggest you bypass and drain it.  That will hopefully save the wood base it sits on and work in the long run.
Jim

[Ron Hill]

Tom : I'll guess that you have the original water heater.  Just change it out!!
Look at your present heater and get the replacement heater with the connections on the same side as the old one.
You might even change out the hoses from the engine while you are at it.  OR get the new water heater in and then change out the hoses. 

Don't know where you are located, but if it's the end of your sailing season - get the boat hauled and then do the work!!

A few thoughts

[Hawk]

Thanks Ron and All, was afraid you would say that.....

I take it there is no issue that the leaking water tank will cause the fresh water pump to continue pumping indefinitely without shutting off??

Also does the water heater come out of the opening without cutting anything? As I said mine is located identical to Dave spencer's photo above. Dave thanks for the link to a Canadian source for a new heater.

Any tips from those who have installed a new heater are most welcomed:)

Tom