Water Heater Leak

[Ron Hill]

Tom : The fresh water system is a "pressure demand" system - a leak lowers the pressure so the pump kicks ON , etc. etc.

Look in WiKi for the "How To" in replacing the water heater.  It will come out of the side door under the sink when you take off the door AND the frame!! 
Also get a LONG screwdriver to take out the "Hold down" screws on the starboard side!!

A few thoughts

[Hawk]

Thanks Ron. I'll dig around the Wiki and find the "how to".

Tom

[Stu Jackson]

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

Yes, read the tech notes, I wrote up my replacement a year or three ago (put it in 2013, in the Feb. 2014 tech notes).  Photos included!   

[Hawk]

Thanks a bunch Stu!
Just read it and very helpful. I have so little space to get at the srbd hold down screws. I'll need an extra long Philips and skinny hands. (:

I may PM you with some questions once I get going in a month or so.

Tom

[scgunner]

   Brad,

      You've probably replaced your water heater at this point but there's another option you may want to consider. Several years ago I was in the same boat as you are(pun not intended). My original round water heater was rusted out at the bottom and leaking on Top Gun(#0273, 1986). The original unit was an RV not a marine water heater so I replaced it with the square stainless steel unit which solved the leaking problem but not what I consider to be the main problem with the original set up.
      This is how my boat worked when I got it; hot water at the slip, warm water the next day on a cruise, run the motor after that to charge the batteries and get luke warm water and H2O sun showers. I finally bit the bullet an got a marine flash heater, one of the best upgrades on the boat. Now instead of six gallons of hot water it's all hot water if that's what I want.

[Stu Jackson]

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I finally bit the bullet an got a marine flash heater, one of the best upgrades on the boat. Now instead of six gallons of hot water it's all hot water if that's what I want.

Can you please tell us the make and model # of your flash heater?

[scgunner]

     Indeed I can! It's a Precision Temp Shower Mate Marine Gas Water Heater, Model# M500, cost $1450. It ain't cheap but when you return from a night dive in February half frozen it doesn't seem that expensive. I installed mine about 15 years ago and I was using hot water yesterday.

[scgunner]

    I can't believe I'm the only guy on this board to get fed up with the original 6gal tank water heater setup and install a tankless water heater. By the way I still have the tank water heater in place as a back up, I've never used it.

[Stu Jackson]

    I can't believe I'm the only guy on this board to get fed up with the original 6gal tank water heater setup and install a tankless water heater. By the way I still have the tank water heater in place as a back up, I've never used it.

The heaters last 12-16 years.  Use depends in many cases as to how you use your boat.  If you motor every day or marina hop, it is not an issue.  If you don't, then your solution is a good one.

Tankless heaters by other manufacturers are less expensive than your solution, but had proven to be dangerous for use on a boat, so many were turned away from them.

Your boat, your choice. 

[scgunner]

     If your happy with six gallons of hot water it's not an issue, my problem was I have women on the boat(wife, daughter, friends)they use copious amounts of hot water, they can burn through six gallons in minutes.

     Before I installed mine I did some research because I had also heard they could be dangerous. I found there were basically two problems. First, trying to adapt a home unit(they are quite a bit cheaper)for marine use, that's a big no-no. Second, improper allowance for ventilation during installation(as with any gas heating device they must be properly vented) . Avoiding these pitfalls the units are pretty safe and reliable.

[Craig Illman]

I extend my six gallons of 160+ degree hot water with a tempering valve to blend it with cold to make safer 110-130 degree water. In fact, for showering in the cockpit, we don't have to mess with the cold tap and just use the hot to rinse off. The total tankage on a sailboat makes conservation pretty important. I know it's a challenge getting my significant other to leave her home water usage habits ashore.

Craig

[scgunner]

    My hat's off to you Craig, I found it far easier to spend $1500 and several hours of modification and installation than to modify my wife's behavior. Hell, after 34 years I haven't even been able to get her to screw the top back on the toothpaste.

[Hawk]

Stu/Ron,

Finally got the new water heater installed and works well using the shore power and heats well running the engine.

On the first long run I yesterday though I noticed the temp went way up. I then was able to blow out the raw water intake line out the sea cock which has worked in the past, thinking we sucked something up. But the temp was still higher than the normal 165 degrees, pushing over 190+.

Going to give it a go again today and will also check the impeller. Could there be any air issue? I followed Stu's article including adding coolant to the two engine side hoses. ( By the way Thanks Stu!!)

Hawk

[KWKloeber]

Hawk

This sounds exactly like an issue a friend recently had after refilling his XP coolant system after changing the water pump. Despite purging and burping, he had an air lock in or maybe behind the new pump.  In simple terms his coolant WP impeller was trying to pump air. He pinched off, removed the 3/8 WH hose at the pump, and "turkey basted" the WP.  Problem fixed.  There may be more in the 101s on burping - dunno.

-ken

[Hawk]

Thanks Ken, I did a little more digging through the older "Burping" threads and Wiki 101 so will head down today and give it a try. My raw water intake is clear but that wasn't likely the problem yesterday:)

By the way the new Oldendorfer water pump (last year) is ticking along Ken. Thanks.

Hawk