anti freeze in the bilge+leaking water heater?

[jrohrbaugh]

I have finally succumbed to the infamous leaking water heater; I think.

Found re coolant in the bilge near the water heater.

After squeezing into the area it looks like the leak is coming from the heater but have not taken it apart further to inspect.

I read several people have simply disconnected the water heater from the circuit.

We have only used it 3 times in 6 years so I rely on heat from the engine to supply hot water.

Can someone who has done the by pass reply, please.

Thanks in advance
Jamie
S/V Soixante Sail #444

[KenKrawford]

Jamie, maybe I've misunderstood your question but if you disconnect the hot water heater "from the circuit" the only way you'll get hot water is when you're plugged in to shore power. The disconnect you're referring to involves jointing the lines that carry coolant to and from the engine but if you do this you can't get hot water via the engine.

[jrohrbaugh]

I am thinking of just using the engine for hot water and by passing the w/h all together.

Racing in a couple of weeks and don't know I'll have time to do a proper fix.

Saw some earlier posts about this I think but did not understand which line to attach to what //

Maybe I'll just put two plugs in the outgoing lines (thermo and r/w pump) and go on.

Thanks

[KevinMc]

Jamie, if there is red coolant by the hot water heater either it's leaking from a fitting by the HWH or the coolant leak is internal to the HWH.

My understanding is HWH "makes" hot water for the faucets by using (1) shore power to heat up an electric coil inside the HWH or (2) by using the heat from the running engine to circulate hot red coolant from the engine - to the HWH to "heat" the fresh water - then the red coolant is returned to the engine.

You could bypass the HWH and connect the red engine coolant "supply" and "return" lines by the HWH together. This would still allow you to make hot water if connected to shore power but since the engine coolant lines are "skipping" the HWH you would not make hot water when the engine is running.

[jking]

Hi,
Just a reminder to check the hose to the top of the coolant cap to the reservoir. It took me 2 years to find a small crack in it, the plastic is cheap and gets very hard and cracks.
If you are wise you should just replace it, very inexpensive to replace.
My 2 cents.
Jan King

[KenKrawford]

Jamie, Kevin has nicely summarized the options with the water heater. What ever you do, DO NOT cap the coolant lines! That would cause the engine to very quickly overheat and probably many other bad things to happen. It's ok to join the two coolant line together and bypass the HWH but don't cap them.

[jrohrbaugh]

After taking the whole system apart and even coming close to a complete removal of the water heater, I found the leak to be at the connection most inaccessible place; looking forward at the w/h box- engine connection on port side fwd. Had to take off the cover to confirm and repair.

I figured that this would fix everything and as I was sitting down to enter my success in the log; a buuuurrrrrppp. Yup the fresh water system has a leak.

Easy to find once I looked inside the bilge and found the coupret- the connection from the manifold to the w/h line!

In the process of repair once I figure out how to dis assemble.

Thanks to all for your input. Now we can begin race season in confidence.