Hot Water Heater

5 posts / 0 new
Last post
TippingPoint
Offline
Joined: 8/11/16
Posts: 46
Hot Water Heater

Hello,

I just purchased a West Marine Water Heater 6 Gallon,    The PO had a heat exchanger valve where the outlet and inlet (engine coolant) was bridge, the bridge had a value to reduce the pressure and allow more water to flow through to the engine effectively bipassing some flow to the water heater.  This valve was definately not original equipment.    My plan was to not use this valve system and instead have the engine coolant hot go directly to and through the water heater and obviously return to the engine.   However reading the instruction manual of this water heater there is a note in the schematic that says... "Maintain majority flow to Engine Heat exchanger..."   reading this it sounds like I need some kind of control valve that would allow me to bipass some part of the flow of the Main Coolant Retrun.   I have spent many hours researching this but not much discusion to be found.

Anyone out there, I am all ears. (sorry for the long winded explanation)

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina

Chachere's picture
Chachere
Offline
Joined: 10/27/10
Posts: 825

Actually, the set-up with the bridge valve apparently WAS original equipment on the Mk1s.   A number of us (me included) have gotten rid of that entire mess, and just run the full flow throught the water heater.   Doesn't seem to cause any problem, and gets rid of a lot of clutter. My understanding (but definitely could be wrong) is that later C36s didn't have it.
See these threads:

https://www.catalina36.org/forum/technical-discussion/cooling-system-bypass-header
and
https://www.catalina36.org/forum/technical-discussion/reason-heat-exchange-bypass-valve

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

pkeyser's picture
pkeyser
Offline
Joined: 5/18/13
Posts: 659

I don't have one on our 2005 C36, but did have one on our 1986 C30 M25. The C30 valve froze in the full open position. I never experienced any water tank or engine underheat with the valve in full open. My conclusion is that the valve is not necessary.

Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B

TippingPoint
Offline
Joined: 8/11/16
Posts: 46

OK, I feel a lot better now, I am goint to install staight through.   An indeed it was a big mess.

Thanks for the feedback.

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA. 

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina

motarded421
Offline
Joined: 4/20/18
Posts: 40

Perfect timing on this! I just replaced my water heater with a Kuuma 6 gallon unit. I was under my aft berth poking around and looking for where the engine coolant hoses attach so I could get them off to repace and came across a shady looking gate valve. I assume this is the valve in question. Good to know that I can get rid of it, since it looks like its leaking coolant.

'86 Catalina 36
Work in progress!

Log in or register to post comments