On Mon, 7 Nov 2011 09:19:30 -0000, "Nigel"
wrote:


"Bruce" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:37:46 +0100, "Nigel"
wrote:

I have a 4cyl Ford Dorset engine and I want to connect it to the heating
coil in calorifier. I assume the aim is to have the engine cooling water
flowing through the calorifier before it reaches the bowman heat
exchanger.

There is, what looks like, a 3/8" bsp plug next to the thermostat housing,
but if I take a feed from here I will effectively bypass the thermostat
and
the engine would take ages, to reach it's working temperature, if at all.

If I put 2 tee pieces between the engine and the heat exchanger will the
water actually flow round that loop, the flow and return would be very
close
together.

If I put a tee in the flow before the heat exchanger and the return after
it, would I risk significantly bypassing the heat exchanger.

Any ideas, suggestions? I guess the set up is fundamentally the same on
any
engine.


The only boat I had with a hot water heater used the existing
connections on the engine. As I remember it, it did not take an
unusual amount of time to warn up. Apparently a 3/8" connection does
not bypass a sufficient portion of the water pump output to be
noticeable.

See http://www.sailangle.com/articles/details/id/11

for additional information.
--

Cheers,

Bruce


Thanks Bruce, that chimes with the majority of opinion I've had so I guess I
ought to suck it and see., I'll let you know how it goes



Cheers
Nigel

In thinking about it you could plumb in a 3/8" valve at the engine
outlet and open it when you wanted to make hot water, in fact it is a
good idea..

I had a electric/calorifier hot water tank, perhaps 20 Ltr capacity
and on a cool Singapore evening I used to run the engine, probably 15
- 20 minutes to get enough water to shower in.

You probably know this but it is a proper calorifier it has an over
temperature/over pressure relief valve in it. Running my 4 cylinder
Perkins engine at say 2,000 RPM for any length of time, say 45 minutes
- 1 hour, would heat the tank enough that the over heat valve would
open and flow water down into the bilge.

--

Cheers,

Bruce