"bushman" wrote in
m:

I am interested in mickey's bypass he has for the water heater and how
it is plumbed. I think I want to be able to isolate the water heater
anyway.



Ours is a T of 3 valves. Two valves shut off the hoses to the water heater
in case it ruptures or a hose fails. The other valve is the bypass valve
across the engine side of the other two valves.

-----------T--V-----------
Engine V Water heater
-----------T--V-----------

I'm not sure the bypass valve across is really necessary. It came on the
boat. All the cooling water can't go through the water heater, just like
all the cooling water in your car doesn't go through your heater
core...same idea. The water heater just bypasses the thermostat and heat
exchanger and I'd think the bypass valve would make the engine run hotter,
not cooler, if the thermostat were normally near open where it couldn't
compensate. Other than when the heater was replaced and moved OUT of the
engine room into the lazerette so we could get to the front of the engine
and belts easier, the valves have never been closed. Maybe I'll fool with
them and see what the effect of shutting down all 3 valves does to engine
temperature some time.

--
Larry