Out of sight, out of mind, out to wreck your engine
 

This is new hot water tank weekend. The hot water tank is sort of behind the
diesel furnace, so before I put in the new Webasto it made sense to replace the
20 plus-year-old hot Atwood marine hot water tank. (It was developing rust
marks along the bottom, and a tiny puddle had started to form).

When removing the tank today, I discovered something that might be of interest
to to others. The hot water tank heats water electrically as well as by
circulating
engine coolant through a heat transfer coil. The hose connections between the
engine and the tank were on the back of the old unit.

After I disconnected the power, pulled up the mounting screws, unhooked the
water lines, and drained the water from the unit I decided to pull it forward
to get better access to the engine hoses.

"Rip!"

Even though I replaced the engine last winter, the installer just plumbed a
union between the engine hose and the existing hose to the back of the water
tank. The hose was probably 20 years old, just like the water tank, and was so
badly rotten that simply moving the tank caused it to fail.

Had this hose failed underway, all the engine coolant would have been pumped
into the bilge. If that had happened, failure to shut down quickly enough might
have damaged the engine.

The new unit has all the fittings on the front, where the *new* hose will
connect.
Those with a very old hot water tank, especially one with the fittings out of
sight on the back, might do well to check the engine coolant hoses.

On 19 Sep 2004 01:03:57 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

This is new hot water tank weekend. The hot water tank is sort of behind the
diesel furnace, so before I put in the new Webasto it made sense to replace the
20 plus-year-old hot Atwood marine hot water tank. (It was developing rust
marks along the bottom, and a tiny puddle had started to form).

When removing the tank today, I discovered something that might be of interest
to to others. The hot water tank heats water electrically as well as by
circulating
engine coolant through a heat transfer coil. The hose connections between the
engine and the tank were on the back of the old unit.

After I disconnected the power, pulled up the mounting screws, unhooked the
water lines, and drained the water from the unit I decided to pull it forward
to get better access to the engine hoses.

"Rip!"

Even though I replaced the engine last winter, the installer just plumbed a
union between the engine hose and the existing hose to the back of the water
tank. The hose was probably 20 years old, just like the water tank, and was so
badly rotten that simply moving the tank caused it to fail.

Had this hose failed underway, all the engine coolant would have been pumped
into the bilge. If that had happened, failure to shut down quickly enough might
have damaged the engine.

The new unit has all the fittings on the front, where the *new* hose will
connect.
Those with a very old hot water tank, especially one with the fittings out of
sight on the back, might do well to check the engine coolant hoses.


A valuable lesson. You have just reminded me to check my main cooling hoses.
They have not been changed in the 10 years I owned the boat and i am sure
the original owner never changed them as he hardly used it.

Thanks for the reminder!

to find your boat. Couldn't find it. Is it there?

I'll send you a photo.

Really support our troops. Join "Soldiers for The Truth". http://www.sftt.org/

Subject: Out of sight, out of mind, out to wreck your engine
From: (Gould 0738)


Those with a very old hot water tank, especially one with the fittings out of
sight on the back, might do well to check the engine coolant hoses.

Funny you should mention this. I just changed my 10 year old hoses the other
day. :-)

Capt. Bill

Thanks for the pic. Who makes it?

Out of production for about 15 years.

Sundowner Tug.

Taiwanese.

Jonathan Watson, a local surveyor, says similar things on his website
(www.marinesurveys.com, click on Information/Articles), that things will
wear out (it's a question of "when," not "if"), and so why do people push
them for so long without replacing them?

But, like you, Chuck, there are deep, dark corners in a boat, or in my case,
deep, dark corners in my mind, and so things don't always get done just as
they should be!

Thanks for the reminder.

Charles

====

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
This is new hot water tank weekend...
.... The hose was probably 20 years old, just like the water tank, and was
so
badly rotten that simply moving the tank caused it to fail.