Helm Station Heater

[Capt Paul]

I am on a roll this week with maintenance issues:

For those of you that have an enclosed helm station on a Albin 28 and have the heater installed I have a question>

My heater uses the circulated engine cooling system that also pumps it way through the hot water heater. After bringing up the engine to temperature no heat comes out of the heater. Only cool air. I haven't checked the hot water heater to see of that is putting out hot water. I will do that my next trip to the boat.

So my question is , if hot engine cooling water is running through the heater what could possible be the cause of it not putting out hot air?

Thanks

Paul

[RicM]

These are usually very simple devices, much like the heater in a car. Water flows through heat exchanger, fan blows air over said heat exhanger. If fan runs and no heat heat then hot fluid is not passing through heat exchanger (in sufficient quantities) to heat air. Blockage can be before or after the heat exchanger, or flow is not warm enough are the only two possibilities.

[DougSea]

I would check for where the tap in the cooling line is in relation to the engine thermostat, or check and see if there's some other thermal limiter in line with the hotwater heater and your cabin heater.

As Ric said, you must not be getting hot fluid through the core of the heater.

Keep us posted and good luck!

[RicM]

I know a little about hydronic (water) heating from one of my major clients. If you just "T" into the coolant line in 2 places with an on-off valve in your heater line you will not get much flow through the heater. The only way to get liquid to flow from one place to the other in a difference in pressure (Delta T). If you put 2 staight "T's" into a convenient spot just a few feet apart with no diverter, you will get little or no flow because the pressure at both T openings will be roughly the same. If you disconnect the return to check it, coolant will flow freely because when the hose is disconnected from the pressure making the pressure lower on the return side and liquid will flow. When you hook it back up the pressure is equalized again, and no flow. You need a specialized diverter valve at the intake, a circulator pump on the heat loop, or the T's have to be far enough apart to have an adequate difference in pressure, like before and after the water pump in the cooling system.

[Capt Paul]

Last winter the heater was working. So theorectically nothing has changed. I will take the boat out tomorrow morning and get it up to temperature and check to see if the hoses are warm. This will tell me if the flow of water is getting to the heater. I wll also check to see if there is any hot water since I beleive the water heater is in series with the cabin heater.

Thanks for you information!

Paul

[RicM]

Probably just taking a long time to open the thermostat in this weather. Is the hot water heater working?

[Russell]

On my boat there is one pair of hoses that feed both the hot water tank and the cabin heater. To get adequate heat in these cold conditions I shut the valve to the water heater and almost all the hot water from the engine goes to the cabin heater. There is also a shut off for the hoses where they attach to the engine, so make sure that is open. It sure is great to be inside the nice warm cabin watching the other fishermen in their center consoles. Last weekend there were even a couple of bass boats out of the coast of Virginia Beach.

[bnoft]

Those bass boaters were nuts!! It takes all kinds.