320 Bypassing Hot Water Heater

[Alex F]

The downside to antifreeze in the heater, besides the hassle, is the stink. It really tends to get nastier when it's been in the hot water tank.

And if you have inline water filters make sure you either remove, bypass or be prepared to replace them.

I would say that it's much easier to deal with the antifreeze smell by sanitizing the system, than with everything else invloved with by-passing the heater. BTW, how do you make sure there's no water trapped in any pockets?

 

[mares1]

Help I have 2002 340. How do you detach the red and blue hose from the hot water system and is there a way to join them together to by pass the hw heater. Then if I am correct all I have to do is open the drain valve and the heater will drain itself.

Help with this wll be appreciated

 

[Sublimetime]

I still want to hear where you can buy 6 gallons of pink stuff for 20 bucks

 

[douglee25]

I still want to hear where you can buy 6 gallons of pink stuff for 20 bucks

Walmart is probably your cheapest place, but that's still about $3.50/gallon.

Doug

 

[topgun1185]

The "Water Manifold" on is actually designed to work as a bypass. The "Water Manifold" is forward (< 1 ft.) and above the water heater on the 320 Sundancer. The cold water line is removed from the water heater and connected to the (hot) opposite side of the "Water Manifold". You can turn off the cold water line from the "Water Manifold" before you disconnect it (notice the two circles on the prior picture, these are shut-off valves), then turn it back on once you move it to the hot water side. When you disconnect the line from the "Water Manifold", on the water heater output side, any water in this line will drain back into the hot water heater. The connections on the “Water Manifold” and the hot water heater are all hand turn fittings. This job should take about 2 minutes. There is a drain valve on the hot water heater, that you will need to open to drain out the water in the heater. You can connect a hose to the drain valve or just drain the water into the bilge and let the sump pump flush it out. During winterization, I manually lift the float switch on the bilge pump and pour a gallon or so of Antifreeze into the bilge until pink comes out of the thru-hull fitting.

Location of the "Water Manifold":

Once again a great reason to view this site. Now I won't have to waste 10 gal of cherry juice (polyglcole antifreeze) Now let me pass on another tip. I screw a air line fiting into the city water feed in the transom. It is available at many stores for $3. It has female hose thread on one side and an air fitting on the other. I modified it a little a simply screwed a air hose quick disconnect coupler to a female hose pipe thread. All I do is screw the fitting into the city water feed connent my air hose and viloa' blow out the entire system. One by one I open and close all the water valves, deck shower, cockpit sink, head, head sink, galley sink. Just keep the air pressure below 40psi. I have also installed flush out hose fittings to each of the sea strainers (4) and also blow out the water on those systems. Then all I do is fill the water tank with cherry juice then use the boat water pump from the transom wash down with a garden hose to each of the sea strainers, easy easy!!

 

[Nehalennia]

I bought 8 Gallons of the pink (-50) yesterday. It was 2/$7 at Schucks(Checker & Kragen's elsewhere)and filled the Engine(raw water side) with about 3 or so then the remaining 5 gallons when into the Water tank and ran both hot and cold (each alone) until I saw pink from both. It took longer to pump all the existing hot water out of the tank than it did to flush the pink through.

 

[wkearney99]

Help I have 2002 340. How do you detach the red and blue hose from the hot water system and is there a way to join them together to by pass the hw heater. Then if I am correct all I have to do is open the drain valve and the heater will drain itself.

Camco makes kits for this. Or you can use a pipe nipple and manually thread the lines together. The valves make it a bit easier to do it in the future. That and you only have to deal with moving and turning the hoses once.

You unscrew the lines at the heater itself and attach the kit parts. This re-routes the water into the heater, bypassing it. You then open the pressure valve and the drain spigot and the tank will drain.

 

[wkearney99]

I would say that it's much easier to deal with the antifreeze smell by sanitizing the system, than with everything else invloved with by-passing the heater. BTW, how do you make sure there's no water trapped in any pockets?

I agree with the concern of water being trapped. But it's trivially simple to bypass the heater and the kits for doing it are less than the cost of the pink that would get wasted!

There's a kit that allows bypassing the tank but I've found it to be less than useful. I just made a hose that goes directly from the pump and into 5 gallon bucket. It's a bit tedious to try using the one gallon bottles. But I'll never, ever bother putting pink into the water tank ever again. Getting the pink out of the lines is bad enough.

Don't forget that things like the bilge and shower sump lines may also have water left in them. That and shower handles and ice makers.

 

[CJ Martin]

Camco makes kits for this. Or you can use a pipe nipple and manually thread the lines together. The valves make it a bit easier to do it in the future. That and you only have to deal with moving and turning the hoses once.

You unscrew the lines at the heater itself and attach the kit parts. This re-routes the water into the heater, bypassing it. You then open the pressure valve and the drain spigot and the tank will drain.

This is the second time you've suggested using a bypass kit on the 320DA water heater.

Do you have a 320DA? Of course you don't. Why? Because if you did, you would know you CAN'T USE OFF THE SHELF BYPASS KIT. I know I can't. I bought one, and because of the way things are plumbed/routed, there is NO ROOM to install said kit without making changes (i.e using a longer hose). Instead, AS I ALREADY NOTED IN THIS THREAD, I use a short section of pipe, threaded on both ends to connect the hot and cold water lines together.

Here's a TIP "wkearney" - stay the hell out of threads that ask for SEA RAY, MODEL-SPECIFIC advice. YOU AREN'T HELPING ANYONE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.

That should about cover it.

-CJ

 

[Four Suns]

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[ImpulseIII]

Don't hold back Chris....

 

[rondds]

:wow: Unbelievable! You made GARY BLUSH!

 

[wkearney99]

That should about cover it.
-CJ

Feel better now?

 

[CJ Martin]

Feel better now?

That depends...are you a slow learner?

Will you continue to give "advice" on topics you know nothing about, or will you go away?

-CJ

 

[douglee25]

That depends...are you a slow learner?

Will you continue to give "advice" on topics you know nothing about, or will you go away?

-CJ

I think the 'concept' itself was sound... whether or not you can fit the kit within the confines of your system locations is a different story. Cut the guy some slack.

Doug

 

[Four Suns]

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[douglee25]

Good grief. The original poster asked a question that was specific to a 320 and a guy with a Four Winns gives wrong advice and then a guy that owns a Larson defends him and calls it "sound".

Do I have that right?

Gary,

The concept itself was sound. Bypass the water heater with a kit.

Doug

 

[Four Suns]

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[ImpulseIII]

Gary, I think you have it. :grin:

What ever happened to the old adage...."Be sure brain is engaged before starting mouth". :huh:

Its great to be on a forum with so many experts in just about everything!:thumbsupor at least self professed experts):smt089

 

[hack4alivin]

Good grief. The original poster asked a question that was specific to a 320 and a guy with a Four Winns gives wrong advice and then a guy that owns a Larson defends him and calls it "sound".

Do I have that right?

I own this same model boat, and I must say if I purchased this kit and spent the time to go through this exercise and have it not work….. Well I would be upset, and then question ALL the information received here on this site. I have said it before, if you do not have firsthand experience or knowledge of the issue then keep your advice to yourself thank you….

There is a wealth of experience and knowledge on this site. If you shoot from the hip with “concept” advice and it does not work….. Then people have a good right to be upset and tell you to keep your advice to yourself.