EASY water heater bypass - year after year!

[kpetry]

After doing a little research, I've come up with what I think is the easy way to winterize your water system, including isolating the water heater, year after year.

Many Sea Ray water systems use PEX plastic water lines (blue for cold, red for hot) and Seatech quick couplings.

Seatech manufactures a water heater bypass kit, which, once installed, allows you to easily bypass the water heater with a quick turn of the wrist - year after year. No more hassle with disconnecting, or worries about reconnections leaking in the spring!

The also make a siphon kit which taps into your water line between the water tank and the water pump. Again, with a quick twist of the wrist, you can siphon directly from the antifreeze bottle, using your on board water pump. No antifreeze in the water tank, and no bad taste in the spring.

Also might not be a bad idea to keep one of their waterline repair kits on hand!

Seatech shows the kits here:
http://www.seatechinc.com/pdf/Winterization_Kits.pdf

NTP Distribution.com handles the SeaTech kits:
http://www.ntpdistribution.com/PDF/newproducts/NTP_NPVol6.pdf

Coast Distributors markets their private brand here:
http://www.coastdistribution.com/PDF/AquaPro%20Product%20Page.pdf

 

[mistercomputerman]

Good find!

 

[Four Suns]

That permanent kit with two valves looks like a great idea. Not only for winterization, but if the water heater goes bad and starts to leak, you can isolate it without having to shut down and lose the water system for the whole boat. My T&P valve has gone bad (leaking) and I wish I had this installed so the toilets and sinks would still work while I find a replacement part...

Good find... I'm ordering one today...

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|106370|316448|315123|751689|1206850&id=1523717

 

[JohnEGraham]

+1 looks good, Since my hot water heater just went this season, I got to rip it out anyway.

 

[MonacoMike]

Good info. That's how my RV is set up. Takes 10 minutes to winterize.

MM

 

[electricaldoctor]

It's the only way to go!! I set my h/w tank and fresh water pump up this way 3 years ago. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Nehalennia]

I like it. I hope not to use it, but it will be a good idea to install in case we get a severe cold snap, I can quickly winterize.

 

[tbirdvet]

These kits are good but require some mods. since some heaters have mixing valves that entails some extra cold water lines that also need to be drained or bypassed. I believe these kits assume you do not have the mixing valve.

 

[bone354]

 

[quality time]

That's your mixing valve. It controls the temp coming out of the HWH.

 

[bone354]

Thanks

 

[charlg]

Thanks for the by-pass info. I just had my hw heater replaced and getting ready to winterize.

I found the kit cheap ($16.99) and ordered it at this site http://www.adventurerv.net/permanent-bypass-winterize-kit-camper-p-1571.html

 

[dantheman]

I know mine's pretty old and probably different, but I disconnect the water lines from the tank, insert a dimes inbetween the connections and re-connect them, it works..

 

[Air O'Nautical]

I have this one $26.00 from WM.
Good except for the cheap plastic tee.
Works fine.

 

[Creekwood]

I use a 12 to 15 inch piece of 5/8 garden hose with two hose clamps. Slip it over the two in/out hose ends after disconnecting from the heater. About as simple as you can get.

 

[Gunn]

Alright...so I think I was bitten by the SAE<->Metric bug. A purchased the heater bypass kit referenced in this thread and also purchased the water system siphon kit.

And so I worked everything out ahead of time and then carefully cut the tubing in the right places and assembled everything. Something just didn't feel right as I couldn't seem to get the tubing to install into the fittings securely, like I could the piece that came with the kit. Well, once I turned on the pump, I had leaks everywhere! Arrghhhh. :smt013

I took a piece of kit tubing and a piece of the tubing on the boat and using a set of calipers, measured them. The boat has 15mm PEX tubing (O.D.), while the kit contains 1/2" PEX tubing and fittings. !

Beware! Now I have to find some metric fittings to fix everything up. I ended up blowing out the lines with my air compressor instead for the time being...

Tom

 

[Uplate]

I use a 12 to 15 inch piece of 5/8 garden hose with two hose clamps. Slip it over the two in/out hose ends after disconnecting from the heater. About as simple as you can get.

Same thing here. Easy. Use a 12 V pump to drain the tank and then connect the garden hose for pinking. Reconnect and ready for Spring.

 

[fc3]

I've been using the air compressor to blow the lines for the past few seasons. Don't need to bypass the water heater, either.

 

[Ka1oxd]

I have a dumb question since this is the first year doing it. The two hoses that go from the water tank to the engine to hear the water in the hot water tank, are they using the raw water side or the enclosed system of the engine?

 

[johnsross3]

I have a dumb question since this is the first year doing it. The two hoses that go from the water tank to the engine to hear the water in the hot water tank, are they using the raw water side or the enclosed system of the engine?

On my boat, the hoses that run to the engine from and to the water heater contain anti-freeze (i.e running on the enclosed FWC system) and that's how the engine heats the water. You can check yours simply be disconnecting one of them briefly and see what runs out.