Calorifier renewal and plumbing

[zeehond]

Having been forced into buying a replacement Isotherm 40 litre calorifier as our 7 year old one has failed on the weld line I am thinking it is the right time to consider putting stop valves into the engine take off circuit so that we do not have a lump of 85C water beneath our forecabin berth during the summer here in Greece. my enquiry is whether it is okay to put 2 taps on the pipes into the calorifier and turn them off when not needed or should the taps be put at the take-off points on the engine? It's a Perkins Prima 60 by the way.
All good advice would be welcome.

 

[Happydaze]

Hi Dave I would only put one valve in the system to stop the circulation but not the expansion and put it in the supply to calorifier where it's easiest to get at. regards John

 

[Talulah]

Our taps (2 of them) are at the engine take off.
It will make no difference which end of the pipe you add taps too.
As you could be using these taps quite a bit I would go for whichever end is more convenient.
Having them at the engine end is useful for dismantling but that doesn't happen very often.

 

[NormanS]

You only need one valve (tap) to stop the circulation to the calorifier. It doesn't matter where it is (on the calorifier circuit). If you fit two valves you will introduce problems with expansion.

 

[vyv_cox]

The suggestions assume that the hoses to the calorifier parallel the heat exchanger. If they have been plumbed in series then of course you cannot put a tap in the line.

 

[zeehond]

Thanks a lot for your help. I will be fitting one tap as advised. Cheers

 

[PCUK]

We always fit two taps to make calorifier removal easy when necessary. Never heard of calorifiers being fitted in series with anything. They should come off the heater take-off and be a totally separate circuit.

 

[Marsupial]

We always fit two taps to make calorifier removal easy when necessary. Never heard of calorifiers being fitted inseries with anything. They should come off the heater take-off and be a totally separate circuit.

AGREED BUT: Where engines and boat builders are concerned ANYTHING is possible, it wont always be right or correct it may even appear to work but if its possible and it saves a penny they will do it. So its wise to check

 

[ghostlymoron]

I'd put isolation valves on flow and return so that you can remove the calorifier for maintenance but to take the unit out of use, just close one.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

We always fit two taps to make calorifier removal easy when necessary. Never heard of calorifiers being fitted in series with anything. They should come off the heater take-off and be a totally separate circuit.

It is in series on my Volvo 2003, and there isn't really any other way it could be plumbed. However, Volvo didn't actually provide for a calorifier on the 2000 series, so all such installations are "after-market"; photos of mine on Vyv's web-site.