Hot water options ideas

[abraxus]

I have a 27ft Bayliner sports cruiser and am trying to reduce my dependance upon shore power.

I have an alcohol stove for cooking as well as a barbecue fitted on the transom over the swim platform, so food is covered. I've also just fitted a 600w inverter to power the tv, dvd and other small 240v items.

The only thing I can't do is heat water for a shower. I had previously considered a generator, but it now seems excessive to spend a grand just to work the 1500w water heater.

I have a 5.7 Mercruiser which is raw water cooled so can't use the engine to heat water so wondered if anyone had any ideas, solutions or suggestions as to what options there are for getting hot water while away from shore power.

Thanks a lot,

Bill

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[Roy]

Get a calorifier fitted - by a specialist unless you are up to this kind of work. If you also add a slightly larger hot water tank for the calorifier to feed into and lag the tank, your engine running for one hour could produce enough washing / shower water to last overnight. Ours does. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[itsonlymoney]

Matters not that its raw water cooled. Are you sure that your heating tank is not piped to the engine cos Bayliners normally are, my 2655 (99) is. You should find a couple of black pipes from the side of your heating tank which go to the front of your engine block, if its not been factory installed this way its a doddle to do. Have a look and if you require additional info Pm. me.
Regards - Ian

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[abraxus]

Guys

Many thanks for the quick replies, this is giving me some hope.

I already have what I believe is a calorifier, it's an Atwood job, 6 gallon I think and the capacity of it is fine, but it only currently works off mains power (120v with a transformer).

Ian, mine is an 1990 2655 and I'm pretty sure it's not piped to the engine, but will check. Have I been labouring under the misapprehension that I needed closed cooling to use the engine to heat the water?

Bill

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[Wiggo]

think you do, but there is a conversion kit to put a heat exchanger on those V8 lumps.

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[itsonlymoney]

In short, yes.
I did not know that mine was piped to engine for some time until I was informed of it. The pipes to the front of the engine are not obvious until you see them, then you wonder why you did not see them before. The water will heat very quickly and last for quite a few hours.
Ian



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[martynwhiteley]

Just to confirm the earlier advice, the 5.7 in my Rinker powers a similar calorifier from the Raw water circuit, and it seems to work just fine.

Perhaps it will not last quite as long as it would from a closed system though!

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[Tomsk]

I have the same setup as you on a 2556. I was told by a marine engineer that it COULD NOT be used to heat water from the engine, only by the 120v emersion heater. I would love to know differently!

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

Can I leave the planet please.. this one is broken!

 

[adarcy]

Well I'm afraid he's wrong.

IF there are available pipes and a coil inside the calorifier then raw cooling water can heat it just as well as a closed fresh system. that's the way it worked on our Fairline27 and I'm sure all smallish petrol engined boats. Sure, the pipe work will not last as long as a closed freshwater andantifreeze/descaler system.

However, If the calorifier only has one in one out water pipe and an immersion heater then you would need to replace it with one with 2 coils one electric and one water heated but the pipework and tapping into the engine water is the same. If that makes sense

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[abraxus]

Thanks again,

I will check later in the week for pipes to engine, but like I said am pretty sure there aren't. Will also check if there are additional in/outlets on the calorifier.

If there are then I will probably be back for help/instructions on connecting pipes from these to the engine. This would be a huge plus for me if I could heat water while the engine runs.

Bill


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[Boating_Buoys]

Mine worked fine of a Merc 4.3 Lt petrol engine on a Bayliner 2455

As mentioned above, whatever water (raw or fresh) it only goes through the coil in the water heater in the same was as a domestic boiler system in your house.

If a 4.3 has the 'power' to push water round I'm sure a 5.7 does, as long as your water heater has the connectors.

Good luck, it is worth the effort !



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[tico]

I'm sure PBO had a feature on this fairly recently. Will have a look at the mound of back issues.

<hr width=100% size=1>Been there, done that, got the oily T shirt

 

[abraxus]

Well I got down to the boat today to check on the heater. It's an Atwood EHM-6 SM, about 14 years old.

On seeing 4 in/outlets on the front (2 of them used by the fresh water supply in and hot out) I thought my luck was in, so took a couple of pics and headed home.

Upon further investigation it appears that the remaining two in/outlets are a drain outlet and a pressure valve, so I'm temporarily stumped. There is some hope though as apparently there may be two further outlets on the back, which I stupidly didn't check for as I thought I was ok.

Will check again later in the week, but in the meantime if anyone knows if this model heater has them on the other side of the box I'd be grateful.

Thanks again,

Bill


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[boatone]

Thres a survey report on a Bayliner here http://www.nymarinesurveyor.com/sample pre-purchase Bayliner Ciera 2855 1995.pdf that mentions same hot water tank as yours but doesnt really help any ( although I would have thought it would have said if engine heat transfer was possible).
What is interesting tho is the detail in the survey inclusding lots of pics....take a look at the surveyors website and see what they charge and what u get for the money!!!!

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[abraxus]

Just read the survey...unbelievable for the price. I'm seriously thinking that this is the wrong country to be in if you own a boat. Actually, if you own anything for that matter.

Saw the bit about the heater, and it looks the same as mine, but the angle of the photo unfortunately doesn't show the rear. Basiaclly of there are outlets on the rear then I'm fine, if not then it's back to the drawing board.

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[martynwhiteley]

This is the Attwood jobby in my Rinker, and you can even see the hose connection to the top post side of the raw water pump, the return line is just off the bottom of the photo.

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[Alistairr]

So wheres the Battery boxes then Martyn???/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/wink.gif



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[martynwhiteley]

That was the 'before' shot Alistair!



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[Alistairr]

So wheres the After shot???

BTW, Look <A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Please take a Look.

 

[abraxus]

Mine's one of the cube shaped heaters. Popped into the boat on the way back from a meeting today to see if there were in/outlets on the rear. Couldn't quite get my head round to the back to see as I was in a suit but managed to get my camera phone behind there and could see two unconnected valves which I assume are where I would plumb into.

Ian, will PM you for details as you very kindly offered and will also post on tech section of Bayliner owners club site.

Thanks,

Bill


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