PCUK
Well-Known Member
You can get a bulkhead mounted universal heat exchanger for peanuts if you look around. Just a matter of re-arranging the pipe-work.
Revert back to sea water cooling?
- Thread starter rogerowen
- Start date
Graham376
Well-Known Member
If you look at the second line of that web page, it says VAT incl.
rogerowen
Active Member
Thanks, I didn't see that, anyway - still, not really affordable for me, and seeing as they have failed several times in the past - they do not seem to be reliable enough.
rogerowen
Active Member
Yes, beginning to see others out there, the Bowman one previously advised looks good to me.
rogerowen
Active Member
The Bowman heat exchanger mentioned by LittleSister seems like a good bet, hopefully I'll be able to utilise the pipework and freshwater electric pump from the MarTec system.
Ruffles
Well-Known Member
If it's the stack that has failed then old fashioned radiator repair shops will be able to help you out. There used to be one in Bursledon. It's only brass, copper and silver solder (?).
rogerowen
Active Member
Thanks, I'll give that a try.
garvellachs
Well-Known Member
There's something odd about this: 4 replacements in 20 years and it's failed again, so 5 failures, so an average life of 4 years. We have one and it's fine - eleven years old now. First I would ask around (here?) how old people's functioning Martec heat exchangers are. I bet the average is more than 4 years.
Second I'd talk to the previous owner (if possible) and ask what exactly was failing in the the exchangers. They have a very small anode inside which doesn't last long - have you checked yours? The anode may be half-gone but the carrier should look newish, a season old, if it has been renewed regularly.
I'd also check that it is actually plumbed correctly. The pipework needs care to route it all to the correct points. And I'd check inside the exchanger to see what has failed, to check that it actually has failed inside.
Finally I'd email Martec and explain about the serial failures and ask them what the probable cause is. Their english will be fine. None of this will cost anything and you will probably get to the real problem gradually?
Second I'd talk to the previous owner (if possible) and ask what exactly was failing in the the exchangers. They have a very small anode inside which doesn't last long - have you checked yours? The anode may be half-gone but the carrier should look newish, a season old, if it has been renewed regularly.
I'd also check that it is actually plumbed correctly. The pipework needs care to route it all to the correct points. And I'd check inside the exchanger to see what has failed, to check that it actually has failed inside.
Finally I'd email Martec and explain about the serial failures and ask them what the probable cause is. Their english will be fine. None of this will cost anything and you will probably get to the real problem gradually?
rogerowen
Active Member
Many thanks for your comments. The history notes are hand written and a little hard to decipher as much is written in abbreviation. It's possible that replacement of heat exchanger actually means replacement of heat exchanger anode - I can't tell, but that might make more sense. One entry says that the heat exchanger was removed and cleaned at one point.
At the moment the boat is out of the water - and running the engine sees the fresh water coming out from the exhaust. The anode is partially corroded - but there's still loads left, it is stained pinky red - which I'm guessing is from red antifreeze.
I have found a company that might be able to renew the stack for a much lower price than a replacement.
garvellachs
Well-Known Member
Do you mean that the red coolant is coming out of the exhaust? I assume you are cooling the engine with a flow of water somehow if running it ashore?
rogerowen
Active Member
Fresh water header tank currently just filled with plain water. The red staining on the anode must be legacy. Running the engine ashore sees the fresh water header tank level drop as it comes out of the exhaust.