Plevier
Well-Known Member
I recently serviced my Webasto 3500 (with many thanks to David2452 for advice) and it was working well.
This weekend we did the Royal Escape Race in pretty rough conditions. Tried to fire up the heater in Fecamp to dry us out a bit - failed, with 1 flash from the diagnostics (which means failure to ignite, suggested causes no fuel or failed flame detector). There was no hint of warmth from the vent during the cycle (but plenty of air) so it was completely failing to ignite, unlike the problem before I serviced it which was failure to detect the flame even though you could feel some warmth.
Had a quick look at the heater, found seawater dripping from the condensation vent in the combustion exhaust and all the lagging wet
The heater is mounted right up under the deck on the outside maybe a metre ahead of the transom, and the exhaust fitting is at the same position on the transom. There is no spare height for a swan neck in the pipe, in fact it dips and the condensate drain is at the lowest point. At times we had the lee rail well under and clearly the exhaust has got submerged and water back into the heater.
I wondered if this has happened to anyone else and what the likely ill effects are? Having had the heater apart and seen what there is in the combustion side of it, I can't really see why it would worry it. I would have thought it would drain out and be OK.
Before removing and stripping it again, I wondered if taking the pipes off and blowing a hair dryer (or paint stripper gun) through might help?
Also does anyone know of a self-closing exhaust vent, or will I just have to get a rubber bung for it - and remember to remove it?
This weekend we did the Royal Escape Race in pretty rough conditions. Tried to fire up the heater in Fecamp to dry us out a bit - failed, with 1 flash from the diagnostics (which means failure to ignite, suggested causes no fuel or failed flame detector). There was no hint of warmth from the vent during the cycle (but plenty of air) so it was completely failing to ignite, unlike the problem before I serviced it which was failure to detect the flame even though you could feel some warmth.
Had a quick look at the heater, found seawater dripping from the condensation vent in the combustion exhaust and all the lagging wet
The heater is mounted right up under the deck on the outside maybe a metre ahead of the transom, and the exhaust fitting is at the same position on the transom. There is no spare height for a swan neck in the pipe, in fact it dips and the condensate drain is at the lowest point. At times we had the lee rail well under and clearly the exhaust has got submerged and water back into the heater.
I wondered if this has happened to anyone else and what the likely ill effects are? Having had the heater apart and seen what there is in the combustion side of it, I can't really see why it would worry it. I would have thought it would drain out and be OK.
Before removing and stripping it again, I wondered if taking the pipes off and blowing a hair dryer (or paint stripper gun) through might help?
Also does anyone know of a self-closing exhaust vent, or will I just have to get a rubber bung for it - and remember to remove it?
