Heater and hot water cold

[captstu]

For the for the past three years cabin heater kept 2010 Ranger 25 toasty warm in the winter time. It also made all the hot water we could possibly want when underway.

Two weeks ago the cabin heater stopped heating and hot water heater wouldn’t produce hot water except when plugged into shore power.

I assume there’s air in the hot water loop that feeds: from the engine to the hot water heater and cabin heater?

The engine is heating to the normal 180 or so after it’s been run a few minutes. It does cool slightly when I drop back to idle. I’m not sure the exact temperatures but it was exactly where it is always been.

Is there a bleed someplace where I can drain the air out of the heater/hot water line?

I see no signs of a leak but I did have to add a cup of any freeze to the overflow bottle this week so I assume there’s a small leak someplace.

It’s hard to know where to start but I’m sure I’m not the only one that seen these symptoms. Thank you, in the meantime it’s chilly in Florida.

 

[knotflying]

I assume you checked your coolant level by removing the cap on the heat exchanger? Adding coolant to the overflow tank does not necessarily add coolant to the system. I would check that out first. If you are loosing coolant then start checking connections from the cabin heater back. I have found that the clamp fittings do tend to loosen on the heater. Pull it out and check there. Then with great difficulty check the connections at the water heater, these can be accessed via the head sink by the infamous shower sump. Then check the lines coming from the engine.

 

[Osprey]

The engine data I have indicates that a thermostat installed in a 4BY begins to open at 190 F and will be fully open at 205 F. If your engine temp is at 180 F or less the thermostat will be full closed. There will be only limited coolant circulation with a closed thermostat. So the question could be is "Why is your engine running cold?"

 

[captstu]

Knot, I added 3 quarts of coolant and tightened some loose screws. We’ll see what happens tomorrow when I run the boat.

 

[knotflying]

Three quarts sounds like a leak. Check out the helm heater and those hard to access hose clamps at the water heater. Did you check your oil level? The most worse case scenario is a leak of the coolant into the engine. This is caused by a bad gasket or worse a small crack. If the oil level is higher or the color looks odd that is an indicator. Hopefully just clamp issues.

 

[captstu]

Before oil level is exactly where expected for this number of hours. About 1/4 inch below the full Mark. Good idea. Thank you.

Every hose clamp I could reach was either broken or loose. I lined the engine area with oil change diapers and found a leak. That hose clamp was finger tight.

The radiator is now full.

I can’t find the hot water connections from the engine to the hot water heater? I presume they are behind the heater?

I will pull the heat exchanger when I’m back my homeport and change the hose clamps. Since this is about 10 hose clamps I’ve found broken, I presume the hose clamps originally installed we’re not lifetime hose clamps! I will order a new set and replace every clamp.

Since no one else has reported a similar problem with excessive hose clamp breakage, I must pursue mine was the only boat built with this brand clamps? There isn’t much you can do to break a hose clamp if you neither tighten or loosen it during its life.

I’ve done nothing to re-prime the heater, I’m hoping it primes itself when I’m underway and the engine gets up to temperature. I’ll top off the radiator fluid after this trip.

This is a recent problem. The radiator was full when I change the oil about 30 hours ago.

 

[Red Fury]

Your 25 may be similar to my 27. I have the under helm heat exchanger and the engine heated hot water tank. Both of these have a send and return line from the engine to circulate hot engine coolant. Both of these loops have a quarter turn on/off inline valve on the send hoses in the engine compartment. Have you checked to see if you also have these and if maybe they have been closed?

 

[ALICE J]

This past fall while on the Tennessee River I experienced an over heat alarm on my 2011 R27. Low antifreeze, filled it up to cap, day later checking the antifreeze, low again. Checked hoses and clamps, I noticed a very small telltale green drop near the engine stringer support, still could not locate where the drop came from. A gallon of antifreeze later I found the leak on the under side of the hose that comes off the engine and goes over the oil stick bracket support, where the hose comfortably wearing a longitudinal slit in this hose that fed the hot water tank and cabin heater. The only reason I found it was I ran my fingers along each hose and felt this slight abrasion. I concluded that when the factory connected their hoses to the Yanmar hose, that added weight and lack of support/or too short of hose, pulled the Yanmar hose tight over the oil stick bracket and with the engine vibration over time chafed the hose and then the slow sneaky leak. Solution was a hose splice at the chafe hole,then chafe protection at that spot.