hot water in the bilge

[kingofcary]

Morning All ... Just recently returned after being gone for 3 months over the summer, I get hot water into the bilge when on shore power and water heater breaker turned on. Happens after about 1 hour when water gets hot. Have not yet motored enough to get it hot from the engine but hopefully will over the next few weeks to test that. Can't identify where specifically the water coming from out of the hot water heater. Was thinking the pressure relief value but its not wet. Don't see any other water around heater either. Maybe (hopefully not) some pin hole in a h/w water line out of view. Turn off breaker and/or cold water feed to water heater it stops in a few minutes. Boat is '07 Catalina 350 sailboat. Any experience here appreciated ... tx .. .Dennis

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by kingofcary

Morning All ... Just recently returned after being gone for 3 months over the summer, I get hot water into the bilge when on shore power and water heater breaker turned on. Happens after about 1 hour when water gets hot. Have not yet motored enough to get it hot from the engine but hopefully will over the next few weeks to test that. Can't identify where specifically the water coming from out of the hot water heater. Was thinking the pressure relief value but its not wet. Don't see any other water around heater either. Maybe (hopefully not) some pin hole in a h/w water line out of view. Turn off breaker and/or cold water feed to water heater it stops in a few minutes. Boat is '07 Catalina 350 sailboat. Any experience here appreciated ... tx .. .Dennis

Assume you have pressure fresh water system with hot and cold taps. I'd bet that somewhere downstream from the electric hot water tank between the tank and the hot water tap there is a leak in the plumbing which allows some hot water to leak to the bilge, probably a broken hose clamp or a leaking fitting. Look in the piping, not necessarily the tank.

[gonesail]

find the leak in the hot water line. it is probably hidden.

[ItDepends]

Originally Posted by gonesail

find the leak in the hot water line. it is probably hidden.

Aren't they ALWAYS hidden?

[Pete7]

Pressure relief valve on the calorifier is leaking.

https://www.asap-supplies.com/produc...3-5-psi-518773

Pete

[kingofcary]

Pete7 … looks like you id’d it. Replaced valve and seemed to work. Thx to all !

[capt jgw]

That the tp valve didn't seem wet was deceiving. It was hot enough itself to evaporate the water and didn't stay wet for long. In another thread somewhere it was suggested to run a hose from the valve into a jug, it catches the water and you can see that it vented. When they vent, they're prone to getting crud stuck in the metal to metal seal and leaking after that.

[kingofcary]

Capt jgw .. as I read the manual for my water heater it did recommend a hose from valve to bilge in case it failed. That’s exactly what the Catalina folks did so I was happy with that. That’s why I had no water aft in the lazarette where the water heater is. I learnt a few things doing this one. Thx .. Dennis

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by kingofcary

Capt jgw .. as I read the manual for my water heater it did recommend a hose from valve to bilge in case it failed. That’s exactly what the Catalina folks did so I was happy with that. That’s why I had no water aft in the lazarette where the water heater is. I learnt a few things doing this one. Thx .. Dennis

Had a similar problem at my home (yes, house not boat but the hot water system principles are the same) and an old plumber gave me the advice to install a slightly lower pressure relief into the cold water intake side of the heater then when pressure increased cold water released, solving the problem of calcification on the seat of the hot water release. Since done I have never had a problem with a leaking pressure release valve.