quick disconnect to drain heater?

[Fman]

My heater lines are a pia to disconnect off the barbed fittings. Has anyone just cut the lines and added some type of quick disconnect? I am considering doing this, but wanted to find out if anyone has already done this? If yes, a picture would be great!

Thanks....

[tvano]

i've used standard brass barbed garden hose repair fittings.

if you plan the placement of the fittings then, should you spring a leak of the core, you can bypass the core without missing a set.

after you have installed these it's easy to add these quick connectors.

Edited November 10, 2012 by tvano

[jackson]

I added two sets of fittings to my 2006 VLX after the first winterization and making up some new swear words getting the heater drained. I used two sets of solid brass hose fittings from lowes or Home Depot. On my 2006, the heater lines were 1/2" or 5/8" inside diameter so garden hose fittings worked great. One in the line to the heater and one in the return line. If you carefully pick the location and orientation of the fittings, you can make it possible to by-pass the heater....just in case it's ever needed.

I used the screw together fittings. Less restrictive compared to the quick disconnects I could find at the time.

Saves a ton of time and I haven't had a single issue in the 5 years they have been installed.

Boat is down at the lake on a lift or I'd grab a picture.

[shawndoggy]

Same as tvano, though I haven't done the quick releases. Cut both hoses in the same place and run the fittings opposite on each hose so that both hoses from the engine can screw together for a heater bypass.

[tvano]

obtw, you can pick up some garden hose washers that have stainless steel screens.

throw one of these on the suck side hose fitting and you can strain some of the crap out of the flow headed to the core.

[greg2vlx]

I installed two of the quick connects exactly like Tvano posted above...that along with the heater circulation pump I installed are two of the best mods I have done. Makes winterization a lot faster!

[Fman]

Thanks for the info! I am tired of bloody knuckles removing those lines... I also like how you can bypass the heater if it ever started to leak. Will be doing this during the week.

[bcoppess23]

Not only is it good to bypass if it leaks but in the summer time, I unhook mine and loop the system. This prevents unnecessary water running to the core during warm weather months. I have also installed two shutoff valves as an extra measure. It only takes a couple minutes to hook back up and the heater is functional again.

[Fman]

I am seeing two lines off port side of motor labeled to and from heater... wanted to confirm these are the correct lines to cut.

It also looks like Malibu ran them directly off the block, this prob explains why I am loosing heat at idle. Where do you Y off the line to create heat at idle?

Does anyone have a pic of where you cut them and installed the garden hose fittings? I'm thinking the lower part of hose.. pics would be great... thanks

Edited November 24, 2012 by Fman

[shawndoggy]

Just somewhere low in the bilge that's also easy to reach. There's not really any science to it.

[jcochrane007]

The 'Y' adapter that helps boost heater output at idle should be installed between the through-hull and the impeller housing, with the 'Y' pointing in the direction of the water flow. The suction created by the impeller (and probably the venturi effect as well) helps draw more hot water through the heater core. I bought mine from Discount Inboard Marine and it came with a diagram showing the proper way to install.