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Steam coming up from ski locker.


ahightower

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About a month ago I noticed hot air around the drivers floor board. I assumed it was the heater. Our heater switch has always been a liitle finicky. A few weeks later I noticed steam is now coming up from my ski locker. I opened the ski locker to find it half full of water and the water was pretty hot. If the boat just sits on the water the locker doesn't fill. It only fills and steams up when the boat is in gear. I see water dripping from the heater tubes running from the engine to the heater unit (only in the ski locker area). Pardon my ignorance, but does water pass through those tubes or air? In comparison, my engine compartment is completely dry. Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions?

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Sounds like your heater core or one of the hoses going to the heater core is leaking. You'll have to get under the dash while the boat is running and find your leak.

My heater core leaked from the day one. Rather than haul the boat back to the dealer 200 mile away I took the heater out myself and removed the core. Took it to a radiator shop and had the tank re-soldered. Total time required was about a hour.

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My money would be on the heater core as well. As long as engine is running water circulates through the hoses and the heater core. Steam is the result of the water being the same temperature as your engine (~160 degrees). Easy enough fix...I just replaced mine this past weekend.

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Yep - heater core or line.

Just so you understand how the heater works...

There is a feed line and a return line between the engine and the heater. You can think of it as one big loop with the loop being:

1. Hot water side of engine.

2. Feed line to heater core.

3. Return line from heater core.

4. Return line to intake side of engine.

The impeller sucks water from the return line, which because it is a loop, is essentially sucking hot water from the engine. If anything within that loop is leaking you will leak hot water.

This usually is due to the heater core because I frankly don't think there's much pressure on it at all, but it's entirely possible one of the two lines plumbed into the back of the heater are just loose too. Most people notice it when they get hot water at their feet.

It really should be an easy DIY project to resolve.

Hope that helps.

Mike

Edited by mlange
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Thanks for the input! It looks like I have a project to work on. Any suggestions for where I can get replacement hoses? I'll start with the hoses. I replaced my sub-woofer last weekend and didn't have any problem with water around the heater unit.

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My boat has the same problem currently, the water gets real hot, it actually burnt my feet, that was when we finally decided to take the heater core out, and we have had a dry boat since.

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steam is now coming up from my ski locker

Sounds like great modification. First boat I ever heard of with a steam room. Thumbup.gif I'm jealous.

My wife will want to know how we can get one in our boat to go along with her heated observer seat and her snorkle from the heater. She does not like to be cold.

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My boat has the same problem currently, the water gets real hot, it actually burnt my feet, that was when we finally decided to take the heater core out, and we have had a dry boat since.

HCO - did you replace your heater core unit and tubes or just remove them? My boat is sitting at our storage facility so I need your help trying to visualize the process. If you removed the unit and tubes, I'm assuming you have to cap off the tubes coming from the engine. Or is there a shut off valve?

Thanks!

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I am having the same problem. I removed my Heater entirely. Had to cut the hoses because it seemed like they were melted on to the copper pipe. I plugged the ends of my hoses but I understand you can just add a coupler and tie them together as well. Seems to be fine just plugging them though. I have an old style heater so I am taking mine to a Rad shop to get it fixed.

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