Dumb Question ~ Heat Exchanger

[Kmestep]

Hate to sound ignorant on this one guys but what is a "Heat Exchanger?" I've been having some overheating/Seawater Pump/Impeller/Housing, you name it problems here lately and now I've been told to check the Heat Exchanger. HELP!!!!!!

 

[tommays]

Re: Dumb Question ~ Heat Exchanger

if you have one its a round tube 6 to 8 dia full of small tubes that would hold antifreeze just like your car<br /><br />the raw water would pass through it and cool off the antifreeze and then depending on how its setup would leave the boat through the maifolds and risers or on a full system just the risers <br />

<br /><br />tommays

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Dumb Question ~ Heat Exchanger

The problem with heat exchangers is that you can only see half of the system. The closed part of the system is where you have to look and you can't. Pull off the end caps and see what it looks like,[as far as blockage. I wouldn't think the closed side would gunk up after 11 years, unleess someone was running mostly water and that water would have to be very hard [minerals]. You could take it to a radiator shop and have it boiled/rodded out For about 60 bucks or so. I would make sure my pumps were right first.......JK

 

[Don S]

Re: Dumb Question ~ Heat Exchanger

Below is a drawing of a Mercruiser cooling system with a heat exhanger.<br />The heat exchanger acts like a radiator on a car. The difference being, instead of using air to cool it, water that the boat sits in is used to cool the "Coolant (aka antifreeze)" side of the heat exchanger. Any water that the boat is sitting is commonly known as raw water. rather it's from a fresh water lake or a salty ocean. It's raw water. The "fresh water" or "coolant" side of the system is normally a mixture of antifreeze and water, just like a car, and the raw water passing over the tubes inside the heat exchanger is what cools the coolant side, instead of air...............<br />Does that make any sense?????<br /><br />

 

[Kmestep]

Re: Dumb Question ~ Heat Exchanger

All great information. I appreciate everyone's response!!!!