Heater

Does anyone know where the heater is located on a 2005 air nautique or the best way to winterize the heater? I have everything else winterized except that and I don't know where to find the stupid thing?

One should be on your intake, likely T'd off your temp sensor. They return could be either on your circ pump or just back to the block drain on the starboard side. I wouldn't crank a huge amount of pressure through there if you do use a compressor. 20-40PSI. Blow both directions in case it is mounted sideways. You'll get a decent amount of water out of it.

quinner wrote: I always clear mine with lung power, yours may be tougher

Wait till HW sees this

Why would you not have a heater in a boat, it makes it nicer for the 9 months out of the year when most people aren't in the lake. Used ours tonight, water 77 and the air was about the same. I know thats not cold to most, but we've been from water in the upper 80's with air in the upper 90's and above just a couple of months ago. Why not be comfy when you get out in the evenings. I bet if you had one you would use it at the SJRR during Feb.

On a different note while we are talking about heaters, I have a V drive and mounted the box as far under the bow as possible, I think it should blow a bit hotter than it does. I run a 160 thermostat and the boat stays around that most of the time. (no comments please, mine runs same temps a those with the 143 during the summer) My Y tube on the heater return is about half the size of the hose it feeds into, I've thought about drilling it out to get more flow. I've also thought about putting some foam Pipe insulation on the heater hose going from the motor to the core, there would be a 3 ft gap where it comes through the floor that I can't get. Which one should give me the most bang for the effort? I need to remember to take the infrared thermometer out and get some reading on the vents, but they don't feel anywhere close to what i though they would be, and I know the long run is hurting the temp.

I was pretty cautious about my wording earlier, with respect to evacuating the water out of the heater....

Don, Are you talking about when you are idling around? or under power?

The boat runs about 145 to 150 in the winter, it's been awhile, but I've checked the accuracy of the guage and it is right. The water comes out of the manifold by the thermostat and returns to the intake line between the raw water filter and the transmission cooler. The Y from SKIDIM has a hole for the return water that is about half the size of the 5/8 hose. My thinking is that if that is drilled out some the water will circulate quicker giving it less time to cool down on the long run up to the core. The other option to insulate the hose to the core should accomplish the same thing, but might be kind of messy I'm not sure how the insulation would react with the bildge water. I do know the problem is the long run to the core is letting the water cool. If the fan was ignition protected I would have put it all in the back where I wouldn't have do drain it after each use in the winter, and the run would have been real short.