Bolo
Contributing Partner
Now that the mess is cleaned up and I stopped shaking, I thought I'd make this cautionary posting about a fire I had on board our E-32 III yesterday. I went to the boat that morning to refinishing the wood transom cap after I removed all the old varnish. (Another story maybe worth another posting.) I got on board and turned on the power (DC) and the Some of the AC components like the outlets and water heater since I was going to spend the next two days working on my project. After doing the finish sanding the the wood I realized that I didn't have the proper work towels that I like the rub solvent on the wood to prepare it for the Sikkens Marine I was going to use. (Like I said another posting maybe later.)
So I strolled on over to the Port Annapolis Marina store to buy some. ON my way back to the boat, about half way down the dock, I noticed a peculiar smell in the air, almost "chemical". When I got to my boat smoke was coming out of the cowlings on the transom and from the open companion way! I tore down into the cabin and cut the main 120 shore power breaker because it smelled like and electrical fire. I then called the marina office on channel 16 and told them I had a fire on board. They were there in about 3 minutes. In the meantime I started to open everything to try and get to the source of the fire which was under the cockpit from the looks of it. We discovered that to fire was in the electrical connection panel of the Raritan 1700 Series Water Heater (6 gal.). See the attached photo. after the smoke cleared I noticed that there was some water on the small deck where the heater sat. At first I thought that I might have empty tanks and so an empty heater but hot water came out when I turned the galley faucet on.
Getting the $%#* thing out was a bear!!! I think Ericson started with the heater and built the boat around it. There was absolutely no way of getting the heater out through any opening in the engine compartment area. But then I noticed something I had seen many times on my boat and never knew why it was there. When I lifted the lid to the starboard compartment in the cockpit I noticed that there was a seam where the area under the lid way cut and then the original piece patched back in place. You would not see this area when the lid was closed. It is between the engine controls and the wall of the cabin. After doing some measuring of the water heater and the previously cut out area, I realized the the PO had cut this section out to most likely removed the water heater that had just started on fire. Only that he was replacing an old one and installing the charred one now in my boat.
So I cut along his "dotted line" and was able to remove the heater with a bit of muscle but not before draining the water into my bilge. I will replace the cut out section but brace and screw it all together for the day when I or another owner will be pulling out the water heater replacement I'm going to install.
Now here is what I learned. Once in awhile, when I used a light to look back in that area, after checking the oil before starting the engine, I'd sometimes notice a little bit of puddling near the heater. Not much and I thought it was just maybe some water from someplace else. Maybe some rain water? I didn't think much of it at the time. If you look at the photo of the removed heater on the dock you'll notice that there are streaks of rust from the bottom two corners where the electrical panel was located. Also notice the large amount of rust inside the panel area which wouldn't not have been seen but still tells a story. That story is, I think, that this heater was leaking for awhile. The rust streaks should have tipped me off. Eventually the tank leaked water onto the electrical circuits and caused a short which started the fire.
Thing is the 15 AMP breaker at the nave station never tripped! I think the current was going through the leaking water and the resistance was less then needed to trip the breaker but enough to start a fire. My guess only and supported by what I observed and remembered seeing.
So the moral of this story sailors....is to keep and eye on your water heater especially when you see unaccountable water puddles nearby and rust streaks on the case. Of course although the Raritan heater I need to replace the old one is usually a standard stocked item at West Marine and another local marine store.....but not today! It's on order and good thing to because it gave me time to clean up the mess and re-route/secure some loose wires and cables in that area. Never did get to working on that transom cap. :sad:
So I strolled on over to the Port Annapolis Marina store to buy some. ON my way back to the boat, about half way down the dock, I noticed a peculiar smell in the air, almost "chemical". When I got to my boat smoke was coming out of the cowlings on the transom and from the open companion way! I tore down into the cabin and cut the main 120 shore power breaker because it smelled like and electrical fire. I then called the marina office on channel 16 and told them I had a fire on board. They were there in about 3 minutes. In the meantime I started to open everything to try and get to the source of the fire which was under the cockpit from the looks of it. We discovered that to fire was in the electrical connection panel of the Raritan 1700 Series Water Heater (6 gal.). See the attached photo. after the smoke cleared I noticed that there was some water on the small deck where the heater sat. At first I thought that I might have empty tanks and so an empty heater but hot water came out when I turned the galley faucet on.
Getting the $%#* thing out was a bear!!! I think Ericson started with the heater and built the boat around it. There was absolutely no way of getting the heater out through any opening in the engine compartment area. But then I noticed something I had seen many times on my boat and never knew why it was there. When I lifted the lid to the starboard compartment in the cockpit I noticed that there was a seam where the area under the lid way cut and then the original piece patched back in place. You would not see this area when the lid was closed. It is between the engine controls and the wall of the cabin. After doing some measuring of the water heater and the previously cut out area, I realized the the PO had cut this section out to most likely removed the water heater that had just started on fire. Only that he was replacing an old one and installing the charred one now in my boat.
So I cut along his "dotted line" and was able to remove the heater with a bit of muscle but not before draining the water into my bilge. I will replace the cut out section but brace and screw it all together for the day when I or another owner will be pulling out the water heater replacement I'm going to install.
Now here is what I learned. Once in awhile, when I used a light to look back in that area, after checking the oil before starting the engine, I'd sometimes notice a little bit of puddling near the heater. Not much and I thought it was just maybe some water from someplace else. Maybe some rain water? I didn't think much of it at the time. If you look at the photo of the removed heater on the dock you'll notice that there are streaks of rust from the bottom two corners where the electrical panel was located. Also notice the large amount of rust inside the panel area which wouldn't not have been seen but still tells a story. That story is, I think, that this heater was leaking for awhile. The rust streaks should have tipped me off. Eventually the tank leaked water onto the electrical circuits and caused a short which started the fire.
Thing is the 15 AMP breaker at the nave station never tripped! I think the current was going through the leaking water and the resistance was less then needed to trip the breaker but enough to start a fire. My guess only and supported by what I observed and remembered seeing.
So the moral of this story sailors....is to keep and eye on your water heater especially when you see unaccountable water puddles nearby and rust streaks on the case. Of course although the Raritan heater I need to replace the old one is usually a standard stocked item at West Marine and another local marine store.....but not today! It's on order and good thing to because it gave me time to clean up the mess and re-route/secure some loose wires and cables in that area. Never did get to working on that transom cap. :sad:
Attachments
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boatwaterheater.jpg
(I hate that.) Anyway, I couldn't tell exactly where the leak in the heater was located or even how many leaks there were in the tank because I didn't take it apart. I had to get it out and another one in so doing that was not on my list. As for water proofing the connections on the heater, I saw no way of doing that because the connections and other electrical components are just too out in the open behind the panel. It would be a good idea but the folks at RARITAN just don't see the need I guess.