Good day,
Coolant lines running from
engine to
water heater were chaffed to near breaking level and I'm replacing them. Unfortunately when disconnecting
coolant lines I didn't note which was the coolant supply and coolant return on the
water heater. The heater is about 5 gallons and cylindrical in shape and probably 30 years old - sorry make and model unknown.
First Question
Does a water heater typically have specific supply and return connections? I don't see any markings on the water heater that indicate direction of flow. I'm heading to
boat later this morning and can take pictures of the water heater if that helps.
Second Question
As mentioned the water heater is old, and I'm concerned for a rupture inside the water heater resulting in coolant leakage and
overheating of the
engine. There's a valve on the coolant return on the engine, but it doesn't look like a shutoff valve (maybe some sort of bleeder valve). This is shown in the image below. Also, in the event of a rupture to the coolant line in the water heater, I don't see anything that would allow me to bypass the water heater.
1. Is an inline valve recommended and if so would I put this on the supply side? I suppose in a pinch I could bypass the water heater and just connect the coolant supply to the return on the engine. If a valve was installed would that still mean that coolant would circulate properly to keep the engine running?
2. Is it possible to identify the type of valve in the picture below please?
Thanks!