Marine Heat Exchanger

Marine heat exchangers are the most common way to cool a boat's engine, using the lake, river or ocean water in which the boat floats. Since this water may be corrosive, the engine may be cooled by a sealed mixture of distilled water and antifreeze. Heat from the water–antifreeze mixture is then transferred to the ocean (or lake or river) water which flows into a heat exchanger. To protect the marine heat exchanger from corrosive salts, a sacrificial zinc anode is screwed into the heat exchanger. This anode must be periodically replaced as part of regular maintenance. Because the water the boat floats in may be contaminated with floating particles such as wood or other detritus most boats will have a filter (often stainless steel mesh) to remove these particles before they flow through the heat exchanger. This filter must be periodically cleaned or else the flow of water to the heat exchanger will become obstructed and the engine will overheat.