Walt,
I suspect the spitting and steaming*is due to the difference in hot water temperatures between the shore-power vs. engine-heated water.* If your Halvorsen has a Raritan water heater as mine does, you'll notice that there's a thermostat on the electric heating element that controls the water temp*at 120 degrees F.* When you're heating the water using the engine coolant, there's no temperature limitation.* Therefore, the hot water temperature will approach or equal that of the engine coolant (180+ degrees F).* Water that hot will steam and, if it comes into contact with water droplets remaining inside the faucet spout from the last use (now cooled to ambient temp), it will cause them to spit (a result of the rapid heating).
The lack of temperature limitation while underway is a safety hazard.* The Raritan manual states "Water temperature over 125F can cause severe burns instantly".** I 've considered adding a blending valve to my WH (to blend cold water in with the hot), but it seems this would also occur when using the shore power.** Guess I need an electrically (de)-activated blending valve.
BTW, my 5.9 (6BT5.9M, 210 HP) runs cooler (approx. 165F) and I don't have the steaming & spitting phenomenon.* The tap water is really hot, though.
Jeff
-- Edited by jethrobd at 12:46, 2007-11-27