[VAC] Re: Water Heater in '67 Caravel: A.C. line already there?

[DAVE HUFFMAN <huff@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Reading all the BIG overhauls/repairs on this list makes me feel inadequate --
so far no major problems (after seeing how bad the floor was around the toilet
on the Grey Water Tank installation and the comment, "You can't tell what's
beneath by the skin"... I'm afraid to look!).

So I managed to repair the Pilot Assembly on my oeq. Bowen Water Heater... RV
place in Missoula had replacement assemblies, but they require modification to
fit into a 35 year-old Bowen.  The main problem was the propane pilot light pipe
-- way too short.  I had no tools adequate to fix up a new one in Missoula, but
my local RV made up a new one which looks much better as a straight pipe vs. the
snaky oeq. pipe I started with.  So being cheap, I'm still all appliance oeq.

2nd Water Heater repair: the Heat Shield? under the aluminum cover -- it was
rusted out on top and ready to go on the sides.  A local sheet metal shop solved
that with a new one -- I got "22" [0.022"  thousanths?], I think "20" would be
fine.  I screwed it right though the assembly with 2 long sheet metal screws as
I don't think the heater will go forever [it had four frozen, rusted screws].  I
was startled to discover at least an inch, probably more of rust flakes piled up
in the heat stack!  Rather than look up an outfit with a trailer-shaker and
roller, I vacuumed it out.

OK, it works -- now for the A.C. for when it's available.  I was startled to
discover what is surely an A.C. line running from behind the furnace
compartment, into the water heater compartment, entering the left upper portion
of the the water heater flange.  Anyone else seen an A.C. wire in this
location?  The previous one-and-only owner didn't know it was there.  There has
been no previous A.C. water heater installation.  So what else would it be there
for?  [I can see no further extension of this line into/out of the area under
the sink, and I can't feel any end of a wire in the outer side of the water
heater compartment].

BTW, I'm installing a "Hot Rodder" -- unless anyone has a better suggestion.

Huff