Looking to replace my 6 gal water heater on Hunter 320
- Thread starter Stephen Dale
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Look here:
Isotherm and Isotemp products
Or here:
www.westmarine.com
I have had mine for years. Only problem was the thermostat went bad four years in.
Owner replaceable if you are careful.
Isotherm and Isotemp products
Or here:
ISOTEMP Water Heaters | West Marine
Shop the best selection of ISOTEMP Water Heaters from West Marine. Visit for products, prices, deals and more!
www.westmarine.com
I have had mine for years. Only problem was the thermostat went bad four years in.
Owner replaceable if you are careful.
I am not sure about the amount of space you have for your existing water heater. For my C36, I removed it and measured its dimensions and ordered the exact replacement, but it was taller than my original water heater by about 1/16", I filed the screws on the top to make it fit.
I replaced mine in 2012 with the 6 gal Seaward brand. No problems to date.
Check dimensions closely and consider how a box shaped water heater may have to be angled through a tight opening.
Mine is below the cockpit with best access through the starboard lazarette. There‘s an old factory assembly line photo of my boat showing the engine, fuel tank and water heater in place before the deck was dropped onto the hull. My boat was effectively built around the water heater! We had to cut out, then epoxy back in, a section of the fiberglass lazarette bottom to get the old unit out and the new one in. Your Hunter is a later year and model, so hopefully you won’t have similar issues.
Check dimensions closely and consider how a box shaped water heater may have to be angled through a tight opening.
Mine is below the cockpit with best access through the starboard lazarette. There‘s an old factory assembly line photo of my boat showing the engine, fuel tank and water heater in place before the deck was dropped onto the hull. My boat was effectively built around the water heater! We had to cut out, then epoxy back in, a section of the fiberglass lazarette bottom to get the old unit out and the new one in. Your Hunter is a later year and model, so hopefully you won’t have similar issues.
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In terms of price and longevity (of the heater) and longevity (of the hot water):
Kuuma - lowest price, reportedly ~8 year, <24 hours - similar insulation to Seaward
Seaward - a little bit more expensive than Kuuma, same dimensions, personal experience and 700 C34 owners = 10-12 years, some even more, <24 hours; consensus seems to be that if you can spring the extra few bucks for the Seward over the Kuuma it's worth it for the extra four or five years of the heater.
Isotemp (or Isotherm, I keep forgetting) - highest cost but certainly worth it, best insulation, includes hot water output tempering valve for safety and extends length of hot water, no unit longevity reports specifically that I've seen but can't remember anyone ever reporting having to replace one, longest hot water longevity >24 hours.
Shop wisely. When I replaced my Seaward in 2013 I found prices all over the place in some cases 2:1!!!
Kuuma - lowest price, reportedly ~8 year, <24 hours - similar insulation to Seaward
Seaward - a little bit more expensive than Kuuma, same dimensions, personal experience and 700 C34 owners = 10-12 years, some even more, <24 hours; consensus seems to be that if you can spring the extra few bucks for the Seward over the Kuuma it's worth it for the extra four or five years of the heater.
Isotemp (or Isotherm, I keep forgetting) - highest cost but certainly worth it, best insulation, includes hot water output tempering valve for safety and extends length of hot water, no unit longevity reports specifically that I've seen but can't remember anyone ever reporting having to replace one, longest hot water longevity >24 hours.
Shop wisely. When I replaced my Seaward in 2013 I found prices all over the place in some cases 2:1!!!
I can't comment on the quality of Kuuma but when I replaced my Raritan, I used the opportunity to install a thermostatic mixing valve, a new pressure/accumulator tank and a heater bypass for winterization. I installed a flotec 2gal pressure tank instead of a "marine" pressure tank priced 4 times higher. It had the same exact specs and was made from the same material as the 30 year-old one that I replaced. I went with a 12 gal Raritan 1700 because that was the only one that fit. The mixing valve is great, no more getting scalded by hot water and it will make the hot water last a little longer and the pressure tank reduces the cycling of your pump. Pex blue for cold and red for hot so there's no confusion.
False advertising? Defender & West Marine describe this tank as having an aluminum inner tank. I think these guys are lying or oblivious. It's a lot cheaper than the Seaward and Isotemp brands that are stainless steel so it can't be the same thing. West marine recommends the use of magnesium anode to extend the life of the tank.
Either a BS counter-claim or a misunderstanding. The jacket is ss for both brands, all of them have AL tanks. A ss jacket is a waste of $$ and not necessary. I've had three on my boat in 25 years, so I know. The tank goes first well before any jacket would.
I'm talking about Kuuma and the Parts Pac (false advertising) ad displayed in the opening of the thread. West and Defender clearly state that the jacket and inner tank of the Kuuma model is aluminum. This ad in the post implies it is stainless steel.
According to Defender, the Seaward is an aluminum inner tank and exterior jacket can be galvanized steel, stainless steel or epoxy-coated aluminum. They recommend the magnesium anode for the Seaward and Kuuma, I suppose because it will inhibit aluminum corrosion.
Isotemp makes stainless steel inner tank and either stainless steel or polypropylene outer jacket. I bought an Isotemp with the plastic jacket for my Starwind and I'd like to replace the Seaward that I have now with an Isotemp heater eventually. I'd even like to increase the size if I can. Not that it may matter to other people, I prefer stainless steel above all other materials for water tankage. Aluminum is not good for water tankage due to the corrosive residue that develops. The aluminum tankage is surely the reason why Seaward and Kuuma are less money.
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Scotty, Scotty Scotty...In an effort to begin to understand your post, I went back to the opening post in this thread. All it was was a photograph of the Kuuma heater. It did not link to any associative advertising.
Could you please help me to understand specifically just where this alleged "implication" of false advertising may have occurred? Would you mean I would have had to go to the Parts Pak website to find the written material? Because it doesn't seem to me to be in the opening post in this thread. Thanks in advance.
Stu, I'm afraid you must have missed this since it was the opening post .... Do you see where it says: Kuuma 11811 6 Gallon 120v Front Exchanger Stainless Steel Water Heater - any thoughts? Just to be sure, I did google "Kuuma 11811 and came up with this identical ad from Parts Pac. Or you could have simply clicked on the provided link. It shows up in Amazon with the exact same description. To be sure, it is an aluminum tank, not stainless steel as implied in the opening post.
Are you ok?
I don't know why you are seeking an argument ... I'm just discussing facts that are easily discovered by reading the documents provided with the advertisements for this product.To be sure, I'm not blaming @Stephen Dale for the implication ... he just pasted the verbiage and the picture from the amazon advertisement from Parts Pac.
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Argument? Was I not courteous enough in my request for clarification?Stu, I'm afraid you must have missed this since it was the opening post .... Do you see where it says: Kuuma 11811 6 Gallon 120v Front Exchanger Stainless Steel Water Heater - any thoughts? Just to be sure, I did google "Kuuma 11811 and came up with this identical ad from Parts Pac. Or you could have simply clicked on the provided link. It shows up in Amazon with the exact same description. To be sure, it is an aluminum tank, not stainless steel as implied in the opening post.
Are you ok?
To be sure, I'm not blaming @Stephen Dale for the implication ... he just pasted the verbiage and the picture from the amazon advertisement from Parts Pac.
Look, you accused someone of false advertising. I asked just where, based on your original reference.
If I understand you correctly, now, you are still claiming that advertising a ss water heater is false advertising "by reading the documents provided with the advertisements for this product." Again, I do NOT see anything other than simply the pasted picture. Do I have to go to the Power Pak website or Kuuma's? I'm referring to your claim of "facts that are easily discovered by reading the documents provided with the advertisements for this product."
I have had difficulty finding a Kuuma stainless steel heater on the web, using a Google search. All I've found are aluminum cases, even though I Googled "Kuuma ss water heaters".
AFIK, ALL of these boxy marine water heaters have aluminum tanks (Seaward and Kuuma) regardless of the case material (AL or ss). It has been that way forever. Years ago when folks would ask about the ss heaters, it was pointed out to them that the tanks were aluminum, just the case was ss and not worth it.
Hence, I was merely curious just where and what specific link caused you to accuse a reliable company of false advertising. It certainly was NOT from clicking on the photo in the first post in this thread as you keep asserting. Once again : where ?
The reasons I continue to follow this are simple:
1) you have made what I consider to be an unsupported accusation
2) for boating newcomers who may not realize it, I believe your post is, if not merely misleading totally incorrect; ss water heaters refer ONLY to the enclosure and, for Kuuma and Seaward at least, have never used or referred to their tanks as anything but aluminum (for, like, forever); they have been advertising these ss heaters just like this for decades
3) your repeated claims to "click on the first picture" does nothing to show what you claim and only brings up a larger version of the same picture which doesn't support what you claim it does; it is not a link to any advertisement, only a picture
If you can provide a link from ANY advertisement for a stainless steel Kuuma heater that says its tank is ss I will publicly eat my hat and apologize to you. If not, I can only repeat my statement in my reply #10. Kuuma has done nothing wrong and it is not false advertising.
Stu, this is just plain silly. Stephen's original post has the caption Kuuma 11811 6 Gallon 120v Front Exchanger Stainless Steel Water Heater - any thoughts? just above the photo of the water heater? Do you NOT see this? Am I the only person who has noted this obvious glitch? Are the words "Stainless Steel" in reference to something else? I don't know. But the description from West Marine also states that the case is also aluminum, so why is there a reference on the front page of the Parts Pak ad that includes the words "Stainless Steel"?
It appears that Stephen copied and pasted this directly from the Amazon link that advertises this water heater with the source from "Parts Pak". Here is the link, since it seems that you have not seen it .... https://www.amazon.com/Kuuma-11811-Gallon-120V-Front/dp/B07GD38SCB/ref=sr_1_3?adgrpid=1342505407637787&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wJARiPmwUQqDxhEjthUCCMAcl5zxWoxuTkUGOWmGRqHqbT2WcJC5vX5YxQigRxIFvI2dmXFKwRxKhTdpy1b0GgjfkZIFu4YR9rCvkrRAFV75GxFSaVO9tI_gS0tma0T-48usdMEFVPBWrnLh14z3Sykx5W7sFuIN9gji4gwjZR1IUJDmCI0nbsClMR2rphFhQCv58kXU9VDIoPfxZKFXM2ULj16lJ-mLhEMDkThbwvG31xtPggAYFjzSNW37r_sR4nk7PWoqLhN4T30QbVFjnDdMykfBBTky7R_DS5z_U8s.wrkrJRMu9-jZC5_ZrpfmizEFAdeAMAYokd6l9JF1oDA&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83906869039765&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=97011&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83907641546212:loc-190&hydadcr=18832_10464968&keywords=kuuma+11811+marine+water+heater&qid=1708538829&sr=8-3
See there right in the advertisement? It is shown exactly as Stephen posted it. It is long past the time that Stephen asked about this model and I suppose he may have already obtained it. I was only wondering if he bought this model under the false impression that it is a stainless steel tank. To be sure, I used a question mark (perhaps you are familiar with punctuations) so I wasn't really accusing anybody of anything. I was simply questioning. I certainly wasn't accusing Kuuma since the advertisement was NOT from a Kuuma source.
But I'm glad this came up. I was always under the impression that a Seaward tank had a stainless steel inner tank. Now that I have found out otherwise, I will hopefully exchange my water heater for an Isotemp .... now sooner than later.
It appears that Stephen copied and pasted this directly from the Amazon link that advertises this water heater with the source from "Parts Pak". Here is the link, since it seems that you have not seen it .... https://www.amazon.com/Kuuma-11811-Gallon-120V-Front/dp/B07GD38SCB/ref=sr_1_3?adgrpid=1342505407637787&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wJARiPmwUQqDxhEjthUCCMAcl5zxWoxuTkUGOWmGRqHqbT2WcJC5vX5YxQigRxIFvI2dmXFKwRxKhTdpy1b0GgjfkZIFu4YR9rCvkrRAFV75GxFSaVO9tI_gS0tma0T-48usdMEFVPBWrnLh14z3Sykx5W7sFuIN9gji4gwjZR1IUJDmCI0nbsClMR2rphFhQCv58kXU9VDIoPfxZKFXM2ULj16lJ-mLhEMDkThbwvG31xtPggAYFjzSNW37r_sR4nk7PWoqLhN4T30QbVFjnDdMykfBBTky7R_DS5z_U8s.wrkrJRMu9-jZC5_ZrpfmizEFAdeAMAYokd6l9JF1oDA&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83906869039765&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=97011&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83907641546212:loc-190&hydadcr=18832_10464968&keywords=kuuma+11811+marine+water+heater&qid=1708538829&sr=8-3
See there right in the advertisement? It is shown exactly as Stephen posted it. It is long past the time that Stephen asked about this model and I suppose he may have already obtained it. I was only wondering if he bought this model under the false impression that it is a stainless steel tank. To be sure, I used a question mark (perhaps you are familiar with punctuations) so I wasn't really accusing anybody of anything. I was simply questioning. I certainly wasn't accusing Kuuma since the advertisement was NOT from a Kuuma source.
But I'm glad this came up. I was always under the impression that a Seaward tank had a stainless steel inner tank. Now that I have found out otherwise, I will hopefully exchange my water heater for an Isotemp .... now sooner than later.
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The link in Post #1 is a link to a low quality image of the Kuuma water heater, it is not a link to any description of the tank.
When in doubt about a product's description in a vendor's site, it makes a lot of sense to check the manufacturer's website.
From Kuuma:
If I recall correctly, Kuuma did make SS tanks, so any advertisement for such by a retailer suggests that they are selling old stock, especially if the price is lower than found in reputable retailers.
The internet is rife with conflicting information, given the preponderance of the conflicts, it seems prudent, to me, to determine why the conflict is there before making accusations that some one or some business is engaging in fraudulent practices. Too often incendiary remarks are made that are simply unwarranted. In this situation there are conflicting statements about a product, it seems to me that rather than accusing a company of poor business practices, pointing out the conflicting ads and suggesting the OP confirm with the seller the tank is indeed SS or call Kuuma about the discrepancy before besmirching a business is a better course of action.
When in doubt about a product's description in a vendor's site, it makes a lot of sense to check the manufacturer's website.
From Kuuma:
Fisheries Supply, a reputable marine retailer also lists the Kuuma HW tanks as being aluminum. Defender also lists Kuuma tanks as being aluminum.
If I recall correctly, Kuuma did make SS tanks, so any advertisement for such by a retailer suggests that they are selling old stock, especially if the price is lower than found in reputable retailers.
The internet is rife with conflicting information, given the preponderance of the conflicts, it seems prudent, to me, to determine why the conflict is there before making accusations that some one or some business is engaging in fraudulent practices. Too often incendiary remarks are made that are simply unwarranted. In this situation there are conflicting statements about a product, it seems to me that rather than accusing a company of poor business practices, pointing out the conflicting ads and suggesting the OP confirm with the seller the tank is indeed SS or call Kuuma about the discrepancy before besmirching a business is a better course of action.
That's funny ... I don't think that I said to look under Kuuma "stainless steel heater". It makes much more sense to search for Kuuma 11811 6 Gallon as a reference. The Amazon sources popped right up and an exact copy of Stephen's reference photo popped right out front and center when I looked - caption referencing stainless steel and all. (It still does). Being curious, I looked under the other sources, such as West Marine and Defender. Both had accurate descriptions of the water heater, specifying that the inner tank and casing is aluminum. So there you see where my comment came from. I was wondering if Stephen was mislead by misleading information from "Parts Pak", which was the obvious source of his reference.
1. See there right in the advertisement? Yes, I clicked on your link, thanks. Here's what it sqays:
About this item
- welded aluminum tank
2. perhaps you are familiar with punctuations - Excuse me, but what prompted this unnecessary bit of stupidity?
3. I was simply questioning. I certainly wasn't accusing Kuuma since the advertisement was NOT from a Kuuma source.
If not, then who were you accusing of false advertising?
4. ...I was always under the impression that a Seaward tank had a stainless steel inner tank. Now that I have found out otherwise...
As I've mentioned a couple of times before, in this and many other posts about marine water heaters, the ss refers ONLY to the case, not the tank. Just like the reference link you provided says it does!!! You may be one of the last people in boating who don't know this fact.
Would you at least have the decency to retract your accusation of false advertising?
The link in the post was indeed a link to a low quality image and the source of that image was quite easily found (the watermark "Parts Pak" was an obvious clue). I'm not sure why a question would be considered incendiary when there are obvious discrepancies. If you go to the source of the post's link, there is an actual advertisement (Amazon/ Parts Pak) and within the advertisement where it says "About this item" the description says that the product is "welded aluminum tank with an aluminum cover" even though the heading of the ad says "Stainless Steel Water Heater". Perhaps the "Front Exchanger" is stainless steel? I don't know. Perhaps that is what they mean. Misleading? Am I too unknowledgeable to dicipher the wording from an advertisement? Could be. I raised a question ... that's all.
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