Hunter 30G hot water heater replacement

[PAC3142]

I need to replace a leaking water heater, situated under the aft part of the dinette, and it looks like it will be a more complex job that I had hoped. The plywood seat flat will not come out in one piece because of some impossible to access screws. I'll need to cut it such that it will go back structurally sound and looking professional. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations or pictures?

Paul

 

[Sailgunner]

I replaced mine on my old 30T many years ago and I don't remember cutting anything. You may need to get creative to get to the screws.

 

[PAC3142]

I replaced mine on my old 30T many years ago and I don't remember cutting anything. You may need to get creative to get to the screws.

You may have a different setup. The icebox completely blocks access to one screw. There is just enough room for my cell phone camera to see it.

 

[Allan12210]

I need to replace a leaking water heater, situated under the aft part of the dinette, and it looks like it will be a more complex job that I had hoped. The plywood seat flat will not come out in one piece because of some impossible to access screws. I'll need to cut it such that it will go back structurally sound and looking professional. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations or pictures?

Paul

I'm just curious as your water heater is 9 years newer than mine. What is leaking? If its a fitting or thermal safety valve those could be repaired easily.

 

[PAC3142]

Allan12210,
Nothing I can see or get to is leaking. It seems to be coming from inside the case, but I can't open the case up until I take the seat flat off.

 

[woodster]

I need to replace a leaking water heater, situated under the aft part of the dinette, and it looks like it will be a more complex job that I had hoped. The plywood seat flat will not come out in one piece because of some impossible to access screws. I'll need to cut it such that it will go back structurally sound and looking professional. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations or pictures?

Paul

take a mirror and stick it down under the seat deck and look along the walls to see if there is a screw ledger fasten to the wall and then screws going in the up direction to the under side of the deck board

 

[PAC3142]

I've done that. The water heater itself is in the way of some of the vertical screws from the ledger to the plywood. I may be able to unscrew the heater from the platform and move it to gain access to the ledger screws. I'll try that before cutting anything.

 

[pateco]

What are you going to replace it with?

I have the same heater leaking in my starboard Lazarette. Besides leaking, It does not work, and I would like to replace it with something more efficient.

 

[PAC3142]

Pateco,
I'm replacing it with essentially same heater, a Seaward 6 gal. It worked for 25 years, so it's okay in my book. Besides, it's the only heater that will fit.

Paul

 

[woodster]

I've done that. The water heater itself is in the way of some of the vertical screws from the ledger to the plywood. I may be able to unscrew the heater from the platform and move it to gain access to the ledger screws. I'll try that before cutting anything.

when it comes to the wood work in these boats they are put together like a rubic cube..that approach to getting the other screws out is probably the best one ...and when you put it back together leave the heater loose till you get all the screws back in place in order to maintain the structural integrity.....

 

[Allan12210]

I've done that. The water heater itself is in the way of some of the vertical screws from the ledger to the plywood. I may be able to unscrew the heater from the platform and move it to gain access to the ledger screws. I'll try that before cutting anything.

That makes sense as to how they may have assembled it. I hope you can get it out without surgery. After all, it did go in and nothing is in pieces. Sure hope you can let us know where the leak originates as many of us have that same ticking time bomb.

 

[PAC3142]

Hunter had the advantage of optimizing the order they assembled everything. The galley may not have been in when the water heater was installed. I added the inboard hatch in the picture to get to that side of the heater.

 

[PAC3142]

I finished the job this weekend. I had to remove the corner backrest panel to get to the last screw. I changed the fastening arrangement so that the next time this will be easier to remove.

The new heater is an exact replacement, but it is much lighter than the old one.

I'm not sure where the old one was leaking from. It only leaked under pressure, and I'm too lazy to pressurize it when it is out of the boat.