PDQ OWNERS FORUM

I could not find any postings about this, so I am simply reporting that I replaced the water heater this week. The replacement was from Kuuma and seems like a very nice unit for a lot less than some brands. The original model Force 10 was leaking and I figured at 12 years old, it was time. The Kuuma looked almost identical, by the way.

I chose the model 11811 which has the coolant hoses in the front. It makes for a little more clutter, but I preferred that to having the coolant hoses in the back where you can't see them or reach them to check the hose clamps. The coolant hoses were easy to cut shorter since they are no longer looping way around the aft side of the heater.

The job was pretty straightforward with the worst being what it always is on these boats, cramped spaces. When you are reconnecting the PEX water lines, be sure you seat them fully into the fittings. They will likely leak if not. Whatever brand and model you might choose as a replacement when the times comes, make sure you get the 120V version.

Thanks for sharing your experience Duane. My heater will also need to be replaced soon and I was interested to hear it was not too difficult a job. Can you share what it cost to purchase the replacement Kuuma unit?

John

You are welcome, John. I searched online and found a trusted supplier that sold it for $238. You could easily pay over $400 for essentially the same thing with another brand name. Just Google Kuuma 11811 and you'll see plenty of shops selling them, along with their prices.

Thanks Duane, that gives me a good target price when I start my search locally.

I replaced my water heater about a year ago with a Nautic Boiler. The exterior is composite material and it is round. As mentioned the space is tight. I liked this because of the composite external surface and the round shape. No sharp corners. More importantly I can tell you that tight as it is, one can get around behind it much easier because of the shape. All the connections are on the front so it was easy to install. It heats very quickly. I don't recall the price off hand but the shipyard I use let me buy it at their price which was much cheaper than what I could purchase it for and cheaper than replacing what I took out.

When swapping out water heaters we install a Starboard base for the heater to sit on. This will keep the unit from sitting in seawater from a leaky rudder seal.
Good point about the plumbing fittings. The tube should push into the fitting about 1 1/8" to seat properly. A depth mark on the tube will help to confirm.

Hope this helps
James

A second for James' suggestion. We placed starboard under our heater a few years ago when we observed the exterior was starting to rust. This has significantly slowed the deterioration process.