Water Heater Upgrade in 390DA

[Tman]

I'm thinking to upgrade my current 6gal water heater with a larger size....ideally an 11gallon. While I will measure the available cavity to work with, by memory, it seems the space available in the existing cavity under the aft sofa is just about fully occupied by the 6gallon heater so maybe just not a practical expansion potential there.

Anyone on here that has done such an upgrade on a 390?


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[Bucit]

If I remember correctly there isn't much of a difference between a 6 gallon and 11 gallon water heater. I'm almost positive I could have upgraded to an 11 gallon heater on my 280.

 

[dpmulvey]

jaywoodz did it on his 310. It wasn't pretty. And as a former sailor, I was surprised at some of the swear words I didn't know! :wow:

 

[gerryb]

I've done this upgrade, moving to the 11 gallon model. I would recommend it; the three of us on our boat hardly ever run out of hot water with the 11 gallons but 6 was always a problem.
In terms of how to do it, simply replace the old 6 gallon one in the same space. There is enough room with maybe 1/8" to spare side-to-side! You'll be able to access the brackets with a long extension so that they can be screwed into the bottom. You will have to cut the top plate (plywood) in half and remove it giving you full access to the compartment, water manifold, etc. I just lay my two pieces back on top when I was finished. This is not a bad thing and you will have much easier access to drain the water tank or make repairs.

 

[Tman]

Thanks Gerry. 1/8" while tight is still good enough for me. No problem on the plywood cut as well...know exactly what you're talking about. If it fits...it fits! 6gal is just insufficient. Do you recall the manufacturer of the 11gal heater you put in?

Tom


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