Alvin water heaters?

[Oldwheels]

ALbin waters heaters.
Any body got one, use throw away,? ARe these any good or trash. prices are reasonable.
Opinions please

[Cloroxbottle]

Since this is the only thread I found on this topic, I figured I'd respond as I'm currently trying to install an Albin Pump Marine square water heater model 08-01-028.


First, the unit that most sellers are showing pictures of isn't exactly what ships. It's square, and the dimensions are correct. But the pictured unit is a light blue with no visible rivets. This is a darker blue with visible rivets. On one of the sides, there's a large visible seam where the edges of the case wrap around and meet.


Overall, I'd say that the fit and finish of this unit is worse than an Isotherm unit, and by a good bit. This is the second unit, the first I sent back because the bottom "bulged" and it would rock from side to side when placed on a flat surface. This is better, but still not completely fair.



Our old boat had a cylindrical stainless Isotherm unit that was about 8 gallons. The current boat originally had a propane water heater in the starboard lazarette (long since gone). The only place to put an electric water heater that was near (1) electricity, (2) fresh water, and (3) the places that needed to go was under the settee, and this is the only one that would fit.


The instruction manual was clearly written by someone for whom English wasn't a first language with things like "11 - Exhaust" (it's an electric water heater), and "ATTENTION: For the sole installation C (Fig_07-2) cold (inlet) and hot (outlet) must be reversed (Fig_08-2)."


Still trying to figure that one out as neither of the referenced figures explain why it would make sense to reverse the hot and cold lines.


Perhaps someone who has put one in can enlighten us both.