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Old 07-03-2015, 08:12 PM   #1
Cougar1957
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Mod to Cougar 28SGS basement water heater access panel

Has anyone made a modification to the large basement panel that has to be removed to access the water heater bypass valve? I'm thinking of cutting an access hole and possibly attaching it with a hinge so that it can be just swung up/down to reach in to access the bypass valve. I would love to hear any ideas or modifications you have made.
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Old 07-04-2015, 04:44 AM   #2
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Check the options in this thread. Consider post #2 as a simple solution. The Search feature is your friend)

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...ghlight=access
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Old 07-04-2015, 05:48 AM   #3
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I just cut a round hole and put a small hindge on the top and glued a small piece of wood on the back on the bottom to stop the cut out piece from going in.
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Old 07-04-2015, 06:14 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cougar1957 View Post
Has anyone made a modification to the large basement panel that has to be removed to access the water heater bypass valve? I'm thinking of cutting an access hole and possibly attaching it with a hinge so that it can be just swung up/down to reach in to access the bypass valve. I would love to hear any ideas or modifications you have made.
Mine has a small access panel that was held in place by 4 screws. I took two pieces of velcro and riveted it to the backside of the panel. It now holds itself to the felt style backing of the wall and makes for easy access.

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Old 07-04-2015, 02:19 PM   #5
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Great ideas...I knew I couldn't be the only one that had an issue with having to remove that huge panel every time I needed to access the bypass valve. JRTJH I missed that "Cabinet door" thread probably because the title sounds nothing like what I was looking for suggestions on. I'm really liking your access hatch idea. Thanks all!
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Old 07-25-2015, 08:17 PM   #6
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I ended up purchasing a screw out deck plate similar to the one JRTJH recommended. I wanted a slightly bigger access hole due to having rather large forearms. Here is the one I got off Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00 Should be here in a few days. Hope to post pics when installed.
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Old 07-30-2015, 03:03 AM   #7
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Using an oscillating saw, I cut a 5 inch square "door", Pop riveted a couple of small hinges, glued a thin stick to the back side so the door doesn't hinge through and secured with a single sheet metal screw.
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Old 10-13-2015, 06:00 AM   #8
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Obtained this access panel from the plumbing department in lowes , it is 8X8 plastic



Its hard to see from the dark pics but the bypass valve is directly back from the door . This makes it much easier to get to, and also find the valve, as it is less visually confusing when you can't see all the other wires and plumbing there as well. I had to move the top left screw over a bit as I felt it was too close to the p trap

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Old 10-13-2015, 03:19 PM   #9
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Obtained this access panel from the plumbing department in lowes , it is 8X8 plastic



Its hard to see from the dark pics but the bypass valve is directly back from the door . This makes it much easier to get to, and also find the valve, as it is less visually confusing when you can't see all the other wires and plumbing there as well. I had to move the top left screw over a bit as I felt it was too close to the p trap
Really nice job there Shepstone...I like it! What did that Lowes panel cost you, and what did you use to cut the square?

I will be doing my access panel mod as part of my annual winterization when I have to once again unscrew the mammoth panel to access my bypass valve. Still scratching my head over Keystone's decision to bury the valve behind that big panel.
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Old 10-13-2015, 04:17 PM   #10
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It wasnt much , about $12.00 cdn. The paneling is thin enough that I cut it with a utility knife, marked the lines first and just kept scoring it about 5 or 6 times until it cut through with a little extra work in the corners. I kept 3/4 inch up from the bottom so that it would sit flat against the panel. At first I tried a piece of 1/2" ply behind the top screws ,but it pushed the paneling out because there wasn't enough room against the P trap. The top screws seem to hold well enough into the paneling by itself and the bottom ones are into the 3/4" cleat at the bottom. Make sure that you have a piece of ply or something solid under the panel to support it when cutting out the square
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Old 10-14-2015, 05:01 AM   #11
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Cougar...I took that section out, rebuilt the frame to make it a little stronger and manufactured 4 ....U ... shaped brackets from 1" wide real thin metal strips to hold the the panel against the frame. I just slide the brackets down over the frame & panel & it stays in place. When I want in there I just lift the brackets off and whole panel comes off.

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Old 06-17-2016, 01:57 PM   #12
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OK, I finally got around to installing my deck plate. It was a little bit of a project, but it went very well. I love how it turned out and now its a breeze to access my water heater bypass valve. Thanks to everyone for the great ideas. Here are some pics:







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