Girarard Water Heater is a POS!

[Vicr]

It shouldn't take running 2 gallons of water to get warm water. This thing is a dry campers nightmare. Wasted water, tanks filling up etc. We have tried everything including a Oxygenics shower head and to know avail. It's a piece of crap and I'm calling Jayco on Monday to have it replaced. I'd like to have the water heater that we had in our tent trailer 18 years ago!!

[chasfenwick]

Is your water heater the newer model that has the electronic control/display panel, that reads out input/output temps, or the older model? We had nothing but grief with the older model. The newer model in our 2017 Precept is on probation as far as we're concerned. Today, after a lot of fiddling around, we thought we had it going great and then it stopped working altogether, producing a beeping tone and an E3 error code, whatever that means.

[Robbbyr]

I had one in my Seneca that was very problematic even on full hookups, several trips for service only marginally improved its operation. And your observation about dry camping is spot-on. Jayco would have installed a 6-gallon LP-only under warranty, but I knew I could better.

I installed a 10-gallon Atwood XT unit which is both LP and electric. Had to run a 120-volt circuit to the water heater but that was super easy on my unit due to the close proximity of the water heater and the power panel. I have never run out of hot water, can trickle the flow while soaping and shampooing, and don't have to worry whether I will get scalded or frozen. And 90% of the time I have electricity at the site so I heat my water "for free".

While some owners are very happy with the Girards, especially the newest version with electronic controls, they still leave some wishing for the "old days". I have never looked back since I swapped mine.

[sennister]

Originally Posted by chasfenwick

Is your water heater the newer model that has the electronic control/display panel, that reads out input/output temps, or the older model? We had nothing but grief with the older model. The newer model in our 2017 Precept is on probation as far as we're concerned. Today, after a lot of fiddling around, we thought we had it going great and then it stopped working altogether, producing a beeping tone and an E3 error code, whatever that means.

E3 means you have hit your upper limit and the safety cut out the water heater. I know we have been talking about restricting your flow, you need to up the flow a little bit as it is too low if you get an E3 and the water is going above 140F because it is in the heat exchanger too long.

[chasfenwick]

Makes sense. I suspect that the basic problem in this campground currently is that the temp of the "city water" is quite low. I can reduce the flow at the spigot but can't get it low enough before the WH either can't sense flow that low OR gives the E3. When we were in Florida in February we didn't see any sign of this problem, so I am hopeful that it will go away on its own when city water temps are higher. In the meantime we can shower out of the FW tank if we have to.

[Vicr]

Yup, we have the newer version and the probation period is up, it needs to go.

[pconroy]

Lots'a posts about this water heater over in our Class C forum. Several of us have learned to work with it, a few have replaced it.

We've got a Gen II and we've come to 'Détente' with it. It works for us and we're not going to replace it.

As for "dry campers" nightmare, yeah - probably. But the distance between the heater and out fixtures is a pretty long run which I think wastes more water than the heater.

[blujay40]

Originally Posted by sennister

E3 means you have hit your upper limit and the safety cut out the water heater. I know we have been talking about restricting your flow, you need to up the flow a little bit as it is too low if you get an E3 and the water is going above 140F because it is in the heat exchanger too long.

We were getting E3 errors constantly with our unit if we ran the hot water for a time, shut it off, then turned it back on again within a few minutes such as one would do when washing dishes or taking a navy type shower. We were even running it with 3-4 gal/min. flow and 60# of pressure. After discussing it with Girard, they sent me a new heater with a higher temp ECO chip which essentially raised the over temp limit and that solved our issues with the E3 errors.

But I agree, it is NOT suitable for boondocking or even without full hookups for that matter. Preserving water or stretching gray tank capacity is NOT in it's design.

[jgerhard]

I got rid of mine. Did this:

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/me...lbums1132.html

[NickM]

I'll agree with Vicr, it is a terrible waste of water but other than that I have no complaints. I use a 3/4 inch water hose and in campgrounds with good (above 50 psi) water pressure it works very well. In 2 recent locations I have the water temp set to 115 and can mix cold water to bring the temp down to a comfortable level with no adverse reaction from the heater.

Now that we are back home and don't have full hookups in our seasonal campground on the Ohio River we will go back to a "Navy" style shower. I have a new Eugenics shower head to install with the shutoff button. I don't expect the water heater heater to behave well. I expect we will find a workable solution after a few showers.

If I were ordering a new Precept I would specify a tank water heater but since I have a tankless model that is well behaved I can live with it.

[sennister]

Personally I would look at it this way. There are other components in RVs that are considered when one looks at how they are going to use the rig.

For instance sure you can have a residential refrigerator and dry camp but you are going to have to run a generator all the time or do some upgrades to solar and batteries. If I knew I was mainly going to dry camp, I probably wouldn't put a residential fridge in the rig. Go with a propane model. I probably wouldn't go with a tankless system. There are a lot of RVers out there that are more into glamping than camping and for those that will not consider a site unless there are full hookups and only camp when it is summer and warm out, they probably will never have an issue once they understand how they work. As a tankless user in my home, I can see how a Navy shower would cause an issue. You still have hot water in the line as you shut it off for a minute while lathering up but the heater will shut down so it doesn't overheat the water in the heat exchanger then when you turn it back on it takes a few seconds to fire up again so you will have this bit of unheated water that is going to hit you unless you kept it running by leaving a faucet running. But that defeats the reason for doing the navy shower. Maybe a dry camper has to do an Army shower, in the Infantry we didn't get showers unless it rained. I do get where people say if they have full hookups then they would rather just have a traditional one and use the electric side rather than waste propane. That makes sense as well.

We largely dry camp but we are only out for 2-3 nights and I don't bother showering until I get home. The site we camp at is on a small shallow river used for tubing and trout fishing and we all pretty much sit around in the river drinking beer all weekend as the kids run up stream and float down. Other places that we camp where we have been out longer in more formal sites, we often use the shower house. I am 6'4" so on the old camper and even the new one, I don't fit them very well.

[Jopopsy]

I would agree 100% that its a horrible appliance for dry camping. However on full hookups mine has been a dream come true. I've never had a single issue with it, and I've had unlimited hot water for my 2 DDs, DW, and myself.

Make sure you have no air in your lines (cold and hot), run the hot water full blast (no cold) in the shower for a minute or two, then dial back the hot water knob a little until you get the temp you want to stand under. If you have to dial it back more then halfway, turn up the thermostat for the water heater a little. If its too hot even full blast hot water, turn down the thermostat for the water heater a little.

These things need sufficient flow to function. I keep my camper at 58-60psi off the hose bib before it hits the hose and the camco water filter.

[Hivoltage98]

I have to agree. I have the first addition of this tankless water heater and I've tried everything to make it work. This weekend we went out and came in Hershey PA and the water heater was nothing but a disappointment. I am definitely looking for something very efficient yet something that will satisfy my hot water needs. I'm looking at the truma comfort (German made) and I've seen 0 complaints. BUT price is about 2,000$ installed. But maybe worth it. Other ones I'm looking at is perfectemp and your standard 10 gallon water heater.

[suscamper]

Bought an electric tea kettle to warm the water to do the dishes with hot water when trying to limit water use. Crazy to spend around 6 bills on a unit and to have to manually heat the dishwater

[Arniesports60]

F Y I -

FOR 2018 JAYCO will be using the TRUMA AQUA GO system vs. Girard..

This should be a much better system for usage and winterizing...


You might be able to get Jayco to swap out V1 Girard for a V2 Girard

or even ask about upgrading to the Truma system...

Mike

[sjarr]

Agreed Girad is poorly designed and built - winterizing is especially hard than it needs to be. We installed a Truma Aqua Go

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3/replaced-girad-on-demand-water-heater-with-truma-aqua-go-45808.html#post516184

[CamperNurse]

This is our 3rd season camping with that crummy Girard on-demand heater. We've pretty much feel successful with it because my husband is no longer running out to reset it. Just yesterday I made a reservation at a state park in Illinois. It will only have electric. So how did I make my choice of campsite???? Not by the lake; not by the horse trail to watch the riders; not by the deeply wooded area. NO I made my choice to be next to the water pump for easy access to get lg coffee pots of water to heat for washing dishes so we don't fill the grey tank waiting for hot water!!!! Feel like I'm back at Wood Badge camp with the Boy Scouts!!

[JonDirk]

Wow, I don't know what the differences are between the version 1 and version2 but I absolutely love my version 2 Girard. It's quick, keeps the perfect temperature and everyone can shower with hot water without having to wait until the tank heats up again. Love it.

[chasfenwick]

I keep seeing reference to Girard WH being difficult to winterize. I didn't do ANYTHING to winterize it. Just ran the pink stuff through the hot water lines, along with everything else. Apparently that was insufficient?

[JonDirk]

Originally Posted by chasfenwick

I keep seeing reference to Girard WH being difficult to winterize. I didn't do ANYTHING to winterize it. Just ran the pink stuff through the hot water lines, along with everything else. Apparently that was insufficient?

That's how I understand it as well. Makes winterization easier than the heaters with tanks. Just turn the unit off and proceed as normal.