Tankless Water Heater

Lady Fitzgerald · 04-24-2011, 10:33 PM

When I get my TT, I'm seriously considering replacing the stock water heater with a tankless water heater, such as this one since it takes a long hot shower to work the kinks out of my carcass in the morning and I'm going to also have a washer/dryer.

Has anyone had any experience with a tankless water heater like this?

Seann45 · 04-25-2011, 07:53 AM

Should work OK but you will be limited to using RV parks.. as a long shower will empty your freshwater tank fast and fill your gray... I find that with a water saver shower head my 6 gal does good for me.. (I like long hot showers too)

edatlanta · 04-25-2011, 08:03 AM

And you will have to use your propane for all hot water vs electricity when at a park with electricity which you are most likely already paying for.
I have an water saving shower head like this one http://www.oxygenics.com/bodyspa-shower.php.

I have a 12 gallon traditional RV hot water tank and I have never run out of hot water during a shower. I have a friend that uses a LOT of hot water during a shower and she has never run out either.

Denise · 04-25-2011, 08:50 AM

-----------> Reallllllllly likes long hot showers <-------------

99.99% of the time we stay in campgrounds w/hookups. As long as I don't try to shower right after using hot water for something else, I usually have just enough of it to just stand in the 'awwwww moments' and wash up too. Don has learned to never plan a shower right after me

I've never heard of a tankless water heater before now so can't help ya there. Interesting. Thanks for the link!

Lady Fitzgerald · 04-25-2011, 09:30 AM

I'm not worried about using up the water tank or filling the gray water tanks since I'm going to have the dealer yank the tanks before I take delivery. I'll yank the toilet (unless the dealer and I can convince the factory to not install it in the first place) and replace with a "real" one that is more suitable for my ample asset (yes, they make toilets with a corner tank; I'll have to relocate the hole for the toilet flange), then replumb all the drain lines. I'll be making a park model out of the trailer I get.

I may not use all that much more propane than a conventional water heater. Tankless models heat the water only on demand. The gas doesn't get fired up until the unit senses water flow. A conventional water heater has to keep the tank full of water hot at all times, whether it is being used or not.

yddad45 · 04-25-2011, 08:20 PM

I'm not sure of propane usage, but my understanding is they can really blow through some propane.I thought of putting a tankless in my house but was edvised not to because of energy use.

Seann45 · 04-26-2011, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yddad45

I'm not sure of propane usage, but my understanding is they can really blow through some propane.I thought of putting a tankless in my house but was edvised not to because of energy use.

I have one in my house it lowered my gas bill.. but if you live in a freezing area they are not good.. most are only certified to 0 F

Lady Fitzgerald · 04-26-2011, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seann45

I have one in my house it lowered my gas bill.. but if you live in a freezing area they are not good.. most are only certified to 0 F

I will move before it gets anywhere near that cold. That's part of the reason for getting a TT!

Lady Fitzgerald · 04-26-2011, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yddad45

I'm not sure of propane usage, but my understanding is they can really blow through some propane.I thought of putting a tankless in my house but was edvised not to because of energy use.

Forgive my curiousity (sounds nicer than skeptical) but where did you hear (or read) that advice?

yddad45 · 04-30-2011, 07:57 PM

I work for utility and I asked someone in our marketing dept. that I know, but this was for home usage, and she adviced me against it but I am all electric except for butane gas logs.

Lady Fitzgerald · 04-30-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yddad45

I work for utility and I asked someone in our marketing dept. that I know, but this was for home usage, and she adviced me against it but I am all electric except for butane gas logs.

"Curiouser and curiouser," said Jeannie (apologies to Lewis Carroll). I used to work for an electric and irrigation utility and they pushed them for home use since they save energy.

I'm in Prescott, AZ, right now. The local Jayco dealer, Affinity RV, is having a big sale and RV show which includes several seminars, one of which, interestingly enough, was conducted by a rep from Gerard. Seems Gerard gets their low price by dispensing with the expensive gas controls that the more expensive Precisiontemp RV 500 uses to control water temperature in varying water flow conditions and controlling the Gerard unit's water temperature by having the user adjust water flow. A workable albeit odd concept for showers and washing hands but methinks it would not work well with a clothes washer. He did have a demo unit set up and it put out plenty of hot water for a shower through a generic shower head. When fed through an Oxygenics shower head and there was more than enough for an almost scalding hot shower.

yddad45 · 05-01-2011, 12:03 AM

Like I said my contact that sold them for my company and I am talking major utility, Word was, they would be economical for a camp or someplace that does not require hot water regularly when you call on them to work they call on you utility meter.FYI hope this helps

Lady Fitzgerald · 05-01-2011, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yddad45

Like I said my contact that sold them for my company and I am talking major utility, Word was, they would be economical for a camp or someplace that does not require hot water regularly when you call on them to work they call on you utility meter.FYI hope this helps

Frankly, I'm surprised that a utility would take that stance. Tankless water heaters have been in use for years in Europe. The early units had a low yield but modern ones put out plenty of hot water. The ones available in the US for conventional homes are definitely more efficient, especially when hot water use is sporatic. How often do people actually use hot water? One or two showers a day per person, two or three loads of laundry a week, wash hands half a dozen times a day for about a minute each time, and wash dishes once a day. the rest of the time, no hot water is nneded or used. So why waste energy keeping a 30-50 gl tank piping hot, ready to use? When I was working, I would be away from the house 10-12 hours at a time. No hot water was being used. I don't use hot water when I'm sleeping. Why heat water during those times? Even now I'm retired, I'm still using the same amount of hot water. It just doesn't make since to keep a tank of water hot just so I can use a gallon or less to wash my hands, especially when I can have the water heated on demand.

While actually operating, more energy is being used to to heat the water than a tank unit for the same amount of time. The difference is, the tank unit runs longer because it has to maintain the water temperature at all times, whether you are using it or not. While idle, tank units lose heat, no matter how well insulated, so the water has to be frequently reheated. The tank unit winds up using more BTUs to keep that idle water hot. The tankless runs only when you are drawing hot water. The rest of the time, it uses no energy. Tankless units use more BTUs per minute thn tank units because the tankless units are heating the water faster. The actual number of BTUs needed to heat water to a certain temperature remains the same.

It may be that electric tankless units do not compare as favorably to electric tank units as gas tankless units do to gas tank units (gas provides faster heat than electricity does) but RV tankless units are propane powered. Someone who camps where the electricity is a flat rate lumped in with the space rent will save money with a tank unit. However, they will still have a limited supply of hot water at any given time. I want to be able to have unlimited hot water for long showers (and possible multiple showers, one right after the other when I have company or do something insane like get marrieed), washing clothes and dishes, etc. dishes, and to not have to wait for the tank to reheat. Since I will probably be living where the electricity is metered, I will probably save money.

Wild4Williamsburg · 03-09-2012, 05:28 PM

Gerard estimates one pound of propane for three hours usage. That is a lot of showers with no waiting.

Lady Fitzgerald · 03-12-2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild4Williamsburg

Gerard estimates one pound of propane for three hours usage. That is a lot of showers with no waiting.

Sorry for taking so long to do so but thanks for that info. I had just about decided against getting a tankless water heater (I would have gone with a Precision Temp RV 500) because I'm getting to old to wrestle with 30 lb. propane tanks. I checked the specs on Precision Temps' website, did some number crunching (poor numbers

) and, if I go with electric heat, then I could get away with replacing the 30 lb. tanks with more manageable 20 lb. tanks. Depending on how often I used gas for cooking or BBQing, I could go a month on a single tank before having to refill (having dual tanks with an auto-changeover regulator would let me pick my time to refill an empty tank).

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