Tankless Water Heater difficult with low water pressure

[Oklahoma Dan]

On vacation. Some of these campgrounds when fully occupied just don't have the water pressure that will properly operate this tankless water heater. I get hot scalding water even when it is set down to the lowest setting. I miss the old and quite reliable water heaters that you could always count on. Guess that's what we now consider progress in these new units.

[Griswald One]

It is funny, I am having the opposite problem. I have my heater turned to max and water coming out at a slow dribble and still can't get consistent hot water coming out. My DW likes the dishwater scalding hot, which we always got from our older Tank system.

We have had cold nights up here so the water in my tanks was coming out fairly cold. I was actually contemplating turning on the tank heaters to see if that would help the tankless system.

[mcsenerd]

I guess we've just been lucky. Once I got the hang of guessing what the temp setting should be on the wall...We've loved our tankless. Man...I've taken several long hot showers on full hookups myself and the DW loves it too!

[Jopopsy]

Did you remove the flow regulator from the shower head? Works a lot better that way, and the manual advises you do so as well. Also, are you using a cheaper pressure regulator or a proper pressure regulator that doesn't restrict the water flow?

If you spent less than $30 on your regulator you basically bought a device that limits the pressure by severely restricting the flow.

Gotta have good flow.

[lumpymike]

Never could get our 2015 Greyhawk 29MV tankless to work properly. Replaced it with a 6 Gal DSI Tank and could not be happier.

[CarlB]

Lumpy, did you pay for the regular water heater or make JAYCO replace it?

[lumpymike]

Originally Posted by CarlB

Lumpy, did you pay for the regular water heater or make JAYCO replace it?

The dealer offered to warranty repair the tankless but I had no confidence in the whole tankless system. They did say we could go back to Jayco and see if they would pay for the replacement but we did not pursue that option. Did not want to keep going back every time there was an issue. Last straw was a mid 20's cold walk to the Campground shower. Some people can get these to work but we could not. My Uncle had his tankless replaced in his Winnebago as well. Never worked well for him either.

[edatlanta]

I don't understand the potential appeal of a tankless system other than the "unlimited shower length". My Suburban works well and if I need a faster recovery I just turn on both electric and propane. But why should I use my propane to heat water when electricity is included in my site cost and when I'm hosting.

Tried and true technology for me not to mention cheaper. I'm retired and remember an old saying from my working days "When you are on the leading edge of technology occasionally you fall off the edge". Too old for that now.

[mcsenerd]

Well, all I can say is that other than some brief learning issues we've not had the litany of issues as everyone else. As for cost of propane used...ok. I can't imagine it's very much. We've showered, grilled, and refrigerated for 19 days of camping since we bought our rig and I've still got 2/3 of a tank left. How much fuel for the extra 50 pounds of weight hauling around ready to heat water? And shower length? Sure... Sounds like a crazy luxury until you're the last one doing the showering after 4 kids and a wife at the end of a long day in the hades of Texas. The luxury calculus for me changes when I (and the rest of them) don't have to wait for any "recovery".

I just personally think they should leave it as a dealer option perhaps... Different strokes for different folks....

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by mcsenerd

I just personally think they should leave it as a dealer option perhaps... Different strokes for different folks....

As I have stated in other threads don't forget about the potential water-saving advantages of a traditional tank-style heater. The "trick" to RV tankless units seems to be sufficient flow, maintained continuously throughout the entire shower in order to maintain consistent temperatures. As has been previously stated the solution for some people is to remove the restricting orifice in the shower assembly.

But what if you want a low flow and the ability to turn it off and on for shampooing, lathering, and then rinsing? Prepare to suffer wide temperature swings when you do so! I say this because I do boondock regularly where my water supply is limited and coincidentally, so is my waste water storage storage capacity! I have never run out of propane while camping, I even frequently use my "Extend-a Stay" connection and an external BBQ tank. But I have run out of water. I wish I had the ability to choose (knowing what I know now), because I would have gone 10-gallon DSI/Electric tank-type unit in a heartbeat!