Tankless water heater swap for standard wh

[rockymountainchicks]

I am on my first trip with my new to me 2014 Melbourne. I have always had standard 6 gal water heaters before and thought a tankless WH was a big upgrade. Well, not for me. It takes a bit to get the hot water flowing and if you turn the water off for more than 10 seconds the tankless heating turns itself off. I largely camp in state parks that have only elec and water with a separate dump area so conserving water is important to reduce dump runs. With a WH that really only works with a continuous flow of water my tanks fill up fast. Has anyone changed their tankless for a standard tank WH? The area obviously has propane, water and elec but I wonder what hidden pitfalls there might be.

[NC Roamer]

Our 2014 Greyhawk came with the Girard tankless. We used it for almost two years trying to develop a liking towards it, but like you we usually camp in state parks without a sewer connection. That tankless water heater sure fills up a gray tank fast.

Our dealer swapped ours for a 6-gallon Suburban under warranty. We’ve never had a problem with it. Good luck.

[JimD]

Been there, done that. I swapped out my tankless because I absolutely hated it. We boondock mostly and like you need to conserve water. The tankless totally wastes water as well as not giving you real "hot" water.

I did the swap out myself and documented what I did. Here is a link to what I posted:

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ter-73569.html

Good luck with your swap. It is definitely worth the effort.

[rockymountainchicks]

What a great job of outlining your water heater swap, Jim D. Everything sounds doable but the relay part is unfamilar to me. Is that the propane/elec switch panel like the Suburban 232882?

[JimD]

There are different versions of this water heater. If you want 120 volt capability you have to either purchase a unit that has a built in relay or provide your own. For some reason the units with a built in relay are far more expensive and harder to find than the model I got.

My model, which appears very common, has a built-in 120 volt switch to turn it on for 120 volt operation. Unfortunately it is at the rear of the unit which would require you to go outside, remove the cover, and flip the switch. Pretty strange.

The need for a relay is to be able to switch the 120 volt heating element on/off by using a 12 volt signal. I suppose you could just put in a heavy duty switch instead of a relay but that heating element pulls a good 12 amps while heating so you would need a switch capable of it. This is not really a big deal. Being an electronic tech I preferred to go the relay route because I found a nice water heater dual switch and wanted to use it but the switch on it wouldn't be able to handle the 12 amps.

The way I wired my relay was basically had it turn the 120 volt power feed to the water heater on/off as I wanted. I researched relays and found one that is actually used in these water heaters and it fit nicely in a junction box.

I love the setup and glad I went that route. Your setup could be simplified by just going propane only. Just make sure to select the direct spark ignition version rather than a standing pilot.

I have included pictures of the switch panel I used plus the relay, both of which were purchased from Amazon (my one-stop shopping source).

[rockymountainchicks]

Great info. I'll be back May 1st and May 2nd I want to get that aweful tankless thing out of my RV. Pretty sure you have me set up with the info I need. Thank yo so much.
Julie

[foglght]

Ours was a problem for a bit, but had it replaced. Works great ever since. We try to find campsites that are full hookup. Then, having a tankless is awesome. As much hot water as you want and it never runs out.

When we camp at state parks that don't have full hookup, we use the tanks until they are full and then switch to the campground showers.