Tankless water heaters

[jumper03 0]

Any of you on here have a tankless water heater? If so, electric or gas? How do you like it?

I'm thinking of installing a small one in my RV to save on propane (no need heating the same water all day long) and wanted to find some info from real world users.

Thanks

Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[popsjumper 2]

Sorry, not a "real-world user" but...

I did have lots of exposure to them while in Europe and I think they are great. All the ones I saw/used were gas and you get the added benefit of adding a little heat to the house at the same time so really, none of the gas is wasted.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[eeneR 3]

I had started doing some research to put on in my new place. I will be installing an electric one when I can swing it.

My uncle uses them in a laundry mat he owns, and swears by them. Continuous hot water.

Just make sure that the power can handle it, and that the unit can give you the hot water you need.

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[Frenchy68 0]

Topless Whooper Hooters would make a better thread title.

Or at least Thankless Wafer Eater.

But that's just me...

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Remster 30]

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Just make sure that the power can handle it,

Yeah. If its for your trailer, I doubt you have a 200Amp service... But then again, maybe 100A will be enough on a trailer (240V tho) since there shouldnt be much more load.

Remster

[jumper03 0]

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Just make sure that the power can handle it,

Yeah. If its for your trailer, I doubt you have a 200Amp service... But then again, maybe 100A will be enough on a trailer (240V tho) since there shouldnt be much more load.

I am looking at the gas ones. The electric ones that would fill my need require 80 amps - not gonna happen.

The gas ones however do not need any electric power and I have a ready supply of propane which I am already using to heat water.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[Zep 0]

A small propane would work well for you, look for about two gallons a minute,
I doubt if a RV hook up would be able to supply sufficiente power for an electric one. ie:- a 5Kw heater would need around 45 amps on 110v or 40 on 125v

Gone fishing

[Zep 0]

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Just make sure that the power can handle it,

Yeah. If its for your trailer, I doubt you have a 200Amp service... But then again, maybe 100A will be enough on a trailer (240V tho) since there shouldnt be much more load.

How do you calculate 100-200amps. (Amps x volts = watts) The new generation heaters are less than 5Kw

Gone fishing

[Remster 30]

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Just make sure that the power can handle it,

Yeah. If its for your trailer, I doubt you have a 200Amp service... But then again, maybe 100A will be enough on a trailer (240V tho) since there shouldnt be much more load.

How do you calculate 100-200amps. (Amps x volts = watts) The new generation heaters are less than 5Kw

Wow.. thats a big change since I was looking at them! That only 20A on 240!

And yeah, P=U*I (Power in W = Voltage * Current)

Remster

[JSBIRD 1]

I'm living in a converted 40 foot diesel pusher bus, and installed a demand water heater that burns propane.
It will heat 940 gallons of water from a 20# BBQ bottle.
Since I carry an 86 gallon propane tank under my bus, in theory I can heat over 13,000 gallons of water.
It's mighty fine to be able to take a shower as long as you like. Then again, if sex play in a hot shower is your thing, you'll never run out of hot water and have your fun spoiled.

www.precisiontemp.com

Works for me.

359

"Now I've settled down,
in a quiet little town,
and forgot about everything"

[jumper03 0]

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I'm living in a converted 40 foot diesel pusher bus, and installed a demand water heater that burns propane.
It will heat 940 gallons of water from a 20# BBQ bottle.
Since I carry an 86 gallon propane tank under my bus, in theory I can heat over 13,000 gallons of water.
It's mighty fine to be able to take a shower as long as you like. Then again, if sex play in a hot shower is your thing, you'll never run out of hot water and have your fun spoiled.

www.precisiontemp.com

Works for me.

359

That's the kind of input I'm looking for! Thanks.

How hot will it get the water? Most of the models I'm looking at will raise the temp only a certain number of degrees. And if you have 40F water coming in a 20 degree rise will still be a cold shower....

Scars remind us that the past is real

[JSBIRD 1]

Quote

Quote

I'm living in a converted 40 foot diesel pusher bus, and installed a demand water heater that burns propane.
It will heat 940 gallons of water from a 20# BBQ bottle.
Since I carry an 86 gallon propane tank under my bus, in theory I can heat over 13,000 gallons of water.
It's mighty fine to be able to take a shower as long as you like. Then again, if sex play in a hot shower is your thing, you'll never run out of hot water and have your fun spoiled.

www.precisiontemp.com

Works for me.

359

That's the kind of input I'm looking for! Thanks.

How hot will it get the water? Most of the models I'm looking at will raise the temp only a certain number of degrees. And if you have 40F water coming in a 20 degree rise will still be a cold shower....

I'm living on the high plains of Colorado, where it's been known to get kinda cold at times.

How hot your water gets is mostly based on two factors...
1. How cold is the incoming water?
2. How fast is the water flowing through your system?

Even being here in the cold, if the water will flow through the hose to get to the demand heater, the RV500 will make it quite hot.
In the event that the water from the heater isn't hot enough, all you need to do is slow the flow a bit with a controlling showerhead.

Very unlikely you'll have 40* water. Water from a well or city system is more likely to be around the 55* degree range.
Expect your regulated water temp to be around 115*...hotter than most can stand.

I know a guy who has a take-out RV500 for sale...PM me if you want his contact info.

359

"Now I've settled down,
in a quiet little town,
and forgot about everything"

[dbattman 0]

Here's one tailored for RVs.

Anyone cruched out the payback on one of these? $900 plus install.

Tankless for RV

[jumper03 0]

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Here's one tailored for RVs.

Anyone cruched out the payback on one of these? $900 plus install.

Tankless for RV

its not so much how much propane it uses - but when the 7 gallons in mine are gone, it's a while before you have anymore. With a tankless you never run out. Plus the fact you are saving money by not heating water over and over and over.

And the fact that my current water heater is broke and needs to be replaced anyway...

Scars remind us that the past is real

[MuffDiver 0]

In some of the newer houses that I am building we are using a tankless system. In the big houses I was concerned about total water flow and how much the water will get heated. so my plumber connected two units in tandem and the second only turns on if the first one was unable to keep up. We use the hot water for all kitchen/bath but we also use it to heat the basement and garage floors. I know this info isn't quite what your looking for, but perhaps nice to see other people using this type of system.

__________________________________________________
Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive.

[Slappie 9]

Quote

I'm living in a converted 40 foot diesel pusher bus, and installed a demand water heater that burns propane.
It will heat 940 gallons of water from a 20# BBQ bottle.
Since I carry an 86 gallon propane tank under my bus, in theory I can heat over 13,000 gallons of water.
It's mighty fine to be able to take a shower as long as you like. Then again, if sex play in a hot shower is your thing, you'll never run out of hot water and have your fun spoiled.

www.precisiontemp.com

Works for me.

359

20# of propane = 940 gals water

13,000 gals water heated would = 276.6# of propane

Please explain how 86# of propane is going to magically heat 13k gals of water?

Don't mean to derail the thread, I just can't grasp your math. I'm sure I' missing something and would love the chance to be educated.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[shropshire 0]

Have you thought about scavenging heat from you RV's engine? Most of it is just thrown away.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[jumper03 0]

a 20 lb propane tank holds about 6.8 gallons.

this makes one gallon of propane to be about 2.94 pounds.

So an 86 gal tank would have in it around 252 pounds....

Thats just using the numbers I saw off of the tank last time I had it refilled. So that number doesn't seem too far fetched.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[jumper03 0]

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Have you thought about scavenging heat from you RV's engine? Most of it is just thrown away.

It is a trailer. No engine.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[Amazon 7]

Its a tankless job but someone has to do it...

[Slappie 9]

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a 20 lb propane tank holds about 6.8 gallons.

this makes one gallon of propane to be about 2.94 pounds.

So an 86 gal tank would have in it around 252 pounds....

Thats just using the numbers I saw off of the tank last time I had it refilled. So that number doesn't seem too far fetched.

WOOP!! Thanks I learned something and I didn't have to stay in a Holiday Inn Express!

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[shropshire 0]

- sorry

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[JSBIRD 1]

OK, someone is mixing up pounds and gallons.

A frame mounted LP tank like mine, with a capacity of 86 gallons, is only allowed to be filled to 80%. The tank mechanism takes care of this, with no human input. This means that my 86 gallon tank will only hold 68.8 gallons of propane.
With propane at 4.25 pounds per gallon, that means my 68.8 gallons of LP weighs in at 282.4lbs.

A 20# tank holds 20 pounds. At 4.25 lbs per gallon, that gives you 4.44 gallons of LP per BBQ bottle.

If a 20# bottle heats 940 gallons of water, that is 211.71 gallons heated per gallon of LP. With 68.8 gallons of LP on board, 68.8G LP x 211.71G Water = >14,500 gallons of hot water,

Confused yet?

359

"Now I've settled down,
in a quiet little town,
and forgot about everything"

[BLee52 0]

Bought my first gas one (propane) in 1979 for a converted school bus. Moved it into my house when I built that. It gave up the gost in 97 and I've been operating on a newer one since. If the water is cold coming in the flow will slow down, but it will give you hot water till it runs out of gas, or you get tired of hot water.
I've never liked the idea of tanked water heaters turning on and heating water when I don't need it. Also to get the hot water out of the tank you got to pump cold water into it.
sumptin nut rite bot dat
They cost more, but if you add up all the costs/time may come out pretty cheap

[Katz 0]

Friends of mine put in an electric one and they love it. I'm building a new house and will be putting in a propane one. The only thing I was told to check out before installing one was the amount of water pressure coming in.

PMS #330 MB #4014

"Be who you are and say what you feel...Because those that matter...don't mind...and those that mind...don't matter."