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Topic ClosedTankless Water Heater

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jjbescher View Drop Down
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Tankless Water Heater
    Posted: 04 Feb 2010 at 8:05pm
Has anyone ever thought of installing a tankless heater instead of the one that comes with the RV, would it even be possible?

jon
'10 R-pod 173T. TV - '03 Honda Pilot
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Joined: 25 Feb 2009
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2010 at 9:10pm
I know they are expensive for a home, but I didn't know they have them for RV's.  I would be interested in knowing the answer to your ? too.

Former owner of 2009 172
Darlene & Jim, Ewok our Lhasa
Roada our 2004 Roadtrek C190Popular


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2010 at 9:34pm

I see a 2-gallon-per-minute point-of-use tankless on the Home Depot web site.  But it needs 240 volts and 50 amps.  You might be able to run it from a "big rig" outlet at a campground - they supply 240 @ 50 amps.  That's pushing it.  You wouldn't be able to run anything else at the same time.  Even the converter would have to be off so you would have to run the lights, exhaust fan and furnace from the battery while you shower or wash dishes.  No A/C in the summer.  No microwave.  Finally you would have to change the cord and plug to the power pole, and add a separate circuit breaker panel.

I did find a 120 volt model elsewhere that needs 27 amps so you might be able to run it from the existing electrical system - and use the converter at the same time as long as it isn't charging the battery.  Nothing else though.  And its water flow has limits - it can do 1/2 gallon per minute if you need to raise the water 41 F degrees, and with a starting temp of 50 F that's only 91 F on the output.  That might be enough water flow for the low-flow showerhead in the 'pod, but usually people like 110 F water for a shower so 91 would be cool.  Start with 30 or 40 degree water from the faucet (likely in the winter) and your shower would be cold at 70 or 80 degrees.  If you raise the water flow to 1 gallon-per-minute it will only raise the water temp by 20 degrees so that is entirely useless.

I would stick with the existing water heater.  If you use the propane and 120 volt systems at the same time you get a very good recovery rate with no worries about flow rates.  Even if you only use the 120 volt system you would do better than the tankless systems above.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2010 at 3:52am
Thanks, I did not have a chance to look into it.  I figured there was reason no one mentioned it as a mod.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2010 at 7:41am
Some popup owners have installed 6 gallon electric water heaters if their camper did not come with a water heater.  But they are just like the electric element in ours - where its heating water over time (and not all at once on demand) so the amperage requirement is much lower.  No advantage for 'pod owners unless your existing water heater goes up and you only camp with hookups.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2010 at 8:09am
How much hot water do you plan on using?  A 30/35 gallon gray tank fills up very fast.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2010 at 8:11am
not much, just was looking at them for my house and wondered why they did not have them for RV's.  I also thought it would be a little more energy efficient, but it looks like I was wrong on that, especially for an RV.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2010 at 9:36am
They are very energy efficient (since they aren't keeping gallons of water warm at 3 am when everyone is asleep), they just need a lot of juice at a given moment.  Same household, same water useage, will have a lower electric bill with a tankless vs. a 40 gallon tank.  You can do things to make a tank heater's electric use closer to a tankless - I've added a water heater timer and 6 inches of fiberglass insulation around my tank.  Noticeably dropped my electric bill.
 
If you are considering going tankless, first make sure you don't have large mineral deposits in your water.  I have well water and have to add calcium to combat acidic water, and between the calcium and the minerals that come from the ground I can't go tankless.  I've read reports online of units clogging up after a year due to deposits.  For that reason I've decided to stick with a tank and eventually add solar thermal to the mix.  You could add whole-house water filtration but then you have another maintenance item - and the cost might make it cheaper to stick with a tank anyway.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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