Hot water heater upgrade

11-27-2010, 01:54 PM

MY HOT WATER HEATER FINALLY DIED COMPLETELY AFTER MANY REPLACEMENTS ZINC RODS SINCE 1989.

I REPLACED IT WITH A $135 TANKLESS AND CONTINUOUS HOT WATER HEATER. NO MORE WORRYING ABOUT JUST HAVING 6 GALLONS OF HOT WATER!

2 D CELL BATTERIES CAUSE THE IGNITION TO THE PROPANE. NO PILOT LIGHT

TRAILMANOR SHOULD BE PUTTING THESE IN ALL NEW MODELS ASAP

MUST BE INSTALLED VERTICALLY AS SHOWN.

VIDEO LINKS BELOW OF TWO MODELS WHICH ARE BASICALLY THE SAME.

WWW.EZTANKLESS.COM 219-369-4781

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l41Ik...ayer_embedded#

!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amQeh...1&feature=fvwp

**ShrimpBurrito** · 11-27-2010, 02:24 PM

Interesting. Can you show us some pictures of your install?

Dave

**Bill** · 11-27-2010, 02:32 PM

How did you vent it?

Bill

11-27-2010, 02:43 PM

Thought of that i.e. pictures but all closed up and covered now since winter and all picures will be tough under the sink and through the former hole in the outside wall where old heater was and vent screen still remains. Would have been easier if I could have mounted it horizontally on the floor below the sink.
After removing the old tank etc... you are just left with the distal ends of the water line, gas line and the proxmal end of the water line to the shower etc.... I had to use two 90 degree 4" metal brackets for the top and bottom to mount it to the floor and bottom of sink cabinet so it would stand up. I also cut a piece of reflective auto windshield sun shield the size of the vent door which I keep in there all the time to keep weather out but remove it when I use the heater so CO2 can go out the vent to the outside. If I find the time or need in the spring, I may mount a 4" electric exhaust fan in the area behind the vent cover if needed or to be safer.

I almost put one of these in my home when my 75 gallon 20 year old gas water heater went out but it was expensive and cost/benefit wasn't there.
So $500 later I had a new REEM 75 gallon heater in.

Wavery · 11-27-2010, 05:05 PM

I had a Bosch propane water heater on my sailboat for many years. I just had a small fan in the engine room to exhaust the fumes. I never had an issue

scrubjaysnest · 11-27-2010, 05:41 PM

This mod is on my to do list reduces weight by 6 gal, 48 #

Wavery · 11-27-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

This mod is on my to do list reduces weight by 6 gal, 48 #

It reduces your propane consumption by quite a bit. It only heats the water that you use, while you are using it. It doesn't heat the water that is sitting in a tank, not being used.

The only draw-back is that you will have to run the water for a few seconds before it gets warm. However, once the water gets hot, you won't run out of hot water unless you run out of propane (or water, of course).

countrygirl · 11-27-2010, 08:35 PM

I saw this earlier today in a Sportsman's Guide catalog. It looks similar but on closer inspection not the exact same unit.

http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=667361

**Bill** · 11-27-2010, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

This mod is on my to do list reduces weight by 6 gal, 48 #

Well, no. It doesn't reduce weight, unless you reduce the amount of water that you choose to carry. I can travel with my current water heater empty, and with 20 gallons in the fresh water supply tank. It will weigh exactly the same as installing a tankless water heater and carrying 20 gallons in the holding tank. Either way, I have 20 gallons of water on board, to use however I want to. Or I can carry 6 gallons in the water heater and 14 gallons in the fresh water tank, for a total of 20 gallons. Still weighs the same.

With the tank-based water heater, I have the option of carrying 6 more gallons, giving me a total of 26 gallons. Of course it will weigh more, but I have more water to use.

Tankless water heaters have many advantages (and some disadvantages), but weight saving isn't one of them.

Bill

**ShrimpBurrito** · 11-28-2010, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Tankless water heaters have many advantages (and some disadvantages), but weight saving isn't one of them.

I don't think that's the case. Even just comparing the empty weights of the EZ101 (11 lbs) vs the Suburban SW6DE heater (30 lbs), you get a 20 lb weight savings right off the bat. Of course, that assumes you choose the EZ101, it can be installed safely with no other heavy components required for use, and you don't put more crap in the space vacated by the old Suburban.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

With the tank-based water heater, I have the option of carrying 6 more gallons, giving me a total of 26 gallons. Of course it will weigh more, but I have more water to use.

Yes, you have more water, that is true. But once you empty your 20 gallon fresh water tank, you cannot use that 6 gallons in the water heater through the TM's plumbing. The only way to access this water is to go outside with a bucket under the water heater drain and drain it. That's nice for an emergency, but that's it. You might be able to fix this by installing another water pump in between the water heater and the faucet, but it would have to be rated to handle hot water. Most of the Shurflo pumps I have seen are rated for 130 F, so they would probably work.

But under ordinary circumstances, if you normally travel with the hot water heater full like we do, the hot water heater seems to save you 20 lbs in equipment + 48 lbs of water = 68 lbs. If you normally travel empty, you save 20 lbs.

I came across this one last year -- it's a direct replacement for the Suburban, and I also noticed that it weighs as much as the Suburban...much meatier than the EZ101. At $1000, the price is meatier too.

Precision Temp RV-500
http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Pre...per_p_441.html

Dave