Tankless water heater question.

First topic message reminder :

I recently came across this website that sell tankless water heaters that are lightweight and portable. They seem pretty great and are relatively inexpensive, especially the portable outdoor unit. It operates on a propane bottle, garden hose connection and thats it. 12 pounds I think. My question is has anyone tried something like this and do you think it is a good investment. I would like this better than the typical tankless at the cost as well as the ability to custom fit it wher I want. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks guys.
http://www.eztankless.com/products/ez101.html
http://www.eztankless.com/products/ez101.html

Sean wrote:I can understand why some people would like the Tankless water heater, But me for one, would not buy a unit fitted with just the tankless system. Due mainly to the fact 50% of my camping is done with sites that have electric available, so why would I want to pay to have mains power then have to use propane to heat my water.
I think that a lot of people have not thought about that yet.
But obviously it does not matter if you go into the wilds with no mains power, you would have to use propane.
Sean

I'm with ya Sean. I don't like the idea of paying for more propane when I've already paid for the electric for my site.
Thats simply putting more expense on the wildcat owner. It would be nice for boondockers but I wouldn't have it in our Cat.

I'm sure the park owners will love it though. They're electric bills will be cheaper and get to sell more propane.

Sean wrote:I think that a lot of people have not thought about that yet.

I can assure you we thought about that. But electric heating isn't as efficient and truly does end up costing more. Obviously, if you've got a paid electric hookup full time, the true benefit lies in how much and how long you'll have instant hot water. The cost vs. benefit of heating on demand was one of the biggest draws to this type of system. Because you're only heating when you need it AND you're heating much more efficiently, the propane use is minimal.

A few key points to consider:
• Instant* hot water (*water is hot as it leaves the heat exchanger, but standing water in the lines must be voided before hot water is felt at the tap)
• Unlimited Hot Water (with city water connection)
• No Recovery Time – there is no tank to run out of hot water so you can shower all day if you want
• No Old Fashion Storage Tank
• Uses 60% less LP Gas than Storage Tank Model Water Heaters
• Energy Efficient-Dual BTU Burner (Higher Combustion Efficiency than atmospheric heaters, Heat Transfer Efficiencies in excess of 90%)
• Dual modes – the burner automatically switches from Hi-Flame to Low Flame or Low Flame to High Flame depending on the temperature of the incoming cold water (user can manually override via switch inside Wildcat unit to Low if desired)
• Quieter Performance
• Lightweight – Over 65% lighter (50 – 90 lbs. less) than conventional tank model water heaters.
• Environmentally Friendly
• No By-Pass Valve Needed – No storage tank to by-pass when winterizing the unit.
• No Anode Needed – No tank means you never have to worry about corrosion eating away at the tank.
• State of the Art Electronic Ignition – No pilot lights or manual burners to keep lighting or adjusting.

The Girard Tankless RV Water Heater uses up to 60% less LP Gas than storage tank model water heaters since the GSWH-1 only uses energy when hot water is demanded. There is no pilot light to burn even if no hot water is needed. A storage water heater loses heat just sitting there. Even insulated tanks lose heat that goes right out the flue. The Dual BTU feature makes sure that less gas is used if the temperature of the incoming cold water is relatively warm. It doesn’t take as much energy to heat warm water.

As you can see, I'm really excited about this...

I really appreciate the feedback.

Also remember that while dry camping/boondocking, whatever you have in your fresh tank is potentially HOT water. It's like having a 50 gallon hot water tank!

Wildcat Chris wrote:Also remember that while dry camping/boondocking, whatever you have in your fresh tank is potentially HOT water. It's like having a 50 gallon hot water tank!

I'm biting my tongue...

Wildcat Chris wrote:
I can assure you we thought about that. But electric heating isn't as efficient and truly does end up costing more.

The issue is who it is costing Chris.

You think campground owners will now give Wildcat owners a discount on their sites? Not on your life! The cost to heat your hot water will now be absorbed 100% by the Wildcat owner.

When you pay $35 to 55 a night to stay at most campgrounds it includes your electric. This includes the cost to heat your water. With this system not only will the Wildcat owner be paying the same $35 to 55 a night but will now also have to pay for more propane used to heat their hot water.

As I said before its good for boondockers but bad for the huge majority of us by costing us more. I'm sure the campground owners will love it though.

I appreciate your opinion. I will discuss your concern with the Wildcat team. Our goal is to continuously improve our product.

Today's industry standard RV water heaters heat and reheat water in your tank continuously. They can only provide 6-10 gallons of hot water at a time and the refresh rate varies greatly. "Submarine showers" and other limited usage are common complaints.

The tankless water heater only runs when needed and there is no gas pilot light. It uses propane very efficiently. Multiple hot showers in a row (or even one long hot shower) tested very well with our customers. We're excited to provide this light weight, environmentally-friendly appliance in every new Wildcat.

I rather see a better furnace/heating system than a tankless water heater.

When I dry camp, we are usually at the lake and don't shower (I know) so the only hot water used is for dish and hand washing. I can go most of the summer without refilling my propane tanks. The refr doesn't use much gas at all. I have a solar panel so battery power is not a concern.

When I go hunting in the late fall at the temps drop to below freezing, the furnace runs continuously to maintain 58°. This is where I see a need for improvement on the propane consumption.