| Author |
Message |
Johnny (63.159.196.142)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 12:50 am: | |
I'm in the "tossing out ideas" stage now, & I'm wondering about these. As everyone knows, a skoolie places storage at a premium. I figure space not used for a 10-gallon tank of hot water can be used for storage.
Also, the 10-gallon heaters aren't NEARLY enough for a decent-length shower, or for my wife to wash her long (floor-length) hair. |
OAE Palmer (208.164.96.38)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 2:29 am: | |
Take a look back about 30 days
and you'll find at least one discussion on the subject.
My advise FWIW...
don't skimp on this item,
and you evenings in the bus will be
..oh so much more rewarding...
AND
you can always take this item with you
should you decide to move up
and into a different rig.
My tankless is thrifty
and will never need attention
in 20 yrs of service (stainless steel!),
it set me back just under $500.00
and it is worth its weight in gold.
My wife can do w/o her morning coffee and be an angel...take away her "hotel shower" and the world is a wicked place! |
FAST FRED (65.58.186.33)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 5:17 am: | |
"and will never need attention "
I love that king of thinking , BUT actually if you use the unit in hard water it has to have CLR or Lime Away , every so often .
Also if the unit is NOT in constant service they can be a bear to winterize , with out a LOT of drinkable antifreez to fill/flush them with.
Not a problem for everybody .
The folks that have them seem to LOVE them!!!
FAST FRED |
Ross Carlisle (Ross) (199.196.22.61)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 10:08 am: | |
My new Precision Temp tankless just arrived. I went with precision temp for two reasons. (1) It is the only tankless on demand water heater made for an RV and (2) It has a cold weather option that I ordered. This option keeps the water heater from freezing up in cold weather. It is a 110V heating element that does not draw much current. It will run on an inverter, generator or shore power. The cold option keeps the inlet and outlet water from freezing. The unit cycles in cold weather to keep the heat exchanger from freezing.
Ross |
R.C.Bishop (128.123.88.15)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 11:16 am: | |
OAE..what brand (Net site??) tankless did you get?
Precision Temp is pretty pricey, but can be used also for heating the bus. The Shower Mate, (marine unit) is most likely what one would use for that purpose. One unit, hwoever cannot do both domestic water and heating.
The domestic water unit is 50% higher than what you apparently paid. An investment not unlike a Webasto if one used the two for heating water and bus heat.
RCB |
Ross Carlisle (Ross) (207.88.97.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 11:34 am: | |
My Precision Temp was around $900 with the cold weather option. The shower mate is for marine use and is stainless steel. It is around $1500.
I found that the small residential units were not much cheaper than the Precision Temp. There is also the added hastle of venting a propane appliance not intended for mobile use.
Ross |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 8:34 am: | |
Here's an interesting option, I did this on my last conversion and will probably do it again... I got a 2' long tube style liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger from an industrial surplus yard, hooked one side of it to engine coolant and the other to the shower. I also put a valve in the shower drain so if opened, it let the water out just in front of the rear wheels. When on a long cross-country drive, (someone else driving of course) I could just hop in the shower and stay there as long as I wanted without filling the grey tanks or messing with water heaters at all. Worked REALLY slick. The system was augmented by a standard heater. The system was also plumbed to an outside shower... when at group-getaways and there was shore-water around, it meant an endless shower for everyone in the group for the price of an idling engine...I'd shower 25-30 people in a couple of hours and everyone loved me!!! |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.130.201.43)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 10:56 am: | |
Gary- If only used for the shower, you'll be ok. What you have is a single wall heat exchanger with no safeguard for preventing antifreeze from mixing with potable water. Certainly not the way to go for drinking water. A little antifreeze in the shower probably won't hurt you! Code, for good reason, requires a double wall heat exchanger for this type of installation for potable water.
Jim |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 12:29 pm: | |
Understood Jim..
First, this was a very industrial exchanger, welded stainless steel, that would likely never spring a leak, and second, it was ONLY for the shower, nothing else. I agree on the double wall for potable or other uses is a good idea. Likewise that's the only kind of water I'd ever let out on the road, just a good long hot rinse...never anything with soap, etc in it. |
OAE Palmer (208.164.102.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 3:23 pm: | |
Mine was a Bosch unit purchased at Menards.
Because of limited space considerations, Bosch designed this unit originally for use in European homes. In use over there for 20+ years they finally made and imported a version for the US market.
Mine is a wall unit that is 18 wide by 28 tall and 6 inches deep or thick ...in and out feeds are centered on the bottom and the flue is centered out the top...1 control does 3 functions and there is an igniter .
My water tank is SS and the water passes thru 2 full sized filters before it goes anywhere, one is activated charcoal the other is fiber.
Bosch makes two identical units and sells one under their US distributors name.
Sorry I don't have a URL to refer you to
but a google search for Bosch water heater will get you there in 2 steps. |
DaveD (216.18.113.69)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 3:52 pm: | |
Is this the 125 series Bosch Aquastar?
DaveD |
OAE Palmer (208.164.96.128)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 8:50 pm: | |
I dug up this link
http://www.boschusa.com/JumpPages/WaterHeaters/
the unit I have IS the 125 series... |