- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Winter Olympics
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Tankless water heater for a camp
Posted on 6/2/24 at 9:29 am
Posted on 6/2/24 at 9:29 am
I have a camp that is about 1k sqft that currently has an electric tank water heater. The bathroom is small and it takes up about 1/3 of the bathroom. The camp has two sinks and a shower. What size electric tankless water heater do you think I would need? Will I need to add a different breaker on the main panel? Do you just plug these things in to an outlet or do you have to run a line directly from breaker box? Really want to free up some bathroom space. Other than washing dishes and the occasional 10 minute shower, hot water isn’t really used. No dishwasher or washing machine or anything like that. Thanks
9
Posted on 6/2/24 at 10:50 am to thatguy777
I have one of those propane ones that work really well. They are like 100 bucks.
Posted on 6/2/24 at 11:33 am to thatguy777
I installed a tankless electric when our electric tank went out. I first installed a rheem rte-11 then after the saltwater intrusion killed it, installed a eco 11 point of use. I purchased both from Home Depot. I ran a designated breaker from meter to the unit. Mounted it on the wall where the old hot water heater was. We have 1bath, 2sinks , 1 washer.
I would advise adding an inline filter where ur service comes in. I did that the second time around since I had all the pex tools out, lol.
I would advise adding an inline filter where ur service comes in. I did that the second time around since I had all the pex tools out, lol.
Posted on 6/2/24 at 11:46 am to StrikeIndicator
That’s 2.6 GPM? Do you ever have issues of running out of hot water?
Posted on 6/2/24 at 11:49 am to thatguy777
Buddy has a 150$ Amazon special propane tankless and it will do what you want. I have a Bosch and it’s more pricey but not needed for the occasional shower and washing dishes.
Posted on 6/2/24 at 1:06 pm to thatguy777
I did a titan whole house electric tankless water heater. You don’t need something that size. But I ran a dedicated 2 pole circuit breaker with appropriate size wire to where my water heater was. I used pex for the installation. I put an inline water filter on supply side with isolating valves. I also put isolating valves for the tankless water heater just in case I need to change it out.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Posted on 6/2/24 at 1:25 pm to thatguy777
No idea what size I have, but I get hot water almost immediately. Electric.
Posted on 6/2/24 at 2:45 pm to thatguy777
Might not matter for that small space. General advice is to avoid electric tankless hot water heaters for your home. Go gas
Posted on 6/2/24 at 3:00 pm to hophead
Unfortunately gas is not an option for us. Out in the middle of nowhere and it’s too much for us to go into town and replace an 80lb tank with folks getting older
Posted on 6/2/24 at 9:59 pm to thatguy777
We've been using a propane Amazon model at fish camp for five or six years now.
Electronic ignition and maybe a gallon a minute flow rate but it works.
Wet down, lather up, rinse off ... you'll be amazed how little water it takes to keep your arse, pits, feet, balls and head clean.
Electronic ignition and maybe a gallon a minute flow rate but it works.
Wet down, lather up, rinse off ... you'll be amazed how little water it takes to keep your arse, pits, feet, balls and head clean.
Posted on 6/3/24 at 6:51 am to saintsfan1977
quote:
I have one of those propane ones that work really well
This is what we have. Easy if you keep an extra tank or two around just in case. They do last longer than you would think. Warning….if a freeze is coming…drain the unit. A mistake we may have learned the hard way.
Posted on 6/3/24 at 10:49 am to thatguy777
Depending on the size you may need to increase the size of the service if you're thinking about an electric tankless water heater.....they require a sizeable circuit. Contrary to popular opinion they are more efficient than electric storage water heaters (tanked) because they do not constantly draw 20 or so amps...they only draw 80 or so (depending on the size) for a short period of time while they are being used. Power bills are based on amount of current used over time (KwH) so a larger load that is called for over a short period of time is cheaper to operate than a much smaller load operating for long periods of time. The only problem is that the circuit that feeds a tankless electric water heater has to be sized for that short period of time...
For example HD has a 3.5 GPM 18KW tankless electric water heater that requires a 75 amp 240 volt circuit. An equivalent 30 gallon 240 volt storage type water heater, 4.5 KW, requires a 30 amp 240 volt circuit. The wire size for the tankless is larger than the tanked WH and when it is being used the meter will be spinning like a top...but only when it is being used. The storage type water heater won't be wearing the bearings out in the meter BUT it will be spinning whether anyone is using hot water or not. The down side, of course, is if your current service is not sized, even with the demand factor, to add a 75 amp 240 volt circuit AND getting that big assed wire into an existing panel may be a nightmarish scenario. Depending on your current service it may well be necessary to turn other electric appliances off while using the water heater....if you have a 200 amp service you are probably OK (unless you are talking new construction and then the water heater is going to require being added to the service load calculation, I am sure there is a demand factor but it is probably not much). Eliminating a 30 amp 2 pole circuit in an existing 200 amp service would probably be about a wash on real life conditions....but if youre talking about new construction and an electrical permit I imagine even with the demand factor most homes would require a 400 amp service (300 would be sufficient but its as cheap to do 400 as 300).
For example HD has a 3.5 GPM 18KW tankless electric water heater that requires a 75 amp 240 volt circuit. An equivalent 30 gallon 240 volt storage type water heater, 4.5 KW, requires a 30 amp 240 volt circuit. The wire size for the tankless is larger than the tanked WH and when it is being used the meter will be spinning like a top...but only when it is being used. The storage type water heater won't be wearing the bearings out in the meter BUT it will be spinning whether anyone is using hot water or not. The down side, of course, is if your current service is not sized, even with the demand factor, to add a 75 amp 240 volt circuit AND getting that big assed wire into an existing panel may be a nightmarish scenario. Depending on your current service it may well be necessary to turn other electric appliances off while using the water heater....if you have a 200 amp service you are probably OK (unless you are talking new construction and then the water heater is going to require being added to the service load calculation, I am sure there is a demand factor but it is probably not much). Eliminating a 30 amp 2 pole circuit in an existing 200 amp service would probably be about a wash on real life conditions....but if youre talking about new construction and an electrical permit I imagine even with the demand factor most homes would require a 400 amp service (300 would be sufficient but its as cheap to do 400 as 300).
Posted on 6/3/24 at 10:54 am to thatguy777
quote:
Unfortunately gas is not an option for us. Out in the middle of nowhere and it’s too much for us to go into town and replace an 80lb tank with folks getting older
In a camp type situation I am assuming building codes and inspectors are not an issue. You could probably get by with one of the propane ones and use a 5 lb portable propane tank. If you go electric your service, especially at a camp, my not be big enough to add an electric tankless....even small ones require a 70 or so amp circuit and even applying a demand factor you may find that you have to turn off AC or other high load appliances while someone is using hot water. They don't waste power like a storage water heater but when they are being used they are the largest load in a house by about double.
Posted on 6/3/24 at 11:05 am to thatguy777
quote:
I have a camp that is about 1k sqft that currently has an electric tank water heater. The bathroom is small and it takes up about 1/3 of the bathroom. The camp has two sinks and a shower. What size electric tankless water heater do you think I would need? Will I need to add a different breaker on the main panel? Do you just plug these things in to an outlet or do you have to run a line directly from breaker box? Really want to free up some bathroom space. Other than washing dishes and the occasional 10 minute shower, hot water isn’t really used. No dishwasher or washing machine or anything like that. Thanks
Size depends on how many simultaneous uses you may need. The minimum is about 2.5 gallons per minute for more than one use BUT it may be that you could use a point of use water heater that ONLY feeds the shower and a second one for a sink (bathroom or kitchen). I don't know how efficient one of these would be for a shower but they work great for sinks....and it is a camp so taking long, steamy showers may be something that does not happen very often if ever. A point of use water heater can be installed on a 120 volt 20 amp circuit. It would be entirely possible to use these at every hot water outlet and use a contactor to prevent any 2 of them being used simultaneously but the controls would be beyond the abilities of most electricians, let alone most home owner DIYers. But if you eliminate a 30 amp 240 volt circuit for your current storage water heater you could run a 20 amp 120 volt circuit to the shower and a separate 120 volt 20 amp circuit to the kitchen sink and probably never notice it when other high current loads are being used. You certainly would not if those 2 WHs were not being used simultaneously.
Again, I do not know how well one of those would work for a shower. They work very well at sinks BUT showers are much higher flow devices. If taking quick showers is the norm though they should work fine.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News