Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tankless water heaters

If you have hard water as mentioned get a water softener and Filter system, it will save you in the long run. I have a Noritz as it’s what was in the house when we bought new in 2014. I also “flush” my system up to two times a year using white vinegar to help with the deposit buildup. I really don’t need do it anymore since I got the water softener and filter installed, but it’s insurance to me. When mine kicks the bucket I’m going with a Rinnai.

I like the tankless water heaters, in the right application.

They can make for a sizable savings for a retired couple, not so much so for a larger family.

For a cabin you're gonna let freeze down every winter, I'd go with a regular tank type water heater, gas or electric.

The internal plumbing with the tankless heaters have a lot of small voids that can be tricky to drain completely. One little tube or valve that traps water can freeze and burst a small tube or push gaskets out of a valve and you're screwed.

They're a good bit more complicated to repair as well.

Open the valve on the bottom of a standard water tank and pop open the pressure relief valve and you walk away knowing it's going to completely drain and be fine when you return.



Rinnai replacement heat exchanger, $450.00

I watched a DIY cargo camper build the other night and the builder had made his HWH portable by mounting everything in a Pelican case and using quick connects like the "shark bites" connectors and PEX I use at my cabin. It was a pretty slick setup that allowed him to take the entire unit "home" where it wouldn't risk freeze damage in the winter.

I can't recommend an on demand as we went with a 40 gal tank, but I can recommend the Shark Bites. I've been connecting and disconnecting about a dozen each year for the last 10 and have not had to replace or had any type of leaks from any of them.

Limited experience here. I've had one on the house for a few months. It's a middle sized condensing model Navien. Our electric billed dropped 20-25% the first month. It replaced a 50 gal. dual element electric heater. Takes a little longer to get hot water to the end of system part of the house.

Have one for 12 years. Two solid freezes without any damage. The Houses around me in the subdivision also have them and when frozen, just needed to thaw out for a while with no prep. I would suggest erring a little on the safe side, but they are generally robust.

I have an off grid situation with a tankless at my bear camp in Northern MN.
Beauty.
Mine is a Bosch. It runs on LP. I drain in the winter, open up both sides and it drains clean.
I have hard iron water and manganese mixed in. No softener no problem.
Every 3-4 years I pop it off the wall, Turn it over and fill with CLR and let it sit a couple hours then turn and drain. Never had a problem with it.
I empty for the winter but I do leave the pilot on. Bugs like the propane taste and will get in and clog the gas line.
I’ve had this one maybe 15 years. I’m sure there are better models out there these days.

Osky

I like that idea... probably.

Great info everyone - thanks for all the input.

Sharkbites are great but way too expensive for general plumbing. Also, they tell you to not put them where you don't have access, like inside walls. They do have a potential for leaks although they do an excellent job of not leaking.

I have a Navian largest unit installed in 2007 made it the best change for 2 adults in a home.....wife can take a shower up stairs and I can take one down stairs and never run out of water....my gas bill is lower that average for a home the size of mine....
When I installed the Navian cost was more than double of what a tank heater cost but has made up....

Are you on a well? Do you see any issues with any variable pump pressure?

That has been my hesitation also...

I picked a couple clearance units at HD @ $100 or so... pressure was the big caution I read about.

Pondered double expansion tanks...

Not solved nor installed... WV cabins when I get them finished.

I wonder if hydraulic QDs would work on a suitcase idea?

I know Shark Bites well. Not the route I would go on a removable unit.

Our well pressure switch varies from 40 to 60lb. How would a tankless heater work with a 40lb pressure regulator ahead of it? That would keep it at a constant level.

The flow restriction through the QD's would be huge.

Honestly... I do not know.

I was cautioned on pressure (maybe why the ones I got so cheap were clearanced).

The concept of tankless is great...

Many guys here have very positive opinions.

I have a small on-demand electric here in the kitchen... after 35-45 seconds it is cold. BUT that is no basis for a final opinion.

Ever high flow?

I honestly have no idea.

Maybe in conjunction with an accumulator.

Osky: I am in the same situation. They don't call it the iron range for nothing. Once a year i use an aquariam pump and circulate vineger thru the the tankless heater to clean out the small passages. Cheaper than buying a new temperature control unit.

I installed a Takagi TK1 running propane in a cabin in 2001. In this occasional use situation, I have only had one issue with the unit over the 21years, which I was able to fix myself (stuck flow-sensor impeller). We keep the furnace on low all winter, so I have not needed to drain it. I have not had any issues with a standard well system with a 40-60psi pressure switch.

I would offer two pieces of advice: 1) these are very high BTU, so ensure that your propane supply lines are adequately sized. 2) know your required temperature rise when looking at the delivery performance of the water heaters (desired hot water temp minus your well water temp).