Reddit mentions: The best water heaters

Chronomite SR-20L/120 HTR 120-Volt... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0033RQNV2?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

This is what I’m working with. Health regs always vary, but mine only cared that you get hot water suitable for hand washing. This low flow system worked great. You’ll have to get your own conduit and instead of wiring directly to the box and breaker, I got a male plug for a few bucks from Home Depot and turned it into a plug in situation.

My water flow situation was already set up kinda funky, so I had to install a valve in the line to force water through the heater when I wanted it. Otherwise it was just too much running through the lines to really get hot.

The basic idea of my setup is that there’s a large water tank on the roof. The lines come down through a wall mounted water pump, then either into the water heater, or straight into the sinks depending on weather I have that valve I installed open or closed.

Hope that helps

I have the ecosmart11 tankless hot water heater. I like it for space efficiency and simple installation, but it requires a 60 amp breaker dedicated to it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LZRF9M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You might be able to get by with an Ecosmart8, but it still requires to be wired directly to a 40 amp breaker. This is lots of amps to dedicate to hot water, especially if you are working from a 50 amp service at an RV park or wherever you have your trailer parked. Zero overhead even with the 8 for things like A/C and cooking. You could make it work if you were very careful about when you were using hot water, but I would skip it and go with a propane unit like jamilbk linked.

I am thinking about going with a standard issue front load washer and dryer, but just stacking them to save space. The top load washer combo with the dryer on top commonly used in condos and apartments are small in stature, but take up almost the same space as a real front load washer and dryer that are stacked. These front load washer/dryer combo units are really costly and seem to have more complaints about performance and repairs.

Regardless, if you are living in a tiny house on wheels, dedicating space to a washer and dryer might not be on the priority list.

Yeah I have all of my plumbing inside as well, except for the black water and grey water tank.

So the hot water heater....I wanted an on demand unit. I originally bought this unit https://www.amazon.com/EZ-101-Tankless-Water-Heater/dp/B003327HDK. I started realizing I just didn't have anywhere to put it. You may have better luck cause you are starting totally from scratch it looks like, but my van already had walls up when I bought it. I still have this unit, and I sat on it forever trying to figure out where to put it. It just wasn't going to work. I couldn't mount it easily and run the vent piping.It also draws its combustion air from the space it is mounted in which could be a concern depending upon your use. I was just planning on opening the roof top vent and securing it while sleeping. If you are in the SF bay area I will sell it to you cheap. 50 bucks and its yours :)

I realized I had to buy a different unit, and it ended up being very expensive. I bought https://www.amazon.com/Suburban-5132A-Demand-Water-Heater/dp/B013002JD2 I found it for about 600 on Dyers RV. I have it installed. I haven't used it yet, but it was very easy to install I just had to drill a 4 inch hole in the side of the van and it does intake and exhaust through a hole there with a concentric vent so there is no fire hazard because the exhaust comes out of the inside of the concentric circle. It requires very small clearances. 1/4" on the top and sides so it saves a lot of space. It is definitely a big budget item, but it will be worth it in terms of space I believe.

I am only going by the legal advice I was given by our lawyer (that the hot water going out for a short time doesn't make it inhabitable).
The way it was explained to me is that you can still take cold water and heat it on the stove if you need hot water, for example. Not being able to take a hot shower sucks but it's not render the place unlivable.
11 days seems like a long time when it's happening but, by your account, they seemed to be making an honest attempt to fix it.
I would advise in the future to fight this when it was happening, and not months after the fact. You might be able to come up with a compromise like buying something like this (just an example).

Have talked to Joe, brilliant guy. However, almost all propane units in the size range OP's talking about are direct vent with outside combustion air supply now, thank goodness. The unit he's looking at is probably this one. Scroll down to the "Specifications" diagram and look at B and C. B is the outside air intake duct. You're not going to get leakage/backdraft/envelope issues out of a unit like this unless you install it improperly.

I've had a tankless for about 8 years now. I love it. Endless consistent hot water is awesome. Even though we use a lot of water in our household, our bill has gone down too. Probably mostly due to the really old inefficient water heater before.

If you really want upwards of 9 gpm, then yeah, 2 tankless water heats in series will probably do the trick. You may look into adding on a real small water heater, like a 6 gallon unit to handle the recirculation and prevent the cold water sandwich effect. Most recirculation pumps aren't recommended for tankless.

found this... seems like a decent option and something you can stow away when you aren't using it. I really would go tankless and easy to use for renters that want the same thing, rather than rigging something up that isn't very appealing to the eye or even slightly complex in operation

edit:[this](http://www.amazon.com/Marey-Portable-Propane-Tankless- Heater/dp/B005DROEZC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_60_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=31FltoZQhML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160SR96%2C160&refRID=12Y7PQC4FNS6NV01QPDE) one might be better, but the reviews are mixed. Having a shower head is nice as well for the renters to rinse off if they need to

I have no idea how you would need to change the water so often or why you would need to heat it so rapidly, but if you need a propane powered heater, you can get tankless propane water heaters which do exactly what you're asking. Depending on the flow rate you require, they will increase the temperature a certain number of degrees.

I have no idea how much propane this task of yours will require, it sounds to me like it will be pretty expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Takagi-T-KJr2-Indoor-Tankless-Natural/dp/B0057X27OC

I'm not near there but I'd bet someone on here is. This is the Takagi tankless, I've installed several of these, they are super easy. $532 for the tankless + about $100 for the valves and pex.

> The actual unit for test_alpha's calculation would be dollar days per liter which is entirely useless.

The two units are mathematically equivalent. Why do you think it's useless?

As an example, pretend I'm shopping for a tankless water heater for a set of showers that I expect to be used simultaneously, and I want to determine whether it's cheaper to get a large bank of smaller water heaters or a smaller number of big heaters. I could easily calculate that this heater costs 145.6 dollars per gallon per minute, while this heater costs 119.1 dollars per gallon per minute. Obviously a better deal, assuming I need a large amount of hot water flow.

And yes, those end up being equivalent to dollar minutes per gallon, but so what? We can reorganize any useful equation to look like garbage if we want, but that doesn't change the mathematics behind it.

Well, this all depends on how handy you are and your site conditions. One thing to be sure about is the warranty. Does It require professional (licensed) installation?

This model is probably more than enough for your condo and is in the same price range as the Rinnai. I’m not an expert on every brand, but I know Stiebel Eltron are considered among the best. My philosophy is spend the money on things that should have a long expected life span.
The size of the unit will depend on the number of fixtures you have and where you are located in the country.

Stiebel Eltron 24 Plus Tempra, Tankless Water Heater, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GYZS4RJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JHXQDb70BA9HQ

Induction cook tops I LOVE. But for water heating, should only dump excess solar power. These heaters go on sale around $250 bucks, I use and love them. You can also order any part you need to repair it should you have problems. https://www.amazon.com/Eccotemp-i12-LP-water-heater-Black/dp/B0157EJT28/

I've used one of these, and it went okay, but it wasn't in a van.

Something more like this would be a better fit, I think.

Think it would be possible to retrofit a dedicated heater? Like plumb in something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Standard-9075120-9075-120-Safe-T-Heater/dp/B000RP4SIS/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=hot+tub+heater&qid=1572840688&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-2

Put it on a separate circuit.

I have a Rinnai, but they only make natural gas heaters, but I hear the Stiebel Eltron has a good electric one for the whole house. I personally don't like my showers too hot, but my wife takes the type of shower that you can't even see her through the steam.

Edit: I just realized you asked who might carry it. Amazon will deliver it to you. https://smile.amazon.com/Stiebel-Eltron-36-Tankless-42x36-9x11-7-Inch/dp/B001AHO8AK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495480839&sr=8-1&keywords=stiebel+eltron&sa-no-redirect=1

I've installed two of the Takagi T-KJr. They're built like tanks, have been around forever, and are pretty efficient. They're also pretty inexpensive ($500-$600). I'm up in Wisconsin, so if this heater can keep up with our crazy delta Ts in single bath houses, I know it'll be able to keep up with your needs just fine. There are some larger heaters from other companies like Triangle Tube and Rinnai that are good, but they are much more expensive or oversized for what you need.

Out of curiosity, what makes that heater better than the cheap sub-$10 ones like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Water-Heater-Aluminum-Watts/dp/B00PFZFK78/

Seems like the additional wattage is unlikely to do that much unless it's being used for actual boiling...?

A tankless water heater is always going to be more energy efficient than a tanked one. Every tanked water heater has 'standby loss' which is the heat that dissipates through its insulation. How bad your standby losses are depend on what kind of tanked water heater you buy. According to the US dept of energy tankless water heaters are 24% - 34% more efficient than a conventional water heater.

However, they can cost more to install which are dependent on:

1. The temperature of your water
   
2. The flow rate of water you're trying to heat
   
3. What kind of electrical service you have
   
   If you live in an area where the water is warm, you don't have some crazy flow rate requirement (2 baths running simultaneously), and you have electric service that can support your tankless water heater, than go tankless!
   
   From your comments below it seems like you're in Hawaii which means your average water temperature is 72 degrees.
   
   That means you can buy the tiniest of tankless water heaters to meet your needs. The Eco 11 tankless water heater requires one double pole 60 amp breaker, it will provide 2.38 gallons per minute of water and costs $250 on amazon. The installation costs should be minimal depending on your breaker box.
   
   The benefits are great:
   
   
4. No standby energy losses - when it's not heating up water, it's off.
   
5. Infinite hot water, take as long a shower as you want
   
6. Much lower risk of flooding due to a 'catastrophic failure' which can happen to tanked heaters.
   
7. Less failures as tankless water heaters last much longer than tanked ones. [Ecosmart even offers a lifetime warranty.] (http://www.ecosmartus.com/warranty/)
   
   Good luck!
   
   
   

A circulation pump shouldn’t have been recommend on a large old house being renovated. Here is a much better solution to put at areas a distance away. You set the temp just below your tank temp so when hot water gets there it shuts off.

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Electric-Mini-Tank-Heater-2-5-Gallon/dp/B0148O658Y

FWIW:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077K428LC/ref=dp_cerb_1

Garden hose+ propane tank + portable water heater = bliss.

I’ve used these style heaters off grid for years, they work very well!

I have a Bosch 2.5 gallon electric water heater which works great.

I have a pretty robust electric setup (400 Ah battery capacity, 400 w solar, 3000 w inverter), but I could probably get away with less.

You're also going to need to be able to do the rough in plumbing, which is fairly straightforward but might be challenging if you're not particularly handy.

In the USA one can order on Amazon latin-america style "suicide showers" that might run on the 20A 120v bathroom circuit, but with that little voltage and current you aren't going to find more then a 40°F rise in water temperature -- so it might work to conserve already heated water at a low flow-rate, but the water will be little more then room-temperature once the apartment's hot-water storage tank is depleted and you are drawing directly from cold-climate ground-temperature water.

Otherwise, the exact thing you seek is available, but be aware that it requires power like an American clothes dryer. The electric showers I used in Europe/UK also required ~32A 240V power.

I can't say that I've never used a camp shower outdoors with the shower hose though the window...

In all of these cases, I'm not sure that the water-volume from the cheaper options would be to your satisfaction.

why not just get two of these

https://www.amazon.com/Camplux-Ventfree-Outdoor-Portable-Tankless/dp/B077K428LC/

or

https://www.amazon.com/Gasland-Portable-Propane-Tankless-Outdoor/dp/B07CJ36VBJ/

​

>Problems with running two showers off one heater?

the heater can only raise so much water by so many degrees. running two showers may exceed the flow rate that the heater can warm up to anything usefully hot.

​

/not a plumber

I imagine something like this would do the trick. Off flavors from the aluminum should be minimal. It certainly isn't as cool as the iron rod though.

You can purchase one of these for pretty cheap: https://www.amazon.com/Gasland-Portable-Propane-Tankless-Outdoor/dp/B07CJ36VBJ
It runs on LP and is highly portable. I have one of these in my back yard.

What about tankless? They seem much more efficient than the standard kind of water heater, even if you're wanting to heat already-warm water.

There are these USB/plugin hot plate cup warmers out there, but i haven't tried them myself. https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Warmer-Office-MWBLK/dp/B000CO89T8/

There are also immersion heaters designed to heat contents of a cup. I also haven't tried it myself, but always tempted to buy https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Water-Heater-Aluminum-GCG/dp/B00PFZFK78/

I'd use a vacuum stainless steel flask. That would be less work and less energy used as you'd only have to fill it once.

I had this on my boat Amazon 6 gal 120vThere is another version that 2000w. I just used a 10 gauge extension cord to plug it in to a twistlock. It replaced a 2000 dollar stainless engine heated one.

I think they use to be cheaper too. Home Depot and Lowes has them as well.

Use a camping shower, then sell it on Ebay, Craig's List, or Amazon when you are done with it:

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-BOSS-XB13-Basecamp-Operated/dp/B011TRLVP0

My apologies, this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148O658Y/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_7ZbCCbCR26949

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0057X27OC/ref=psdc_3754791_t1_B00DDPZ5HM

For the $500 model.



https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00DDPZ5HM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3NJ9RMM8KBCU&colid=3NFJLKZEG7L6I

For the condensing, $1100 model.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LZRF9M/ref=s9_pdx_hm_awbw_bFkn9_g60_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_r=0186YQ1BPXTVTN3F0KVG&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=d35238a4-975c-5224-bcca-be7ef5e2c1d7&pf_rd_i=3754791

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W6AVMY

I installed this one (a 6 gallon) in my dad's cabin. With a low flow showerhead its enough to take a decent shower with.