Choosing A Hot Water Heater For A Tiny House

Recently I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out the best option for hot water heaters for my Tiny House, but I have been back and forth on which way to go.  So I realized, why don’t I see what my readers might know!

Rheem Hot Water Heater

So far I have decided to focus on tankless hot water heaters.  Essentially these hot water heaters don’t hold water like traditional hot water heaters, they rapidly heat the water as it flows through their heat exchangers so you only heat the water you use.  The area I am having trouble with is to go with an electric unit or go with a propane unit.  I don’t like how much power the electric ones use (13 kw/h) if I one day go solar, but the gas units are a lot bigger (not so great in a tiny house) and need to be vented.  I also don’t know how quickly I would burn through a propane tank (I take 10-15 minute showers daily).

 

Your Turn!

Do you have a tankless hot water heater, how do you like it?

How do you plan to heat your water in your tiny house?

83 Comments
  1. Using electric is a massive amount of power. The value of electric on-demand water heating is in the fact that there is no idle heat lost from a hot water tank. In a tiny-house, I would expect that most people (certainly me) will not have that kind of power on demand. Using the 13KW model you mentioned, that translates to a 13KW generator (with nothing else loading it down) for anyone off grid. That’s a big generator! If you have an electric hookup that still translates to ~60 amps (again, not counting any other loads). Most RV hookups are 110V at 30A, which is a little over 3,300W. Around 1/4 of what you need to power it.

    So, in my opinion, unless you plan to have some serious power (and non-standard higher amperage power connections on your tiny-house, as wells available to plug into) then the electric one is not even an option in my mind.

    There is my $0.02 worth of thoughts. 🙂

    -Michael

    • Very good points! I will be grid tied for the most part, I keep getting hung up on the size and the cost the 13 kw/h electric one I can get for $180 and is the size of a large text book. The Gas is around $1300, and is 24″ x 17″ x 10″ then you have to vent it.

    • Here’s my take, solar thermal drain back hot water, with a solar powered circulated water to heat the tiny house and domestic hot water. I built a small holding tank out of wood and 4″ of insulation worked great. Off grid and eco friendly.

      • Where can I purchasea solar thermal drain back hot water and a solar powered circulated water heater? How much space does it take up?

  2. My family has been using the EccoTemp tankless propane water heater DAILY for over a year, and we LOVE IT! Very easy to use, sturdy, heats up water immediately, and has adjustable settings to make the water just right, no matter how warm you like it. And the best part, it’s very inexpensive! It takes us about 6 months to run through a small tank of propane, used exclusively for the shower, and that’s a family of 4!

    The only additional advice I have is to make sure that if your tankless is installed outside (which this model has to be), you use chicken wire or some other type of wiring to keep critters out of the heater. One morning a snake had slithered into the top of the heater, and I didn’t see it until he was cooked by the flames. Not a pleasant smell! But, in testament to the sturdiness of the product, even burning an entire snake inside it did not affect the function of the unit!

    • Jennifer,

      What climate are you in? When you say a small tank do you mean the 20lb tanks that most grills use?

      One thing that I read about the ones outside is you have to be careful about people stealing it for scrap metal.

      Ryan

    • I have been considering EccoTemp but I can’t find the specs on flow rates for the rise in temperatures.

    • Jennifer, I know this post is very old, but I’m wondering if you’re still happy with the EccoTemp water heater. I assume it’s outside because of the snake. Do you have trouble with cold temps affecting the unit?

      • I have an EccoTemp L10 that I’ve been using for 9 months. I’m currently looking for a replacement! It froze twice in our mild winter of NC until I just let it drip constantly to keep the pipes from freezing! In the winter I was hard pressed to get a warm shower. Now that it’s summer I am getting scalding showers! This unit is not meant for permanent, year round house usage. Looked it up when I started having problems! My builder didn’t know anything about on-demand hot water heaters!!! The L10 is a portable one for campsites and not meant for home use. Does anyone have a recommendation for something that will give me a hot shower in the winter but not scald me in the summer? My water pressure is fine.

        • Hey, had you ever figured out what was best for the freezing aspect? I’ve had the same issues.

          • I’ve purchased a Noritz tankless water heater. NR501-OD. A slightly more robust model is the NR662-OD. The 501 is rated to -4 outside temps with wind. The pipes bringing water to it are more likely to freeze than my unit itself. Noritz has a pipe cover that covers the external pipe fittings and my professional plumbers covered all my pipes bringing in water with black pipe insulation and then I added, on their advice, just today Small Projects Ecotouch Insulation you can buy at any home improvement store inside the pipe cover box. Plus my potable water hose is buried 24 inches deep coming from my host well. Where it emerges to hook up to the house I’ve got it wrapped in pipe insulation, a tape kind, and then covered that with black foam pipe insulation. Last winter I had no freezing from the water going into my heater, but I had an Eccotemp L10 NOT meant for winter use and that froze twice so I just kept the water dripping like you would in a standard house in a deep freeze. My plumbers have put in a lot of tankless water heaters and with my insulation additions they say neither the pipes nor the Noritz heater with all its protections should freeze. I’m not worried about this winter!

    • How big is a small propane tank?

      • A small LPG tank is the same size as those you would buy for a backyard grill. About 5 gallons weighing about 10-15 pounds. I live alone, shower 2-3 times a week and wash dishes only when my sink is full. My small LPG tank only heats my Noritz NR 501-OD and lasts between 4-5 months. I use another small LPG for my Summit Pro stove and it lasts between 5-6 months. The first time you buy the tank, it is full but you also pay for the tank = about $40. Refilling though, when you bring your empty to exchange for a full one, is about $20. So really cheap to use LPG.

  3. I have propane instant-on water heat here. With two people taking showers, each twice a week or so, it took almost a year to go through a tank. I use propane for the oven/stove too, but only once or twice a week for a few minutes at a time for that. Don’t cook much… 🙂

    Propane, definitely 🙂

    You could maybe get a smaller unit if you look around.

  4. Perfect! The hugh tanks you see in closets and garages in homes all over the USA are obsolete and have been for 30 years. We’ve had our instant water heater installed in the early 80’s. It runs off of propane. Unbelievable! the water is super hot immediately!so be careful. We all are used to turning the knob in the shower all the way to hot to allow the water to heat up. Big mistake here, with these powerful little heaters the water will be HOT immediately! I use less water today to shower and our bill is relatively nothing in comparison to what our neighbors pay. I plan to install solar soon. Not only is the small heaters ideal for tiny homes, if you live in a regular sized home, convert your prehistoric water heater and install a small unit like the one presented in the artical. You will save lots of $$$ and water too. If you have children they could be scolded immediately! if not supervised. Remember, there is no wasted water just a learning curve 🙂

  5. I too would reccomend a gas unit. If you really want to go completely self reliant, You can still work with a methian bio-digester. In the mean time to be off grid with such a unit would require by my estimate at least 2K of solar power, which averages a $1/watt if you shop really well. In addition, I have never found an off grid inverter larger than 5KWatts, about 1/3 of what you would need. From a 12V battery bank, you’ll still be pulling 1080 Amps, which is a massive amount, requiring massive cables. There are a few grid tie inverters that can handle about that much, but I don’t believe they work without the grid connection, and they are still more than $6000 dollars.

    As has already been mentioned, there are no commonly available RV hookups which can take that much power. You’ll need something specially made. If you do have it, at least put it on a completely seperate cicuit from the rest of your home, preventing you being knock off due to no proper connector.

    • A more attractive option may be a tankless water heater designed for an RV. They are generally made to be mounted on the outside wall, and thus are self ventilating. They are generally smaller too, and cheaper too, around $600 or so.

  6. Hi:
    I have used gas demand or tankless hot water heaters since 1983.Initially a Paloma from Japan for a 14×14 cabin in NW Montana mountains. That LP model lasted for over 20 years until the hard water thinned the walls of the water circulation tubes surrounding the burner. The pin hole leaks salted in on their own but reappeared within two years requiring replacement of the tube unit.

    When I moved to S.California I installed a small NG[natural gas] Bosch Aqua Star tankless Model GWH 1000-P in the “enormous” 450 square foot house I now rent. It cost $300 in 2009. It is perfect for this house because the water lines have short runs so less heat loss from the pipes which are foam wrapped for insulation purposes.The climate is very benign with only rare temps below freezing.In Montana I chose a larger model to balance the cold water input with more BTU’s.

    Dimensions:22.8″H x 12.2″ W x 8.6″ deep; Weight 26#.
    Capacity:2.6GPM
    Min-Max Output:24000 to 58400BTU’s
    Vertical natural draft venting via 4″ pipe to 6′ height
    Indoor installation for this model. Other choices include Rennai,Paloma and larger Bosch models.
    I hope this information is useful for your project.
    Persevere,
    Don

    • Great in Don! What are the overall dimensions of the unit you have including the hook ups and the venting? I am trying to fit this under a counter top.

      • Ryan:
        These units should not be enclosed in a cabinet indoors. They need airflow to function properly. They require substantial air gaps from combustable surfaces along all but the back side surface. CO and CO2
        Do you have freezing temperatures for long periods where you will be building? As I understand it, most smaller tankless models are not designed for sustained freezing temperatures.But RV models like this:[https://www.rvshop.com/Tankless-Water-Heaters_c_1986.html] have a winterizing system. Also see: https://www.rvdoctor.com/2011/07/choosing-tankless-rv-water-heater.html

        One alternative is a wood stove with a waterjacket tank for water heating. Unfortunately it will not meet your 15 minute hot shower requirement! Or: https://www.dickinsonmarine.com/propane.php

        I have no experience with electric point of use heaters which are cheaper to buy but more expensive to operate via your electric bill. With your access to line power it might be worth an experimental test.
        I hope the rambling answer is useful.
        Don

        • I have been looking at RV doctor, the RV-500 might be my choice, I need to give them a call for some more specs on the unit. As for enclosing it in the cabinate, I would be sure to maintain clearances and the venting would go through the exterior wall.

    • Don’t know if you’re still replying, Don, but need some help. I’m replacing an EccoTemp L10 that my builder bought by mistake. I need one to provide hot water to the shower, kitchen sink and bathroom sink. Currently, the bathroom sink is closest to the unit and always get hot water. For the kitchen and shower I have to first run the bathroom sink then quickly turn either the shower on if that’s what I want or the kitchen sink faucet on to get the hot water there. Winter was lukewarm water at best and constant dripping to keep the pipes from freezing. Summer is now scalding water and almost no way to regulate the temp. except to go from cold to heating up to scalding. Can’t afford to make a costly mistake purchasing something else that is inappropriate for a house use. How did the unit you had in Montana work, seasonally? And what water pressure did you need? My plumber says my water pressure should work.

  7. Really interesting question! I had no idea you needed so much electrical power to run a tankless water heater. I wasn’t planning to install propane, but now I’m rethinking…

    What about something like this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030GHCT8/?tag=hyprod-20&hvadid=15467976219 It’s an indoor propane tankless water heater for only $429.00. It’s 4 x 17 x 8 inches, and 34 pounds, with a flow of 6.3 gallons per minute since it’s designed to work for the standard three bedroom, two bath house.

    • Cheryl,

      Thanks for pointing that one out! You do have to watch out with the GPM flow rate as it is effected by the amount of temperature rise needed. This one can do 6.3gpm at 35 degree rise and 2.6 gpm at 70 degree rise; all of which would exceed my needs, so it has made the list!

      Ryan

  8. I’m assuming that the propane ones heat a tank of water when you turn them on?

    So they could wind up like a wood chip heater (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_heater) as an alternate source of energy if you don’t want to do a propane one.

    Are the electric ones more like an instantaneous hot water system? Where the water passes from a storage tank (or mains supply) over a heating element directly into the hot pipes/shower? Because we’ve had issues with low water pressure not actually working well with those – there wasn’t enough water pressure to actually create a hot enough shower.

  9. We are in the early stages of planning our tiny house that will end up in Northern Minnesota. Are there any concerns with externally mounting a self-venting propane unit in a climate where temperatures routinely go well below zero?

    • The two things that I can think of is the aesthetic impact and then also less than honest people looking for scrap metal to sell for quick cash.

    • I wouldn’t be too concerned. Building an external utility box might be helpful, though.

  10. I think you must have a pressurized system for the unit to work.

  11. I am also in the process of designing and also looking at water heaters, if you are still looking for a reasonable 120v water heater that only uses 25 amps this may be the one, I have found a few good reviews!
    https://www.amazon.com/Stiebel-Eltron-DHC-3-1-Electric/dp/B001AHQ9C0
    Be aware you have to have very low water flow for this one to work for you, I hope that helps your search.

  12. Safety mean
    s no gas… Here in Europe there are small 3.3 kW 220V instant waterheaters which give about 3 liters per minute 45 °Celsius water. The unit is damn small, easy to install and cheap too (around 120 dollars up).

    By the way, marine-showering costs less water, less power and is ecofriendly too, no need for spoiling drinking water for 15 minutes per showersession!

  13. I happy to have stumbled-upon this site. So far, I’ve read some great pointers into the vast world of small dwelling/RV water heaters. We are searching for the best off-grid compact water heater for our caravan home.
    The original water heater was rusted and old when we bought our place, so the space is empty and wouldn’t be too hard to fill. Prior to reading this article, I was shopping for an electric Point Of Use Water heater. But after reading the advice of folks who have been there and done that, I am rethinking…and researching propane models.
    But I was wondering… Does anyone know if there is a combination electric/propane model? That, to me, would be great as long it was still compact.

    Blessings!

    Penny

  14. Ryan or any other wanderer,
    Which did you ultimately go with? I’m leaning toward a gas heater but how much more intimidating is this the install for someone with no experience? Also, for off grid do people usually install some type of 300 gallon drum with rain water run off capabilities? We will be traveling about every 3 months and would like the ability to stop at rest areas but still be able to shower, etc. any good websites youc. Any suggest for off the grid living solutions?
    Thanks

    • I ended up with the RV-500 by precision temp

      • Hi Ryan! Read all your postings here with great interest… Myself and my family were all set on purchasing a Rinnai Tankless system but were disuaded by our plumber, stating, we would draw so much fuel that the smaller tanks just can’t handle it without causing freezing issues. What part of the country do you live in? Can you do a review on your RV500? Cheers!

      • And what is your reviews for what you have ended up with… anything you would do differently?

  15. I think there is some miss understanding around the electric version from Rheem. The unit uses 13 kW which is to say 1300 watts, or roughly 10.5 amps, at 120v. If you ran it on 220 that would drop to 5 amps.

    All the best.

    • Bryan a KW (Kilowatt) = 1000 watts. You’re missing a 0. It would be 13,000 watts, on 220V at 60 amps. You can find a calculator here: https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/power/kW_to_Watt.htm

      • Hey Ryan how’s that RV500 working out for you???
        🙂

  16. I am afraid of anything with propane. What are the final thoughts on the best electric off grid using solar energy.
    Thanks

  17. Also, I like changing from cool water to warm /hot water. How does that work when in the shower. Also, do not take longer than about 5 minutes in the shower.
    Thanks

  18. interesting read, to people not used to propane or natural gas check all connections with soapy water bubbles means leak. and equip your home with a carbon monoxide detector if you burn any fuels. cheap insurance that you wake up in the morning

  19. Hey Ryan- Why did you choose a heater that is five times the price of some of the other options?

    • Yeah! And how’s it working?

    • It’s tankless and has a far superior track record. Tanks are usually 5-10 gallons and last about 5-10 minutes in a shower if you’re lucky. With this I cna take endless hot showers (if I wanted) and it takes up a lot less space 1 foot cubed

  20. Therese no such thing as a ( Hot water heater ), it is a ( water heater )

  21. Ryan, would love to hear the pros and cons of the heater you chose now that you’ve been using it for awhile. I need to decide soon and your input would be helpful.

  22. I have an EccoTemp L10 which is a propane tankless water heater and I am not happy with it at all. In the shower, I can’t get the temperature to remain constant. It gets really hot then really cold. I tried working with the folks at EccoTemp and they had me run the heater with the output (to the house) disconnected to see if the problem was the heater itself and the water was a consistent temperature. They told me the problem was within my plumbing and to call a plumber.

    The issue has to do with water flow. I removed the lie flow valve from my shower and I am still having the same issue. Does anybody else have an L10? I really want to get this thing to work without paying for a plumber!

    • I can’t imagine what would be changing you temps after the water heater except for maybe a mixing valve. Unfortunately the water heating system in your house is a crucial part of your living and sometimes the money spent on a pro is money well spent.

    • Oh my! Mary Kaye. I have the same problem. My builder bought the cheapest thing he could find and it was an EccoTemp L10 propane. I found out, when I started having the same problems you have, through researching EccoTemps website and reading their installation and product manual, that this is specifically for RV and campsite use, not year-round, not permanent installation and not for winter use! Paid a plumber who works with on-demand water heaters that my water pressure, at 55 psi, should be sufficient, except that this product is not for household use! If you have found something that works for you please let me know. I’ve lived with this problem for 9 months and have to get something new.

  23. Going tankless is so efficient in many ways. When you are looking to save space, there is nothing better. They may cost more on the front end, but will save monthly on energy bills and last twice as long as a tank unit. They are pretty awesome!

  24. Hi people. I set up a shed shower for use while I build our Tiny/Midi, and I purchased a camping instant gas heater that came with a small pressure pump, shower handset, gas hose and regulator. Only issue I had with it was keeping the battery charged. It cost just under 200 Australian, and the wife found similar online, without the pump, for under a hundred dollars Aus.

    I’ve plumbed the pump to run a washing machine, two sink taps, and the normal hot/cold taps in the shower. I’ll eventually upgrade the pump, but so far, I have no problems with the unit. Still on the same BBQ gas bottle for four months, and I often have very long showers, sometimes twice a day. I do bathroom renovations, so I need a good long shower.

    Unit is neat, stainless steel outside, with a hanging handle, or hook. Despite advice that I should get a storage system for the Tiny, I think I’ll be opting for the same unit I’m using on the shed shower. You don’t need any special skills to plumb it in. I used garden sprinkler fittings, and found a shower tap combo at the recyclers.

    Gas hookup is the same as setting up a BBQ. On eBay, they are Gleamous.Hot.Water.

    Hope this helps.

  25. I’ve been highly disappointed in tankless water heaters. We bought one for our small all-electric house in 2004 to save space, and now, 11 years later, my third consecutive water heater has justburn conked out, and now I have no hot water for at least a week as Lowe’s looks up my warranty receipt. All three were PowerStars. Even when they worked, they were very irregular in maintaining a steady water temperature. And the biggest problem, with all three, is that turning up the cold to balance with the hot would often cause the hot to turn completely off. That would leave me standing to one side of the shower to avoid the cold water stream while turning off the hot water and then easing it back on, hoping it would be hot. The thing is, the plumber who installed the first one as we were building our house, told me that this is a common problem with all tankless heaters. It’s as though the hot water gets offended when cold water is introduced, and the hot takes it’s ball and goes home. Even though it doesn’t happen all the time, I’m aware of it every time I try to achieve a warm temperature for a shower. At this moment, before I get a fourth tankless heater, i’m considering a small-tank water heater of maybe 20 gallons, or less, that could be installed on top of my standup freezer, directly in front of the wall where the tankless heater is. I wish I had had the luck with my tankless heaters that most people in this forum have had. I’d be interested to hear any feedback.

    • Hi Robert.

      I’ve had the same problem you mention, and I find that adjusting the temperature at the heater unit to be the best option. I’ve also upgraded the pump, so that when the cold is turned on, the hot isn’t robbed of pressure. I’m also considering two separate pumps, meaning one for the cold water, and one for the hot. These pumps are only about 35 dollars each, and easy enough to connect.

      Hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Norman.

      • I have an Ecotemp L10 propane on demand tankless heater and I can’t take a regular shower. The hot water stays on for a few minutes then shuts off and I have to turn the water off, wait a couple of minutes and turn it on again. Norman, where do you install the pumps? I know the heater shuts off because the water pressure doesn’t remain constant, but I’m not sure I understand how pumps would help. I can kivw with “military style” showers, but if there is a solution I would love to hear it. I just read this on Ecotemps website:
        “Please note that this model is designed for recreational portable use only. This model is not intended for the following:

        -Permanent installation of any kind.
        -Plumbed into any fixtures (sinks, showers, etc).”

        • Hi Mary.

          If you’re on mains pressure (plumbed into the water “grid”), I’m not sure what you could do. But with the pumps, you simply have two pipes from the source (your water supply), and one is direct to the hot water system, and the cold is to the cold water taps. The hot taps, are of course direct from the outlet on the hot water system.

          Hope this helps.

          Cheers.

          Norman.

        • Oh my! Mary Kaye. I have the same problem. My builder bought the cheapest thing he could find and it was an EccoTemp L10 propane. I found out, when I started having the same problems you have, through researching EccoTemps website and reading their installation and product manual, that this is specifically for RV and campsite use, not year-round, not permanent installation and not for winter use! Paid a plumber who works with on-demand water heaters that my water pressure, at 55 psi, should be sufficient, except that this product is not for household use! If you have found something that works for you please let me know. I’ve lived with this problem for 9 months and have to get something new. Basically the only solution I’ve read about is to get a different one.

          • I think the solution is a new heater. I’ve heard the Precision Temp RV500 is a good one – but it’s $1,054. I live in Florida so in the summer I don’t even use the hot water for showers. I may give in next January though. It seems like there should be a way to modify the Ecotemp so that it doesn’t shut off but I don’t know anything about how it works and it’s probably not safe.

          • My builder kept coming up with schemes to modify it. The problem was everything he wanted to do was in the installation manual as a DO NOT do this. He also wouldn’t read the manual himself. I have to get another one within the next 2 months so if you are interested, I’ll post what I’m looking at and where to look. I’m hoping to pay between $500-$700. I did force my builder to make good on his promise to contribute $500 toward the re-do so that will be helpful to me. Re-work though, is such a drag! Always more expensive than doing a job right the first time!

          • I am interested in what you come up with Barabara. $1,054 is a lot of money and if you find something that works that is cheaper I would like to know.

      • Thanks Norman and Mary!

        I’ve adjusted the heater temp a few times over the years. I have not heard of installing pumps. But if it worked one day and not the next, would that be a temperature or pump issue? Lowe’s just emailed my receipt from the original purchase. These are some things I can bring up to the installers. Maybe they can install a pump pre-emptively.

        I’ll let you know how it goes

        Thanks for helping!
        Robert

  26. Hoping you guys can help us out with this: we’re building our tiny house now and have a utility shed that we’re hoping to use for a propane tankless water heater. It’s enclosed in the shed so doesn’t have open-air ventilation but also isn’t as well insulated as inside of our house (we live in Olympia, WA so it doesn’t get TOO cold here). Should we go with an indoor (that might need more insulation) or outdoor (that might need more ventilation) unit then???

    • Thanks Norman!

      • Hoping someone will see this as I have the exact same question but somehow am not seeing Norman’s response. We’re wanting to mount ours outside but in a utility shed so outdoor or indoor heater? We’re looking at the Rheem propane models.

  27. Why would you want to heat water that’s already hot? (hot water heater)

  28. Hello, I am looking for a propane powered tankless water heater that does not need electricity. I found out the hard way that things that are sold as propane run water heaters and ovens actually need electricity as well.

    • So the electricity needed is to ignite the propane. The fuel that runs either the water heater or the gas stove is liquid propane. The electricity required is minimal and is only ‘on’ when you use the device and only to ignite the propane. For example when you turn on the burner to the gas stove the electricity ignites it. Same is true for the water heater. The electricity then is not ‘on’ all the time. You can ignite the burners on a gas stove that usually works with an electric ignition system in a power outage simply by turning the burner on and igniting the gas with a match. You can’t do that for the water heater however. You can look for a water heater that ignites the propane using batteries. But truly you won’t be using lots of electricity with an LPG heater. You would use a lot more electricity if the water is FUELED by electricity. I have an LPG water heater and stove both with electric ignition and my electricity bill is very small. Are you off the grid? Or using solar panels? What’s your issue with using some electricity?

    • Ruby, look for the portable LPG water heaters. They use a pair of D-cell torch batteries to ignite the gas. Our water heater has been in daily use for almost 18 months on the same pair of batteries.

      For the gas oven, they ignite off 12 volt, if the stove is made for the RV market, and even a small SLA 7 amp hour battery would provide months of spark before needing a charge.

      Happy off-gridding. 🙂

      • I had an Eccotemp L10. It ran off 2 D cell batteries to ignite the propane. The key word is “portable”. Look very carefully at the online tech manuals and installation manuals when looking at “portable” or “recreational” water heaters. I and others, have had problems with these because they are not meant for permanent installation, or daily household use. My problem was the unit didn’t activate at low enough GPM to keep the heater heating. In essence, it was either on full bore—scalding hot or completely off rendering cold only. This wasn’t a mixing valve issue it was how this unit was intended to be used. “Portable,” for my unit, meant hang it on a pole, use it at a campsite or hunt cabin, or to wash off after exiting your pool, and only for 3 seasons-spring, summer, fall. It also was not meant to be outside or used in the winter. Perhaps, if you don’t have a winter season……..?

        • Thanks, I had one of those and it did’t work for me. I’d love to find one that could fill my bathtub.

          • Yeah. It didn’t work for me either! I replaced it with a Noritz that is for permanent installation, and for daily household use. I love my Noritz and it doesn’t use lots of electricity! I have endless hot water with it.

          • Thanks Barbara. I only have electricity when I turn on my generator, and I don’t want to have to do that every time I use hot water. I’m going to check out the one Norman suggested.

      • What brand of water heater do you have?

      • Norman, I found the cleanest hot water heater but I am on able to have it shipped to the United States. Do you have any ideas? Does it use the same type of battery that the United States does

  29. I mean gleamous

  30. Thanks! I thought I searched Amazon, feeling a bit foolish. I will send this link to my plumber.

  31. I am looking at building in Northern MN. Our winters get very cold and I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for a good water heater to get. I will be on grid for most of my time, unless I decide to do some traveling.

    • I strongly suggest you not “try to save money” by getting something “inexpensive”. Been there, done that. Look at Noritz and/or Rinnai on-demand hot water heaters. Look specifically for the information concerning Freeze Protection. There will be a temperature indicating how low they rate their heater at. Example: my Noritz NR501-OD is rated down to -4F. Many of these heaters are propane—for their primary fuel that actually heats the water. They use electricity only to start the “pilot light” so to speak. Electricity sparks the propane but the propane heats the water. As for temps lower than this…..some units can be put ID or indoors….all units must be vented and many people I’ve spoken with say their indoor units can also freeze since venting allows outside cold air to come in. With an outdoor unit you will not need to cut through your wall for venting because the unit is already outside. Plus although relatively small, in a tiny home they look big and bulky. Many people have a wooden box that they add insulation to to also protect their OD heater and the water inlet pipes from freezing. You can also get a pipe protection cover that only covers the inlet pipes themselves…..that’s what I have and in winter I add insulation inside that box. My NR501 has not frozen because in temperatures below freezing I leave the hot and cold water faucets on a slow drip. The flow isn’t enough to trigger the heating unit BUT it does keep the water that flows through it from freezing. My biggest issue has been that the drains under my house freeze! Sometimes with ice dams that do not thaw until the temps. rise. Skirting around the house plus a light bulb near those for heat should fix that for me this winter!

  32. A tankless water heater simply activates when you turn on the hot water faucet. The tankless water heater uses no energy…electricity or gas until you turn on the hot water. Because a tankless hot water heater is not “on” until you activate it my experience has been that it is cheaper in monthly use (power bills) than a regular tank water heater. A regular tank water heater is always on whether you use hot water or not because it is storing hot water at a temperature that you have specified you want your hot water delivered at. SO, you set the temperature at 110 degrees and the regular tank water heater maintains it at that temperature 24 hours/day AND it is using power all day to do that. A regular tank water heater is cheaper when you buy it, but more expensive when the power bill comes.

  33. Great !

    Can you please tell me, is this process will work on Rainwater harvesting tank?
    Looking for your suggestion.

    Thanks
    Andrew

  34. You’ll need a pump, unless your rainwater tank gravity feeds from well above the tank. I’d still advise a pump, because these devices are sensitive to changes in pressure.

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