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frankfarmer · 10-20-2011, 06:34 PM

Thinking about trying the new tankless hot water heater. Just wonder of other experiences???

Full time in Limited 34, second winter coming.

Thanks for suggestions/advise.

**Kevin245** · 10-20-2011, 06:46 PM

There are numerous posts on tankless water heaters.

If you use the search function with Tankless in the thread title you'll find plenty to read on the subject.

You may also want to touch base with Lewster.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f206...light=tankless

Let us know how you proceed.

TouringDan · 10-20-2011, 09:12 PM

I am not sure of your reason for wanting to go to tankless, but if it is to save money on propane, I believe the cost savings will be negligible. For a residential home with a 40 or 50 gal gas water heater, I have read that a cost savings of $160 per year can be realized. Considering the 6 gal tank and the considerably smaller water usage in your trailer, the fuel cost savings will be very small (imho). There are other disadvantages. The tankless unit will cost more, it will be considerably more complicated and much less reliable, who is going to trouble shoot problems and repair it, plus you will not have the ability to operate it with electricity, just propane. You may also need to run a larger gas line to the tankless unit. It comes down to two of my favorite sayings: If it is not necessary to change, then it is necessary not to change and new solutions have new problems. And a third by Wally: let us not make changes, only improvements.

Dan

frankfarmer · 10-21-2011, 06:34 AM

Thanks for advise, I'll look at Girard products, Precision Temp is about 1K.

Gonna change, try one, want lots of hot water!!! Full time, second winter, no fun with wimpy 6 gallon water heater.

Aage · 10-21-2011, 06:48 AM

Gotta wonder why a 34-footer would have a 6 gallon WH. My '74 31-footer has a 10 gallon. Odd...

frankfarmer · 10-21-2011, 12:17 PM

Not sure why small tank, but Girard no tank unit unit on it's way. I'll post after installed, etc.....

Darkspeed · 10-21-2011, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankfarmer

Not sure why small tank, but Girard no tank unit unit on it's way. I'll post after installed, etc.....

I thought there were problems with the Girard???

InsideOut · 10-21-2011, 02:12 PM

We installed the Precision Temp ShowerMate 500 in our 1956 Safari and LOVE it! We especially like this model because it has a power assisted vent through the floor so was no need to put a new hole in our trailer. You can see pics here.

One of the primary reasons we went this route was the old water heater (which was missing when we got the trailer) was in the back of the trailer under the bed. Being that all the need for hot water was up front on our model, a LOT of water was just sitting in the lines which was then wasted when hot water was called for up front. So we wanted to move the W/H up front. Again, due to our layout - moving a traditional W/H up front, would move a lot of weight up to the tongue which is already heavy because of the tanks & appliances up there. So tankless, in our case was really the only way to go...it was expensive, but worth it!

Shari

frankfarmer · 10-23-2011, 06:35 PM

Hope the Girard unit works well. They had the only unit that would swap out easily to replace the Atwood 6 gallon heater.

Thanks for advise.

Good luck fellow Airstream owners.

frankfarmer · 11-01-2011, 12:20 PM

New Girard hot water heater works like a champ, plenty hot. Real glad for this improvement. I suggest it to any that like real long shower or hot water, etc....

TouringDan · 11-02-2011, 06:08 AM

Joe

Glad to hear that your Girard tankless water heater is working out real well for you. I guess sometimes you just really miss something that you can not normally have (a long hot shower in an Airstream).

Dan

frankfarmer · 11-02-2011, 09:47 PM

Dan & other AS Folks. Seems like a simple device, senses water flow & temp of incoming water, has 2 burners if inflow is cold, below 60 degrees, real hot water, swaps out easily for the old 6 gallon Atwood heater, 2 year warranty, my service guy says really not much to go wrong with it seemed to him.

Good luck all AS friends.

frankfarmer · 12-08-2011, 04:49 PM

For any one wanting a long hot shower, Girard tankless water heater works like a champ!!!

Aage · 12-08-2011, 08:34 PM

no tank you. Putting one in our TT wouldn't get enough use to make the investment pay back.

HiHoAgRV · 12-08-2011, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aage

no tank you...

ha i got it!!!!

Aage · 12-08-2011, 08:40 PM

It's all yours, Vernon. My compliments!

MrUKToad · 12-08-2011, 08:54 PM

I have no experience with tankless water heaters in trailers and don't intend to gain any (just yet) as the Atwood 6 gallon propane model is working well for us at present. My view has been more than a little clouded by my experience with a tankless system we had at home that was, for all intents and purposes, useless. It had been installed new just before I moved in and was a "dual chamber" affair, a two stage process that pre-heated then heated again. It had to have it's own 100amp service but wasn't too expensive to run, at least not initially. The trouble was the flow; it took an age to get the hot water around the house and then, once in the shower it wasn't exactly a powerful stream. Adding just the tiniest bit of cold from the city water (at a better pressure) just wiped out the hot flow. We stuck with it until it broke and, even though it was still under warranty, we canned it in favour of a natural gas powered 50 gallon tank, rented from a local company and that works perfectly. The tankless system had cost $1,500 dollars and every penny was wasted!

In the UK, domestic tankless showers are very common. These run from a 30amp service and, if they have a pump as some do, provide brilliant showers. The whole unit is about 18 inches square and maybe 4 inches deep, so is pretty unobtrusive, even in the smallest bathrooms. Sadly I don't think it'd work in an Airstream because of the power demands, but it's about time we saw a few for the home on the shelves of Lowes or Home Depot.

57BB · 01-02-2012, 01:52 PM

I just had the Girard tankless installed in my '57 Caravanner. It fit perfectly in the spot under the bed where the original would have been if mine was the "S" model. The shower will come next lol. I've got about 12 years experience with natural gas tankless hwhs. They are really fantastic and I hate to hear when someone has a bad experience with one. The trick in a house installation is to put in a recirculating pump and a 1/2" hot water return line from the furthest fixture...the same concept would apply in a large trailer...

ZoominC6 · 01-02-2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankfarmer

Thinking about trying the new tankless hot water heater. Just wonder of other experiences???

Full time in Limited 34, second winter coming.

Thanks for suggestions/advise.

While I have no experience with tankless water heaters in RV applications, they have been used in homes for decades and there is no reason to think an RV application wouldn't work just as well.

Silverflames · 07-09-2012, 11:29 AM

Frank Could you give us an update? Any problems with the Girard tankless water heater? I'm overhalling out bathroom and we need a new water heater.

Thanks,

Keith