|
| Author |
Message |
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 13 Sep 2020 09:44am - Edited by: paulz
Reply
I've had good use out of my L5, particularly showering outdoors where I stand next to it and manipulate the heat output, which varies according to air temp. Soon though I'll be back to using the indoor shower, which is plumbed with cold water as well to adjust temp that way. But it's always been finicky. Too little cold and it's too hot, too much and it cuts pressure to the L5 and turns it off. And always a spike of extra hot when first turned on. Never seem to get a reliable temp for any duration.
Anyone else use an L5 this way. Is it a basic negative to tankless heaters? Is there a better alternative?
|
|
Brettny
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 07:14am
Reply
These portable units are not made to use with a mixing valve in a standard shower. Your experience is why.
Best bet is to make a single valve in your shower and set the heater.
|
|
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 10:46am
Reply
Thanks Brett. I have separate knobs in the shower, but invariably the hot alone will be either too hot or too cold. I've though about cutting an arm hole in the wall to reach outside..
What's the difference between the L5 and home tankless heaters that work with a mixing valve?
A neighbor offered me a propane tank heater. We alternate between the cabin and house every 2-3 days so that would mean the tank would cool off and have to be reheated every time unless I left the propane on, which I don't do now.
|
|
Brettny
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 01:46pm
Reply
When I bought my current house it had an old standing pilot 40gal propane heater. Let me tell you after almost 30days of cold showers I had enough and repaired it(prior to going electric) every day about 45min before I wanted a shower I would open up the 20lb propane tank and light the water heater. If i remember right it would last me 2+ weeks of showers.
As to what's dif between a mixing valve on demand and a portable I'm not sure. If your on limited water it can be tough to get the right temp water from a portable on demand as they can be finikey
|
|
scott100
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 03:55pm
Reply
We have had the same issues with our L10 so I think it's just the nature of the beast.
What has worked well for us has been to set the flow low enough so it comes on with whatever faucet in the place has the lowest flow. I set the temp just a little higher than you might want for a shower. That gets it hot enough for dish washing. We always start by turning the hot on all the way and the cold off. If the shower gets too hot, then we add a small amount of cold to temper it but not too much or the thing will turn off. It has been pretty much set and forget after we got it tweaked right.
Also there is a procedure for adjusting the flow of the heater so it comes on at a lower flow rate if your pressure is low. This might help you some. I did this on our L10 but really didn't notice whether it helped, or I just got better at tweaking the settings dials.
https://support.eccotemp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019638834-How-to-do-a-Water-Pressur e-Adjustment#:~:text=To%20make%20the%20adjustment%3A&text=The%20hole%20that%20is%20fu rthest,water%20pressure%20by%20restricting%20flow.
https://support.eccotemp.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013416408-Ticket-Example-My-L10-is- not-staying-on
|
|
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 05:24pm
Reply
Thanks Scott. At least I am not alone. But I have never messed with the flow knob, if that can keep it from shutting off when I add cold maybe that's the ticket. I'll give it a try this week.
|
|
scott100
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 07:30pm
Reply
Yeah, also try turning the heat down so if you have to add any cold its only a little.
|
|
scott100
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Sep 2020 07:32pm
Reply
FWIW, we're running off a Sureflow pump. I'm assuming that the operation would be better if we were running off a standard domestic supply.
|
|
|
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 10:01am
Reply
Thinking of popping for this 6 gallon RV LP water heater for the cabin. I don't get the last two items in this description. What is the 'electric element circuit', and what's this about 'coach's motor heats up while you are driving'?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Suburban-6-Gal-Direct-Spark-Ignition-Gas-Water-Heater-523 8A/312318722?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US
|
|
gcrank1
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 10:39am
Reply
For summer Ive been thinking about a simple rack with a dark piece of metal roofing out in the sun.
A pipe with a series of holes at the top and a stretch of eve-trough at the bottom can run into a whatever size bucket.
A little 12v pump running off a small battery recirculates water from the bucket up to the pipe, runs and warms down the roofing and back into the bucket.
When it is hot enough your shower is ready.
|
|
Brettny
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 10:43am
Reply
Paul I believe that means it has an electric element and a engine coolant to domestic water head exchanger.
|
|
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 11:08am - Edited by: paulz
Reply
Quoting: Brettny Paul I believe that means it has an electric element and a engine coolant to domestic water head exchanger.
Electric heating element? Why would it need that with LP? And a heat exchanger with engine coolant would be good for an RV but obviously I wouldn't need that, unless I could pipe it to the wood stove...
Going to look for the manual. I had one of these in an RV years ago, it was simple, no electricity, started it with a match, and no heat exchanger.
EDIT: Found the manual, it does have the heat exchanger, still working on the electric element part..
EDIT again: I think that HD description includes the other Suburban models. They have pilot light, piezo spark and electric/gas combo models. The combo actually sounds interesting since I have extra solar, sometimes.
Here's a description of the models offered:
https://www.waterheaterleakinginfo.com/suburban-rv-water-heater/
|
|
Irrigation Guy
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 12:55pm
Reply
Quoting: gcrank1 For summer Ive been thinking about a simple rack with a dark piece of metal roofing out in the sun. A pipe with a series of holes at the top and a stretch of eve-trough at the bottom can run into a whatever size bucket. A little 12v pump running off a small battery recirculates water from the bucket up to the pipe, runs and warms down the roofing and back into the bucket. When it is hot enough your shower is ready.
A way we have done it for a customer who wanted hot water for his out door shower down by the beach was to put a full of 1†black poly pipe on the roof of the little shed that he stored his beach stuff in. It would bake in the sun and get over 100 degrees. All we had to do was run a cold line to it. You could do the same with a small dc pump as well.
|
|
ICC
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 04:27pm
Reply
Quoting: paulz What is the 'electric element circuit', and what's this about 'coach's motor heats up while you are driving'?
There are a variety of RV water heaters. Some only burn propane to heat, and come with either a pilot light or direct ignition that requires 12 VDC. Then there are RV heaters that also has a 120 VAC electric element for when the RV is parked in a campground with electric service. They are also a small number that have a coil of tubing inside the tank that allows engine coolant to circulate through when driving and transfer heat to the water in the tank. That uses a closed loop from the engine so the coolant and potable water do not mix.
|
|
ICC
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 04:30pm
Reply
There are pool heater rubber mats with many small tubes molded into them. When we had a pool I had one on the roof and the pool pump circulated water through. The pool could get as warm as a hot tub in mid-summer.
If the water is going to be used as potable/shower water one might want to be careful about the piping materials being used.
|
|
ICC
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 04:42pm
Reply
I have used the Suburban brand of RV water heater for decades. The pilot light models are the simplest but can use something like 1/2 to 3/4 lb. of propane a day just sitting there with the pilot burning.
I have also found that depending on how much hot water is needed, leaving such a heater with the burner set to the pilot only position can provide enough hot water for 2 water-conscious peoples daily use, including short showers.
The direct ignitions work well too. I like the deluxe direct ignition, 120 VAC electric and engine heater version in my bus/rv.
|
|
ICC
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 04:44pm - Edited by: ICC
Reply
Direct spark is not piezo. The ones I am familiar with have a switch panel that can be placed anywhere is the RV or cabin, to turn it on or off and the system uses 12 VDC to make a spark between electrodes to ignite the propane. I have a direct ignition propane fueled one in the cabin, the super duper one in the bus.
|
|
Fanman
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 04:54pm
Reply
Quoting: paulz Electric heating element? Why would it need that with LP? And a heat exchanger with engine coolant would be good for an RV but obviously I wouldn't need that...
RV appliances are often designed to run on electric as well as propane, so you don't waste propane when you're at a campground with AC power available. RV refrigerators often are 3-way, running on propane, 110VAC, or 12VDC.
FWIW, we have a Bosch propane tankless heater in our cabin, not one of those little portables, and it's the same. For a shower the routine is to turn on the hot water fully, wait for the hot water to get to the showerhead, then add a tiny bit of cold until it's the right temperature.
We've also used one of those "solar showers" when the water was turned off. With the bag laying on a black shingled roof in the sunshine the water gets surprisingly hot.
|
|
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 7 Feb 2022 05:17pm - Edited by: paulz
Reply
Quoting: ICC Direct spark is not piezo.
OK gotcha. Yeah in my old RV I would light the heater in the morning, shut it off, use a bit of water during the day for washing hands and dishes and it was still warm enough for a night shower.
I decided to give my L5 tankless another shot at an indoor shower today though, as my generator and well pump are running to fill the water tank and I could waste some water. Finally some success! By turning the pressure knob down all the way and the temp knob all the way I was able to turn on the cold water faucet to get a good temp without it turning off the L5. Took a 10 minute shower without adjustment. So there is hope for the tankless after all. Also I think being on the LFP batteries gives my pump an extra kick over the old FLAs.
I normally shower outside next to the L5 so I can adjust it but nice to be able to use the indoor shower.
|
|
|
