Anyone using propane tankless hot water heater??

**LogHomeFeverDan** · 12-13-2012, 01:37 PM

I really like the quick disconnect idea for the outdoor grill. I'll probably end up calling in the professionals for gas line install. It'll be enough to get my confidence high to do the electrical and plumbing. PEX sure looks easier though.

Stressman thanks for your insight. I've not really considered going dc yet. Have always looked at inverters for ac. No matter how you slice it, unless I'm missing something it's still not economical to do a completely off grid system. Of course the biggest barrier to that for us is our land already has underground utilities. Former developer went under after they installed underground utilities on all the lots in this 155 acre parcel. Funny, actually, we have super nice paved road to get to each lot, but need to take a gravel road to access the property. We've not been up there when it rains hard but the turn off from the main road is gravel through a small valley with a creek, thus the potential to be flooded out. Oh well when we get set up to be self sufficient getting flooded at the access road won't matter. (-;

Still tons and tons to research. Sometimes you folks rattle stuff off that goes so far over my head it might as well be a foreign language. I've seen Rod talk about subjects that I have to google about every fourth word . I mean I fell off a turnip truck but it wasn't last night, and I did go to kollig, I evan are a gradumate. I sometimes have challenges with electrical topics however.

Always appreciate the input from everyone, it provides impetus to learn.

**StressMan79** · 12-13-2012, 04:09 PM

there are two, and only two reasons to go off grid:

1) you want to, either b/c you think the dollar will crash, or you just want the experience.
2) you have to, I live a mile from power, the cost would be prohibitive.

Even if panels were free, it will cost you more/kwhr to go off grid. I have heard something like 30cents/kwhr. when you can buy it premade for you for 10cents, you do the math...and living off grid is more difficult. No power company there to make your stuff work. you need panels and a genny...Propane stuff is more spendy than the same electric stuff...

**Kick Forward** · 12-13-2012, 07:57 PM

I remodeled a lot of our last home before selling and ran all pex for water lines. It was so easy it was borderline fun.

**sdart** · 12-14-2012, 10:34 AM

We have been using a small, propane tankless water heater that does not need a pilot light and so saves quite a bit on propane. This is appropriate for places like ours that are off the grid, because the ignition is generated by a mini hydro system that uses the water flow to spark the ignition, so no house electricity needed to start it up. Very cool and it works beautifully. In addition, it doesn't need much water pressure to run, which is great for us because we are getting our water by gravity-feed from a spring just high enough on the hill to work… but the pressure we have is not enormous. The heater we use is, unfortunately for most on this forum, made by a company that doesn't seem to do business in the States: E.L.M. Leblanc.

This is the little guy, for those of you who read French. You can download the brochure in a pdf file that gives you the specs interspersed with photos of people taking showers and baths (hey, it's French after all, what did you expect?!):
http://www.elmleblanc.fr/private_con...e_produit_2432

I have seen references to a similar one by Bosch that is sold in the U.S. but it seems to get mixed, if not downright bad reviews. But surely this useful technology will be put to good use by some other company? I hope so, by the time we get to that stage of our log home build.

**ncgator** · 12-14-2012, 04:20 PM

Here is an interesting site that reviews different units.

http://www.hvac-for-beginners.com/ta...r-ratings.html

**LogHomeFeverDan** · 12-16-2012, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by Kick Forward

I remodeled a lot of our last home before selling and ran all pex for water lines. It was so easy it was borderline fun.

That comment is borderline scary my friend!

I've not ran water lines, ever. I do tend to enjoy learning and doing new tasks. I'd have to believe if I were to choose the term "fun" with running power lines it'd be more apt to apply to a new build than a remodel. My warped sense of humor aside, thanks for the encouragement!

Stressman, yeah we've mostly ruled out off grid. The reason we will incorporate propane is I've always wanted a commercial type griddle on an island in the kitchen. I also want gas burners for the wok. I can't stand using the wok on electric. We are still exploring grid tied systems just to lower utility costs. The one aspect of our "master plan" I still am considering going off grid is the aquaponics operation. We'd like to know even if power goes out or gets spotty we could still grow produce and keep the fish alive. I was up at our property yesterday doing another walk. Unless we decide to move a lot of dirt, the greenhouse will be a distance from our home. Of course the power requirements, even more my final arrangement with aquaponics is much less than a house.

**LogHomeFeverDan** · 12-16-2012, 06:04 AM

Ugh......that should read running "water" lines not power lines. I still can't find the durn edit button.

**loghousenut** · 09-11-2014, 01:15 AM

It's a dead thread so I thought I'd resurrect it in a different direction. It has been 21 years since the Boss and I have moved back "on grid". Before that was a buncha years out in the back country, most of it living kinda in the rough. I went from garden hose showers and bathing in the river, to RV showers in the bus, to the lap of luxury... an outside shower with hot water supplied by one of two different tankless propane water heaters. There's nothing like a good outside shower and nothing like a good tankless water heater.

Well, after all those years of hauling propane and loving every minute of it, when we moved close to civilization, 21 years ago, I just naturally yanked out the electric water heater in the ugly trailer and plumbed in our tankless propane heater. Seemed like a no-brainer. Just because we now had cheap electricity, instead of the free stuff, didn't mean we had to have an electric water heater!

Now, here it is 21 years after going to work full time at the Muffin Store, and 21 years after moving 1 hour closer to work, and 21 years after Jake turned 1 year old, and our second tankless water heater pooped its guts all over the back yard. The company that made it was in France but out of business. I had "fixed" the burner assembly several times but now the main mixing valve was all gunnybagged, so it was time for the scrap heap.

The log home will NOT have a tankless propane unit simply because the water heater will sit right next to the center RPSL and I wanted to make the plumbing easy so I know it will be electric. Why buy a $1,000 tankless heater when I may accidentally finish the log home some day and then go out and buy a cheap electric model.

So I bought a cheap electric water heater. I mean really cheap. It is a 40 gallon "mobile home model" so it is as cheap as they come. Wire it up and bend a few water lines and I am ready to go just like all the other trailer trash in the valley.

So my main question for the rest of you is this... Why did I wait so long? This water heater is amazing! I didn't need a water pressure regulator on this heater so when I turn on a hot water valve I get full, non-metric, 100% American, waste it or lose it, honest to goodness full strength hot water! That means that doing dishes involves fairly quick hot water and a lot of it. That means that a shower feels like a back massage! I love this water heater!

I know this is a radical departure from where this thread was headed, but I just wanted to say that, for those of you that have 220v of city power, you could do a lot worse than an old fashioned electric water heater. Save the extra money to invest in hand forged door hinges or underwear. I want photos!