Adding A Second Water Heater

[rgolding]

We have the Girard tankless water heater and have learned to live with it, without major incident. I have continuously disliked the waste of water trying to get hot water to the bathroom and other locations. Because on our model of the Seneca, the hot water heater is in the very back corner of the driver side and distance to the bathroom faucets and the shower and the kitchen faucets is a real reason that it takes so long to get hot water forward. It has been my thought, that replacing with a traditional RV water heater placed in the location of the Girard, would not change this distance.

Yesterday, I installed a 2.5 gallon electric hot water heater in the utility compartment, right under the wardrobe and behind the bathroom. Last night was the first test of showers and water usage. So far, so good. I've been pursuing this project for awhile and the concern was where to break in to the hot water line. I felt I had found the location in the outside faucet and up until a couple of days ago, that was what I was going to do. Change came when I was exploring where to get 110 volt power and decided to use the power outlet behind the wardrobe that was intended to be for the washer and dryer we chose not to install.

My original thought was to break in to the hot water line and add the electrically heated hot water in to the line coming from the Girard heater. Upon exploration of the electrical outlet, there was the hot and cold water faucets for the washer. Decided to use them. Drilled holes down to utility closet below and this has worked well. Shower now works much like a conventional shower with adjustment of both hot and cold water. As I installed this, I also installed pipe insulation on all hot water pipes I could reach.

As we "boondock" with limited water and limited electrical power about half the year. Water consumption is the biggest obstacle and the extra 2.5 gallons doesn't hurt. Limited electrical power is just using the generator or isolating the use of only one electrical appliance, including this new water heater, at a time.

Continuing to explore "the pursuit of happiness in this great Nation".
__________________

[MrWizard]

plumbing in new lines, depends on access
rather hard to do on some of the newer RVs out there
would NOT be easy on my 95 Safari,
the electrical is easy to work on, converter, inverter, transfer switch
all easy to get to

the plumbing is all concealed and VERY hard to get to, changing the water pump was a big job
getting at the water heater is even worse

[Happy_Prospecto]

I installed two 12 volt water valves in my trailer, one at my kitchen sink hot water line and one the bathroom sink hot water line and plumbed them both back the fresh water tank fill pex pipe. To operate the valves I installed a 12 volt push and hold to operate switch. The install took about 4 hours and a six pack and was not hard at all.
Now at the kitchen sink I push the switch for 11 seconds for hot water and the bathroom sink takes 7 seconds. It doesn't sound like much, but at the days end I probably saved about 2 minutes of water going to waste, which when you are boondocking is a lot.
Would I do it again---In a heartbeat.


The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.

[Sam_Spade]

TNGW1500SE wrote:

Seems like less of a pain than installing another water heater 😉

Good point.

And easiest of all:
Learn to wash your hands with cold water.
Prior to 1940 or so, that's all you had.
Many places are still like that.

[TNGW1500SE]

Sam Spade wrote:

TNGW1500SE wrote:
Why not just run a water line from the far end of the hot line back to the fresh water tank.

Interesting idea but you would probably need a valve and line at EACH faucet that is far from the hot tank, or else you would have to remember to visit the one valve each time. A huge pain in the backside, I think.

Seems like less of a pain than installing another water heater 😉

[time2roll]

I added a circulating system with a small pump. Works great.
Have seen others that add a valve to dump the hot water line back to the fresh tank until actual hot water is flowing. Seems foolproof.

[Sam_Spade]

TNGW1500SE wrote:
Why not just run a water line from the far end of the hot line back to the fresh water tank.

Interesting idea but you would probably need a valve and line at EACH faucet that is far from the hot tank, or else you would have to remember to visit the one valve each time. A huge pain in the backside, I think.

[TNGW1500SE]

Why not just run a water line from the far end of the hot line back to the fresh water tank. Then use a valve in that line so that the water goes from the old water heater, back to the fresh tank when you open the valve? You would be able to "prime" your hot water line. It would fill your hot lines with hot water before you opened the shower or sink valve and not just run water into your grey tank. You wouldn't even need another pump. I'd use pex line. You'd have no wasted water.

[MrWizard]

assuming it has a thermostat for temp control
it will only be on for a short period
the New hot water will be immediately available and prevent water waste, while waiting for the On Demand hot water to reach the faucet/shower
when the hot water arrives, the new heater should shut down
so a little more energy use, but water is saved, not running cold water down the drain, and into the gray water tank

[Sam_Spade]

I assume from your story that you added the new heater in the existing HOT water line, right ?

That should work fine but will be a little energy wasteful overall.

When a demand heater is installed near a point of use like that, it is usually fed from the cold water line.