Replace instant hot with standard water heater?

[TurnThePage]

I feel like I'm being pushed into a corner where I'll have to purchase an RV with an instant hot water heater, and I don't like it. I already grumbled about it in the Travel Trailer forum.

I know this goes against the grain of the typical questions asked here, but I'm curious if anybody has ever swapped back to a conventional water heater. Is it difficult? How do the installed dimensions compare?

Thoughts and ideas welcome!

[PA12DRVR]

Bobbo wrote:

PA12DRVR wrote:
No dog in the hunt but what is the beef with an instant vs. traditional water heater?

With the instant hot you have to maintain a certain volume of water flow or else it won't activate. If you take Navy showers, no hot water. If you trickle a little hot water while doing dishes, no hot water. Insufficient water flow in both of those scenarios.

Got it....I use a instant at the cabin (not an RV) that is ideal for that mission ....propane fueled, doesn't require power (just water pressure), ignites off the flow, etc....but out at the cabin, neither water volume (500 gallon catchment) nor flow rate / pressure are otherwise restricted.

Thanks for the info.

[Bobbo]

PA12DRVR wrote:
No dog in the hunt but what is the beef with an instant vs. traditional water heater?

With the instant hot you have to maintain a certain volume of water flow or else it won't activate. If you take Navy showers, no hot water. If you trickle a little hot water while doing dishes, no hot water. Insufficient water flow in both of those scenarios.

[rk911]

PA12DRVR wrote:
No dog in the hunt but what is the beef with an instant vs. traditional water heater?

for us it would be a non-starter because if the instant WH fails or if we're boondocking we'd be out of options. in a boondock situation I imagine the even if the instant WH can be powered by the inverter it would be a major drain. in our last MH we had a LP/elec traditional WH. On a trip one side failed (don't recall if that was elec. or gas) but we were still able to heat water by switching to the alternate fuel. I'm a 'Murphy' guy...

[PA12DRVR]

No dog in the hunt but what is the beef with an instant vs. traditional water heater?

[willald]

rk911 wrote:
being pressured or pushed into something, especially a home or RV, is a bad situation. I'd walk away. beyond that an "instant" water heater is something I would never consider for an RV as it takes away the option to heat your water with propane using a dual-fuel water heater.

The problem is, a lot of new RVs are now coming with the instant hot water, so you don't get a choice in the matter. That is, unless you're willing to wait forever for them to custom build you a unit without such. That, or stick with used. Guess you might convince the RV dealer to swap it to conventional water tank as part of the deal, but that might be a tough negotiating point.

Our Newmar (see signature), the next year model after mine, Newmar started putting the instant hot water unit in, basically forcing it on you like original poster indicated. Glad I bought mine when I did, cause like many here, I don't want instant hot.

[TurnThePage]

Grit dog wrote:
Sounds like searching for something to worry about that hasn't happened yet, can easily be avoided or just dealt with.

I'm definitely worried about it. Hopefully it's gonna happen soon. I'm dealing with it here and now.

[msmith1_wa]

I did it. My trailer came with an Atwood on demand water heater. Replaced it with an Atwood 6 gallon gas/electric. The hardest part was removing the sealant so the old one could be removed. Fortunately for me, my control panel came setup for the gas/electric with the wires terminated at the water heater.

[rk911]

being pressured or pushed into something, especially a home or RV, is a bad situation. I'd walk away. beyond that an "instant" water heater is something I would never consider for an RV as it takes away the option to heat your water with propane using a dual-fuel water heater.

[sparkydave]

Good question, I've wondered how hard that would be. If my tankless ever quits, I'd seriously consider putting a conventional in. The dimensions appear to the the same, the issue might be whether the wires to the control panel are compatible since the control panel would be different.

My compartment door might need to be replaced since the exhaust protrudes through a large hole in the door, and I'd have to add the bypass valves since the tankless doesn't have them.

[Grit_dog]

Sounds like searching for something to worry about that hasn't happened yet, can easily be avoided or just dealt with.

[way2roll]

Pretty sure I've seen Doug post that a lot of folks swap them to conventional water heaters. I'm with you on your thinking.