There are some choices to assist your manufacturing unit water heater enhance heating restoration time. You’ll be able to set up what’s referred to as a sizzling rod, which is a electrical heating ingredient that replaces the anode rod in your water heater. This rod makes use of 400 watts of AC energy to warmth the ingredient and assists the gasoline portion of the heater with restoration. This can be a considerably viable choice for extending your sizzling water provide time however some water heater producers frown on their utilization, stating that it could void the guarantee as a result of the lightning rod now not gives the corrosion safety the usual anode rod does. You continue to will not get the new bathe of your goals with this feature although.
Right here is the place the tankless water heater is available in to play. There are two kinds of tankless water heaters: electrical and gas-fired. The primary variety works equally to the new rod in that an electrical heating ingredient heats the water. However that’s the place their similarities finish. Somewhat than replenish a tank stuffed with water after which warmth it, the the electrical tankless heater senses water flowing by way of it, prompts the electrical heating circuit, and the water is heated immediately. It’s 100% automated. As quickly you flip off the water circulate, the heater turns off. Water temperature is regulated with water strain. Much less water strain means extra warmth, and extra water strain equals much less warmth.
The gas-fired kind works very a lot the identical as the electrical heater when it comes to sensing water circulate and immediately heating it. However on this case, a propane burner heats the water. And there aren’t any giant electrical energy calls for wanted as with the electrical heater. Each can ship a gentle circulate of sizzling water practically indefinitely, however the gas-fired kind will have the ability to sustain with demand higher, and is extra simply tailored inside a typical RV surroundings.
The best method to mod your RV with a tankless water heater and get that sensational infinite bathe is to make use of an inline gadget that replaces the bathe head. The sort of heater makes use of a strong electrical heating ingredient to immediately warmth the incoming water simply earlier than it exits the bathe head. It might improve water temperature by as a lot as 50F at a one gallon per minute circulate charge. This needs to be sufficient to complement the manufacturing unit water heater so whereas it is recovering, you might be nonetheless getting moderately sizzling water. The one con is that the unit consumes quite a lot of present, upwards of 20+ amps. You have to to dedicate a circuit breaker and receptacle for this unit must you resolve to go this route.
If you happen to’re boondocking, or in any other case tenting with out hookups, then think about doing this mod with a customized put in gas-fired tankless water heater. These items do a wonderful job at offering instantaneous and sustained sizzling water, and can be utilized to complement or utterly substitute the usual RV water heater. There are a few essential issues to think about earlier than doing the mod although. The primary is the venting necessities. Like your RVs heater, the tankless heater emits CO2 when the burner is on, and the CO2 must be vented exterior the RV. Three inch tubing is a minimal and needs to be exhausted by way of the roof or aspect wall with the suitable tubing and vent cap.
You want to additionally think about the place the unit is mounted. The realm needs to be free from something that would are available to contact with the unit. Additionally, the unit ought to have some air flow or contemporary air provide. This is not important however the burner does want oxygen to work. Most traditional RV cupboard doorways do not seal very properly to start with so there needs to be sufficient air provide to offer correct efficiency when the unit is mounted in areas like this. In any case, observe the producer’s beneficial set up procedures in case you are in any respect uncertain. This contains connecting the gasoline and water provide, and any electrical necessities essential to energy the unit’s circuit board.
Lastly, and naturally the most costly of all of the choices, is to utterly substitute the manufacturing unit water heater with a drop in substitute tankless heater made particularly for RVs, the RV500. That is by far the simplest method to have infinite sizzling water. Changing the usual water heater with the RV500 is surprisingly easy. Begin by turning off the propane and draining your water heater. Take away the gasoline provide line and water traces. And disconnect any electrical wiring. Unscrew the fastening screws on the surface body of the heater and the unit ought to slide proper out.
To put in the RV500, reverse the steps used to take away the manufacturing unit water heater. Likelihood is the gasoline provide pipe and the water inlet and outlet tubing will not require any modifications and can connect instantly. The heater does require a 12-volt energy provide to ensure that the circuit board to operate and in any other case management the unit. It’s totally low present so it’s best to have the ability to faucet in to most any 12-volt supply close by. As soon as put in, you simply must activate any sizzling water bibb and the unit will mechanically activate. Turning off the new water bibb in flip shuts off the heater. It is quiet and can sustain with any demand. Now you possibly can take your time showering however you might need to mod your RV with bigger holding tanks!
by Mark Corgan
