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dianaji
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Location: San Marcos, CA
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On demand water heater
I'm wondering if getting an on-demand water heater is the best way to go. i am planning on making a small batch solar water heater, however, may want
both. thanks, diana
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oldlady
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We have them, they work well but not if the water pressure isn't great enough.
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BajaGringo
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They do sell booster pumps for these units if needed. In your case Diana I would just put a tank up high enough with a 1" line coming into the unit to
provide the pressure needed.
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Taco de Baja
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There was a discussion on this a while ago. The general consensus was they suck. And I agree. They often don’t work in low flow situations (if you
want a trickle at the faucet), don’t work if you want more than one outlet pulling water at the same time, they are expensive to buy and install….
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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Taco de Baja
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Previous discussion: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=30853#pid3125...
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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Johannes
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the pressure is just depending on the hight, the pipe just has to support the flow, so it needs to be at least the size of the connection pipe on the
heater unit.
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MrBillM
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Getting Pressured
I had one of the "Rinnai"(?) units about twenty years ago fed by a 500-gallon tank ten feet up and I had to add a Shurflo pressure-demand pump to the
line. Cost over two-hundred bucks at a discount. Used it for about 5 years until it crapped. As stated, if you closed the valve too much, the
heater shutdown.
I replaced it with a Ten-Gallon (well, 40 Litre) conventional propane water-heater and wouldn't have anything else. $89.00 in San Felipe and it's
been online for the last Fifteen years. Wouldn't have anything else.
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David K
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MrBillM speaks from experience on this dianaji... Tankless units are expensive and don't lend themselves to low pressure/ low flow situations...
unless there is something new?
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DianaT
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When we lived in the backwaters of Honduras, we had a hot water heater that looked very much like this.
It the heating element was right in the shower head. The water pressure, when we had water, was not good and the heater worked very well.
However, we were always very careful because we don't think it was wired real well---the water had that strange rather charged feel to it. And once
in a while we would hear about someone electrocuted by one of these. They were very common in Honduras.
Don't know if they are available or if they are safe, but when we had water, we had hot showers and lived to tell about it. 
Oh, our walls and the wiring on that unit look a lot like what we had----we always set the temp BEFORE we turned the water on and never touched any
part of it while showering.
Diane
[Edited on 2-18-2009 by jdtrotter]
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Bob and Susan
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i agree with mrbillm
go for the regular heater...
i had 7...soon only one will be left
they do not work as advertised
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boe4fun
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Hey Diane, they sell the water heater with the heating element in the shower head at the hardware store in Mulege. On the road that comes out from
Davis store. Paul Boe
Two dirt roads diverged in Baja and I, I took the one less graveled by......
Soy ignorante, apático y ambivalente. No lo sé y no me importa, ni modo.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by boe4fun
Hey Diane, they sell the water heater with the heating element in the shower head at the hardware store in Mulege. On the road that comes out from
Davis store. Paul Boe |
They really work quite well, but all those wires in the shower just didn't seem right.
Diane
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BajaGringo
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I used one for 10 years in Argentina and it worked fine. I guess different folks have different experiences. They do make a very simple booster pump
that goes on the inlet. They sell them at Home depot. And what's with the "expensive" installation? They are simple to install. I liked that they
weren't heating my water when I wasn't using it. I have a friend in San Quintin who has used one for three years now. Cost him $220 at the local
hardware store and we have taken many showers at his place and never a problem.
Different strokes...
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dianaji
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i think mulege is far away from la mision...
oh, and btw, i am getting electricity! the pole is up!
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dianaji
Senior Nomad
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Location: San Marcos, CA
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Mood: hungry for knowledge, simplicity, hugs and fish tacos!
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so, that's that...no windmill!
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dianaji
Senior Nomad
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Mood: hungry for knowledge, simplicity, hugs and fish tacos!
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ps. since i am very frugal, and do not use lots of hot water, and there seems to be controversy re on-demand, vs. regular heater, what would work
best in this case? i hate the idea of having a pilot on full time. any suggestions? thanks for all the help.
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CortezBlue
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I am in San Felipe and I was fortunate to find a brand new Ranni(SP) unit for LP Gas for $250 from a over stock construction place in Phoenix. I
almost didn't use it due to the horror stories that I had heard from many folks. But I had nothing to lose. I hooked it up and havent looked back
since. We have great water pressure and the unit has worked flawlessly. I would not recommend the electric units, but the gas one that I have works
great!!
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bajaguy
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Picked up mine at Home Depot in Ensenada several years ago for about $300USD. Propane model works great, but looking for a booster pump to help out
upstairs.
[Edited on 2-18-2009 by bajaguy]
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BMG
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We've had our demand water heater in use now for about a year. Definitely takes some getting used to when compared to a tank heater. We do have a
pressure system on our household plumbing that keep pressure between 35psi-50psi.
Water temperature changes while showering, especially if you try cutting back on water flow as the heater starts to cycle. Most of the time our shower
will go from hot to very hot and then back to hot. I think it has to do with the water pressure as it drops and then the pump kicks in and increases
the psi again.
So far, I would go again with the demand heater. At this point the determining factor will be longevity.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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BajaGringo
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I will get the booster pump info and upload it when i get back to Rosarito, As I recall they work on demand and do a good job of keeping constant
pressure in even the lowest pressure situations...
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