Gas Water Heater

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
Explain to me the gas water heater. I need to buy a water heater and someone suggested a gas one. Does that mean you have to have a gas tank in the house? Beside the heater?

The problem we have with the electric water heater....besides a huge electric bill, is that with 2 kids showering, and one 3 year-old bathing by the time Mommy wants to shower she has to wait another 2 hours for hot water. And we usually have to wait at least 30 minutes between each kids' shower or bath because after the 10 minutes the water starts getting tepid again.

I hear that the water never stops being hot with the gas water heater but I am not a fan of having a gas tank in my house.

Anyone know about this?

SHALENA
 

karlheinz

New member
Oct 2, 2006
451
4
0
On demand hot water

Your probably talking about an on-demand gas water heater which is exactly what I installed in my apartment.
These run on propane. Essentially you turn on the hot water which kicks the heater on (pizo electric) and whalla you have hot water some 15 seconds afterwards.........continuous....... I bought an "Ecotemp" from the US, along with a small 12 volt water pump for $167.00 plus shipping to the DR. Have been using on the same 40 lb propane tank for the last year and it works wonderfully. Only elec. you will use is to keep a small battery charged to run the 12 volt water pump that ups the pressure to make the system work.

If you use propane to cook with then you should be able to use propane for this system to work.

Karlheinz







Explain to me the gas water heater. I need to buy a water heater and someone suggested a gas one. Does that mean you have to have a gas tank in the house? Beside the heater?

The problem we have with the electric water heater....besides a huge electric bill, is that with 2 kids showering, and one 3 year-old bathing by the time Mommy wants to shower she has to wait another 2 hours for hot water. And we usually have to wait at least 30 minutes between each kids' shower or bath because after the 10 minutes the water starts getting tepid again.

I hear that the water never stops being hot with the gas water heater but I am not a fan of having a gas tank in my house.

Anyone know about this?

SHALENA
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
I don't think those are what I'm looking for as they are tankless and require plumbing. This is a rented house so I don't want to invest in alot of plumbing changes. I'll google the ones with tank. Thanks


SHALENA
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
the tank is on the outside, just like kitchen gas tank. i would just suggest that you get two gas bottles. this way you can have gun all the time. when one bottle is empty you connect the other one (one move of the valve) and take and empty tank to be filled up when you have a moment. very neat.
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
Your probably talking about an on-demand gas water heater which is exactly what I installed in my apartment.
These run on propane. Essentially you turn on the hot water which kicks the heater on (pizo electric) and whalla you have hot water some 15 seconds afterwards.........continuous....... I bought an "Ecotemp" from the US, along with a small 12 volt water pump for $167.00 plus shipping to the DR. Have been using on the same 40 lb propane tank for the last year and it works wonderfully. Only elec. you will use is to keep a small battery charged to run the 12 volt water pump that ups the pressure to make the system work.

If you use propane to cook with then you should be able to use propane for this system to work.

Karlheinz

This sounds like it. Did you install it yourself? Do you have the name of the one you bought?

SHALENA
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
OK, thanks for all the info. I will go to Ochoa or Bellon when I get home and hopefully they will have some.

Anyone know how much I should expect to pay for installation? Is the installation a big job?

SHALENA
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
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South Coast
We have the same thing Shalena - on-demand propane hot water heater. We've had it for 3 years, not one problem, my husband installed it himself [but he's very handy], and we're still on the SAME propane tank. Granted, only two of us most of the time, and we're not here 12 months a year, but still. Runs on the propane and a couple of "D" batteries. As long as there is gas in the tank, you have non-stop hot water.

We don't have the extra pump that Karl has, but it sounds like a good idea.
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
We have the same thing Shalena - on-demand propane hot water heater. We've had it for 3 years, not one problem, my husband installed it himself [but he's very handy], and we're still on the SAME propane tank. Granted, only two of us most of the time, and we're not here 12 months a year, but still. Runs on the propane and a couple of "D" batteries. As long as there is gas in the tank, you have non-stop hot water.

We don't have the extra pump that Karl has, but it sounds like a good idea.

Did you all buy yours in DR?

SHALENA
 

riosanjuanero

New member
Jul 10, 2006
12
0
0
Can you explain how the pump works? Does it only come on when you open the hot water valve. Does it have a pressure tank with it?
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Mine has no pump.... it activates when the water has a certain amount of flow.... my house uses an impeller to pump my water.

If your water pressure is too low to activate the heater, you need to boost it.

There are types with a pressure tank or an impeller (no tank).

you need to verify your pressure to see if you need one
 
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
When I lived in Mexico City, every apartment had a "boiler" that held about 40 liters. When you wanted a bath, you lit the boiler and waited about 15 minutes. These ran on propane, which you bought from a guy who walked down the street every morning with a tank on his shoulder, yelling GAAAAAAAS! GAAAAAS!

There was always water, because it was in a tank on the roof. When your water came out of the faucet with a greenish hue, you pestered the super to repair the pump. There was a tank (or sometimes several tanks) on the roof, and the pressure was accomplished through the miracle of gravity.

Then you had to purge the boiler of the green algae slime.
 

karlheinz

New member
Oct 2, 2006
451
4
0
plumbing hot water

We have the same thing Shalena - on-demand propane hot water heater. We've had it for 3 years, not one problem, my husband installed it himself [but he's very handy], and we're still on the SAME propane tank. Granted, only two of us most of the time, and we're not here 12 months a year, but still. Runs on the propane and a couple of "D" batteries. As long as there is gas in the tank, you have non-stop hot water.

We don't have the extra pump that Karl has, but it sounds like a good idea.

The reason for the pump is these kinds of hot water heaters work only when the water pressure is high (psi)...don't remember the exact numbers but a gravity fed system similar to what I have doesn't have enough pressure behind it to kick the system on. My apartment originally had a small elec. hot water heater in the kitchen but had been removed years ago and the cold intake and hot outlet lines plugged off. I hired a guy to buy the pvc fittings and install with my supervision and paid I think about $500 RD for his labor.

To install you get a line from your cold water system.....pvc or flexible hose it to the water pump inlet...then outlet of pump to inlet of hot water heater....then a single hot water outline and I then plumbed into my existing hot water lines.....whalla....hot water at both the kitchen and bathroom. If you don't have two lines plumbed into your bathroom then you could T-off the outlet and run flexible lines to where ever you want.

These systems are designed for outdoor use hence the need for a water pump and D cell batteries to fire it up.
Need to install in a well ventilated area - my kitchen has a vent hood and the heater is installed below that.

Karl
 

karlheinz

New member
Oct 2, 2006
451
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exactly...the pump I have only kicks on when I open a hot water valve...it's a boat water pump system that does not need an accumulator.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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South Coast
The reason for the pump is these kinds of hot water heaters work only when the water pressure is high (psi)...don't remember the exact numbers but a gravity fed system similar to what I have doesn't have enough pressure behind it to kick the system on.
Karl

Okay, now I understand. We have a well pump and a cistern pump, a large holding tank, and a tinaco. The on-demand hot water heater only works when we have electricity to run the pumps, or if there is sufficient pressure in the tank when electric goes off, or if we run a generator for the pump. The pressure from the tinaco is not sufficient.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Oftentimes, a gravity feed system will not deliver the req'd pressure/flow to ignite the heater - hence the pump
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,389
456
83
I think I read somewhere that you need a tinaco about 50 feet up in order to get enough preasure to get the heater to start. A preasure system is a must.