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Hope I'm not wearing out my welcome with so many requests for advice but y'all are such a wealth of knowledge and valuable information! I always hope my posts can provide others with useful info as well.
I'm seeking recommendations (or products to avoid) when it comes to compact portable propane on-demand hot water heaters from "real world" users here...I'll be wanting one for my off-grid place. The usual issues, "not available to ship to HI" or ridiculous mark-ups on price to get one here notwithstanding, what brands and models/sellers are suggested by you fine folk, or which ones should I run away from?
I have heard of Eccotemp, AHqua, Joolca. Everytime I do an online search I'm bombarded with ads for Camplux heaters so of course I question their quality.
Thank you all for your willingness to share info!
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Just to add some info to the "not available to ship to HI" issue....
For large items that I buy from the mainland that do not ship to Hawaii I get the weight and cubic volume for the item and then get a quote from Hawaiian Express (SoCal or NoCal) to deliver to Port of Hilo. Yeah it costs more but it does get it here... and often the supplier will deliver free to Hawaiian Express' locations.
To do this you will need to acquire a quote number for Hawaiian Express and have the supplier deliver to your name with that quote number to H.E.'s location.
Hope this is helpful.
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I know of at least three eccotemp L5s in use daily for 5+ years. The only challenge is the temperature will vary with water pressure, so if someone flushes while you're showering the shower will get hotter.
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Hi Rob, thanks for that tip on shipping...just one of the "'perks' and quirks" of living on an island, right? Gotta find those workarounds!
And thank you, Randomq for the Eccotemp testimonials and caveat. I know of someone here who has had one for 3+ years and is very happy with it, and is using it in the same way as I intend; for an outdoor shower. My worry is the battery contacts for the igniter corroding too easily outdoors, like happened with the anemometer on my weather station...rendered it useless in barely a year.
I'm leaning toward Eccotemp if I can get one here readily but will look forward to hearing from others.
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One more thing, you will probably want to shield it from wind, since our gusty trades will blow it out on occasion. Not.a big deal, but annoying if it's a cold morning!
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Give some extra thought about placement: Our Bosch unit is reliable, but is placed closest to a bathtub we don't use much...the shower is further away in a second bathroom and it takes some time to get there. Also, even in Mountain View it would be wise to insulate those pipes.
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Good info, all; thanks! Don't think I'll have a problem with cooler temps since I'm in lower Puna and very rarely does it get below 60°, usually mid-60°s at least in the mornings. The heater will be mounted on the side wall of the house, also, so again cold shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks again for the info!
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(04-08-2022, 08:35 AM)punikahakaiferret Wrote: . My worry is the battery contacts for the igniter corroding too easily outdoors, like happened with the anemometer on my weather station...rendered it useless in barely a year.
I haven't seen that happen on Iheat or Camplux heaters with outside placement.
Hilo Propane only services Paloma brand, for what that's worth. In my experience this brand has better longevity than the other two mentioned.
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I started with a cheap 5L Marey from Amazon. It failed after a few years but the education was worth it.
One lesson, the problem with mounting them outside is the condensation. I designed the new house with a tiny closet so the new 10L water heater could live indoors, with short hot water runs, and it's fantastic. I used stainless double-wall venting (also from Amazon), cost almost as much as the water heater, but also totally worth it.
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Good info from all; thanks!
I went ahead and ordered an Eccotemp since that was the brand I got the most positive feedback about from those I knew who have an outdoor shower.
Ordered it from the mainland so no clue when it will arrive and when I'll get to try it out.
Thanks again, everyone! :-)
