RV Tankless Water Heater Guide

RV Tankless Water Heater Guide - Fogatti Living

Are you ready to embark on a winter adventure in an RV? Imagine leaving behind the sunny, warm weather of Southern California and heading to the snowy landscapes of Colorado or Milwaukee. A motorhome trip during the winter can be a truly unique experience, but it's important to have the right equipment to ensure a comfortable journey. A top-of-the-line RV water heater is a must-have to guarantee a pleasant trip. Keep reading to learn more about why a quality water heater is crucial for your next winter RV adventure.

There is no doubt that tankless water heaters are setting off a boom. No matter in the Homedepot local store or Amazon online mall, the tankless water heater is occupying more and more shelves and links. From A.O Smith and Rheem in the household field to Atwood and Dometic in the RV field, they have also shifted their focus from tank to tankless or gas-electric water heaters. What exactly is the charm that makes everyone commit to tankless water heaters among them, there are several reasons.

How to choose a suitable tank water heater... We believe the next comparison can give you some help.

Almost no energy trouble

Although parking at KOA or Walmart at night and connecting to an electric stake is not a problem for electricity. But there are times of the year when you're on a deeper camping trip, or unfortunately can't make it back to camp all day. At this point a tank water heater that consumes 1.4kW of electricity per hour and heats constantly 24 hours a day is certainly a big burden.

Unlimited hot water supply

With a tanked water heater, the total amount of hot water is still limited by the size of the tank capacity. With a tankless water heater, however, the water is heated on demand rather than from a preheated supply, so the water is more abundant. Specifically, according to research by the World Health Organization, an adult often needs 6.2 gal of hot water for a single bath. A 6gal tanked water heater can release up to 7.5gal of water at a time when mixing cold water to 113°F. This means that when two people are needed to take a bath continuously, you have to wait 30 min for the water in the tank to be reheated. In contrast, tankless water heaters often deliver 113°F hot water at 2.4 GPM. Theoretically it only takes around 3 minutes to produce enough hot water for 6.2 gal, and there is no need to wait for the next bath.

No bulky water tank

    Tank-type water heaters consist of a pressurized storage vessel and a heating element. As such, they not only take up a lot of space, but also can cause some very serious hazards. If the seals on the tank water heater fail or corroded fittings can cause leaks that can short circuit the entire circuit of the RV or even burn out outright. If you are using a 10gal tanked water heater, it takes up a lot of valuable space in your RV. A tankless water heater is much safer and smaller, it is only 60% of the size of a 10gal tanked water heater and has an extremely limited amount of water inside, so there is no risk of leaks.

    Longer service life

    Tankless water heaters last around 15 years when used in the home, while tank-type water heaters typically last 8 years. With proper use and regular maintenance, a well-maintained caravan can last around 20 years, depending on the mileage. For those who are long-term users, having a tankless water heater may mean that you never have to worry about finding or paying for a replacement.

     

    Of course, tankless water heaters are not without their drawbacks. The following issues also need to be carefully considered before you buy.

    Higher initial cost

    Whether for home or RV, tank-type water heater is cheaper than tankless model. Of course, the price difference for RV units will be a little less. This is probably because traditional domestic tank-type water heaters are too big for RVs, so tank-type water heaters have to be specially manufactured and designed specifically for RVs. The tankless water heater format is much more friendly for caravan use.

    The "cold water sandwich" phenomenon

    There is a phenomenon known as the "cold water sandwich". When hot water is used, turned off and then used again within a relatively short period of time, the water temperature suddenly becomes cold in the middle of the process. When the tap is turned off, the hot water is held near the pipe outlet. When it is turned back on again, the previous hot water flows out. This is because the tankless heater takes a few seconds to reheat and then the hot water is ready again. Although most people hardly notice it during use, we prefer to be honest and point out the problem.

     

    If you are interested in a tankless water heater for your RV, we recommend that you try a Fogatti Insta Shower. Because in addition to the usual benefits of a tankless water heater, our machines have a high-altitude model, capable of wading through 9000+ft of altitude. Also, without increasing the retail price, our new generation products have an updated pressure relief valve built in.

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