I need to purchase the hot water heater for my wash stall in my renovated bank barn (the guy that was supposed to do it months ago - well, let’s say my patience is growing really thin).
Any comments, suggestions about what to buy or not to buy? I have only 6 stalls so I won’t have a lot of horses in the barn.
Many thanks!
buy the biggest one…
you can afford. They aren’t exponentially much more and believe me, you’ll love it. I have a 100 gallon one above my wash stall (yep, above) and it’s great. Those small ones are a waste when you think about how much hot water it actually takes to really bath a horse well and not run out. Yes, you can make do with less, but if you’re going to all the trouble, just get the biggest one that you can afford that will fit in the space.
Look into the on demand hot water heaters. They are expensive, but over the long run cost you less using less electric/gas.
Any suggestions on size of an On Demand Hot Water Heater?
You should ask someone at the company about where you live as to deciding exactly what size tankless H2O heater to get (depends on ground water temperature, etc. so geographic locale makes a difference). We have this one: http://www.lakecountypipe.com/Stiebel-Eltron-Tempra-24-Tankless-Water-Heater-Tempra-24.aspx for our 4 horse barn and LOVE it!!! I can’t imagine that a somewhat larger barn would need anything any bigger. The only drawback to adding them to “old” construction is that they pull a lot of amperage and you may need to add a new electric panel to run one. That’s why you don’t see people putting them in already built houses (if you could do it easily, we definitely would because never running out of hot water is soooooo nice!). The link I provided was also the cheapest place we could find them when we built last year. Good luck!!!
The problem you will find with a tankless is that it will need a much larger electric or gas line than a tank type water heater will need.
The other problem is that the delta T (temperature rise) on most of them falls short for many/most applications. But I suppose tepid water is better than cold water. Though the unit that Fox has seems to have reasonable numbers (even ignoring the confusing 2.25gpm number).
Unit Provides 92F rise in water Temperature at 1.50GPM, 35F Rise at 2.25GPM, and 54F Rise at 3GPM, and 37F Rise at 4.50GPM
This confuses me.
92F rise at 1.5gpm
35F rise at 2.25gpm
54F rise at 3gpm
37F rise at 4.5gpm
Why is the rise less for 2.25 gpm than it is for 3gpm? Does it have two elements that one only kicks on after a certain flow?
Just FYI - in the colder areas of the country the ground water (public water even) is frequently 40degF during the winter and spring.
I should stick a thermometer in our hot water sometime to see just how hot we have it set, but you’ll find that you don’t need your barn water nearly as hot as you would have your house water. Horses are uncomfortable (and they let you know it) if they are bathed in water nearly as warm as you would use for your own shower, so that might account for some of the delta T mentioned by trubandloki. When I have our water on full hot (we only have it set to 4 on a 1-10 scale), it is a lovely temperature to wash my hands in or whatever, but I’d want it warmer for my own bath 
We switched from 80 gallon tanks to tankless hot water heaters in our house and barn. Absolutely love them!!
We switched after a leak flooded the barn - looked like a waterfall! Will never install tanks of water over a tackroom/stall again!
The tankless are much more efficient to run. Not sure about other posts but the water can be as hot as you need/want.
We went on the installers recommendation and ended up with way more capacity than we will ever need, even if all 4 showers, washing machine, dishwasher and toilets are all running at once!! And, yes we CAN run everything at once and have plenty of hot water.
This is not a factual statement unless you are able and willing to installs several heaters in some areas.
PS - your toilet only uses cold water.
Where in the country do you live, btw? It does make a huge difference on how affective tankless water heaters are.
Our barn owner installed one last spring for us. I don’t know what size he ended up putting in, but it wasn’t large enough to properly heat a running hose. The faucet at the sink was ok, but bathing horses only got you warm water and not a stron flow. If you added cold to it to get better pressure, it was too cold.
Then, 2 months ago, it gave out completely. The electrician who installed it has come and gotten it. Don’t know if it is under warranty or what the plan is for replacement.
Moral is, make sure you get one that is large enough/powerful enough to handle a hose running at good pressure for a long time.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;4441972]
The other problem is that the delta T (temperature rise) on most of them falls short for many/most applications. But I suppose tepid water is better than cold water. Though the unit that Fox has seems to have reasonable numbers (even ignoring the confusing 2.25gpm number).
This confuses me.
92F rise at 1.5gpm
35F rise at 2.25gpm
54F rise at 3gpm
37F rise at 4.5gpm
Why is the rise less for 2.25 gpm than it is for 3gpm? Does it have two elements that one only kicks on after a certain flow?[/QUOTE]
The “mathemagician” in me says that there is a typo, and the correct rise in temperature at 2.25gpm should be 75 degrees, not 35 degrees.
we went with a standard 40 gallon household water heater with a tank, because it can be run on 110V circuit, so we didn’t have to revamp the electrics to carry a 220V heater(and gas is not an option). We put it in the tack room, which is next to the weashstall, and we insulated the tack room. PLus we put a drain pan under it with an outlet through the wall to the barn drainage, in case the tank should ever develop a leak. But since the tank is in the tackroom, we see it every day and notice if the tank starts to drip a little- not like in the house where its hidden away from view and you only notice once the thing has burst.
The advantage was that the heat from the water in the tank, when not in use, actually keeps the tack room warm enough to keep the saddles and tack and barn cat cosy without turning on a baseboard heater in winter.
Pros and cons to both and both require proper investigation and research to see which one is right for your particular situation. In very cold climates, regardless of which you use, you will still need good insulation in the room it is parked in, if anything but to protect the water lines.
If you have a water tank, ensure you have 1 or 2 ample-sized floor drains and the tank is set on a cement pad that is poured so it directs water to the floor drains. Helps prevent flooding should the tank have a problem. Efficiency improves if you wrap a tank in a water tank blanket.
We want to renovate our tack/feed/storage room next fall too. We did not build it and don’t like what’s there and not heated. We want a cement floor with in-floor heating. Easy to maintain and keep clean. It’s a good time to install floor drains and add hot water, wash tub, and since I also want a new washing machine in the house, the old one can go out there too. 
Oh, if DH only knew the extent of the wish list! LOL (Actually, if money were no object, I’d install in-floor heating the entire length of the barn aisle just to help keep the ambient air 1 or 2 degrees above freezing. Now, where’s that lottery ticket…)
post 13 reported
I know I’m quibbling but toilets use hot water in cold climates in order to avoid excessive condensation and sweating which can create all kinds of problems. In my house, there was a mixing valve on the toilet’s water line which adjusted the blend of hot and cold to just the right temperature. Some houses just use hot water which creates a little warm surprise when you sit down on that toilet and are not expecting it.
Interesting. No toilet I have ever plumbed has hot water (which is lots of water closets). I guess I will just say it that way.
PS, this is a very old thread that was bumped by a scammer.
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