So, I realize this may be a small thing, but I really love having hot water in the barn. With 3 stalls, and 3 riders, not too much tack, nor baths happen. BUT…I still want it. Getting a tank heater seems silly, so am thinking an inline tankless makes the most sense. I think electric as the propane idea seems a bit too much and worries me a bit for leaks etc. Does anyone here have one for their barn? I looked at the insta water heaters that some of the online tack places have, and I think I want one that is more permanent- this is one area where age seems to win. I work, I have horses, and I want hot water in my barn and don’t want to compromise too much! Ease is important. Therefore, it WILL happen! :lol: Any ideas?
I’m a believer in tankless hot water systems, personally, and have two of them in my house. For your barn use, the thing you’ll need to be concerned with is flow capacity so you size it properly. If you’re going electric, you’ll be best served if you have 240v available; the 120v units have very limited capability. If you don’t have 240v, propane may be the better choice. IMHO, of course.
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The barn where I board in Central Florida uses an outdoor tankless system for hot water in the three outdoor wash racks. They get pretty heavy use in the winter season (barn has ~ 28-30 horses in the winter). The system is electric I think. It’s had to be serviced a couple times but seems to be generally reliable.
The answer to the question depends a lot on the intake temperature of your water. South of about North GA an electric system will do just fine. As noted 220v is the far better choice. North of that you’re likely better off with gas (natural, propane, etc.). Locally, few reputable plumbers will install electric systems because of their experience with complaints when they don’t work “as advertised” and blame the installer.
I had to replace the hot water heater in my barn a couple of years back and spent a LOT of time researching their viability in East TN. The answer was “it depends” tending negative from sources I considered reputable.
Do the research were you live and then make the call.
G.
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I wanted the same for my three-stall barn but the plumber advised against it, saying I would not be happy with the heat and volume it could produce. He installed a small tank under the sink instead–maybe 10 gallons? The water it produces is warmish at best and the volume is unimpressive. After 4-5 gallons you can’t tell it’s hot anymore. Honestly I can’t imagine a tankless heater would be worse, or who would ever buy them?
I tend to turn it off after the winter months to save electricity, but this year I have a horse who can’t stand cold baths even on the hottest day.
Mine is electric because I had the same concerns as you about propane in the barn.
Well, we’ve had a tankless in our well-insulated tack room for about 7-8 years now. It is electric (220v), and we have a small water filter on it to help prevent deposits on the heating elements as suggested by the manufacturer. Knock on wood, we have had no problems with it yet, but it does not get heavy use (3-4 horses and 2 riders). Like others indicated, the temp of the water in will affect the temp of the water out. The flow is also a factor. If you want high volume hot water, the temperature will be lower because there isn’t as much residence time in the tank. In the winter, we use it mainly for soaking beet pulp/hay cubes, tack cleaning, small wash-ups, and filling water buckets in the stalls. For those purposes, we keep the flow volume low (we have separate hot/cold faucet handles in the tack room and wash rack, so we can adjust flow rate) and the cold water off, and it works well. The water coming out will be pretty hot. For full baths in the winter, it does take the edge off the cold, but is only tepid at best. Our low winter temperatures can be in the 20s or less, but the average lows are near freezing. The water line to our barn is a very long one and is buried below the frost line. Unheated water out of the tap is COLD in the winter. During other seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall), it works like a charm for all uses.
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Get one with an electric tank.
What G said above.
I am glad to hear there are plumbers who are giving out good advice on this front. So many people think they just work and never realize their limitations.
Here in NY we use the ever so lovely temperature of 40degF for the temperature of the water coming in during mid winter to late spring. That means if you want the water to be warm (not hot), say 110degF you will need a unit that will raise the water temperature 70degF at whatever flow rate you are looking to have.
It sounds like your problem is not that you have a small tank but that you have the temperature of the small tank set very low. Turn up the temperature on your little tank and you will likely be much happier. (This advice is assuming that you have a mixing valve of some sort on your system you use for washing and you are not using straight hot water to wash the horse.)
Would a Solar water heater be an option for your barn?
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I bought a portable system similar to the Insta Hott and did a semi permanent installation. It runs on propane which I actually prefer over electric - it gets the water hotter.
I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SG8EC2
It’s mounted in my wash rack, out of the way of the horses. I can move it to use it outside if I want to, since I also have an outdoor wash rack. I love it!!! I’ve used it for everything from baths and sheath cleanings to making a nice hot bran mash in the winter. Even in the winter (30 below zero outside and water coming from a well) it gets the water warm. Not piping hot but definitely warm enough to quickly wash a tail or soak feed.
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I thought I wanted a propane tankless water heater, but the installation/venting costs were ridiculous. I ended up with a 17 gallon tank electric heater and it’s been good for the needs of 4-6 horses (not all needing baths at the same time.)
My plumber also advised against the instant water heater but I don’t remember why. Ours is installed above the feedroom and we only had room for a half sized kind. It’s actually hot enough and produces enough to wash one 17hh horse. But most of the time I use it to make hot mashed and wash my hands. My barn is 4 stalls and it’s just me and family. Also it cost me about $1600 with installation by plumber
My trainer has one at her home barn wash rack, electric I’m assuming given the location of the barn relative to her house. She has plenty of warm water, even in a Kansas winter.
Great suggestions- we COULD do solar if I could figure out a way that it would work. No shortage of sun to be sure. I have tankless in my house, and love it. Quick and HOT. Saves a lot of money- hence why I thought it might be a good idea. I will only need it for the tack, soaking beet pulp and washing hands and horses occasionally. Will look into all the suggestions! Thanks!
There are a lot of plumbers, at least in the US, who don’t like tankless water heating systems for various reasons; some justified and some not, IMHO. There are a lot more options today for these units and for gas, the venting has gotten easier since there are units available now that can use PVC for venting as well as intake. I certainly wouldn’t go back to a tank type system if I have the choice!
For the OP, given the southerly location, a 240v electric unit might work out very nicely as long as it’s sized large enough to provide enough flow for the expected use. It’s generally a mistake to buy a “small” water heater of any type…you either run out in ten seconds because the tank empties or you don’t have the BTUs to actually raise the temperature of the incoming water to the required level for hot water. (usually 110-120 degrees F.
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Like you, I have a 3 stall barn and wanted small amounts of hot water for “the tack, soaking beet pulp and washing hands” and whatever else it’s needed for. For small amounts of hot water I’ve got a 5 gallon tank under the sink in the tack room. It works great. For “occasionally” washing the horses, I’ve got a valve system in the basement that lets me control the water going to the barn. If I need large amounts of warm water, I flip the valve from cold to hot and pull water directly from the house hot water heater. The barn is maybe 150 feet from the house, so by the time the water gets to the barn hydrant, the water is warm instead of hot – but it works great for hosing off horses.
I believe the one at my barn is propane. It works well, even in very cold temps. However, the grooming barn where it is located is also heated in the winter to help with the pipes in general. It’s a separate building from where the stalls are, so it’s relatively safe as far as fire risk goes.
I have clydesdales and their feathers really need cleaning to keep the cooties at bay. I just bought my new farm and it has no indoor plumbing in the barn, just free-standing spigot nearby outside. So I’m planning to do an insta-hot system. For the price it certainly seems like it will tide me over for a few years until I can do something more elaborate (dying for a real wash rack!).
http://www.sstack.com/bath/Insta-Hot-Portable-Equine-Washing-System/
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Check out this one instead: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SG8EC2
Same manufacturer and same product, just not marketed for horses. Thus, cheaper LOL. I bought the cart from Schneider’s and it works great.
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I have one and I love it! The incoming well water is the same temp year round (cold!), and this heater warms it just fine. I can’t hose a horse on the highest temp - too hot. I have the heater hanging on the wall of my washstall and I use a long coil hose. I’m in central Md. I just drain it when we get a freeze, but that’s easy enough to do. I think draining is much better than heating a space for a water heater and insulating the pipes. I use hose connectors, which just unsnap, and then a bit of water dribbles out. Hose connectors make hose disconnection SO much easier, and I use them all around our farm.
