Tankless Hot Water Heater

[Jumper_Bump]

I am in the process of renovating my barn to put horses in it.

We are now at the stage where we are finalizing layout, and the smaller details.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with tankless hot water heaters? Such as this one:

https://www.lowes.ca/water-heaters/uv-corp-uv-mini-electric-tankless-water-heater_g2472694.html

It would only be for use in my private barn 4 stall barn.

As the barn is not huge and my tack room has to double as my feed room if I could avoid having to have a hot water tank in there it would be ideal.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

[SaddleUp158]

So take this with a grain of salt. My parents just had to replace their water heater at their house. They looked into the tankless hot water heaters and talked with a plumber. They were advised against it unless they were going to buy the best one. They were also told that it really was not that much of a savings. Perhaps for a barn it would be perfectly fine vs. in a house.

[Tiffani_B]

I plan on installing one when we redo the barn for two reasons. 1) never run out of hot water? Yes please. 2) space.

[stb]

I don’t know anything about that particular tankless water heater, but tankless water heaters in general are awesome. We just sold a house that we had installed one in about 10 years ago. Unlimited hot water and much cheaper bills for heating water. I have a friend who owns a very large training barn, and she replaced her regular hot water heaters with tankless heaters and was very happy with them.

Coincidentally, I’m getting one installed in my new house at this very minute. It’s a Rinnai.

[Epona142]

I have one and love it immensely. It’s in our home. The employers have two installed in their home. We have them installed in the dairy. I never run out of hot water. Electric bill is lower. I like to cook myself in the shower so again, never been happier.

Last time I chimed in about tankless though, I was promptly admonished that because I live in Texas it’s different and works better because of that. Okay then, I suppose it’s obviously easier for the tank when the water is warmer during most of the year, but I’ve never had a problem, even during our week of below freezing during the winter. Still just as hot, just as quick, and I am just as happy.

[Jarpur]

We put one in our tack/feed room in 12/00 and it lasted until last winter. At the time it was installed, it was the model found at Lowe’s (roughly the same price point as the one linked). We are planning on putting another one in very soon, so that we have hot water for the winter.

Fine for washing hands, rinsing off bits after use, cleaning buckets, etc., but didn’t provide enough hot water (even warm) to not run out when washing a horse (but it could take the edge off). If cranked all the way up, it could have been a scald risk, IMO, at the sink.

But, for the money, we were happy enough with it, as we didn’t want to either give the space to a small tank unit, nor pay for water to be kept hot in a tank when there is such a sporadic use for it here. We kept it turned down low, or off, when we didn’t need it. No particularly noticeable impact on the electric bill when in use.

If it makes any difference, we’re in a warm climate and on a well.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=Jumper_Bump;8406717]
I am in the process of renovating my barn to put horses in it.

We are now at the stage where we are finalizing layout, and the smaller details.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with tankless hot water heaters? Such as this one:

https://www.lowes.ca/water-heaters/uv-corp-uv-mini-electric-tankless-water-heater_g2472694.html

It would only be for use in my private barn 4 stall barn.

As the barn is not huge and my tack room has to double as my feed room if I could avoid having to have a hot water tank in there it would be ideal.

What are your thoughts and experiences?[/QUOTE]

You don’t note where you are. That is an important point.

There are two kinds of tankless units, gas and electric. The electric units are much less capable and can raise the input water temperature a smaller amount. If you are in the Deep South or other warm area they can work. If you are north of about a line drawn from Charleston to Atlanta and west you probably won’t be able to use electric. This means gas; do you want a gas line running into a barn (natural or propane)?

Go the web site of any maker of these and look at the performance numbers. They will give you the best idea of what can or can’t be done.

G.

[FitToBeTied]

I’ll echo G. We had an electric one and all it could do to our well water in VA was to basically take the edge off of it or maybe warm it a smidge. I just removed it and put in a 12 gallon water tank. I also put in a switch so that I could turn the WH off when it is not in use.

We only have three horses and we’re not doing laundry out there either. The 12 gallon gets the water hot and we have plenty for bathing a horse thoroughly.

[Flash44]

[QUOTE=FitToBeTied;8407408]
I’ll echo G. We had an electric one and all it could do to our well water in VA was to basically take the edge off of it or maybe warm it a smidge. I just removed it and put in a 12 gallon water tank. I also put in a switch so that I could turn the WH off when it is not in use.

We only have three horses and we’re not doing laundry out there either. The 12 gallon gets the water hot and we have plenty for bathing a horse thoroughly.[/QUOTE]

Wah. I have hot water in the barn dreams. Anyone use the “portable” ones where you just pop a small propane tank into a heater thingy and run the hose through?

[Epona142]

Ours are electric, but again, Texas and there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that shows they can be less effective up north.

[Jim_in_PA]

I have two high-quality tankless water heaters in my home. Totally satisfied. Never run out of hot water.

That said, mine are powered by natural gas. There’s nothing wrong with electric, especially for incidental use, but the lower cost 120v systems aren’t very satisfying…fine under a sink, but not really suited to providing “real” hot water in any quantity. You really have to go to a 240v system for that which raises the cost a bit and also requires that 240v server. Many folks don’t have that in their personal barns. Of course, you need that for a hot water tank system, too. So if you just want hot water for the convenience of washing your hands and, perhaps warming up water in cold water a little for medically necessary bathing of horsie parts, the small unit will do. But don’t expect a lot of it.

[luvmyhackney]

I have a portable one and love it for baths and cleaning, but it is a pain to drag out and set it up every time I want to use it. I board, so I can’t leave it set up and the barn itself doesn’t have hot water. I have it set up on a dolly with the tank below and strapped the portable heater to the top bracket. I just roll it out, hook up my hoses and start washing.

[HealingHeart]

I have one. Spent, I think, 600-700 back 10 yrs ago. Things have changed, improve & yes, they can cost a lot more.

It works ok, takes a bit to warm up, then is good, buyer does seem to wear out sooner than I am ready for it to., so I turn flow on/off to keep water warm. Use to rinse, warm water in winter. For 4 horses, I would wonder if it was strong enough to handle your 4… & surprised at the low price…

[stb]

My tankless water heaters have always been gas.

[DiamondJubilee]

We put a hot water tank in our barn a year or so ago. I think it depends on how often you will use hot water. I also have a 4 stall barn and I really only need hot water to bathe the ponies a few times a year (mostly we are at away shows, so I bath them at the show grounds).

For us, we have a small electric water tank. I leave it unplugged all the time as its not in use most of the time. I just plug it in about an hour from when I’m going to use it and its good to go! I’ve only bathed 2 ponies at a time and the water stays plenty warm enough to finish the job.

I live north of Toronto, so we do get cold here, but I turn our barn water off for the winter and do not use any hot water as I just dont need it.

How often would you need hot water? If you will use it all year round, I think the tankless water heater would be good for you. If you only need it once in a while, perhaps a set up like we have would work out well for you.

[Jumper_Bump]

Thank you everyone for your input!

To answer the question most of you posed about location, I am in Ottawa, Ontario Canada. Although we are having a bit of an Indian Summer right now (+15C today!) the average temperature fluctuates between -10C and -30C in the winter with the occasional -40C day in the winter.

The only winter use for the water would be hand washing, heating up a bucket for cleaning cuts ect… as I won’t be bathing in the winter. In the summer I usually just use cold water anyway.

I did get some reviews from people who have them in their houses here both on well and city water and they are having no issues, but no one has one in their barn (although I did get a lot of “let me know how that works out for you, because I am also thinking about it” LOL)

So maybe a higher end system would be a better idea? Anyone have any suggestions for systems available in Canada?

[Epona142]

Our model was not very expensive at all - TITAN N120 SCR2 and it costs $200. Same one we have in the dairy and in the main house. The main house ones have been chugging along for about six years now.

So I imagine it can vary wildly.

[OTTB2]

If you really just use cold water and only use hot on occasion you might be better off with one of those mobile propane units. You would save a lot on install plumbing ect. Do you need it for laundry or no?

[Jim_in_PA]

For things like hand-washing, etc, that unit will be fine. It’s the higher-flow-rate things that wouldn’t be well served by it.

[Mozart]

I have one of the mobile propane units. I have been very happy with it. So far I only use it for bathing horses outside in the spring and fall. I would use it inside if I had a drainage set up. My only criticism is that the pilot light can blow out if it is windy outside. Other than that it has been great.