I’m looking to put up a wash rack just outside of my barn. It will be positioned against an existing structure that I use for equipment and hay storage. I was thinking of putting the water heater in there, but the building is definitely NOT air tight, nor insulated. The plumber is working on a quote for running the water over right now, but he did mention that if I put a water heater there I will need to build an insulated box for it to prevent it from freezing. I live in NC and we do get cold nights, but not THAT cold. Most nights it gets into the low 20’s and sometimes it will get into the teens or single digits at night. It rarely stays below freezing during the day though. I’m just wondering if anybody has done this before and if they had any suggestions or if they came across any issues. Right now I’m picturing building a very simple box out of plywood, with a door to open and close it if needed, wrapping it in a moisture barrier, and stuffing a bunch of insulation inside of it. Is this all I need? Keep in mind it will be undercover in a steel outbuilding, not totally out in the weather. Thanks!
I was told by a contractor to just build a simple box to encase the water heater and put a light in the box with the water heater. Nights when it’s supposed to drop below freezing, he said just leave the light on and it would keep it warm enough I wouldn’t have to worry about it freezing. I’m in Upstate SC, so we don’t get harsh freezes either.
My barn was built partially on an existing concrete slab so the tack room floor is plywood above concrete with 6" or so of air in between. My 10-gallon water heater is set on the concrete with a hole cut in the floor around it (so it fits under the sink), so it doesn’t entirely get the benefit of the insulation in the tack room walls. I do not heat the tack room and nothing has frozen even when it goes down below 10 degrees (I’m in Maryland). On those really cold nights I do leave a caged light bulb hanging near the water heater and all the to/from pipes, but I think it’s unnecessary. Remember that if the heater is on, it will be generating some heat itself.
I agree that a simple box should be sufficient or if you do put the heater in the building, the insulated wraps look neat! Just remember to take care of the pipes too.
The issue is not the water heater freezing. (if powered, it’s hot water) It’s the pipes to and from it, freezing & bursting. An enclosure for the heater will capture the heat lost by the heater and keep the connections from freezing. The rest of the pipes will need insulation or heat.
Well, I’m right above you in SE VA…and do have an outdoor washrack. It is not fully functional yet (its wind chill of 10 degrees outside…not washing a horse in that no matter what! 
) but what I chose was: the propane powered Eccotemp heater. What I DID do was: chose an electric heated hose…so, I can connect this hose to the hydrant just inside barn aisle…it runs up/over doorway to run in, and comes down to the outside of the barn just under the Eccotemp. I can hook this up without worry of it freezing…and/or use it for water without running it thru the eccotemp in months like this where I would not bathe anyway…it gives me comfort of knowing I’ll have running water in the freezing cold vs. just the hydrant and buckets. Plus, I have no electrical/costly set up of a water heater and pipes simply for an ‘outdoor’ wash rack.
You could also have a “on demand” propane water heater- then you aren’t paying to keep water hot. Have the plumber arrange the water supply to the water heater and wash stall so you can turn it off and drain it for the winter.
Demidq: Mine basically is just that…its just that mine runs off regular hose hook ups vs. pipes/etc, needing ‘insulation’ etc.
http://www.eccotemp.com/eccotemp-l10-outdoor-tankless-water-heater/
[QUOTE=demidq;8010647]
You could also have a “on demand” propane water heater- then you aren’t paying to keep water hot. [/QUOTE]
This is my plan (hey, it’s a 30-year plan…). No electricity used, heats water as it flows, so figuratively, unlimited amount per use. Just hook up your hose & go. Also portable (I’m a big fan of my systems being flexible).
Just make sure you research & read reviews – just like everything else, you don’t want to end up with one of the crappy ones where the pilot blows out when a bird flaps its wings!!
For whatever it’s worth, I was planning to do an on-demand water heater too but my plumber strongly advised against it. He said it just wouldn’t be effective enough to satisfy my needs. However, I did not want to keep propane near the barn for safety reasons so mine would have been electric and that may make a big difference. Also maybe he didn’t know what he was talking about. That Eccotemp one looks pretty handy and my overall experience with that plumber was not great.
He advised a 10-gallon tank heater instead. To save energy, I keep it turned off about half the year when I don’t need warm water. It doesn’t actually put out 10 gallons of HOT water, but it’s enough to fill a few 5 gal buckets with above-lukewarm water or hose off 6 pairs of muddy legs, which is all I need.
[QUOTE=KristiKGC;7991048]
I was told by a contractor to just build a simple box to encase the water heater and put a light in the box with the water heater. Nights when it’s supposed to drop below freezing, he said just leave the light on and it would keep it warm enough I wouldn’t have to worry about it freezing. I’m in Upstate SC, so we don’t get harsh freezes either.[/QUOTE]
We did this for our expansion tank which is in the upper barn, in a corner that is banked on two sides by dirt. DH built a box out of styrofoam insulation, and we keep a 60watt bulb burning there from November to March. Has worked so far, we had temps of below zero the last couple of days.
[QUOTE=Libby2563;8011748]
For whatever it’s worth, I was planning to do an on-demand water heater too but my plumber strongly advised against it. He said it just wouldn’t be effective enough to satisfy my needs. …mine would have been electric and that may make a big difference. [/QUOTE]
Your plumber was correct on that part. The electric on-demand heaters really haven’t reached the point where they are cost-effective or efficient enough to do this kind of job.
Propane-powered heaters do use a flame, but that comes down to personal preference & experience. For example, I live in a region where many people heat their homes from LP tanks & have lived in more than one house with an open flame underneath it whenever the heater was on. Weird feeling as house fires are a big phobia!!
Location & setup are definitely important, i.e. probably not propped up on hay bales, LOL, and pre-planning safety is good! And being realistic about your needs is the most critical part (along with making sure that what you end up with is a quality product).
