Small Tankless Water Heater for Shop

Highbeam · Apr 3, 2007

My home shower heads are the smallish chrome 1.5 gpm versions sold at HD. We have always been happy with these types of heads inside shower stalls or tub/shower enclosures. If you can get 1.5 gpm out of the tankless heater at your desired shower temp then you're set. If you can get a little lower gpm but a higher temp rise then you can add cold water to get the flow you need.

I appreciate your desire to have hot water in the shop. You can wash the dog out there, clean fish, or have you ever washed a truck with hot water?

We in WA have cheap electricity but you owe it to yourself to do the math in relation to propane for this use. The cost of the wiring for a 50 amp circuit and reduced flow rate make the propane attractive. The exhaust pipe for the propane and the occaional trip to fill the tank are some downsides.

anojones · Apr 3, 2007

I'll look closer at the propane idea- it just seems more complex to add a gas line and in particular the venting. The electric mounts under the sink and is hardwired in- that's it. I'd have to mount the propane unit on the inside of an outside wall and could probably vent it directly through the wall or up the wall and out the roof. This would mean more complex hotwater plumbing but could be done without too much trouble once the bathroom walls are roughed in.
I hadn't even thougt of washing the truck with hot water. I was planning on running a cold water freezeproof spigot to an outside wall- do they make these that will take a hot and cold line? That would be pretty nice and not much more $ in plumbing.
Thanks for all the feedback, I will beging my search again!

mikim · Apr 4, 2007

I just finished installing a "Titan" elect tankless in my barn apartment. The "barndo" isn't done yet so don't have any long term usage to talk about. Just got the bathroom functional this past weekend. But a test run says it will work just fine. It's a weekend place for the next 3 years then a temp place to live while building the retirement home - doing it as cheap as possible but with only 480 sq feet, needed to have a tankless due to space. I have it hung on the wall between the 2 spots hot water will be used - the shower & the kit sink. The Titan was the cheapest one I found for my uses ------maybe I got what I paid for --- we'll see.

anojones · Apr 4, 2007

Did you put in the Titan 120? We're you able to wire it with a single double pole breaker (60 amp?)? That looks like about what I'm looking for- I discussed the propane with the wife- and she wants to stay all electric for now, which is OK with me.

mikim · Apr 4, 2007

I don't remember the number on it -- it was about $250 .... and rated at 54 amps I believe ... I put it on a 50a breaker. It has a strange first time startup procedure -meant to ensure you don't burn up the heater coil I'm sure ... so actually read the installation instructions all the way through - it'll save you some sweat. (I required a re-read due to a bad habit of "browsing" instructions the first time) I used cpvc - which meant I needed 3 feet of copper nearest the heater-as per the instructions - and I put inline cutoffs on both the in and out lines for if/when I need to replace it. I was pretty impressed with the hot water coming out of that lil' bit of thing. I'd used the propane type overseas but didn't know if the elect was up to it. I believe it's going to be just fine.
edit: I just did a search on it --yes I got the 120 --and I was wrong on the price -- it is $249.99 not $250 .....