When you’ve decided to go tankless on your recreational vehicle, there may be some snags that you run into. The most common one is how to install the tankless water heater. Many come with instructions, but there are a lot of different things to consider, such as whether you’re opting for solely electric, or whether you’re using your RV’s propane line, and many other items. In this guide we’ll give you some tips on how to get a portable tankless water heaters for your RV in as little time as possible.
Which is Better? Electric or Propane?
Judging by convenience, there are some electric options when it comes to portable outdoor water heaters. The main thing to think about though is that many of these as stated in the last sentence are “outdoor” and aren’t generally good enough for heating water fast enough for things like showers. Usually just small amounts of output like washing hoses, washing dishes, and more. Usually if you’re going to have the convenience of home, you’re going to opt for a propane tankless water heater. Many are available on the market and are able to be used with your water sink and pump, and can be attached to a standard propane tank valve (While there are 25lb tanks, there are also larger options that have the same type of valve).
How to Install Your Tankless Heater?
The main thing to think about is a tankless water heater needs to be actually installed. You’ll need to find the right place to insert your tankless water heater so that it can get a lot of ventilation, as well as be able to be checked and inspected easily and frequently so you don’t have any leaks. You can easily put it close to your tanks so you can save more space and not waste as much propane or water.
Once you’ve done the first step, you have to see the attachment points. You need to hook the pump to your cold-water inlet, your propane gas line, and your hot water outlet. You definitely need to make sure these things are all turned off for safety reasons.
Thirdly, you want to start fixing your water lines to the connectors on the unit. Use pipe tape so you can ensure that your connectors are snug and don’t leak. You may want to also use clamps that can attach at the fitting so you don’t have any leaks either.
Many tankless water heaters for RV’s operate on battery power. Some run on the actual battery. You need to check to see what you need to do. If you have to, this is when you’ll either hook it to your electrical line or your regulator (to ensure that you don’t overdo it). A lot of the gas-powered ones though don’t operate on your RV battery and simply come with a couple D sized batteries. Attach the gas line and test it. Install your shower head, put the batteries inside of the thing and connect the heater to a power source. Usually you can hook them to your 12v cigarette lighter.
