Rinnai Gas Water Heater

[Rob Dean]

My Paloma split during the cold weather. An attempt to solder the heat exchanger has been only partially successful. And other bits are a bit past it.

 

Thinking of replacing it. Many chandleries stock the Morco but its big and wont really fit in the same space. I have come across the Rinnai gas water heater:

 

http://www.rinnaiuk.com/2_Products/5_58e_L...LPG_Heater.html

 

which is small and (if the pictures on the website are anything to go by) suitable for a narrowboat.

 

Does anyone have experience of this heater please? And is it BSS compliant?

 

ta

 

Rob Dean

NB Pukeko

K&A

[NBMike]

My Paloma split during the cold weather. An attempt to solder the heat exchanger has been only partially successful. And other bits are a bit past it.

 

Thinking of replacing it. Many chandleries stock the Morco but its big and wont really fit in the same space. I have come across the Rinnai gas water heater:

 

http://www.rinnaiuk.com/2_Products/5_58e_L...LPG_Heater.html

 

which is small and (if the pictures on the website are anything to go by) suitable for a narrowboat.

 

Does anyone have experience of this heater please? And is it BSS compliant?

 

ta

 

Rob Dean

NB Pukeko

K&A

The Morco is not much bigger than Paloma. The Morco draught diverter is built in to the casing rather than perched on the top as in the Paloma. I'm not keen on Rinnai because of the price for their spare parts.

Mike

Edited April 4, 2010 by NBMike

[bottle]

And is it BSS compliant?

 

Not qualified to say but have a look here:

 

Boat Safety Scheme.

 

The different sections are downloadable as a PDF file.

[alan_fincher]

And is it BSS compliant?

Yes,

 

If correctly installed by a "competent person".

 

As Mike says, I'd seriously look at whether you can make the Morco fit - it is by far the more common in boats, and spares are usually easy to source.

[Speedwheel]

I had a Rinnai in my last boat. I have to say I found it to be very good.

 

Having had/used Palomas and Morcos I found the Rinnai by far the best. It seemed more controlable and didn't throw a fit if the water pressure varied a bit.

 

Can't comment on spares as I never needed any, but it was significantly more expensive to buy.

[Chris Williams]

Hi - assuming you have first considered alternative methods I would fit the Rinnai. As well being physical smaller than the Morco you will should find the water and gas connections are in similar positions. The Rinnai is slightly more expansive but does appear a more robust unit. The KW capacity is about the same.

 

It will pass the BSS. The BSS only checks for, Gas tightness, Clean/good flame pattern and a smoke test to check the draw of flue. If it fails the smoke test you still get the certificate but also a warning notice.

 

A touchy subject, but if not already aware these water heaters do not comply with the gas regulations and should never be fitted as a new installation. They can be fitted as replacement providing no alternative forms of heating can be used and then only if following manufacture instructions.

 

Regards Chris

[alan_fincher]

A touchy subject, but if not already aware these water heaters do not comply with the gas regulations and should never be fitted as a new installation. They can be fitted as replacement providing no alternative forms of heating can be used and then only if following manufacture instructions.

I know you have made the point in another thread Chris that there is more to doing boat gas work than meeting BSS requirements, and I can't disagree with that.

 

That said, the BSS no longer places any restriction on the fitting of these units, and certainly does not restrict to only replacing an existing unit.

 

I think it is generally accepted that the balanced flue versions of these things are completely impractical to install in most narrow-boats that actually want to go cruising, and it is now again accepted (by the BSS office at least) that properly installed and maintained these things have a remarkably good safety record.

 

If I bought a second-hand boat, and needed an instantaneous hot water source, I would be perfectly happy to fit a Morco or Rinnai, and, so far as I know, if it is not my main residence, then there is no longer a restriction on doing this.

 

Or am I wrong ?