LPG Water Heaters. Would anyone recommend?

[foleyhancox]

Hi. We have been looking at LPG water heaters. We have an eberspacher that is constantly needing servicing and repairing. We have spoken to quite a few people with ueberspacher's and webasto's and the majority say that they are regularly breaking. Can anyone recommend a good LPG water heater thanks and whether they are worth it?

[ditchcrawler]

Are you thinking instantaneous or trying to heat your calorifier?

[foleyhancox]

Instantaneous thanks.

[Tony Brooks]

Look at the threads on here about lack of hot water from instant gas water heaters in the winter and about the vital need to drain them down each winter. There is no way I would fit one. I would see if I could find a gas boiler to heat the calorifier - possibly a Truma or better still something like an Alde that will also heat the boat while you are getting the stove going.

 

In the main Hurricane diesel boilers seem to be less trouble then Eberwastunis (but do rather cost!).

[foleyhancox]

Will have a look at those threads. Thanks for the advice.

[OldGoat]

I have an Uberspacher / Webasto type heater (actually a Mikuni), it's fifteen years old and runs faultlessly. Well that's not quite true, it gets the boat quite hot..

 

You get problems if it doesn't have to work hard and you let it cycle on and off.

The kit's OK, but the installation frequently, not.

Try to find out exactly why it's going wrong....

[NMEA]

In the main Hurricane diesel boilers seem to be less trouble then Eberwastunis (but do rather cost!).

Indeed, in fact they cost more than the pressure jet Webastos which give less trouble than Hurricanes, comparing a Hurricane with an evaporator Webo / Eber /Mikuni is not comparing apples with apples.

[Tony Brooks]

Indeed, in fact they cost more than the pressure jet Webastos which give less trouble than Hurricanes, comparing a Hurricane with an evaporator Webo / Eber /Mikuni is not comparing apples with apples.

 

I agree they are not the same but they are in a similar market place with the Hurricane being "top end" price wise.

 

I am also sure that if you specified and fitted an Ebewastuni AND the owner followed the operating instructions it would give good service. However I suspect far too many owners would not follow the operating instructions.

 

Having spent far too long trying to get reliable operation from the old "spinning atomiser" Webastos I would go for gas every time and if I was forced to have a diesel heater I would run it on paraffin.

[markgregoryuk2000]

For the Eber you probably need to drain and replace the water in the system as over time it makes the water acidic. A friend had one that ate through the temperature sensor each year until the water was replaced.

 

If you are live aboard then I would think freezing should not be a problem for a gas heater.

Edited February 15, 2016 by markgregoryuk2000

[Looby Loo]

I have a Morco instant water heater and have never had any problems with it. It provides very hot water, even in winter with ice on the canal- Rubber gloves needed to wash up! It's great for showering too. No problems with lukewarm water and I like a hot shower! I would recommend. I live aboard so it's in regular use.

[NB Watersnail]

Another happy Morco owner here too. Wouldn't be without ours. Other than a blow out to get rid of any dust and a glance at the gas pipes every now and then, there is no maintenance. Flow rate needs dropping a little when the water tank is really cold, but we never struggle to get a hot shower. We did loose our original Vailant to a cold snap one night when we went away and didn't leave any heating on, but other than that, 10 years of happy instant water!

[George94]

 

I agree they are not the same but they are in a similar market place with the Hurricane being "top end" price wise.

 

I am also sure that if you specified and fitted an Ebewastuni AND the owner followed the operating instructions it would give good service. However I suspect far too many owners would not follow the operating instructions.

 

Having spent far too long trying to get reliable operation from the old "spinning atomiser" Webastos I would go for gas every time and if I was forced to have a diesel heater I would run it on paraffin.

 

But then iit would be a paraffin heater

 

For the Eber you probably need to drain and replace the water in the system as over time it makes the water acidic. A friend had one that ate through the temperature sensor each year until the water was replaced.

 

If you are live aboard then I would think freezing should not be a problem for a gas heater.

 

If you don't use anti-freeze, you will get corrosion. There is nothing I can see about the design of any pressure-jet water heater that will make the water "acidic".

[Sabcat]

I have a Morco instant water heater and have never had any problems with it. It provides very hot water, even in winter with ice on the canal- Rubber gloves needed to wash up! It's great for showering too. No problems with lukewarm water and I like a hot shower! I would recommend. I live aboard so it's in regular use.

 

I have exactly the same thing, live aboard full time and when I use the shower after the other half, I have to turn the temperature down because she appears to have skin made from asbestos. No problems here with flow or temperature.

[MtB]

I have both calorifier and a Morco in my boat.

 

The Morco gets used all the time. Can't remember when I last used the cauliflower.

[kevinl]

Agreed, I have a Morco too, instant hot water, no need to run the engine when you want to wash the pots or a few clothes. I wouldn't say it was any better or worse than the Paloma I used to use or a Rinnai which are quite popular too.

Basically they just heat up water when you need it what's not to like.

Don't worry too much about Tony's post (4) about draining them, if you believe the temperature inside the boat is likely to go below zero you have to remove the drain screw on the water pipe and open the hot tap, all of 20 seconds work.

Not having a gas boiler is a bit like not having a multi fuel stove in my opinion, they're so good that I can't understand why anyone would have a boat without one.

K

[bizzard]

Instantaneous gas water heaters are brilliant, cheapest and quickest way to heat water (instantaneous). but its imperative for best performance that its installed as close to the taps and shower head as possible, ideally on a bulkhead with shower in the bathroom directly behind on one side and galley sink taps close by on tother, so shortest possible pipe runs. If long pipe runs lag them heavily. And as Tony Brooks says, drain them at any hint of frost if your not on the boat with heating on.

[George94]

Instantaneous gas water heaters are brilliant, cheapest and quickest way to heat water (instantaneous). but its imperative for best performance that its installed as close to the taps and shower head as possible, ideally on a bulkhead with shower in the bathroom directly behind on one side and galley sink taps close by on tother, so shortest possible pipe runs. If long pipe runs lag them heavily. And as Tony Brooks says, drain them at any hint of frost if your not on the boat with heating on.

 

They may be cheap to buy, but gas isn't cheap.

 

In a marina there's no beating a calorifier. And short pipe runs are desirable for every system.

[bizzard]

 

They may be cheap to buy, but gas isn't cheap.

 

In a marina there's no beating a calorifier. And short pipe runs are desirable for every system.

Cheap to buy and cheap to run. Being instantaneous its very debatable whether they are dearer to run than a calorifier or not than on mains that takes a good while to heat the water.

[George94]

Cheap to buy and cheap to run. Being instantaneous its very debatable whether they are dearer to run than a calorifier or not than on mains that takes a good while to heat the water.

 

Well, I have a big well-insulated calorifier, which produces instant hot water in the bathroom because the pipe run is short. Gas would be rather more expensive.

 

But if you don't have mains power, then I agree that gas is the way to go.

[hector1988]

I would have a morco straight away. Had one on previous boat and it was brilliant, however you cant fit one on a boat made after 2004? i think. If you fit one it has to be the balanced flue type then the chimney becomes a problem. Hurricanes are way too expensive, so the options are now limited. No shore power. So its going to have to be the Webasto. I think the trumas have their own tank built in and arent very big.

Dave

[bizzard]

 

Well, I have a big well-insulated calorifier, which produces instant hot water in the bathroom because the pipe run is short. Gas would be rather more expensive.

 

But if you don't have mains power, then I agree that gas is the way to go.

But it would only be instant if kept switched on for most of the time under thermostatic control. Switched off for say several hours or overnight and the water would be considerably cooler, and might be instant cool water. And electric charges at boat yards and marinas can vary enormously, anything between about 12p to 20p per unit, whereas the cost of gas bottles varies only by a few bob.

I agree they are an absolute must if you don't have mains or your on the towpath.

Edited February 16, 2016 by bizzard

[nebulae]

Had to replace our old gas heater a couple of years ago,with a Morco.Trouble free and cheap to use. Casing is a bit cheap and tacky compared to the old unit,but cant fault the way it works.

[George94]

But it would only be instant if kept switched on for most of the time under thermostatic control. Switched off for say several hours or overnight and the water would be considerably cooler, and might be instant cool water. And electric charges at boat yards and marinas can vary enormously, anything between about 12p to 20p per unit, whereas the cost of gas bottles varies only by a few bob.

I agree they are an absolute must if you don't have mains or your on the towpath.

 

It's always on. Luckily it's well insulated, and I don't think the hassle of switching on and off is worth the trouble. Nobody does that at home, or do they?

[WotEver]

It's always on. Luckily it's well insulated, and I don't think the hassle of switching on and off is worth the trouble. Nobody does that at home, or do they?

Absolutely we turn it off at home. Electricity is easily the most expensive way of heating anything, including water.

 

Tony

[Paul C]

You'd be crazy to keep an immersion heater on 24/7, and there's no need anyway. A properly insulated tank will keep the hot water reasonably warm for half a day at least, so a timer which comes on for 1 1/2 hours in the morning; and maybe an hour in the afternoon/evening, will ensure hot water available 24hrs/day.

 

Bizzard's implication that calorifier-supplied hot water will be tepid by the morning is just plain wrong, IMHO