Ray, Chris, et al, Both Paloma (185,500 BTU/h) and Bosch (117,000 BTU/h) manufactured natural draft heaters that used zero electric, just like common tanks. Because the majority of these units used a standing pilot, they were castigated by the energy bureaucrat folks in favor of something that used some electronics to create a spark. Complexity. Then to get the unit bigger (max ~200,000 BTU/h) for non-boiler applications, a power vent was added (more complexity) and in due time an electrically driven gas valve (yet more complexity). To help keep the heater from freezing when the installation was not done properly, electric ceramic heaters were added to the heat exchanger to minimize freezing (~300 w temperature activation).
The way these non electric natural draft tankless heaters were used in Europe and Asia was to turn off even the pilot once you were finished using the water heater (they had the piezo (BBQ style) sparker that was integrated with the unit as factory equipment). Energy efficient and simple. There are rare non electric units still available (sometimes at a premium) if you look hard in the US. Alternatively, look no further than Canada and Mexico for the same non electric Bosch models outlawed in the US. The Paloma has been out of production for some time, so when my remaining new natural gas units are gone, I will not be able to get any more either. Best wishes, Bill Loesch 314 631 1094 -----------------------------------------From: "Ray" To: Cc: Sent: 20-Mar-2018 21:15:19 +0000 Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Electric Water kWh/ person Rianai have 3 major issues when used off grid. 1) The phantom load when I checked was over 30 watts continuous. That's over 700 w-hr/ day. 2) They need pure sine wave, and even have trouble on Trace SW inverters. (One system I took over has a separate Exeltech on its own battery and AC charger to run the Rianai, since they have Trace inverters. Talk about a waste!) 3) They still have the hard well water scaling issues. Ray Remote Solar On 3/20/18 12:03 PM, Dana wrote: It used to be that “tankless” water heaters were very sensitive to stable temperature production as flows from single handle facets shut down the hot and opened the cold flows. I can fully recommend the Rianai heaters of today as we have 2 in offgrid and 0 issues. I have family members that have had them in residential homes for several years also and 0 issues. They do require 120 vac & have digital controls. The water temperature is very stable & consistent. I have not measured the phantom load but could if someone needs to know. 2 thumbs up for Rianai heaters from MHO. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dana Orzel Great Solar Works, Inc. C - 208.721.7003 d...@solarwork.com [1] Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374 NABCEP # 051112-136 www.solarwork.biz [2] "Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988" P Please consider the environment before printing this email. FROM: RE-wrenches [3] ON BEHALF OF cwarfel SENT: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 11:48 AM TO: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org [4] SUBJECT: Re: [RE-wrenches] Electric Water kWh/ person What are the issues with tankless water heaters? I have heard them described as having "issues", but I haven't read anything that describes what they are. They are very popular where I live. Any info? Thanks, Chris On 3/20/2018 1:07 PM, Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar wrote: And a big maybe for Offgrid where we like multiple ways to charge/heat/cool and make hot water. The default method is almost always the most reliable. For a typical home a 50 gallon propane tank water heater with a zinc change every 7 years is the norm. An air to water heat pump, an open loop solar water panel or closed loop if conditions warrant it are great secondary methods. To me heating water with electricity does not work because of winter and is a last thing to add.A tankless and their issues are near the end of the list. Ground source heat pumps are even lower to me with very nice prices on extremely efficient mini split air source pumps. I always try and minimize generators but if you need them then it allows one to have more options. Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar "we go where powerlines don't" [5]http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ [6] e-mail offgridso...@sti.net [7] text 209 813 0060 Maybe. I designed my own house to incorporate this. The most efficient are the vertical type, and at 6' the company advertised 20% recovery for about $1,300 if I remember correctly. This I'm sure is for a new copper pipe, and anyone who's ever taken apart a sewer pipe after a few years will know all pipes get a bacterial mat of a couple mm thick. I suspect this might be a pretty good insulator. At any rate there is a whole lot of copper involved and associated inherent environmental challenges. I can't help but think for the house design challenge to accommodate such a long perfectly vertical pipe and expense another kW or more of solar would offset more energy. 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