Consider a Tankless Water Heater for Your RV

When you think of a water heater, you probably think of a residential water heater – a tall, metal cylinder with hoses running to and from it. A water heater of this style is considered a traditional water heater and it works by warming up water in the storage tank so that it’s hot and ready to use when you turn on a faucet. These tanks can hold up to about 100 gallons of water, so it’s hard to imagine running out of hot water with a tank that size in your house! But in an RV, a traditional water heater tank is much smaller, somewhere around six or 10 gallons. This can be a major limitation for you as an RVer because the tank could run out of hot water quickly. That’s why getting a tankless water heater installed in your RV can make all the difference!

What is a Tankless Water Heater?

A tankless water heater is just what it sounds like. It’s a water heater that doesn’t use a storage tank. Instead, when hot water is turned on at a faucet, cold water runs through pipes into a small unit. The water is heated by an electric element or gas burner. Tankless water heaters can provide instant hot water as a result.

What are the Benefits of a Tankless Water Heater?

• There is no storage tank. Because a tankless water heater does not require a tank to hold water, the unit takes up less space and it doesn’t need to be winterized. This is a bonus if you live in a climate where freezing can occur.
• You can shower on your time. Traditional water heaters will eventually run out of hot water, which means you’ll have to reserve water as much as you can. Tankless options don’t have that problem and are especially helpful for large groups of people who all need to shower one after another.
• There is no recovery time. Because hot water is always available with a tankless water heater, you don’t have to wait for water to be heated, which can be a challenge with traditional heaters. A tankless heater only operates when water is flowing, so there is about a three- to five-second delay to get the water hot, but that is nothing compared to the one or so hours it takes to heat up a 10-gallon tank of water.
• You can set your temperature easily. Adjust the water temperature to be warmer or cooler to suit your needs.
• You have power options. Some tankless systems use propane and others use electricity, so you can select the product that best suits your needs and RVing style. If you choose a propane model, know that it won’t use nearly as much gas as a traditional water heater. In fact, some models use half as much propane as traditional water heaters.

If instantaneous, ever-flowing hot water in your RV sounds appealing to you, consider installing a tankless water heater in your rig. Want to learn more? Contact us today!