On demand hot water system

[Sensfan]

Our 2012 RT 190/Ranger came with an Emax 2.5 gallon electric hot water heater.
It works well once its up and running. It has been removed every year prior to freeze up, then reinstalled in the spring. Unfortunately, the Roadtrek design placed the heater in a very tight location and this, combined with problematic fittings, has contributed over the years to much wasted time, energy, plumber service, and a lot of cussing.

Could an on demand hot water system be a viable replacement option for our 2012 RT? Does anyone have an on demand hot water system in their Class B and if so, what are the risks and benefits of such a system?

Thanks in advance,
Sensfan

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Sensfan

Our 2012 RT 190/Ranger came with an Emax 2.5 gallon electric hot water heater.
It works well once its up and running. It has been removed every year prior to freeze up, then reinstalled in the spring. Unfortunately, the Roadtrek design placed the heater in a very tight location and this, combined with problematic fittings, has contributed over the years to much wasted time, energy, plumber service, and a lot of cussing.

Could an on demand hot water system be a viable replacement option for our 2012 RT? Does anyone have an on demand hot water system in their Class B and if so, what are the risks and benefits of such a system?

Thanks in advance,
Sensfan

I was aware the RT models had a unique water heater, but was not aware they had to be removed for winterization. Assuming it still works for you and your goal is reduce the hassle, have you explored other ways to winterize short of removing it? Do conventional methods like draining & blowing out lines with compressed air or adding rv antifreeze not work?

[avanti]

Conventional on-demand systems are a poor choice for RVs--they waste too much water during the not-really-instant warm-up period.

Our Great West Vans Legend uses an Espar hydronic heater that has a flash-plate heat exchanger for DHW. Once you heat up the system (5 minutes or so), it constantly circulates hot water, so it really is instant (except for the water in the pipe between the heater and the faucet). There is an expansion tank that stores hot water, so the heater does not run very often--plus there is an electric element for when you have shore power. It is great.

[Sensfan]

... have you explored other ways to winterize short of removing it? Do conventional methods like draining & blowing out lines with compressed air or adding rv antifreeze not work?[/QUOTE]

We did not explore any of the above mentioned since the Emax is a closed unit that does not have a drain plug. We concluded that the most efficient way to clean the anode and purge leftover metal contaminants was to remove the unit in the fall, turn it upside down and flush it.
If on demand is not a viable option then we may just leave the Emax in the basement ... lol. We don't take showers and can use propane to heat water for dishes or sponge baths.

[Sensfan]

Our Great West Vans Legend uses an Espar hydronic heater that has a flash-plate heat exchanger for DHW ...

Thanks!... I'll check it out.