Hot water, propane heater or drop in immersion

[Moor]

I would like to add hot water to make life a bit easier and would like a bit of advice on the pros and cons of propane heaters and immersion heaters.

I have a grippatank cold water system which I don’t want to drill so if I went for the immersion heater then it would have to be a drop in pond heater type, I’m also unsure if the plastic my tank is from will withstand hot water.

The propane option could be mounted to my rear door and be left open to vent fumes, my only concern is the propane tank I would have to carry around, would the weight be ok on my rear door?

So the question is, what would option would you go for, and why?

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

The heater is mounted on your rear door. Not the propane tank.  

An immersion heater requires a lot of juice to run and to be honest I dont know anyone that has one for producing 'hot water on demand'  more like heat tank overnight and hope it' hot long enough to finish up for the day.

With propane it is hot water on demand.  much simpler. 

 

[Moor]

Thanks, I am leaning towards the propane but I would like to hear arguments for both as both seem popular.

I understand it’s just the heater on the door, I have no idea how much it weights though, is it ok mounted on a ply panel? 

Is the eccotemp L5 still the popular option? Any issues with cracking glass in cold weather?

Great video too, very helpful as all of yours are, I’m already subscribed on YouTube.

 

[steve garwood]

The heater is not that heavy. I’ve had 3 vans with the heater on the back door without issues

 

[AGlassAct]

I have all the options. Webasto diesel heater, 3kw immersion and recently fitted a propane heater. Propane wins hands down on all fronts for me. The advantages for me are that you only heat water on demand (unless you fit a flue through the roof and preheat the water overnight) and it’s easier/simpler to claim the money back instead of having to work out the cost of electric blah blah blah.


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[Dr Von Samstein]

http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2017-04-28/man-injured-after-gas-cylinder-explosion-rips-van-apart/

Propane should be carried in an open pickup type vehicle or in an air tight container inside a van which is suitably vented. People worry about carrying a water tank in a crash... Up to each person to decide but I would worry about this. If you go this route make sure you have appropriate gas carrying signs of the outside of your van. Just think of the emergency services risking their lives to save you and getting out the stihl saw to cut you free...

 

[Moor]

Interesting, that looks like a freak accident more than anything though, the van is parked outside his house and exploded first thing in the morning, a canister in a garage could have done the same thing. It looks more like a compromised tank too, gas explosion rather than ignited explosion as there’s no flame damage. The same could happen with oxygen cylinders which many people carry in their cars for medical reasons, granted if they leak they are going to cause less of a combustion risk than propane,  would still cause a pretty massive explosion if ignited though.

I would certainly put appropriate signage on the van if that’s the way I go, I will need to look into vents too. 

 

[Beccy]

I just came on here to post this exact question [emoji23] so reading the responses with great interest.

Been trying to decide which way to go for ages.





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[Beccy]

If you put the propane heater on the door panel, does it cause any problems with hoses snagging, fittings working lose etc from the door being opened and closed all the time?

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[seanieg]

This is probably a stupid question, if you had a 2 man setup would you need 2 propane heaters or just run them of 1?

 

[mufcglen]

ive just replaced my propane heater after 4 years of use and i forgot to drain it down a few weeks ago and the water froze and cracked it, never happened before but must have been cold in dec!

i bought this one off ebay arrived in a few days and they took an offer of £100.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8L-16Kw-Stainless-Hot-Water-Heater-Gas-Lpg-Propane-Tankless-Instant-Boiler-Gift/161101506132?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

i have mine just inside the back door as like others say it will soon come loose and fall off plus inside the door just shields its enough from the wind blowing the flame out.

ive never had a vent duct but im gonna order some of this ive decided just to point it out the back door,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flexible-Aluminium-Ducting-Hose-Round-Ventilation-Tube-Flexi-Duct-Flexipipe/252104526688?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=550947671860&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

i never leave the propane bottle open when im not working or at night time just in case it leaked out of the heater.

its simple works fine and instant heat, yes its cheap and when you open the unit they look so basic but ive been as safe as i can be and happy to use it through the winter,spring onwards i dont bother heating the water but hot water definately makes a big difference in scrubbing less and its nice to have softer warmer hose!!

 

[spruce]

This is probably a stupid question, if you had a 2 man setup would you need 2 propane heaters or just run them of 1?

You will need 2 units which does make things a little more complicated. Where do you put them? How do you vent them? Will the gas regulator supply enough gas to supply both burners? With the extra gas going through, will the top of the gas bottle freeze up?

The only way you could use a single heater was to place it inline before the pumps (Shurflo pumps will operate up to a water temperature of 60 degrees but that means it will also get hotter as cold water through the pump tends to act as a coolant to a limited degree.) But one of the cleaners tried this with the same heater and it didn't work.

So its not all about water flow to ignite the heater; water pressure also plays a part.

Another cleaner had a 6 lpm gas heater and he fitted his single operator system pump after the heater and it worked fine for him drawing water through it.

If you have a 2 man system, then I would serious consider heating the water in the tank with an emersion heater properly fitted.

.

 

[Scott Burn]

 
You will need 2 units which does make things a little more complicated. Where do you put them? How do you vent them? Will the gas regulator supply enough gas to supply both burners? With the extra gas going through, will the top of the gas bottle freeze up?
 
The only way you could use a single heater was to place it inline before the pumps (Shurflo pumps will operate up to a water temperature of 60 degrees but that means it will also get hotter as cold water through the pump tends to act as a coolant to a limited degree.) But one of the cleaners tried this with the same heater and it didn't work.
 
So its not all about water flow to ignite the heater; water pressure also plays a part.
 
Another cleaner had a 6 lpm gas heater and he fitted his single operator system pump after the heater and it worked fine for him drawing water through it.
 
If you have a 2 man system, then I would serious consider heating the water in the tank with an emersion heater properly fitted.
 
.
 

I only have 1 heater 1 pump and a two man setup and it works perfectly never had a issue with it


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[Jonathan Sanderson]

On 21/01/2018 at 10:09, Green Pro Clean Ltd said:

The heater is mounted on your rear door. Not the propane tank.  

An immersion heater requires a lot of juice to run and to be honest I dont know anyone that has one for producing 'hot water on demand'  more like heat tank overnight and hope it' hot long enough to finish up for the day.

With propane it is hot water on demand.  much simpler. 

Its all fine and well to recommend these heaters, but remember there is high risk involved. Myself nearly set fire to my van from a slight leak at the gas inlet, and I know of a few other cleaners that experienced the same thing. 

The other worry is that an insurance company will never give you in writing that you will

be covered if your using the heater while away from the vehicle, ie...... round the back of a property, not keeping an eye on the heater. 

Try getting it in writing yourself, and see how the insurance company will dodge it. 

This led me to the conclusion that if anything happened as a result of the portable shower heater, the insurance won’t pay out. 

Just a a heads up! 

 

[Chris Dall]

9kw Webasto all the way

 

[Moor]

I am concerned more about the insurance issue than anything else,  50% of my work is done away from my van where I cannot see what's going on, no insurance company in the world is going to pay out when using a portable shower heater inside a van for cleaning windows, it’s simply not what it’s designed for and could potentially cost me my van and system if it goes tits up.

An immersion heater might cost a bit more but seems considerably safer.