Mini Electric hot water heater

[Travel time]

I may not write or word this question correctly but what I'm thinking of doing is installing a mini "electric" hot water heater underneath the kitchen sink so we have hot water to do the dishes. Has anyone done this or anyone have an idea if it should work.
Backstory and why : On our 2025 23ml we need to run the faucet in the bathroom to get the hot water running for the kitchen sink ( which is in the rear of the RV). Without the bathroom faucet running I easily waste a LOT of water before the kitchen faucet water comes out luke warm. My idea was to install a mini electric water heater ( like the one pictured) that would be close to the kitchen sink and should heat the water quicker so we could wash dishes without emptying the water tank.
I've called the dealer, Alliance and no one has gotten back to me on this. Alliance wants you to leave a VIN #. a description and more or less your life story before they might call back.
Any ideas appreciated. Thank you

 

[Ben and Kathy]

Alliance asks for your VIN # so that they can look up the specific build information for your RV before providing support. They respond quickly and have been extraordinarily helpful working with us on issues that have come up and we are the 2nd owners of the RV. They are going to be more knowledgeable about your RV than the dealer will. Personally I would trust Alliance over a dealer when it comes to electrical and plumbing questions.

The main concern to address is whether the 110v circuit you would be connecting the electric water heater to can handle the current draw of the heater along with anything else that may be on the circuit. For our floor plan we have a dedicated circuit for the installation of a dishwasher. There may or may not (depending on the floor plan, year made, if there were design changes during the year, etc) be other things hooked into that circuit. The above mentined variables for the dishwasher circuit feed is why working with Alliance support should be involved in helping to answer your installation question.

Good luck, it’s a great idea!

-Ben

 

[Lantley]

There is no reason it would not work. However How do you plan to power the heater. Do you have a unused dish washer circuit available?
I imagine your insta hot heater requires a dedicated circuit, which is not a deal breaker. But you will need to provide the dedicated circuit.

 

[Travel time]

I removed the refrigerator and grill from the outdoor kitchen and have a Ninja woodfire stove that we use. The outlet that the refrigerator was using powers the grill easily so I was going to use that outlet ( Not using both at the same time) and bring the wire thru under the sink and run the water lines thru the water heater then the faucet. I just need to check the estate the wood stove is using.

 

[Lantley]

I removed the refrigerator and grill from the outdoor kitchen and have a Ninja woodfire stove that we use. The outlet that the refrigerator was using powers the grill easily so I was going to use that outlet ( Not using both at the same time) and bring the wire thru under the sink and run the water lines thru the water heater then the faucet. I just need to check the estate the wood stove is using.

Just be sure to check your current requirements for the insta hot. It creates heat so I imagine it draws a hi current.
Your wood fired grill uses very little electric. It use electric for ignition but creates the actual fire with wood..
Your idea sounds very feasible just be sure that fridge circuit can handle the current of the insta hot.
Is the fridge circuit dedicated? Are there any other outlets on that same circuit?

 

[Travel time]

After checking with numerous sources this afternoon all supporting cast said it will work fine with no overload to the circuit. We tested the circuit with a hairdryer then a microwave oven and everything worked fine. The small unit that is pictured above fits inside the garbage can area and with little plumbing it should solve the problem. We are in a campground now that we are using city water and the kitchen faucet still gets very little hot water to do the dishes. Speaking with a service tech earlier he said that he wastes a lot of water waiting for his to get hot. Hopefully this works and solves this problem.

 

[Lantley]

Well sounds like all systems go! Good luck with it. Sounds like every thing should work as desired.

 

[Socal-Paul]

I'm going to ask if you have tried to fix the problem? Others have had the same problem which usually turns out to be the aerator is plugged up. Our 23ML works great. We had a 22ML that had the problem you are talking about, the problem was not enough water flow to start the heater. I ended up enlarging the hole with a slightly larger drill. There are post on the subject in this forum. Good luck no matter what solution you choose.

 

[Travel time]

Where was the post? I might read it before I spend the time and money to add something else.

 

[stanburnb]

First off, I believe having to have hot water to wash dishes is overrated. We always wipe our dishes off with paper towels before washing and quite often wash with cold water. We mostly boondock and sometimes when we have a need for hot water for something greasy we just heat water in a teapot on the stove. Easy.

 

[Lantley]

First off, I believe having to have hot water to wash dishes is overrated. We always wipe our dishes off with paper towels before washing and quite often wash with cold water. We mostly boondock and sometimes when we have a need for hot water for something greasy we just heat water in a teapot on the stove. Easy.

My thought is if I'm camping in a tent heating hot water with a kettle is OK. However if I'm dragging a RV behind me with a water heater.
Heating hot water with a kettle is unacceptable unless I'm making coffee!
Having hot water to do dishes is not overrated if you have a fully functional $40K plus RV, it's expected!

 

[M and E]

My thought is if I'm camping in a tent heating hot water with a kettle is OK. However if I'm dragging a RV behind me with a water heater.
Heating hot water with a kettle is unacceptable unless I'm making coffee!
Having hot water to do dishes is not overrated if you have a fully functional $40K plus RV, it's expected!

Made me giggle a little for some reason and I’m with you!

 

[BryanValRox]

Where was the post? I might read it before I spend the time and money to add something else.

Check to see it this could be your issue before investing in your solution.

 

[Travel time]

Removed the sprayer attachment this morning and as others have said it did have debris from the build inside the cartridge. After carefully removing the contaminant and putting everything back together I ran a test and it took about 45 to 50 seconds to get hot water from the faucet without running the bathroom faucet simultaneously. I am satisfied with it for now and glad it works but spouse would not like to waste so much water while boondocking. The least expensive, easiest way is to fill a tea kettle and heat the water and wash dishes once day to conserve. I feel like I'm going back in time but it worked then and should work now. Thanks all for the advice and if I install the mini water heater I will sure post.

 

[Lantley]

Removed the sprayer attachment this morning and as others have said it did have debris from the build inside the cartridge. After carefully removing the contaminant and putting everything back together I ran a test and it took about 45 to 50 seconds to get hot water from the faucet without running the bathroom faucet simultaneously. I am satisfied with it for now and glad it works but spouse would not like to waste so much water while boondocking. The least expensive, easiest way is to fill a tea kettle and heat the water and wash dishes once day to conserve. I feel like I'm going back in time but it worked then and should work now. Thanks all for the advice and if I install the mini water heater I will sure post.

While I understand there have been improvements. A tankless water heater for a RV is simply a bad idea. I agree with your wife a 45-50 second delay is unacceptable and wasteful. However it is probably the best your gonna get with a tankless heater.
The only real solution is to install a tank heater, which presents its own challenges a may not be feasible.
Unfortunately All you can do with your tankless is put up with its shortcomings and seek alternative solutions like a tea kettle

 

[M and E]

While I understand there have been improvements. A tankless water heater for a RV is simply a bad idea. I agree with your wife a 45-50 second delay is unacceptable and wasteful. However it is probably the best your gonna get with a tankless heater.
The only real solution is to install a tank heater, which presents its own challenges a may not be feasible.
Unfortunately All you can do with your tankless is put up with its shortcomings and seek alternative solutions like a tea kettle

I disagree they’re a bad idea, just maybe not the right option for you. That’s just way too wide of a brush to paint with. Truma heaters are on demand heaters that waste less water than a tanked solution if I recall correctly. The also have a very modest energy efficiency advantage. It could be the most efficient water heater option for an RV available today.

I think we chatted about this before. I think this is an agree to disagree point for the two of us at least!

 

[Lantley]

I disagree they’re a bad idea, just maybe not the right option for you. That’s just way too wide of a brush to paint with. Truma heaters are on demand heaters that waste less water than a tanked solution if I recall correctly. The also have a very modest energy efficiency advantage. It could be the most efficient water heater option for an RV available today.

I think we chatted about this before. I think this is an agree to disagree point for the two of us at least!

I can agree to disagree but If the OP still encounters a 40-50 second delay, I see his current set up as unacceptable.
If Truma heaters can eliminate that delay, I agree they are a viable option.
Do Truma heaters operate on both lp and electric?

 

[Long Islander]

I personally don't like the on demand water heater at all.... I actually hate it! I too am considering putting a small AC water heaterr under the kitchen sink. I'd love to rip out the on demand not water heater and install a regular RV hot water heater in its place, but I'm not sure it would fit. I'm not doing anything until the warranty period is over.

 

[M and E]

I can agree to disagree but If the OP still encounters a 40-50 second delay, I see his current set up as unacceptable.
If Truma heaters can eliminate that delay, I agree they are a viable option.
Do Truma heaters operate on both lp and electric?

They share the same delay as any tanked heater as they have a preheated reservoir. So the line loss that you have in tanked solutions is identical to a tanked option. I don’t know about all of the models but we are having the AquaGo installed and it is propane only.

 

[Lantley]

I agree we have debated this topic before and that OK I think one of the benefits of forums and life in general is that discussion is the catalyst for knowledge and reform of a topic. Open discussion often changes opinions
The preheated reservoir sounds like a good idea as it reduces the delay. Now if they only go a step further and preheat all the water like a tank heater they would solve the problem! LOL
The real fallacy with RV tankless heaters is that they can provide unlimited hot water. However a RV's do not have unlimited supply water or unlimited waste tanks so how can they provide unlimited hot water?
Furthermore the biggest benefit of tankless heaters in a house is energy savings which translate into cost savings on your utility bill.
However a RV tankless does not provide cost savings because they use LP only. I cannot get the benefit of using the camp ground electric
to heat my hot water, but must pay to heat my hot water via my lp tanks at ALL times.
The only time a RV tankless can provide unlimited hot water is when connected to a full hook up site. However when on a FHU site a RV tankless cannot use the usually free electric provided by the CG which eliminates any savings.
Savings is the whole point of all tankless heaters. The savings created by not heating up an entire tank of water is what makes a home tankless heater a worthwhile appliance, however tankless just doesn't work in the RV world at this point.