Water heater recommendations

1kw immersion elements in various sizes specifically designed for marine use.

I have always thought that the units should be built with 3 locations for electric use.

A BIG element for living big with 240V 50A service , a 700W unit for 120V and a simple plugin and a 50W element in 12V for use after the wind or solar has topped up the batts , so power would be >free<.

Gulfstar 36 said:

Torrid! I have a Torrid manufactured 10 gallon water heater on my boat that still cranks out the hot water. According to them the serial number dates to 1985! The only thing I have done is to replace a leaky T&P valve.

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We had the same one and loved it. Change or replace the anode. You may get another 30 years out of it.

Maybe the Isotemp spa I have is a copy. It also comes with the mixing valve to adjust water temp and the same arrangement of fittings.

I installed a 20 gallon tank with extra insulation on it. It will stays hot for over 24 hrs if I'm not using it.

Timely topic! I am also in the market for a hot water heater, I noticed the other day my 6yr old 12gaI Raritan is Leaking out the bottom from somewhere. Does it ever end!!!! There is however some reaIIy good ideas here! I think an electric unit with the Loop connected to the genny (not main engine) and a tempering valve makes perfect sense and I confess I wouId never have thought of it. Seems to me that if you are running the genny "anyway" to make power to heat the water, why not recover some of that otherwise Lost genny heat to heIp heat the tank. I'm aIso going to put in a bypass as was suggested but the plan is to use both heat sources simultaneous not "either/or" . Difficult to say the net effect but does it reaIIy matter, you either recover some of this Iost heat or you don't. The onIy probIem I see is the possibility that the genny could actuaIIy work against the electric elements and cooI the tank until it warmed up.


(appoIogies for incorrectly using the Ietter I everywhere, the L on my keypad is kaput)

Here's a recent thread that talked about doing that.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/what-size-hot-water-heater-15181.html

N4712.
We have recently purchased a 42' ex hire boat cruiser which we're refurbishing and just today we ordered a 75 litre tank from asap-supplies.
Our experience on a previous unit is that the copper/polyurethane tank with the anti-scald mixer valve holds the heat much better than a stainless one with heavy fibreglass wrap, the height of the tank should also be level with the engine (if possible) to stop thermal convection.
Hot water is via the engine loop, the 1kw immersion heater we can run off either shore power or 4KW inverter via domestic battery bank/solar panels.
Everyone adapts to their own cruising pattern and we found this the best combination that suits us.

the height of the tank should also be level with the engine (if possible) to stop thermal convection.

Interesting concept!

Irish Rambler said:

N4712.
We have recently purchased a 42' ex hire boat cruiser which we're refurbishing and just today we ordered a 75 litre tank from asap-supplies.
Our experience on a previous unit is that the copper/polyurethane tank with the anti-scald mixer valve holds the heat much better than a stainless one with heavy fibreglass wrap, the height of the tank should also be level with the engine (if possible) to stop thermal convection.
Hot water is via the engine loop, the 1kw immersion heater we can run off either shore power or 4KW inverter via domestic battery bank/solar panels.
Everyone adapts to their own cruising pattern and we found this the best combination that suits us.

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Rambler thanks for the info.

Our current water heater is still chugging along so we're going leave it alone till it decides it wants to leak.

We'll probably go with an American MFG for the sake of ease of installation.

The guy from Torrid was worried that it I try to change the anode after all these years it just might kill it.

Larry M said:

We had the same one and loved it. Change or replace the anode. You may get another 30 years out of it.

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N4712 & FF.
I can appreciate that you would go for a local manufacturer and quite rightly so to support your home industry's, but sometimes other people have good idea's that can be manufactured locally, I was only illustrating the type we found to be most effective for us.

Our other boat had a small calorifier that wouldn't keep it's heat overnight and despite heavily lagging the tank we still had problems, doing daily checks we found the engine to be still warm every morning and concluded that we had thermal convection, we raised the tank and that solved the problem only for the damn thing to get a leak shortly after so we bought the one you see in N4712's previous post and it was a great success. We've just ordered one for our 'other' boat.

Please bear in mind that we don't depend so heavily on electric as some of you guys in the US of A, our electric supply is 220 volt or onboard 12 volt.
It's bloody cold enough here, we don't need icemakers or large fridges, anyway you only drink Irish whisky neat, or with Irish spring water. Anything else is criminal !

Irish Rambler said:

N4712 & FF.
I can appreciate that you would go for a local manufacturer and quite rightly so to support your home industry's, but sometimes other people have good idea's that can be manufactured locally, I was only illustrating the type we found to be most effective for us.

Our other boat had a small calorifier that wouldn't keep it's heat overnight and despite heavily lagging the tank we still had problems, doing daily checks we found the engine to be still warm every morning and concluded that we had thermal convection, we raised the tank and that solved the problem only for the damn thing to get a leak shortly after so we bought the one you see in N4712's previous post and it was a great success. We've just ordered one for our 'other' boat.

Please bear in mind that we don't depend so heavily on electric as some of you guys in the US of A, our electric supply is 220 volt or onboard 12 volt.
It's bloody cold enough here, we don't need icemakers or large fridges, anyway you only drink Irish whisky neat, or with Irish spring water. Anything else is criminal !

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Irish,

Ours is about level with the valves on the engine that the water heater Is connected to. Like you said, we are a power hungry boat and electrical efficiency is not are utmost concern. But it's nice to know its plumbed correctly.

Gulfstar 36 said:

The guy from Torrid was worried that it I try to change the anode after all these years it just might kill it.

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He does have a point. They are good water heaters!

>It's bloody cold enough here<

Just put the kettle on your oil fired range , and go with sponge baths.

Saves water , electric , and you get co generation bragging rights!

N4712 said:

They are nice looking units indeed. 30 Litre Boat Water Heater
View attachment 33723

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They are available in the States through: MarineTec Marine Heating Solutions

The owner, Lars Nilsson offers super customer service.

Isotherm SPA 40

Two days ago I finished the install of a new Isotherm SPA 40 11-gallon heater to replace an almost identical Isotherm 11-gallon heater that lasted over 14-years. Four of those years we were full time cruisers in the tropics and for the last four years we have been full time liveaboard in a marina.

The Isotherm can be heated by:
- 750 watt AC 120V
- coolant flow from the propulsion diesel
- coolant flow that has been heated by the ARDIC 16K BTU hydronic system that has it's own circulation pump

I did not see anyone mention the heat holdover characteristics of the various heaters. When we run the diesel for 30-minutes as we approach an anchorage and then anchor - the hot water is way too hot to use straight for a shower. Twentyfour hours later, with no additional heat input, the hot water from the Isotherm is still plenty warm for a good shower.

The ARDIC heater can warm the 11-gallons of water in the heater from 75 degrees F to 130 F in about 20 minutes.

The Isotherm also has a mixing/temperature control valve as shown earlier in this thread.

Great quality and great performance.

How did the old one die? Did it leak?

Anyone have experience with the copper lined Solaris heaters made in USA?

On The Rocks said:

Anyone have experience with the copper lined Solaris heaters made in USA?

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Yes. My experience may be an anomaly, but after 6 years mine started leaking at one of the seams of the copper vessel. Completely unrepairable. This unit had never been subjected to high pressure and the dealer had no explanation why it would start to leak. It failed in August and I received notification from the dealer that their shipment had finally arrived last week. I had long since replaced it with the Isotherm 11 gallon unit which was a close profile fit to the Solaris. Based on my experience, I'd pass. Plus, they are twice as much money as what seem like better alternatives.