EccoTemp Portable Tankless Hot Water Heater

[duecavalle]

Does anyone have experience using one of these camping showers for washing horses? http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Eccotemp-L5-Portable-Tankless-Water-Heater/3650782/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11715581

In looking for an economical solution to the $300 Hot Wash, I came upon the EccoTemp. I was hoping to find something that used electricity like Hot Wash system, but can only find propane fueled portable heaters. Propane tanks make me nervous, and the thought of having one in the barn even more so.

Thoughts?

Here's a link to a short video of how it works: http://cgi.ebay.com/Eccotemp-LPG-Portable-Tankless-Hot-Water-Heater-L5_W0QQitemZ350179697990QQcmdZViewItem

[birdsong]

I have the Coleman one that uses propane bottles...never used it for the horse. http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2300A700
The Ecco temp looks like a nice system and very inexpensive. Would be great for the horse trailer.
I don't think propane would be too dangerous for the barn. I know a few places that have built in kitchens areas with gas grills.

[Sarabeth]

Hmm. I have the other model pictured on the same page at your overstock.com link, installed under my kitchen sink. It puts out a tiny stream of water at such a low pressure, I don't see how it would be possible to help you wash your horse. It is about right to make a nice cup of tea. I am guessing that the one you like is the same - not a functional choice for your wash rack.

[vineyridge]

I think the Zodi's might be a better bet, if they really are built to military specs. Horse.com carries them, but they might be available other places.
http://www.horse.com/Zodi-Hot-Shower-w-Carrying-Case-BJL51.html is the single burner model, and
http://www.horse.com/Double-Burner-Zodi-w-Carrying-Case-BJL53.html is the double burner one.

I covet the double burner model.

Horse.com has the double burner model much cheaper than the ebay sellers. I just noticed that the Zodi only produces 1/2 gallon per minute. That really is a trickle. I can't find anything about how much water the Eccotemp can put out per minute.

[duecavalle]

I think the Zodi's might be a better bet, if they really are built to military specs. Horse.com carries them, but they might be available other places.
http://www.horse.com/Zodi-Hot-Shower-w-Carrying-Case-BJL51.html is the single burner model, and
http://www.horse.com/Double-Burner-Zodi-w-Carrying-Case-BJL53.html is the double burner one.

I covet the double burner model.

Horse.com has the double burner model much cheaper than the ebay sellers. I just noticed that the Zodi only produces 1/2 gallon per minute. That really is a trickle. I can't find anything about how much water the Eccotemp can put out per minute.

The Eccotemp runs off of one of the large propane tanks, like you'd use for a gas grill. Would that make any difference as to how much water per minute it would make?

And to clarify a bit -- I wouldn't leave the water running while I bathe, I'd use it only to wet down, fill a bucket and then to rinse. But if the unit only produces a small trickle of hot water, bath time could take hours!

[vineyridge]

I wouldn't think the volume of propane available would make any difference in the water pressure from the hose. The amount of heat produced by the burners would.

Don't tankless water heaters work by having a burner that heats a metal tube with water in it? The amount of propane needed to heat water to a certain temperature would depend on the size of the metal tube involved. Since all the water would be at the same initial temperature, it would have to stay in the belly of the beast for a predetermined time to reach a predetermined temperature. So the heater would be built to hold all the water passing through it until the water is hot. That's why the low flow rates.

The more BTUs the burner puts out, the faster the water will heat. The Zodi double burner has 20,000 BTUs and puts out 1/2 gallon per minute. At that rate it would take ten minutes to fill a 5 gallon bucket with hottish water. The Eccotemp has a 37,000 BTU burner, or almost twice as hot. If the internal tubing of the two gadgets is approximately the same so they are trying to heat the same volume of water, then one ought to expect the Eccotemp to heat just under a gallon a minute.

On the other hand, this suggestion on how these things work and their efficiency is all based on assumptions. I'd contact the Eccotemp people and ask what the flow rate of hot water really is. If you can live with that, then the price is good and it will produce warm to hot water. Just not much at one time and not fast.

[duecavalle]

The more BTUs the burner puts out, the faster the water will heat. The Zodi double burner has 20,000 BTUs and puts out 1/2 gallon per minute. At that rate it would take ten minutes to fill a 5 gallon bucket with hottish water. The Eccotemp has a 37,000 BTU burner, or almost twice as hot. If the internal tubing of the two gadgets is approximately the same so they are trying to heat the same volume of water, then one ought to expect the Eccotemp to heat just under a gallon a minute.

.

Thanks for this -- I do have an e-mail into the Eccotemp people, I can share my results here once they get back to me if anyone else is interested.

[vineyridge]

Yes, please do share when you hear back. These things could be the answer to prayer for a lot of us if they can produce a reasonable volume of water.

BTW. the big Hott Wash only heats eight gallons of water, then you have to wait until it heats another eight gallons before you can continue. They seem much less practical that the tankless kind which will at least continue with the hot water, even if it's slow.

[LAZ]

I think the Zodi's might be a better bet, if they really are built to military specs. Horse.com carries them, but they might be available other places.
http://www.horse.com/Zodi-Hot-Shower-w-Carrying-Case-BJL51.html is the single burner model, and
http://www.horse.com/Double-Burner-Zodi-w-Carrying-Case-BJL53.html is the double burner one.

I covet the double burner model.

Horse.com has the double burner model much cheaper than the ebay sellers. I just noticed that the Zodi only produces 1/2 gallon per minute. That really is a trickle. I can't find anything about how much water the Eccotemp can put out per minute.

I have the dual burner one. :D

The heat is regulated by how fast you run the water, and if you run it too fast you blow the hose off. You cannot turn the water off once it's running on the Zodi or it'd boil and blow the the hose off, risking serious burns.

You could use it to heat water for a horse bath, and you could use it to do a rinse, but there would not be a blasting amount of water pressure.

[vineyridge]

LAZ, do you recommend the Zodi? From what you posted I can't tell if you think it's a good thing to have around the barn or a waste of money that is more dangerous than beneficial. :)

[duecavalle]

Yes, please do share when you hear back. These things could be the answer to prayer for a lot of us if they can produce a reasonable volume of water.

BTW. the big Hott Wash only heats eight gallons of water, then you have to wait until it heats another eight gallons before you can continue. They seem much less practical that the tankless kind which will at least continue with the hot water, even if it's slow.

Here's the reply I received from the e-bay seller -- sorry I asked the eBay seller, not Eccotemp themselves. The unit I requested information about was the "L5", apparently there are two models, the L5 and the L10.

Hi, thanks for the inquiry. The unit (the L5)produces up to 1.4 GPM. For comparative purposes, most home showers produce between 1.4-2.0 GPM depending on how much cold water you mix in. Our L10 produces up to 2.65 GPM. You can find more information about our Horse Worsh system at the following link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Horse-Worsh-by-Mr-Longarm-Flow-Thur-Water-Hose-Brush_W0QQitemZ120306785854QQihZ002QQcategoryZ6158 6QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Please let me know what additional questions I can help you answer. Thanks for loooking!

Best regards,

John Hurlbert
Global Energy Systems
866.356.0502 Toll Free
843.875.4255 Office
jhurlbert@ges-na.com
www.goenergysystems.com (http://www.goenergysystems.com/)

[gieriscm]

I have the Zodi single-burner model for bathing while camping (me, not the horse). It will put out HOT water - scaldingly hot if you're not careful about adjusting the propane just right. Also, the maximum temp out depends on the temp of the water going in. Straight from the well our water is 56 degrees (measured in both January and July) and this heater can get the water up to the point where you could use it to make a cup of tea. Also, while it doesn't have the pressure you'd normally get with a shower, it will get you clean. I also have pretty thick hair and it does take a while to rinse out the shampoo.

Since you're planning on bucket-washing anyway this heater would probably work ok for you. If the bucket water is too hot you can just add cold straight from the tap.

[vineyridge]

I was reading about the Eccotemp and was wondering how one would get water into the unit? The description talks about being able to use a 12v pump, which seems to me means that the L5 and L10 are meant for permanent installation. Turning them portable would seem to involve considerable extra expense.

I can't watch video clips because of dial-up, so if the instructions on how to get water into the unit are there, would someone please explain?

[LAZ]

LAZ, do you recommend the Zodi? From what you posted I can't tell if you think it's a good thing to have around the barn or a waste of money that is more dangerous than beneficial. :)

I've never used mine for the horses--I use it in my horse trailer as a shower for me. It works great for that and heating water for dishes, etc.

I think you'd be fine if you were using it to heat water, but I'd be less enthusitic about using it directly on a horse, the hose isn't long enough and you can't shut it off or you'll boil the water.

[duecavalle]

I was reading about the Eccotemp and was wondering how one would get water into the unit? The description talks about being able to use a 12v pump, which seems to me means that the L5 and L10 are meant for permanent installation. Turning them portable would seem to involve considerable extra expense.

I can't watch video clips because of dial-up, so if the instructions on how to get water into the unit are there, would someone please explain?

the video doesn't show installation, I guess the ebay sellers are working on that. It shows what should be inside the box and then jumps to presenting the unit "installed" (hanging) on a stockade fence. it looks pretty portable to me.

From the video, it appears that there are two "hoses" that are attached at the bottom of the unit. One is a regular garden hose for water, the second hose attaches to the propane tank. To operate, a switch on the unit is flipped and water immediately comes out of the shower head. Once it's "showering" you turn the gas on and according to the video, you have hot water moments later.

The temp can be adjusted using one of two knobs, one that operates the propane (more propane = hotter water) and one that operates the flow of water into the unit. Nowhere does it show a 12v pump. I imagine that is only an option. One that would be used in some type of more permanent operation such as under a kitchen sink like someone above mentioned. Hope that helps.

In my searching I also found this: http://www.bigkahunashowers.com/portableshower/index.htm

I got very excited until I realized the water wasn't heated. Still a reasonably priced portable shower that may come in handy, shows, trail rides, etc. so figured I'd post the link.

[Bells]

I have one of these. I've only tried it w/a faucet and not a 12v water supply. The water can get VERY hot. I'd be careful using it on a horse as the temperature change can be pretty sudden. It is quite handy and easy to use.

[tnscvaga]

and have used it to bathe both horses and dogs. It does hook up to a gas grill propane tank. I added extra hoses (bought hose and fitting to connect them at Home Depot) to the water outlet in order reach around the horse. The water gets warm quickly and stays warm; but I did have to turn the water supply and the gas supply to the max settings. The unit uses a couple of D(?) batteries to lite the gas. This NOT a heavy duty unit. The outside is thin plastic and the interior piping will not take abuse. My main issue is trying to bathe if there is a breeze or wind gusts, as it blows out the flame which automatically turns off the gas. Turn the water off , then turn the water back on and it restarts. I also bought a set of quick disconnects to connect the water hose to the supply connection at the bottom of the unit. It makes taking everything apart when I'm done so much easier.