Is An Accumulator Tank Needed For The Excel RV Tankless Water Heater

Question:

Hello, this tankless sounds exactly what I am looking for but, a couple questions I am hoping I can get answers for. Does the unit need or would you suggest an accumulator tank? Will a pre-filter on the H20 supply extend the life of the unit by inhibiting access corrosion of the coils? In a better understanding of fuel consumption, how long would your best guess a typical 4 gallon propane tank last at full flow. How long will the D-batt. last as a general rule. thank you very much for your time, sincerely,

asked by: Gutierrez N

Helpful Expert Reply:

The need for an accumulator tank like the Seaflo Accumulator Tank # SE38FR with the Excel RV Tankless On-Demand Water Heater # EX93FR would depend solely on the pressure of your water pump. This water heater requires a water pressure of 2 psi up to 120 psi to properly function. It has an operating waterflow of 1.6 gallons of hot water per minute.

A pound of propane has 21,591 BTU, so with the Excel burning at 38,000 BTUs you would multiply 21,500 by the size of the tank (4gal) and divide it by 38,000. This would give you roughly 2.26 hours of constant use. Obviously you wouldn't be running it constantly so this would be spread out over a few days.

D-Batteries are typically rated to last for 36 hours of use, so with the only use of these batteries being igniting the unit they would most likely last up to 2 years (usage dependent, of course).

expert reply by: Kevin C