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Has anyone here ever used a tankless water heater on the beach? I would like to install a tankless but I am concerned about corrosion. I have seen the tankless heaters used in CR, but have not thoroughly inspected the parts to see material make up etc….Would like to hear about any experiences.
Thanks,
TSA good quality tankless water heater should have primarily copper, stainless steel and plastic parts. Those may be subject to some surface deterioration, but the unit should last a reasonably long time in virtually any environment.
We recently replaced a tankless water heater in a rental house we manage here in the mountains outside Grecia. It had been in service about seven years and it was pretty awful looking. I think going the long dollar (which we did with the replacement) would likely give longer useful service.
I wouldn’t hesitate to install a good tankless water heater in a beach environment.
Consider a solar heater too.
Good Morning David.
I read one of your earlier post about you having a solar water heater. If not too much trouble could you point me to a location where I can buy one? Also, could you share your cost and other info?I would like to make a decision relatively quick. I am headed back to CR at the end of January to meet my contractor who is doing some remodeling. I would like to either buy a tankless or solar and get the ball rolling on this while I am there.
Thanks again,
TSWe have an on demand water heater at the beach and it works fine. However, if you are building a big house, you may need more than one. They are not meant to last forever…. Good luck.
tomstew, our solar water heater came from Swissol in Belen which is near Santa Ana. They work pretty much nationwide.
Swissol offers three models: The first is a 53 gallon tank and one panel (maybe 4′ x 4′, but don’t quote me) that mounts on the roof. It’s an all-in-one system that uses convection to move the water through the panel. Last I knew, these were about $1,200US.
The second is a similar panel with a 60 gallon tank that’s installed off the roof, inside the house or garage. Last I knew, these were about $1,700US.
The third alternative is two of those same panels on the roof plus an 80 gallon tank installed below. Last I knew, these were about $2,300US.
All of these have a 240VAC back-up heating element for when there isn’t enough solar gain. The two larger (separate tank) systems use a small pump to move water up to the panel. It’s thermally controlled, so it only operates when (1) the water in the tank isn’t hot enough and (2) there’s enough heat available in the panel(s) to make it worthwhile circulating the water.
We installed the two-panel/80 gallon system at one end of our home. It works perfectly, but the “flush-out” time to get hot water to the kitchen is longer than we’d like. Someone above has recommended two on-demand water heaters near the multiple use sites. If I had it to do over again, I’d put one of Swissol’s single-panel/53 gallon systems over the bathroom/laundry area and a second over the kitchen.
The card I have says that Swissol’s website is http://www.swissol.net. Their phone is: 2-438-1130. Their service has been fine and I’d use them again.
There’s another company that advertises solar water heaters in A.M.Costa Rica online.
The outfit that advertises in A.M. Costa Rica is: http://www.poderco.com/
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