Tankless water heater instead of conventional heaters for larger system.

[cilyjr]

Here’s some pics.

Laying the pieces out on a board.


Mounted on the wall. Just missing the connection to the tank lines. (I can post an updated pic tomorrow if that will help).


The apex log of temp & the heat pump turning on/off over 24hrs.

Thanks for this.

 

[iReefer12]

Here’s the video I got all the info and the idea from.

Just watch out for the motorized ball valve that contains lead, I made a part to allow use of a lead-free ball valve but the same motor, can provide more info if needed.

 

[theatrus]

Maybe but the goal is to get get off of electricity.

This can venture off the rails pretty fast, but a lot depends on pricing structure and needs. Using resistive heaters is dumb, simple, and not cheap.

An air-source heat pump, especially working in an already heated house, has pretty amazing efficiency, plus you're not requiring the burning of any fuels.

 

[theatrus]

Thanks for this.

Love it - good solution. What's the maintenance, if any, you're doing to the ball valve? Would hate for it to stick On.

 

[iReefer12]

Love it - good solution. What's the maintenance, if any, you're doing to the ball valve? Would hate for it to stick On.

I have a backup ball valve that can be switched out in seconds. The valve stays in place and the motor just switches over with the release of 2 pins… not totally failsafe, but the Temp in 6 months has never dropped below 76.9 and never over 78.2, so I have an alarm that alerts me if it ever reaches 76.8 or 78.3 then I know the ball valve failed to open or close.

If I’m away, and the valve stayed open… then I can turn off the aquarium side pump, so it will stop heating water. If it fails closed… temp is gonna drop.. I don’t have a solution for that, but hoping I can respond and change out the ball valve motor quickly enough.

 

[theatrus]

I have a backup ball valve that can be switched out in seconds. The valve stays in place and the motor just switches over with the release of 2 pins… not totally failsafe, but the Temp in 6 months has never dropped below 76.9 and never over 78.2, so I have an alarm that alerts me if it ever reaches 76.8 or 78.3 then I know the ball valve failed to open or close.

If I’m away, and the valve stayed open… then I can turn off the aquarium side pump, so it will stop heating water. If it fails closed… temp is gonna drop.. I don’t have a solution for that, but hoping I can respond and change out the ball valve motor quickly enough.

Makes sense, and needing an active pump removes a lot of risk here instead of for example being part of the return path.

 

[ScottD]

I’m not sure of the specific numbers, but I’ve got to start thinking if you’re talking about needing circulation pumps, ranco controllers, and motorized ball valves then the electricity savings start disappearing quickly or possibly are gone in the end.

 

[Jimbo327]

I’m not sure of the specific numbers, but I’ve got to start thinking if you’re talking about needing circulation pumps, ranco controllers, and motorized ball valves then the electricity savings start disappearing quickly or possibly are gone in the end.

It gets offset pretty quickly when you are paying crazy high Cali electricity prices.

OP also lives in Cali, gets huge rebates on the tankless water heater and can install himself.

 

[iReefer12]

I’m not sure of the specific numbers, but I’ve got to start thinking if you’re talking about needing circulation pumps, ranco controllers, and motorized ball valves then the electricity savings start disappearing quickly or possibly are gone in the end.

So the Motorized Ball Valve, Ranco & circulation pump all come in at a whopping 28W I would have needed 1000W maybe 1500W to heat my tank…

For me, it actually wasn’t about the electricity savings, it was about simply not having enough capacity on the circuits to safely operate all the electrical heaters and then everything else on the tank.

I think my savings should be pretty good.. but then again gas prices have doubled in the last 2 years, so hard to say

 

[cilyjr]

It gets offset pretty quickly when you are paying crazy high Cali electricity prices.

OP also lives in Cali, gets huge rebates on the tankless water heater and can install himself.

This.

We are at .50 cents peak and .46 cents off peak.

My wife and I have talked about putting solar on the house. But I would have to replace the roof first. Putting on the solar panels is something that I can do with a coworker. However, doing the roof myself is not a thing that's going to happen. Not at 50 years old anyways.

The tankless idea actually came to me when one of the plumbers brought one in from a house that was still in working order. I would have used it and been done with it already except for some reason, He decided kicking it out of the truck into the scrap pile would be more fun then selling it and making 100 dollars.

Here is the thread where another user has already been using a tankless water heater for many years to do exactly what I was thinking.

Dedicated Tankless Water Heater

My plan is too use a titanium heat exchanger. I posted a picture of my plan in an earlier post. I'm going to use a DC pump to control the flow through the heat exchanger. By changing the flow, I can control the amount of heat transfer to the aquarium water. I'm sure it will take some testing...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[tedfisher496]

Just my 2 cents on tankless units. I installed a Ranai unit about 1 year and absolutely love it, wish i would have done it years ago. I did the install my self it was strait forward and easy. I re did all the waterlines as well so we can get hot water faster ect. Were now seeing $ 50 - 80 dollar reduction in our gas bill.

 

[Troylee]

Here’s the video I got all the info and the idea from.

Just watch out for the motorized ball valve that contains lead, I made a part to allow use of a lead-free ball valve but the same motor, can provide more info if needed.

You are aware all those brass fittings will leach copper into your tank and kill a reef correct? Fish only would be okay but not a reef tank.

 

[cilyjr]

You are aware all those brass fittings will leach copper into your tank and kill a reef correct? Fish only would be okay but not a reef tank.

Yes. The brass fittings in the pictures from the other thread are for the feed water to power the heat exchanger. That water is fresh water that does not enter the tank system.

 

[iReefer12]

Yes. The brass fittings in the pictures from the other thread are for the feed water to power the heat exchanger. That water is fresh water that does not enter the tank system.

Yeah that’s exactly right! The titanium HE has 2 separate tubing pathways inside it, the water running through the brass fittings and from the house boiler go one direction through a series of small tubes, and water from the tank goes the opposite direction into the main housing and passing over the tubes, the 2 sets of water never come into contact with each other, I was shocked how well it worked.

I got a better pic of this all installed.

 

[Troylee]

Yeah that’s exactly right! The titanium HE has 2 separate tubing pathways inside it, the water running through the brass fittings and from the house boiler go one direction through a series of small tubes, and water from the tank goes the opposite direction into the main housing and passing over the tubes, the 2 sets of water never come into contact with each other, I was shocked how well it worked.

I got a better pic of this all installed.

I get it.. basically like a uv light and does the same thing heats the water haha!

 

[iReefer12]

Yeah, kinda like the body of a UV sterilizer!

 

[DBR_Reef]

Here’s the video I got all the info and the idea from.

Just watch out for the motorized ball valve that contains lead, I made a part to allow use of a lead-free ball valve but the same motor, can provide more info if needed.

Hey, original builder here- you have me concerned about my brass motorized ball valve. What makes you think it has lead in it? I have 304 stainless versions, perhaps I should have used those?

 

[iReefer12]

Hey, original builder here- you have me concerned about my brass motorized ball valve. What makes you think it has lead in it? I have 304 stainless versions, perhaps I should have used those?

@DBR_Reef you are the man! I got all this from you, and by no means was I trying to package this as something I came up with, hope the respect was shown, linked your YouTube video above.

The ball valve contains lead, I messaged the manufacturer and they told me. The problem with using SS, is there’s some kind of chemical reaction and not a good kind if you use SS and the rest of the fittings are Copper… it is above and beyond my knowledge, just read that and wasn’t sure how serious it was. I scoured the internet for a ball valve like this that was made lead free and the options were very limited, and the ones available were $500+… the 3D printed attachement works well so far. I can try and get you the file. In your original thread, I document how I took a standard brass ball valve from Lowe’s and made it work. I can quote/copy that here if it will help.

 

[DBR_Reef]

@DBR_Reef you are the man! I got all this from you, and by no means was I trying to package this as something I came up with, hope the respect was shown, linked your YouTube video above.

The ball valve contains lead, I messaged the manufacturer and they told me. The problem with using SS, is there’s some kind of chemical reaction and not a good kind if you use SS and the rest of the fittings are Copper… it is above and beyond my knowledge, just read that and wasn’t sure how serious it was. I scoured the internet for a ball valve like this that was made lead free and the options were very limited, and the ones available were $500+… the 3D printed attachement works well so far. I can try and get you the file. In your original thread, I document how I took a standard brass ball valve from Lowe’s and made it work. I can quote/copy that here if it will help.

Well done on the research! I actually don't have a tank set up right now, but if I do set up a new tank I will have to keep this in mind. I might just run no ball valve and only run a check valve-- I would have to do some experimentation but I think it would work. Or the 3d print would be a good excuse to finally buy a 3d printer

 

[DBR_Reef]

@DBR_Reef you are the man! I got all this from you, and by no means was I trying to package this as something I came up with, hope the respect was shown, linked your YouTube video above.

And it absolutely wasn't my idea either- we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I just wasn't sure if you would recognize the user name!