Hot water heaters for the shed?
- Thread starter Magik22
- Start date
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
We have a propane water heater , it was an el cheepo from Amazon
Cold water in and hot water on demand , two d cell batteries for ignition
Made lambing time much more bearable.
Ours is listed as not needing a flue but does state not for use in confined areas, it is pretty much a similar thing to a horse shower, but wall mounted and plumbed over a stainless sink
Rinnai if you have electric (or solar + battery), on up to 47kg propane bottles.
No need to look elsewhere.
I should justify the above: I have one, and know a calf rearer with one.
Very efficient, robust, safe, can be externally wall mounted, in built frost protection, extremely consistent temperature, prices from £500 if I recall correctly.
I put in one of these in the Spring. Very happy with it so far. Only thing to look out for if putting them in a shed is the location of the exhaust. I put a cover over the exhaust on mine which allows it to vent out the sides. Prevents dirt, dust and other fire hazards getting down into it.
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Similar to ours
£500 is a little more than I was hoping to spend but I’ll have a look at them. I think it’ll be a small price to pay compared with what I’ll get if I keep using the kitchen sink!
Propane ones look like the best bet for me, a lot of different brands to choose from! I’ll maybe pick a midrange priced one and hope for the best!
@Rossymons Can be too hot for washing hands. Slowing and speeding up the flow gives more range.
40degC is essentially body temp, so would be a lot warmer than that. I've no thermometer to check but yeah too hot to touch so I'd guess that you could get over 60degC. Not sure how easy it would be on the gas though going at full tilt.
We have it set for the calf milk and that is sufficient for us to wash our hands too.
What I would say is that when you are out and about working even like warm water too wash with feels like luxury.
40degC is essentially body temp, so would be a lot warmer than that. I've no thermometer to check but yeah too hot to touch so I'd guess that you could get over 60degC. Not sure how easy it would be on the gas though going at full tilt.
We have it set for the calf milk and that is sufficient for us to wash our hands too.
What I would say is that when you are out and about working even like warm water too wash with feels like luxury.
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Ours is an 18 ltr min boiler, it has a summer and winter setting, summer is ok but winter setting and a bit of adjustment on gas and water control knobs leaves perfect temp for lamb milk and hand washing.
Ours has a digital display which fairly accurate.
As you say warm water for hand washing feels luxurious after using cold tap water
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Just be very careful where you site these, I expect you really should have a competent person to install them and a certificate of servicing every year.
I know many will say JFDI but an awful lot of people are killed by these things every year.
Never put them in an enclosed space! Or oddly where some one may take a kip , during lambing etc.
Carbon monoxide has no smell!
I know many will say JFDI but an awful lot of people are killed by these things every year.
Never put them in an enclosed space! Or oddly where some one may take a kip , during lambing etc.
Carbon monoxide has no smell!
Courier
Member
- Location
- M62 - M1 - M18 triangle
Remember that if you set the heat to calf milk feeding temperature then that is also the temperature at which legionella and other bacteria can multiply so a once per fortnight boost to maximum temp for 20 minutes would be a good precaution to clean any possibilities of problems from that source.
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
simmy_bull
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Legionella is only a thing in stored hot water I believe not a concern if it’s instantaneous?
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Legionella can exist pretty much anywhere wet, but will thrive in areas that are warm. The pipework of an instantaneous water heater will almost certainly develop mineral deposits that will be capable of harbouring and feeding the bacteria. Periods of heating up will give the bacteria the opportunity to thrive and reproduce if the temperature isn't enough to kill them.
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
No more so than a domestic water heater
Instantaneous heaters such as this in this thread , by there very nature “ heat on demand” the rest of the time the water is cold and legionella will not grow sufficiently in cold water
But I may be wrong, but I would run them at least weekly just to clean the tubes , ours is used most days for hand washing , washing up cups at brew time etc so I’ve no worries about it any more than a combi boiler at home
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TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
The problem is that the periods when the unit is warm will allow growth and you can't guarantee that the bacteria will be flushed away at each use. This can be an issue in domestic situations, particularly with electric showers, although the chances of legionella being introduced into a domestic setting are somewhat lower. Overall it's probably not a huge risk, but is something that should be borne in mind.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
The risk of legionella should not be too high where the water feed is direct from the mains, but if it comes from a header tank or a spring supply it is critical to regularly heat the water to around 70 to keep things safe
Is there a limit to the amount it can supply? It is just continuous hot water until the gas runs out? If you had to mix for 10-15 calves would it still do the job?