Shop water heater

[Missouri Mule]

Hello all. Been busy lately. For those that dont know I've been diagnosed with ALS and trying to get by with that. Im in the process of remodeling a 10x20 room in my shop from machine tool room to a bathroom/ kitchen. I have to make an ADA mindful bathroom shower and we've decided my shop is a great place to do it. I figured id find some decent used cabinets and countertop and make a small kitchenette on one side. I mean I can't see a bathroom and cabinets ever being a bad thing in my shop. Should have done it years ago but like alot of you, didn't want to give up the real estate or funds. So ill have 1 shower, and toilet, and 1 kitchen sink. Will need a water heater. I currently have a small 8kw pou instant in shop sink. Works good for hands or dishes but for sure not enough for a shower. Id be limited to a 13kw due to power. Looking online manufacturers specs show 65* rise at 2.5 gpm. Im on a well so 40* water isn't out of the question. @120* desired temp thats max 80* delta temp in winter so they claim would need a 16kw unit. I dont have enough service really for a 16kw for electric. Rather not fool with propane. So im thinking id be better off sticking with a 30 gallon tank style or similar sized for a decent shower. Anyone have similar setup with experience??

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

Prayers for your diagnosis @Missouri Mule. 

[acem]

On a similar note.  My wife's sister Laura had installed a large bathtub.  The water heater ran out of hot water before filling the tub.  Called a plumber to help out.  She had a 30 gallon water heater and there was not practical room for anything bigger.   He asked if she had any small children or other's who might hurt themselves with very hot water, she did not.  His suggestion was to turn the water temp up from 120F to about 180F.  The hot water ran out before the tub was full but the tub was just right when done.

So if you turn your water heater temperature up, you can use less hot water in the shower (blending with cold) and make it last.  If your lucky and don't take too long a shower!

Prayers for your health.

[TomH]

Prayers too you.     We have a bunkhouse at my hunting club with 6 beds and a bath, shower. It has a 40-gallon electric, and no one complains so 30 gallon should be fine for one!

[Rawleigh99]

I went through two electric instant water heaters in my shop with an apartment overhead before I went to a conventional water heater. The electric ones have potential, but eventually they just crap out. I've also gone through a professional grade tank water heater as well, but I think I will stick with the tank type.  If you're on the ground floor and can put them in a leak containment tub drained outside, you'll be okay. 

Sorry for the crappy diagnosis. Will be praying for you.

[Missouri Mule]

38 minutes ago, Rawleigh99 said:

I went through two electric instant water heaters in my shop with an apartment overhead before I went to a conventional water heater. The electric ones have potential, but eventually they just crap out. I've also gone through a professional grade tank water heater as well, but I think I will stick with the tank type.  If you're on the ground floor and can put them in a leak containment tub drained outside, you'll be okay. 

Sorry for the crappy diagnosis. Will be praying for you.

Kind of what I thought. I love the concept and understand how the instant ones work. But really am more concerned about trouble-free for her and obviously working , above efficiency. If that makes sense. I do plan on putting a filter on inlet supply. I had nothing but trouble in my house until I did that. It amazes me how quickly the pretty white filter turns into a rusty colored mud ball. Infact I used clear pex when I did that. Inlet is reddish brown and outlet still clear. Been around 10 years now

[dale560]

5 hours ago, Missouri Mule said:

Hello all. Been busy lately. For those that dont know I've been diagnosed with ALS and trying to get by with that. Im in the process of remodeling a 10x20 room in my shop from machine tool room to a bathroom/ kitchen. I have to make an ADA mindful bathroom shower and we've decided my shop is a great place to do it. I figured id find some decent used cabinets and countertop and make a small kitchenette on one side. I mean I can't see a bathroom and cabinets ever being a bad thing in my shop. Should have done it years ago but like alot of you, didn't want to give up the real estate or funds. So ill have 1 shower, and toilet, and 1 kitchen sink. Will need a water heater. I currently have a small 8kw pou instant in shop sink. Works good for hands or dishes but for sure not enough for a shower. Id be limited to a 13kw due to power. Looking online manufacturers specs show 65* rise at 2.5 gpm. Im on a well so 40* water isn't out of the question. @120* desired temp thats max 80* delta temp in winter so they claim would need a 16kw unit. I dont have enough service really for a 16kw for electric. Rather not fool with propane. So im thinking id be better off sticking with a 30 gallon tank style or similar sized for a decent shower. Anyone have similar setup with experience??

Hope the doctors can find some treatment that helps for a long while. Praying for your health.

[Missouri Mule]

9 minutes ago, dale560 said:

Hope the doctors can find some treatment that helps for a long while. Praying for your health.

Thanks guys. Sucks but I can't change it. No is the answer. Same drug they been using for decades. There's experimental drugs but insurance won't pay for any and ill be damned if Ill give everything away for little bit of miserable time. Gonna just ride the train until it won't go...

[pms1961]

27 minutes ago, Missouri Mule said:

Thanks guys. Sucks but I can't change it. No is the answer. Same drug they been using for decades. There's experimental drugs but insurance won't pay for any and ill be damned if Ill give everything away for little bit of miserable time. Gonna just ride the train until it won't go...

Sorry to hear that.Possible they got the diagnosis wrong?Thoughts and prayers Missouri Mule.

[jeeper61]

My prayers for your comfort.

Propane wouldn't be difficult to do and if it's atmospheric it will keep the water hot when to power is out reducing the required generator size need to keep the household going.

 

[zleinenbach]

yep go with a 30-40 gallon imo. 

fir what it’s worth when i came home from hospital i took a shower with garden hose wand over a floor drain in garage. so whatever you decide tge hand shower deal i highly recommend .

best of luck- will be pulling for you

[searcyfarms]

ugh...........sorry about your diagnosis, i hope you are able to live long and happy

so you have a 75amp 240 service available or ? 

i have had 3 stieble eltron units on demand units and would HIGHLY recommend them, their 15 unit draws 60amps 

a 30 to 40 gal electric would work from the sounds of it and a floor drain type setup with a wand would be great sounds to me like 

[vtfireman85]

That’s a miserable diagnosis, I am very sorry to hear, my prayers to you and your family. I know you said you don’t want to mess with propane, but if you already have it for heat it would make life a whole lot easier. You can have as much hot water as you want or need, also handy for washing stuff other than people. 

[Sledgehammer]

Prayers for your diagnosis. 

[tractorholic]

I haven’t seen you on here in an awhile. 
 I miss your posts. Sorry to hear about your health issues. Sounds like you have a challenge ahead of you. I don’t have much of an opinion on your question though. Good luck!

[from H to 80]

Sorry to hear about your health issues and this might sound crude but i'm sure you have a welding outlet, tie your instant hot in on that circuit. 

You will never be welding while your in the shower,I temporarily tied my air compressor to my welding circuit 15 years ago and it's still temporarily there.

I just flip the switch on the compressor if it happens to come on while i'm welding.

[Alan Dinan]

I haven’t reached out to you in a while Dave, but I’m still praying for you as you go through this.

 I know you said that you don’t want to do LP, but I would look into an LP tankless. Take up less space, and only need 120v to run and more reliable than the electric ones. We put one in our old house and got along great with it. We haven’t put one in this house yet, because the previous owners had a new electric tank put in before we bought it.

[AKwelder]

We also have cold water.  I would go with a 40 gallon with 220v power.  
 

 

Our thoughts and prayers for your health 

[12_Guy]

So sorry about your health issues. You have been given some good advice. Tank type are indeed stupid simple and reliable. Another alternative might be to reduce your flow. 1.5 GPM would probably be fine and allow for the smaller electric tankless to possibly keep up with the demand. Ladies with long hair are going to want more water but guys can generally do with less. 

[iowaboy1965]

Sorry to hear about your health issues. Prayers for you and family.

[lotsaIHCs]

Sorry to hear about your health challenges.  I personally like my LP tank water heater without power vent. If the power goes out for 3 days or more, as it sometimes does when we have a blizzard or ice storm, I still have hot water. We have rural water and a well so no problem there.  When I replaced it last time I put in a 50 gallon tank since we had 5 of us in the house at the time with 2 being teenage boys and my daughter in her 20s had moved home from college. With just the 2 of us now a 30 gallon would be great plenty.