New exterior tankless water heater install

[srossman]

Ok,

So It has taken me a while to actually getting around to post this project, but I thought some might find it interesting. First the back story:

Back in December of 2006, my tanked water heater suddenly began leaking. So I did the smart thing and turned the water off and started looking for a new water heater. I had always liked the idea of switching to a tankless model, so I began the research. I quickly determined that propane was the only way to go. So I ended getting a rinnai exterior tankless unit. I liked this unit since I would not have to run any exhaust pipe and I would free up some space in my utility closet where the old water heater tank used to sit.

So once I got the unit delivered the fun really began. I had to find a plumber that could install the unit as I didn't feel completely comfortable running the gas line myself. Plus I didn't want to have any issues if I needed warranty work down the road. So after talking with the plumber I found out that in order for the proper freeze protection, I needed two solenoid valves. One being a normally open valve and one being a normally closed valve. If the electricity would go out, the normally open valve would close and not allow any water into the heater, and the other valve would open allowing the unit to empty. So attached are the pictures of me digging deep enough to get the unit installed and then after the unit has been installed.

 

[N1ST]

Nice to be able to do part of the job yourself. How did you cut the nice rectangle in the foundation?

 

[srossman]

Nice to be able to do part of the job yourself. How did you cut the nice rectangle in the foundation?

Thanks N1ST,
I agree it is nice to be able to some of the work myself, plus I would have hated to have to dig out the amount of dirt I did by hand. The BX was the perfect size for this project.

What I cut out, was actually just a skirting for my crawlspace. The house is build on 6x6 posts and then covered with plywood and stucco around the bottom. I was able to use a masonry saw blade on my circular saw to cut through it.

 

[srossman]

After going through two leaking solenoid valves, I've decided that I needed a way to drain the water away from my crawlspace if I lose power. I figured the best way to handle this is to put a drain pipe underneath the water heater. Attached are 2 pictures of the trench being dug.

-Scot

 

[N1ST]

I have a gc2310 and will be trenching soon. How long did it take you to get the hang of trenching and how long to dig the trench? Also, what speed did you run the engine at?

 

[srossman]

I have a gc2310 and will be trenching soon. How long did it take you to get the hang of trenching and how long to dig the trench? Also, what speed did you run the engine at?

I ran the tractor at almost full throttle. I didn't take me to long to get the hang of trenching. The trench I dug was probably about 15-20 feet long and probably 3 ft deep. I would say that overall time was under an hour. Of course after I started to dig it, I realized that I wasn't going in the direction that I wanted to and filled it back in. The hardest part was figuring out an easy way to move the tractor down the trench. I finally got pretty good at using the boom to move the tractor forward. There's another thread on here about how to move while using the backhoe with some good ideas.

-Scot

 

[dtd24]

wowwee full throttle huh? I run my backhoe at about 2100.

 

[srossman]

wowwee full throttle huh? I run my backhoe at about 2100.

You have to remember I'm only running a bx-23 and not a jd 1070. I'm sure my GPM on the hydraulics isn't near what the JD puts out. Plus I don't have a RPM gauge to know what I'm running at, so I just back it off full throttle a bit when I'm trenching. I do slow it down when I get closer to the house for fear of hitting the wall

 

[tlbuser]

Ok,

I had always liked the idea of switching to a tankless model, so I began the research. I quickly determined that propane was the only way to go.

Where'd you end up purchasing the heater? Every time I think about it, I get very scared by the prices

 

[srossman]

Where'd you end up purchasing the heater? Every time I think about it, I get very scared by the prices

I know what you mean about the prices. I ended up buying the heater on Ebay from a plumbing warehouse. If I remember correctly I paid around 900.00 for a rinnai r85. It actually cost me more to have it installed than to purchase it. If I had to do it over again, I would have bought an interior unit so I wouldn't have to worry about freeze protection.