Who are you? Macgyver?

That would be MacWayneh to you, buster...

 

Seriously now. I just browsed through the manual, and it's the first time I've heard of "Hydro-generated ignition" ... fascinating stuff...

 

Seriously now. I just browsed through the manual, and it's the first time I've heard of "Hydro-generated ignition" ... fascinating stuff...

Well I am glad it exists because it means I will still have hot water in a power failure.

This is a feature to look for if I ever replace it.

 

Well I am glad it exists because it means I will still have hot water in a power failure.

This is a feature to look for if I ever replace it.

Yeah... but how does it exactly work? Is it really a turbine? ... if it is, it's probably recharging a battery. Which wouldn't surprise me, since there are old calculators out there that work using solar cells that can work indoors!
But in this case, the thing is supposed to be driving an igniter that produces a spark... that's much more power than calculator's!

 

Yeah... but how does it exactly work? Is it really a turbine? ... if it is, it's probably recharging a battery. Which wouldn't surprise me, since there are old calculators out there that work using solar cells that can work indoors!
But in this case, the thing is supposed to be driving an igniter that produces a spark... that's much more power than calculator's!

My guess it is a supercap and not a battery.


These types of devices can be installed on sailboats too. Much larger scale of course.

http://www.duogen.co.uk/page73.html

You would really want a larger boat. No way are you going to get much above 6 knots in a 30 meter sailboat, even in ideal conditions on a broad reach.

 

Who are you? Macgyver?

I can't take credit for anything except finding a guy that knew the solution and was willing to share it with me. I would have installed a new one long before figuring out that fix.

 

I can't take credit for anything except finding a guy that knew the solution and was willing to share it with me. I would have installed a new one long before figuring out that fix.

That makes me feel privileged. I grew up around Kentucky Engineering and learned to appreciate that some of the simplest fixes had a primitive sort of beauty...and then there were the complete botch jobs. I still carry clothes pins in my tool box because there are so many ways you can use them.

Soldering a butt connection in a car? Clothes pin both wires to a piece of cardboard to make them hold still until the solder hardens.
Putting a motor in a Speed Queen washing machine? Put a clothes pin on the bolts to hold them up until you rotate the motor bracket into place. Wiring harness keeps flopping over on the rocker arms? Clothes pin them to the brake line.

 

I have the a above referenced Bosch Tankless hot water heater. Could your indicator light be produced by the Flame? I clean my heater exchanger once a year to remove any carbon build up. If you notice white dust below the unit I would clean the heat exchanger.

 

but how does it exactly work? Is it really a turbine?

The manual shows a turbine and says it should generate at least 1.6V AC with a water flow-rate of at least 0.5 gal per min.
My kitchen stove gas igniter works happily from a single 1.5V D-cell, so the turbine output seems reasonable.

 

Could your indicator light be produced by the Flame?

from first page...

There is no pilot light.

 

from first page...

Fish bowl.

 

from first page...

Fish bowl.

And I am not even sure I completely understood your fish bowl comment but it was funny all the same.

 

I have the a above referenced Bosch Tankless hot water heater. Could your indicator light be produced by the Flame? I clean my heater exchanger once a year to remove any carbon build up. If you notice white dust below the unit I would clean the heat exchanger.

And how does the flame get ignited with no power?

The problem has been solved. Please read the thread.

 

Fish bowl.

Not sure what that means! But he did state that it only lights when water is used. My Bosch tankless water heater has a small glass window. The pilot light is only visible at an angle and the small window lights up when the flame is producing hot water.

 

And I am not even sure I completely understood your fish bowl comment but it was funny all the same.

Goldfish have a memory of about 7 seconds - my estimate of the time it takes them to circle the fish bowl (unless they are in one of those panic modes where they circle the bowl about 7 times in one second!).

 

I have a fairly large house, and we have to run quite a bit of water to get the master shower warm in the mornings. I've thought about installing a tankless at that end of the house. A small electric unit (60 amp) might suffice and would be easier to install than a gas one. It would just run the low-flow shower and the sinks. I'll have to do some more research on my options. I need to make the final choice between gas and electricity

<sinpped link>

I ran across recently. I won't vouch for his opinions but it's interesting reading. Short form: he doesn't like them.

 

Go with gas.

 

I have a fairly large house, and we have to run quite a bit of water to get the master shower warm in the mornings. I've thought about installing a tankless at that end of the house. A small electric unit (60 amp) might suffice and would be easier to install than a gas one. It would just run the low-flow shower and the sinks. I'll have to do some more research on my options. I need to make the final choice between gas and electricity

Here's a page https://www.newtanklesswaterheaters.com/water-heaters-electric-vs-gas-know-pros-cons/ I ran across recently. I won't vouch for his opinions but it's interesting reading. Short form: he doesn't like them.

Fascinating.

 

I have a fairly large house, and we have to run quite a bit of water to get the master shower warm in the mornings. I've thought about installing a tankless at that end of the house. A small electric unit (60 amp) might suffice and would be easier to install than a gas one. It would just run the low-flow shower and the sinks. I'll have to do some more research on my options. I need to make the final choice between gas and electricity

Here's a page https://www.newtanklesswaterheaters.com/water-heaters-electric-vs-gas-know-pros-cons/ I ran across recently. I won't vouch for his opinions but it's interesting reading. Short form: he doesn't like them.

The part in this Thread was how do they ignite gas in the OP's Thread about his Tankless Hot Water Heater. We found out that during a power outage there is no need to worry about hot water because the waters flow will generate the voltage to ignite the gas which was pointed out by the OP was good to have his type of water heater. I will agree with @BR-549 I would go with gas.

kv

 

I have to agree with others that for a tankless go gas unless you have newer home with a 200+ amp service feeding it.

I've met too many people now who went tankless electric and were less than thrilled with the real life working capacity they produced. Fair warm shower for a man is too cold to not get an ear full from the wife every time they use it and if anyone is taking a shower and any other hot water drain starts up like a wash machine, dishwasher or even sink whomever's in the shower gets the cold end of the stick for it.

Same with even doing a good hot bath given most electric tankless units can't keep up with more than 2 - 3 GPM and hold any decent temperature which again if the wife can't have her hot bath and fill the tub in less than 5 minutes to damn near boiling hot you're gonna hear about it.