LPG Water heater for outbuilding?

[Bohobee]

Hi, just after a bit of starting advice - I'm having an outbuilding built with a small shower room (& 2 sinks). Was originally going to put an electric hot water tank in... but concerned about both the size I would need (space is limited) and also the load on the electric supply; as I have no mains gas my house already has an electric hot water tank, plus electric heaters everywhere. I am going to be adding a couple more heaters onto this supply with the new build and just concerned that having 2 hot water tanks running at once, plus heaters, oven etc etc is asking for trouble! (I did get quote for fitting new power supply straight to the outbuilding so that I could power an electric shower or instant electric hot water tank but that was waay too expensive!!)
So, a few people have suggested LPG instant hot water tank. (this would also be handy as when we have power cuts would still have a hot water supply) I have been trying my best to research, but struggling to get exactly the info I need as most of the descriptions are more for caravan use etc.
I've seen some fairly cheap on Amazon and such like, like this kind of thing:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-St...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1G0UR7QD8V62V But to fit it indoors I guess I need a flue...? and are they all a standard fitting or do I need to buy a more expensive boiler that offers a matching flue?... also can the plumber then fit standard plumbing fittings to it? Ie a feed to the shower and to each sink?
I presume it would just run straight from the mains water supply so doesn't need a pump or anything...and what size bottle would I go with? The shower will only be intended for occasional guest use ... although there is the potential in the future that one of my kids might just choose to live in it
I really just need to figure out exactly what I need and get all the necassary parts ordered!
Also, price is a bit of an issue, the building is already over budget and I really need to save pennies wherever possible!!
Any advice or pointers in the right direction would be much appreciated!

 

[oldbutnotdead]

What's the planned use for the outbuilding- full time occupancy or occasional overnight/mancave type thing.
If it's full-time you might want to consider LPG powered heating as well as hot water (there are plenty of full-sized boilers that will run on LPG) or oil. Problem with both those is cost per kWh now and in the future. Heat pump maybe?
If it's occasional then tank and immersion heater will be the low maintenance low install cost route. Modern cylinders are well insulated so it becomes a lifestyle choice- pay the 50p per day to have tank permanently hot or live with forward-planning your hot water use up there.

That's an interesting toy you've linked to. Does it have CE or UKCA approvals? If you had that in an internal room you'd get massive condensation problems as well as needing a great big air vent (it takes its combustion air from inside the room).
You also need to look at how it is designed- it may be an open vent type (where you control cold supply to the heater) and thus unsuitable for your multiple outlets design.
It is designed to be on the outside of an outside wall so if you did go for it that would be my advice- some sort of waterproof well ventilated and well insulated cubby around it

 

[polesapart]

These heaters are "camping shower heaters" - meant for hanging up outside in the open air.

 

[Old Salt]

What about a water heater as fitted in motorhomes. They can be used on bottled gas, 12 volt or 240 volts. Ours used to give enough hot water for 2 showers if you were economical with the water.

 

[Bohobee]

What's the planned use for the outbuilding- full time occupancy or occasional overnight/mancave type thing.
If it's full-time you might want to consider LPG powered heating as well as hot water (there are plenty of full-sized boilers that will run on LPG) or oil. Problem with both those is cost per kWh now and in the future. Heat pump maybe?
If it's occasional then tank and immersion heater will be the low maintenance low install cost route. Modern cylinders are well insulated so it becomes a lifestyle choice- pay the 50p per day to have tank permanently hot or live with forward-planning your hot water use up there.

That's an interesting toy you've linked to. Does it have CE or UKCA approvals? If you had that in an internal room you'd get massive condensation problems as well as needing a great big air vent (it takes its combustion air from inside the room).
You also need to look at how it is designed- it may be an open vent type (where you control cold supply to the heater) and thus unsuitable for your multiple outlets design.
It is designed to be on the outside of an outside wall so if you did go for it that would be my advice- some sort of waterproof well ventilated and well insulated cubby around it

It's just for occasional guest use really - main use for the building is teen hang out so I doubt they'll be showering much! but it's also going to double as a guest room for when family stay etc. I am already installing a log burner and wiring has already been put in for a couple of electric heaters I had going spare.. and tbh it's insulated to within an inch of it's life so shouldn't need much heating! When you say tank and immersion heater... would they run off bottled LPG? and wouldn't they be take up a lot of room? whatever I go for needs to sit on the wall above the toilet!
The link is just to the cheapest option I came across on amazon... i have seen more expensive similar looking things which seem to sell themselves as more fit for domestic use... i just wondered if something like the cheap ones would do the job... but it sounds like they are not fit for purpose..

 

[Bohobee]

What about a water heater as fitted in motorhomes. They can be used on bottled gas, 12 volt or 240 volts. Ours used to give enough hot water for 2 showers if you were economical with the water.

This is exactly what I was thinking really... can you link me to the type of thing you mean? I thought the one I linked above was that kind of thing, but that seems to be for outdoor use... Thanks!

 

[Bohobee]

What about something like this... would this do the trick? https://www.mrcentralheating.co.uk/...r-heater-quick-list-pack#configure-quick-list

 

[big-all]

general comments
what size floor area and height wise is it ??
does it meet building regs ??
does it have planning permission ??

now in general near the boundary and sub 2.5m in height sub 15sqm metres wont need planning or need to meet building regs iff you dont have sleeping accommodation
now odd sleep overs and roughing it will be ok if no one complains but the nearer to home comforts it becomes the harder it may be to prove its not accommodation

 

[muggles]

I've had good success with these in caravans

Rinnai 11i Low NOx 24kw Multi-Point Internal LPG Gas Water Heater & Flue Kit

Revolutionise and go continuous flow with Rinnai high efficiency Low Nox multipoint water heaters which are far more energy efficient than storage systems and are the preferred method of heating water. Restaurants and domestic properties are a prime example of this. They require high volumes of...

www.gasproducts.co.uk

 

[nickjb]

We've got one similar to the link in the first post. Its in a lean to so very well ventilated area. Works well. Pumps out loads of heat. I think it was marketed as a horse shower but works on people too. I have seen then fitted at camp sites. One place had an indoor shower with the boiler mounted in cabinet open to the outside and the plumbing going through the wall. Seemed like quite a neat solution.

 

[Old Salt]

This is exactly what I was thinking really... can you link me to the type of thing you mean? I thought the one I linked above was that kind of thing, but that seems to be for outdoor use... Thanks!

Here you go

10 LTR GAS & ELECTRIC TRUMA ULTRASTORE WATER HEATER MOTORHOME CARAVAN CAMPERVAN | eBay

Swimming Pool (42). Water Sports. Gas Fittings (5). Powerful 1500w gas heater. Affordable Prices Across the Range. Water & Plumbing (19). (And it's also black, Not blue). Gas and Electric operation simultaneously approx.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Bohobee]

general comments
what size floor area and height wise is it ??
does it meet building regs ??
does it have planning permission ??

now in general near the boundary and sub 2.5m in height sub 15sqm metres wont need planning or need to meet building regs iff you dont have sleeping accommodation
now odd sleep overs and roughing it will be ok if no one complains but the nearer to home comforts it becomes the harder it may be to prove its not accommodation

I've kept strictly inside all the building regs so no need for planning permission, all the houses in my row have similar buildings in their gardens (in fact I'm the only person who probably has kept within regs regarding height and boundary distance etc!) so hopefully nothing for anyone to complain about!

 

[Bohobee]

I've had good success with these in caravans

Rinnai 11i Low NOx 24kw Multi-Point Internal LPG Gas Water Heater & Flue Kit

Revolutionise and go continuous flow with Rinnai high efficiency Low Nox multipoint water heaters which are far more energy efficient than storage systems and are the preferred method of heating water. Restaurants and domestic properties are a prime example of this. They require high volumes of...

www.gasproducts.co.uk

Thanks - I have seen this one it is in my saved collection! So once this was fitted would it then just attach to the 'normal' plumbing that is in place to the shower and sink? or would i need to buy special adapters? and I guess I would just need to attach a flue through the external wall? or does it have to be vertical? sorry, for so many questions. i have spent hours trying to research myself, but all i seem to find is the sales pitches of all the extras you CAN get for it, rather than how to actually use it and what you actually NEED for it!

 

[Bohobee]

Here you go

10 LTR GAS & ELECTRIC TRUMA ULTRASTORE WATER HEATER MOTORHOME CARAVAN CAMPERVAN | eBay

Swimming Pool (42). Water Sports. Gas Fittings (5). Powerful 1500w gas heater. Affordable Prices Across the Range. Water & Plumbing (19). (And it's also black, Not blue). Gas and Electric operation simultaneously approx.

www.ebay.co.uk

Great thanks, I'll take a look!

 

[Bohobee]

We've got one similar to the link in the first post. Its in a lean to so very well ventilated area. Works well. Pumps out loads of heat. I think it was marketed as a horse shower but works on people too. I have seen then fitted at camp sites. One place had an indoor shower with the boiler mounted in cabinet open to the outside and the plumbing going through the wall. Seemed like quite a neat solution.

Hmm, so I am actually going to have a 'covered area' to the side of the building on the wall where the shower is ...so I had already thought about setting the boiler outside as it would be undercover, but the builder thinks it would just wouldn't survive the first winter temperatures...