A cold shower is very upcoming these days. It is claimed to be very healthy and has many other good purposes. However, many people (including me) still prefer a hot shower for obvious (comforting) reasons. I have tried cold showers and they happened to be unpleasantly cold. Not just for people like me who like a hot shower, but also people who want don’t want to boil water every time for whatever purpose, I’m reviewing another water heater in this article. My name is Ids and the Eccotemp i12-LP Water Heater will be thoroughly looked into in this article.
Eccotemp i12-LP Water Heater
In this article, the Eccotemp i12-LP Water Heater will be reviewed. All features, pros and cons will be discussed as I attempt to give a good buying guide for this product. The heater is a sleek-looking and smart product.
It has an extremely compact size for a boiler, which makes it very suitable for tiny houses. The boiler doesn’t take up much space at all as it has no water tank embedded in its design.
This practically has beneficial reasons: A water tank needs to be heated at all times, which is a waste of energy, so models without a tank are far more energy efficient. Moreover, thanks to the fact that it heats the water within the pipes of the boiler, you can never run out of hot water, which could happen with a water tank.
Thanks to its light weight, it can be installed easily. A lot of smart technology is embedded in this product. It works fully automatic, the only thing you have to do is install it and adjust the temperature if you want to. Adjusting the temperature is very easy as the product has a control board with LED display where you can do this.
The boiler even measures the amount of outlet water, which can be very insightful if you want to save more water. Feel free to read along to find out more about this interesting, sustainable product.
What is the Eccotemp i12-LP Water Heater?
This black water heater is first of all a very good-looking product, in my opinion. Compared to other boilers that are just white, boring cabinets, this product wouldn’t look bad at all in any interior. It has a sleek and modern design which allows it to blend in very good in your house.
Apart from its good looks, it is also a very functional and sustainable product. The system is only activated when demanded and has no pilot light, which both reduce energy consumption. Moreover, the heater doesn’t have a water tank attached to it.
This makes it more energy efficient as well, since a water tank costs a lot of energy. These tanks are heated all the time, even when no-one consumes the water, which is a big waste of energy. The water heater is gas-powered, but doesn’t use much at all.
The dimensions of the boiler are optimal for tiny houses. With a length of 13.7 inches, width of 25 inches and a height of only 5 inches (35x64x13 in centimeters), it should not be hard to find a suitable place for this product in your tiny home.
It has a maximum boiling rate of 4GPM (18 liters per minute) which is plenty, as most showers use about 1.3 gallons of water per minute. The water heater also has a LED display control where you can adjust the temperature, turn it on and off and measure the GPM, which is really insightful and helps you to save water.
How does the Eccotemp i12-LP Work?
The Eccotemp i12 is one of the most advanced indoor tankless water heaters of the Eccotemp line. It comes with many smart features. The product comes with an instruction manual which allows you to install it by yourself. It only weighs 29lbs (13kg) so its weight shouldn’t be a problem either. The box also includes a 90 degree elbow with backflow preventer, a wall thimble, a termination pipe, mounting hardware and a 110 volt UL listed power cord. Everything you need is delivered in one package.
The power cord powers the internal exhaust fan, the digital LED display and the product control board. It has a fully automated control system. During operation, the water heater only uses 0.5 amps and is therefore very low in energy consumption. The water heater has a big temperature range of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be easily adjusted on the product control board.
Once installed properly, the water flows into the water inlet, which than sends a signal to the flow meter, which will send a signal to the computer board. The computer board then instructs the fan to start pulling air up, it opens the gas valve so the gas can come in and the ignition process will start. Thanks to its smart technology, the water heater will shut itself down when the water reaches a temperature that the boiler can’t handle. Moreover, the product also has child locking technology, so if you have a kid at home it can’t hurt itself nor the heater.
As mentioned earlier, the water heater is tankless. A water tank is namely very inefficient: It takes up a lot more space, has to be heated at all times and it can run out of hot water. The latter is naturally a very unwelcome surprise when you’re taking a shower. The fact that it needs to be heated at all times is obviously not good when you’re looking for a low energy consumption. The i12 only uses about 2 watts when it’s not working, which is practically nothing. The water is only heated when needed and this happens within the pipes of the boiler: cold water comes in, hot water comes out, which saves a lot of space as well.
Features
- Automatic temperature controls.
- Temperature range of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Child locking technology.
- Horizontal stainless steel vent kit included.
Pro’s and cons
Pro’s:
- Light weighted
- Sleek and modern design
- Small size
- Energy efficient
- Intelligent technology
Cons:
- Has to be cleaned at least twice a year
- Can only be installed horizontally
- Can’t use it permanently outdoors
Eccotemp i12-LP Alternatives
There are many alternatives in the water heater market as there are different sizes, shapes, features, etc. It is recommended that you look up for yourself what sort of heater will live up to your needs. A cheaper variant by Eccotemp is the FVI12. This is a very comparable product to the i12 but looks less sleek. If you don’t care about its appearance, this could be a good alternative.
A while back, I wrote a review on the Rinnai V65iP water heater which is also a good option for your tiny house. It provides 2.5 GPM more than the Eccotemp i12. You can read the whole review here:
Review: Rinnai V65iP Non-Condensing Propane Tankless Water Heater | Tiny Living Life
Eccotemp i12-LP Final Thoughts
In short, the Eccotemp i12 was reviewed in this article. In my opinion, it is a very fine product that could be a very suitable option for your tiny home. With its very small size and light weight it can basically be installed anywhere. This product comes with many smart features: A wide temperature range, LED display and a product control board on which you can adjust the temperature of the water to your needs. It also has child locking technology which prevents the boiler from hurting your child and the other way around.
It doesn’t have a water tank, which first of all assures you of not running out of hot water and not unimportantly, it saves a lot of energy because it doesn’t contain a big tank that needs energy to be heated at all times. Last but not least, this model has a really sleek, good-looking design which wouldn’t disturb your home’s decoration.
Yet, there are many, many other kinds of water heaters, so it is hard to say if this model would be the best option for you. What I can conclude is that it certainly won’t be a bad option for a tiny house.
FAQs
- Can I install the i12 horizontally?
No, the product is built to be installed vertically. Installing it horizontally can be dangerous.
- Does the i12 have anti-freeze technology?
No, the i12 is not protected from freezing damage. Even when installed indoors, it can still take damage from cold air coming in.
- How often should I clean my water heater and is this really necessary?
It is important to clean and descale your heater at least every six months. If you don’t do this, the water heater risks overheating and deteriorating its effectiveness. Eccotemp has a EZ Flush Descaler Kit you can use.
