Water is and will always be our most important basic necessity in order to survive. When you think about living in a tiny house you might primarily think about how you’re going to design your bedroom and which curtains you’re going to buy and so on. Yet, there are more practical matters that should also be taken into consideration, for example whether you want a hot shower in the morning. If you do want warm water inlet that doesn’t take up too much space, you might want to read along. My name is Ids and today I’m reviewing the Rinnai V65iP Non-Condensing Propane Tankless Water Heater.

Summary

In this article, Rinnai’s V65iP model will be reviewed. This is a tankless water heater. It has no water tank, which is good for energy-saving and also for saving space. The heater has to be installed indoors and is about the size of a small suitcase. Boilers with a water tank take up more space and cost more energy. Moreover you can run out of hot water once the tank is empty. With this tankless model that won’t happen, fortunately.

Finding a boiler that suits your tiny home is essential. Many factors should be taken into account when buying one, regarding space, water usage, energy-saving, etc. This specific model provides up to 6.5 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) of hot water and is quite energy-efficient. This review provides a detailed description of the V65iP and can be useful to give you a better understanding of what boiler you might need for your place, because the V65iP is just one of many water heaters.

About the Rinnai’s V65iP water heater

Rinnai Corporation has been manufacturing gas appliances for more than a hundred years, so one could say it is an experienced market participant by now. This specific model called V65iP offers your (tiny) home advanced technology for comfort and value. It can supply hot water to all the places you might need it: shower, dishwasher, laundry machine, etc.
The unit is about the size of a small suitcase. The product dimensions are 12.8 x 30.51 x 17.32 inches, which is perfect for a tiny house. You might wonder how it is possible for a boiler to be this small. This is because there is no water tank embedded. This is a big advantage compared to boilers with water tanks. Namely, these tanks save hot water, which has to be heated at all times, also when you’re not at home. That is why a tankless boiler is much more energy-efficient.
Another feature that is interesting about the tankless heater is the fact that the life span is twice more durable than a boiler with tank. Moreover, there is no tank that depletes, so you won’t run out of warm water, which can happen if there is a water tank attached. With a capacity of 6.5 GPM (nearly 25 liters per minute), your shower will not turn cold out of nowhere, which is of course very unpleasant if this happens unexpectedly.

How does the Rinnai’s V65iP work?

It is recommended that you don’t install the heater by yourself. Unless you’re a technician yourself, Rinnai suggests that you let someone do it for you. On the ‘Find a Rinnai PRO’ page on Rinnai’s website, you can locate a qualified technician in your area to install the heater for you. Naturally you can also search for a technician by yourself. Once installed, there should be warm water flowing to the devices you wished for.

A maintenance check every two years is recommended. The color of the heater is white. The heater is powered by propane gas and uses 120 Volts. There are no batteries required. The pre-set temperature of the water is 120°F (49°C), this can be adjusted by the installer to 140°F. The water is only heated when necessary. This conserves a lot of energy compared to boilers with water tanks. These tanks are heated permanently, which costs more energy and they can also run out of hot water. The tankless models heat the water in the pipe when it floats to the device you are using at that moment, so it is not possible to run out of hot water.

The intake water’s temperature is not relevant. The water is heated to the required temperature, regardless of its temperature beforehand. Good to know that during colder times your water will still be the temperature you want it to be!
Rinnai also mentions that their tankless models last twice as long as models with tanks. A water tank should be replaced every ten years. The tankless models last for twenty years. The heat exchanger has a warranty of twelve or ten years, depending on your living situation. The other parts have a warranty of five years. Proof of purchase is necessary in order to be entitled to a warranty.

The heater is designed to be as small as possible, being just the size of a small suitcase and weighs just 45.6 pounds (about 23 kilograms). It fits in a wide variety of spaces. This saves you a lot of room in your tiny home, where you want to use the maximum out of the available space, naturally. The heater can only be installed indoors. Therefore it is necessary to save a small area for it to be installed. It is also necessary to have a termination vent kit and an isolation valve kit in order to install the boiler.

A really interesting feature of the V-models of Rinnai, is that the heater can be controlled by Wi-Fi. This is not included with the V65iP model but has to be purchased separately. There is an app called Control-r™ which can be downloaded in the Apple Store and on Google Play. This application allows you to adjust the temperature of the heating system with one tap or voice command. It is also possible to activate recirculation for faster hot water.

Features

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the water temperature change throughout the seasons?
No, the temperature of the intake water does not matter for the temperature of the heated water. The boiler will heat the water until it reaches the demanded temperature.

What do I need to install this unit?
Apart from the Rinnai unit, you will need a termination vent kit and an isolation valve kit. It also depends on your living situation. If you want to install the boiler by yourself – which is not recommended by Rinnai – there are many videos on the internet that will show you how to do it.

What power does the heater use?
It uses propane gas and electricity. It uses 120 Volts.

Pro’s and Cons

Pro’s

Cons:

Alternatives

There are quite a few alternatives, since there are many different models of water heaters. Rinnai has quite some other models and naturally there are other brands that sell heaters, such as Fogatti. When purchasing a water heater, it is useful to think about how much warm water you will use. Based on this you can look at the price classes of different heaters. Heaters that provide less gallons per minute are generally cheaper.

For instance, this model by Rinnai is cheaper than the V65iP. The V53DeP is also a tankless heater that provides 5.3 GPM, 1.2 less than the V65iP. This model is to be installed outdoors, so it won’t take up any of your living space.

Then, there is the Rinnai RL75iN. This is a slightly bigger heater and also provides one GPM more than the V65iP. It runs on natural gas and also has to be installed indoors. A very interesting feature this heater has is that it learns your hot water using patterns. This feature makes this boiler even more energy-efficient than the V-models. Another feature of this heater is a built-in recirculation pump. The V-models don’t have these either. The price of the RL75iN is therefore significantly higher. It is also available in the size of 9.8 GPM.

Fogatti also produce tankless heaters like this model. It provides just 2.2 GPM but also comes with a remote controller. It is about the same size as Rinnai’s boilers and therefore a good option if you don’t use a lot of water.
These are just a couple of many alternatives. It is recommended to do some research to find the boiler that suits your place the best.

Conclusion

In short, the V65iP is a tankless model that can save you a lot of energy. The water temperature is adjustable to the wishes of the buyer. Intake water temperature is not relevant since it heats the water to the demanded temperature. With its small size, it doesn’t take up much of your space, which is pleasant if you have a tiny house, naturally. You will not run out of hot water thanks to the fact that there is no water tank. This heater might be a really good choice for your tiny home, yet there are many alternatives which might suit your place better taking the amount of water you use and how much energy it will cost you into account. It is not the most fun subject to dive into, yet finding the best choice for your tiny house can save you a lot of money.