I hate my AquaHot

[Jim Blackwood]

Water heaters are not particularly efficient, note the hot exhaust. I really feel it's past time for a redesign. But, you can buy a 12 or 16 gallon one if you like (though clearly a 6 gal model will conserve water better) and you can get gas/electric with an engine coolant loop to heat water while you drive. I suppose a little plumbing should let you preheat the engine as well. Presumably if you like long showers you could run the engine to get more hot water maybe? IDK but it seems like it. Also seems a little wasteful.

But with residential gas furnaces running at 98% or better efficiency they deserve a very close look. A little bulky maybe, but how much of that is just ductwork?

Jim

[Geoff]

Jim, for your information the engine heating loop on an RV/marine water heater is just a short piece of aluminum pipe welded to the back of the water heater.  It takes hours of driving to heat the water this way.  But it certainly works and the water will stay warm until the next morning for a shower or two.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

One problem with Propane which will probably become more of a problem in the future is that when traveling on the East coast, before going into some tunnels you may be stopped at the entrance and asked to shut off your propane.  Not a problem, but one more thing to have to deal with.  And then when you come out, you will have to stop again to turn it back on if you want to use it again before you stop again like if it is very cold outside.

[chessie4905]

Most tunnels here just post signs anymore. Traffic is so heavy, and from job cuts no one cares...until there is some sort of an accident with your propane equipped vehicle. Then the lawyers take over. Also there are more and more natural gas busses and vehicles to deal with. You can't reroute everyone.