Review: Eccotemp L5 Portable Tankless Water Heater

When searching for a new tankless water heater, you’ll find that there are several whole-home solutions that are available. Each has its own strength, making it easy to find one with the right features for a family situation. The Eccotemp L5 Portable Tankless Water Heater is an option for those who are looking for supplemental hot water instead of a complete solution. It’s an economical solution for camping, an RV, or for a faucet-specific hot water heater.

There are some specific requirements that must be met for this tankless water heater to work properly. If any of the following are missing from the user equation, the experience with this product may not be positive.

• It requires liquid propane fuel to operate. No other fuel source can be substituted with this hot water heater.
• It features 2 D-cell battery ignition, which operates reliably.
• The maximum flow rate of this portable hot water heater is 1.4 GPM, with a minimum flow rate of 0.3 liters per minute.
• It does require a minimum 20 PSI for it to operate. If water pressures are above 80 PSI, it may not function properly either.

For added convenience, there is an attached showerhead that comes with this unit. This makes it a useful item not only for camping, but for other various chores that rural property owners may have. Give your horse a bath, wash out some of your equipment, and get your work done faster.

What to Expect with the Eccotemp L5

This hot water heater provides just enough support for continuous, but low-flow, hot water for various needs. You get an 11-inch water column that can be manually-controlled from a temperature standpoint for a 30F-35F temperature rise thanks to the maximum 37,500 BTU of support it receives. There is an automatic timer that will shut the unit off after 20 minutes to avoid using too much fuel and it can be wall-mounted in a home if desired quite easily. It weighs just 14 pounds.

You cannot use this unit with a bilge pump. It is also not designed to be connected to permanent plumbing. When this hot water heater is not in use, it should be drained and stored in a place where it can remain dry. In a pinch, you could connect it for a single faucet or fixture in a home, but this would void the warranty. It’s an outdoor-only water heater as well, which adds to the challenge of in-home use.

There is a garden hose adapter which comes with this unit. It works with any standard 20-pound propane tank.

The one improvement we’d like to see made with this unit is on its warranty. It is backed by a basic 1-year limited warranty on parts and only while the unit remains at its original point of installation. If you take this camping with you, but you primarily use it in your outbuildings, then the warranty is voided.

For basic hot water needs, the Eccotemp L5 Portable Tankless Water Heater provides many benefits. If you need a portable solution, this is an option that is definitely worth considering.

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