This seems like a dumb question considering this thing only has 2 knobs on it but can someone explain how this thing works? The problem I’ve always had is being able to get hot water without getting burned. It seems that minor changes in ambient temp dramatically affect the water temp. It was fine for a few months after I found the sweet spot with these 2 knobs and then this week started acting wacky. Now what it does is cycle from hot to cold about every 8 seconds. What confuses me is the volume of water flow can dramatically change when the heat is kicking on/off. It also seems to require a certain volume flow rate of hot water to keep the burner on. But it gets hotter hotter hotter and I turn the sink valve more towards cold and then all of a sudden it shuts off the burner and is freezing.
The last time I had a translator friend call my landlord about this he said it works fine and I just don’t know how to work a shower.
They do need a certain amount of flow to turn on, and you do generally need to have the faucet past the halfway mark to have the heater run.
If you can’t get it adjusted to your satisfaction, one trick to taking a comfortable shower is to use the sink tap to bleed off excess hot water. Turn the sink tap on as hot as it goes, then turn the shower on. Reduce the amount coming out of the sink until the shower temp is comfortable. This’ll keep the maximum flow going through (so the heater stays on) without burning you.
That’s what I have to do as well. Also, I have to adjust the gas volume seasonally as the unheated water temp can vary a lot. In winter I need the gas on full. This time of year about on half, and in summer I often don’t need to heat the water at all as it is already at a warm temperature.
It might need to be cleaned, sometimes the filter get clogged up and then the boiler doesn’t work as it should. It should be a small thing you remove somewhere to clean, but you might want to call the boiler maker, they tend to service them for free while they’re still within warranty and that looks fairly new.
That’s what I have to do as well. Also, I have to adjust the gas volume seasonally as the unheated water temp can vary a lot. In winter I need the gas on full. This time of year about on half, and in summer I often don’t need to heat the water at all as it is already at a warm temperature.[/quote]
Me three. I have a feeling you’d get along well with my gas delivery man.
That’s what I have to do as well. Also, I have to adjust the gas volume seasonally as the unheated water temp can vary a lot. In winter I need the gas on full. This time of year about on half, and in summer I often don’t need to heat the water at all as it is already at a warm temperature.[/quote]
Me three. I have a feeling you’d get along well with my gas delivery man.[/quote]
That’s what I have to do as well. Also, I have to adjust the gas volume seasonally as the unheated water temp can vary a lot. In winter I need the gas on full. This time of year about on half, and in summer I often don’t need to heat the water at all as it is already at a warm temperature.[/quote]
Me three. I have a feeling you’d get along well with my gas delivery man.[/quote]
luckily, I actually don’t have to do this anymore, now that I have a fancy schmancy new water heater with digital temperature control. That’s right - digital temp control, not some stupid flame size knob. My showers are always comfortable :discodance:
My old piece of crap water heater, on the other hand, required just about every trick in the book to get fired up. I took most of my summer showers heat-free because I didn’t have a choice - I couldn’t get the damn thing to turn on at all :raspberry:
You have to adjust the temperature knob or fancy digital control to the temperature that you like to shower at when it’s full on hot. No cold water. That way it is more efficient. If you’re running half hot and half cold, your temp is too high and you’re wasting gas. Turn it down and you won’t run the risk of burning yourself.
It could be the battery needs replacing too. I had that problem for about a year before I realized the battery was just giving out now and then, and needed replacing. I felt pretty dumb when I realized how easy it was to solve that problem.
Its absolutely no harder then adjusting the reverse thrusters on the moon lander !!
Actually it is probably harder. But what I seem to have found works is :
yes make sure the battery is replaced every six months rather then once a year.
gas from the water bottle not turned on full, rather only just turned to release gas.
temp selector on heater turned to medium flame.
at the bathroom when wanting hot water , always turn the hot water tap on full and then adjust accordingly with the cold water tap until the temp is correct.
It is quite a science as the ambient temperature demands some adjustments. Many a times in the middle of the freezing winter having to wrap a towel and go out on the balcony to adjust the damn thing, or find out the battery died or find out the gas bottle died, halfway thru a shower. Double dang. So we always had an extra bottle of gas around.
Or what we did. Use the full tank on the water heater and the other tank at the cooker. This way when gas runs out its in between heating up water for coffee or cooking a meal most likely, rather then in between a shower. This formula worked well. As the gas guy comes over in less then ten mins after a fone call.
u can wait ten mins for coffee but not ten mins in winter while you are soaking wet.
Having never used an on-demand water heater before, I was pretty clueless.
And I agree with the previous posts about needing to find the “sweet spot” between the water flow required to kick in and the amount of flame. PITA, if you ask me. I’m curious about zyzzx’s water heater. Maybe it’s time to do some shopping.
Having never used an on-demand water heater before, I was pretty clueless.
And I agree with the previous posts about needing to find the “sweet spot” between the water flow required to kick in and the amount of flame. PITA, if you ask me. I’m curious about zyzzx’s water heater. Maybe it’s time to do some shopping.[/quote]
It’s a Sakura. I think it cost around 11,000 NT (I was impressed that my landlord spent so much for me). No battery either - you have to plug it in.
Does anyone know what the 2 knobs are? I took the cover off. Looks like the top one would control gas flow and the bottom one water flow. But when I turn the bottom one with a faucet on, it does absolutely nothing. No matter what, it seems the water just turns to steam. I suppose I could go upstream to the gas supply and try to close the shutoff valve some to starve the heater of gas.
One aspect of Taiwanese living that I find intriguing is the absence of wetbacks, in residential homes.
I’ve observed that instead of relying on wetbacks, the prevalent method involves a system that heats water as needed, contrasting with the storage-based mechanism of a wetback system.
I’ve encountered an issue when multiple guests are staying and two people need to shower simultaneously. The on-demand hot water system struggles to keep up with such high output, an issue that wouldn’t occur with a wetback system.
Do any of you see advantages of using an on-demand water heating system over a wetback system?
back home we had a wetback system, the downside is that it takes a long time to heat initially, if i wanted a shower i would have to heat up the whole thing for 20 mins, then i would have enough water.
i also find on demand heating less wasteful in terms of energy, you just heat what you need.
for large families i see your point, but other than that im happy with our current set up. the biggest issue i have is the low water pressure here compared to other places.
I do remember an old house where hot water only worked from the second floor up. The owner said he would get a second system if I really wanted it but told me the way the pipes are in Taiwanese houses it’s designed for 2.
:discodance:
