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Questions from a Newb...Water Heater and hanging Cabinets

Z

zapple

New member
Howdy amigos,

I’m a newbie here with a couple questions.

Just bought a used 24’ Nesting Bird yurt, have it installed on an insulated, raised platform and now getting to some of the interior work.

I’d like to install a propane tankless hot water heater. I’m off grid and anticipate minimal hot water needs in the yurt and am considering a Marey water heater on the smaller side of things.

Typically these units use 4” B-Vent to exhaust out of a space. I understand I need to vent through the sidewall of the yurt so I was going to use a couple 90° elbows to get it out the wall, then back to the vertical position.

1/ What are my options for flashing this B-Vent pipe through the wall of the yurt?

I have a design to build a kitchen along one of the curved walls and am considering building a small section of 2x4 wall to hang the upper cabinets and run an electrical circuit.

2/ If I close this area in with a tile backsplash am I in danger of creating a moldy environment? Should I through some fiberglass in there or change my plan and just hang the cabs on the lattice?

I am off-grid using a small solar electric array in the Pacific Northwest. I am heating with wood, but due to use the yurt will go unheated for a few days to weeks at a time. Winter (and Autumn and Spring!) is typically mild and wet — ideal conditions for molds!

I’d appreciate any thoughts, photos, experience y’all can share.


Thanks so much!

Zapple
 
I have seen those tankless heaters. I had two concerns about them....The manual states they are not supposed to be installed "permanently" and they seem lightly (cheaply?) built.

But I have not met anyone who has had their hands on one. Do you have experience with one of these puppies?

Any thoughts on my other questions about flashing / creating a water seal around my water heater exhaust pipe?


Thanks!

Zapple!
 
Tiny House people use the eccotemp water heaters a good deal I believe. Sometimes they work well, sometimes it sounds like they break after a year or so. I guess just check the reviews.

Silicone vent boots/flashing work pretty well--I'm using a high temp one (red) around my chimney pipe. I used silicone glue to attach the cone base to a thin square of steel or such which is glued at the edges to the canvas. Seals up nicely, though I could use high temp silicone between the cone & the chimney pipe for a little extra. The b-vent stuff is generally lower temp then wood chimney pipe, but it's always good to check the temp rating of each component.

I recall most of the modern yurt makers offer a wood/propane exhaust kit. Pacific Yurts has a nice little tutorial. Of course, don't put weight on the canvas with whatever system you use.

If you'll be using a typical wood stove I might suggest using it to make hot water, too. That only works well during the winter, of course...

As long as you have a little air space between your backsplash framing & the yurt wall (at the floor & top too), you should get a little convection that should reduce mold/mildew problems. But if the whole yurt is having condensation & mold issues, it probably wouldn't matter...
 
I use the portable version of that water heater just fine inside both of my yurts without any issue. In my main yurt (30'), I just use it for making hot water for doing dishes. A total usage of about 3-5 minutes a day. Yurts breathe rather well so ventilation is really not an issue. Would I use it if I was running it for an hour at a time? No.

In my second yurt (10'), I use one to heat the shower water. Again, no issues as my 10' yurt isn't even insulated.

The only issue I have had with the portable ones is that they absolutely will not accept ANY freezing. I busted the first one I had by letting it freeze at 30F. The copper coils are so small inside that they will burst without much effort.

I used the through the wall kit from Pacific Yurts to vent my wood stove. I have never had any issue with it.
 
Great info, thanks for your thoughts.

I like the idea of the silicon boot through the wall. I will look at that option, maybe positioning it high on the wall (along with some aluminum flashing?) so the top edge can slip under the roof panel.

Jafo, that's amazing that you are just running that little beast right inside your yurt. Makes sense with your minimal water usage. It gave me the idea of installing a heater like that outside the yurt and just keeping an eye on the thing during freezing spells. I already have an outdoor shower that I've been managing for 6 or 7 years so this could work in my zone.

Also good to hear your thoughts on the EccoTemp. I read more bad reviews than positive ones so had written it off.

Thanks again guys!
 
Don't hang cabinets on lattice. Install studs that run from the bottom of the rafters to the floor. This will give you the framework needed for 'upper' cabinets.

On demand water heaters are essentially all we install here in Hawaii. There are indoor and outdoor models. Indoor models require venting, outtdoor models typically do not, they come as 'self venting'.

Rinnai is my absolute favorite brand of on-demand hot water heaters. Make certain it is geared for the type of fuel you plan to use. Conversions from natural gas to propane are difficult and expensive. Steer clear of any electric heaters. Those take a gargantuan amount of electricity and are outlawed in many states.
 
If you go with higher efficacy model you go with a pvc flue this would be safer and you wouldn't have to worry about burning anything.
 
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