Eccotemp FVI-12-LP High Capacity Propane Tankless Water Heater

by Eccotemp Systems

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Eccotemp FVI12-LP tankless water heater is a liquid propane fired, forced vent, 3.4 GPM indoor tankless water heater designed for small to medium hot water production where you need more than one hot water application at the same time. The Eccotemp FVI12-LP  tankless water heater is perfect for vacation cabins, cottages, and smaller homes. The unit comes with a horizontal stainless steel vent kit, ready to install. The 110 volt UL listed power cord powers the internal exhaust fan and digital display. It only pulls about 2 watts idol and 10 watts during operation, making it ideal when energy conservation is paramount. The unit has a water pressure activated (40 PSI minimum ) electronic ignition. Eccotemp has become the brand people trust with 24/7 technical support available toll free at 866-356-1992.

Product Description

Clean, compact and feature - packed. Energy - efficient Eccotemp Power - vent Tankless Water Heater saves you BIG BUCKS! Hot water is one of those little modern accessories that makes life worth living. And here's the next step in its evolution! This Tankless Heater is the model of efficiency, only using energy when you actually turn on the hot water. 74,000 BTU LP gas burner lets it deliver 3 gallons of piping hot water per minute, instantly and continuously. Perfect for vacation cabins and smaller homes. Go with the flow: Safe, electronic ignition system; For indoor installation, with power ventilation for safety and efficiency. Stainless vent kit included; Digital thermostat and temperature display for easy setting; Precise temperature and water-flow adjustment with independent controls; Uses gas only when hot water is on... you're not paying for it to sit for weeks at a time; Sleek modern design... it's just 15 x 24 x 4", weighs only 20 lbs. Plugs into standard 120V electric outlet with UL-listed cord.; A smart, affordable and "greener" option for that precious hot water! Get it now! Eccotemp Power-vent Tankless Water Heater

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 24 x 4 x 15 inches ; 20 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 32.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B002Y0K6AI
• Item model number: FVI-12-LP
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,681 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #7 in Home Improvement > Rough Plumbing > Water Heaters & Parts > Water Heaters
  • #18 in Home Improvement > Building Supplies > Heating & Cooling > Heaters & Accessories

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product for 1 to 3 person use, December 10, 2010

By 

Fred Worth "Believer" (Hixson, TN 37343) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eccotemp FVI-12-LP High Capacity Propane Tankless Water Heater (Tools & Home Improvement)

I purchased this water heater for my 1 BR efficiency apt. which has a shower, bath vanity and kitchen sink. It replaced a 50 gal. electric water heater which was costing me a FORTUNE in electric bills! After removing the elec. WH and replacing it with the FVI 12, my utility bill has decreased by over 91% including the propane gas used to heat the water! The only problem I had was the fact that my shower has a cut-off valve which I use while I'm soaping up. When I turned the valve back on to rinse off, after a few seconds I'd get a blast of cold water since the FVI 12 only supplies hot water when flow is detected. After some thought and ingenuity, I decided to install a "point of use" 110v water heater at the output side of the FVI 12 (G.E. Model # GE02P06SAG 2.5 gal 6 yr 1440 watt 120 volt plug in point of use water heater); I hooked up the output of the FVI 12 to the input (cold) side of the 110v heater and the output (hot) to my hot water line that I disconnected from the FVI 12...Problem Solved! This increased my electric bill a bit...94 cents a month! I can live with that in addition to the fact that I have a steady stream of hot water at all times!
If you have a cabin, efficiency apt. or a relatively small 1 or 2 BR house, BUY THIS WATER HEATER!! It will save you THOUSANDS of dollars over the years.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GO TANKLESS FOR LESS!, May 8, 2011

By 

Bob in Deming NM - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eccotemp FVI-12-LP High Capacity Propane Tankless Water Heater (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is a great product for the money and hundreds less than most other tankless water heaters! I got it in two days and installed it on the weekend. This thing kicks serious butt! The unit comes on and seconds later you have hot water at the tap/shower! For once I can take a shower for as long as I want and never run out of hot water!

Installation Notes:

All parts needed for install came to about $50 USD, Gas shutoff valve, tee's for water supply tie in etc...

It can be mounted to a wall with the exterior wall either behind the unit or at a right angle...

Important note:

THIS UNIT WILL NOT RUN ON VERY LOW WATER PRESSURE! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BETWEEN 35-50 PSI WATER PRESSURE BEFORE ORDERING THE UNIT OR YOU WILL BE WASTING YOUR MONEY!!!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent value, could use a few refinements, September 20, 2011

By 

John L. Swartz - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eccotemp FVI-12-LP High Capacity Propane Tankless Water Heater (Tools & Home Improvement)

I installed the FVI-12 to replace a 40 gallon, propane fired, power-vented, tank unit. The heater I replaced was very similar to this one: American Water Heaters PVG62-40T42-NV Residential Gas PowerFlex Direct Vent Water Heater, 40 Gallon. So far we are very pleased with the Eccotemp FVI-12.

Usage Patterns

A tank storage or batch heater like the powerflex is very good at supplying a lot of hot water all at once, while a small tankless like the FVI-12 excels at providing a smaller amount of hot water more or less indefinitely. Most of the decision is in matching the tool to the job. In our case, we are family of 4 who take showers sequentially and other usage occurs later in the day. This matches the tankless pattern well. If we had multiple simultaneous uses we'd probably be less pleased.

Installation

I installed the Eccotemp in the same location as our old water heater. The gas line was the same and required no modification at all. The water lines were a different size and, because the FVI-12 is smaller and hangs on the wall, they needed to be longer and end in a different place. All of that was relatively easy and inexpensive, about $40 in fittings etc.

Venting turned out to be the most challenging part of the installation. The old heater used a 4" PVC vent pipe which allows for zero clearance to combustible materials. The FVI-12 uses 2-1/4" stainless vent pipe which needs much greater clearances. A discussion with Eccotemp tech support led me to enclose the exhaust vent in a 3" single walled vent pipe in order to decrease the clearance to a PVC drain pipe. So far this works beautifully, and the outside shell doesn't even get warm to the touch when the water heater is operating.

Due to the location and the thickness of the wall I needed a longer vent pipe (The FVI-12 includes about 13" of vent and an elbow). (One of the short-comings of the manual is that it doesn't mention the maximum vent run, which is 17 feet according to Eccotemp tech support). Unfortunately the proper 2-1/4" stainless thin-walled tubing is hard to come by and, at the time I needed it, back-ordered. A friend who owns a local muffler shop came to the rescue with an inexpensive exhaust pipe cut and formed to the exact specifications needed. I would recommend this approach strongly, except that stainless wasn't available so I have doubts about durability. I'll be monitoring the condition of the pipe very closely.

Documentation and Function

I found the manual to be better than average but it definitely had room for improvement. As mentioned above, it doesn't include the information about the maximum vent length and it leaves several other matters ambiguous. The manual is available as a download from the Eccotemp website which makes it an easy matter to form your own opinion of it before purchase and does give a pretty good idea of what is involved in the install. There are several typos.

The device has only two controls and an LED display. The display shows current water temperature and any error messages. The knob on the left controls gas flow, the knob on the right is labeled "water temperature" but *appears* to control water flow rate. Adjusting the temperature setting is a matter of turning on the hot water and then adjusting these two knobs until the temperature stabilizes where you want it. The manual suggests starting with the gas all the way down and the water all the way up. The FVI-12 does not appear to have a thermostat but I could be mistaken in this, perhaps its operation is subtle.

Technical Support

Eccotemp technical support needs its own category because it really is in a league by itself. I was pleased and amazed when they called me back on a Saturday morning over a holiday weekend. They were polite, customer service focused, and technically knowledgeable. Good technical support goes a long way toward making up the short-comings of the manual.

Conclusion

So far, after the installation and about two weeks of usage, I'm very pleased with the Eccotemp FVI-12. It works better for us than our old water heater at about 30% of the cost. It worked right out of the box the first time, and included everything which would have been needed for a typical installation. The manual was tolerable and the technical support is first rate. I give it four stars instead of five due to the short-comings of the manual and the somewhat awkward controls. Fixing the manual and providing true thermostatic control (or a better interface) would make this device a complete winner. My last remaining concern is durability, and given its appearance, I have high hopes, but at 30% of the cost of the alternative I'd still consider it an excellent value if it lasts only half as long.

Pros:

Excellent Tech Support
Tremendous value for the money

Cons:

Manual needs a little work
Not suitable for multiple simultaneous use or (as noted elsewhere) low water pressure