Duoetto 12V water heater from Australia...anyone in the US have one?

Looking for an electric water heater solution for showers...will probably go with a Bosch 4 gallon point-of-use but came across this Aussie one that can run on 12V DC...anyone used it? Would it be any more efficient than the 1440 watts AC draw of the Bosch?


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300W is going to take a long time to heat that much water. Wouldn't be so great for multiple showers etc.

www.hansenproducts.co.za makes a 14 litre, 1000w 240v unit for rv/caravans. I run the dual gas or electricity powered model in my sprintervan. I use mainly gas when off grid ( not yet used the 1000w element when plugged into shore power.) priced at approx R5 000. Not sure of shipping cost

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Dongoose said:

Looking for an electric water heater solution for showers...will probably go with a Bosch 4 gallon point-of-use but came across this Aussie one that can run on 12V DC...anyone used it? Would it be any more efficient than the 1440 watts AC draw of the Bosch?

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Click to expand...

I installed a 2.5 gallon 1440 watt Bosch and I'm not exactly happy with the outcome. It draws 140 Amps @ 12 volts with my Renogy 2000 watt inverter. Usage is about 45 AH to heat up the 2.5 gallon tank once. The trouble is that if I leave it on all the time it has a good chance of draining my house batteries even on sunny days.

Do you intend to have propane?

I'd recommend also exploring the Diesel and Propane water heating options before committing to the Bosch.

I have the Duoetto (MK1). 300W is the power draw when using 12V power. Using 240v mains it draws 1000W. I've had it for over 5 years and it has been great. I use it via a FPHE and so I never use 12V. I have the temp set to max and use a tempering valve for the shower. It keeps the water hot overnight, but only just. It is brilliant on mains.

as per above...when I use it on 12v I get out the extra solar panels...it draws 25amps and takes about 2 hrs to get to 70C (158F). Its only 10 litres (2.6 gallons) but once you mix in cold to get to shower temperature, you've got double that

Having parts from old camper, I made it cheap.
Took old WH, strip it from gas burner and add "hot rod" electric element. I've been using RVs with such element for years and when it takes long time to heat 5 gallons with 150W, the power draw is low, what makes it easy on electrical system (you can warm it up on couple of batteries) and whole thing cost me $80 for new heating element.
WH comes with decent insulation, but I plan to add more, especially on front when factory design lacks.
So when you warm the water on morning drive, you will still have it hot for 10PM shower.
I am doing the same with refrigerator, while buying new, pure sine inverter with 6000W peak for $90 made me smiling. .

SeattleNewbie said:

I installed a 2.5 gallon 1440 watt Bosch and I'm not exactly happy with the outcome. It draws 140 Amps @ 12 volts with my Renogy 2000 watt inverter. Usage is about 45 AH to heat up the 2.5 gallon tank once. The trouble is that if I leave it on all the time it has a good chance of draining my house batteries even on sunny days.



Do you intend to have propane?



I'd recommend also exploring the Diesel and Propane water heating options before committing to the Bosch.

Click to expand...

I don’t have propane, and I’d like to avoid adding another fuel/energy source. Diesel seems like a great idea given how efficient cabin heaters are, but I’m not aware of any diesel water heaters that aren’t both very expensive and complex.

Would you be satisfied with the Bosch if leaving the power/draining the battery were not an issue? I’ve heard of people installing a timer on the outlet to shut off the power after a given amount of time (30-45 minutes) which seems like a good idea, provided you get a timer that can handle 1400 watts.

I envision using the water heater maybe once a day at most when we’re on trips, so I’d be sure to manage my battery usage carefully on those days.


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I purchase a 1.5 gal 12V system from RinseKit, I plug it into the 25amp 12V socket in my 2017 3500 while driving. It heats the water enough for a comfortable shower. I do have to use several cycles on the heating element to get the best results. When in the desert I also use a simple 3 gal solar shower.

Here is the link for the RinseKit you'll need to add the heating element from them and a pressure pump.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...9XKCH&linkId=ed657c61428cc4ef1f3bebe0d4648f41