Diesel hot water systems offer several advantages over gas, beginning with the benefits of diesel as a fuel source and extending to the performance advantages of diesel hot water systems compared with gas-powered alternatives.
Benefits of Diesel Fuel Compared to Gas
Diesel as a fuel source offers several advantages over gas:
- In marine environments in particular, diesel is significantly safer than gas.
- When compared on an energy-equivalent basis, diesel is typically around half the cost of gas.
- Diesel tanks can be topped up at any time, even when partially full.
- Gas cylinders are heavy, difficult to handle, and often awkward to remove and refit into their carriers.
- Diesel is available everywhere.
In caravans and RVs, it makes practical sense to use your electrical system for appliances such as refrigeration and air conditioning, while using a single high-energy fuel, ie diesel for hot water and space heating. This simplifies the system and uses the same fuel as your vehicle.
In motorhomes and marine installations, running appliances on diesel allows the existing fuel tank to be used as a fuel source making re-fuelling simple.
Advantages of Diesel Hot Water Systems Over Gas
Diesel hot water systems offer several advantages compared to gas hot water systems:
- Instant gas hot water systems typically have a delay between turning on the tap and the burner igniting. During this time, cold water flows through the system, resulting in unnecessary water wastage before hot water reaches the tap.
- Diesel hot water systems preheat the water, meaning the first water delivered is hot, reducing water waste – important in RVs.
- Diesel systems perform well at very low flow rates, allowing them to work effectively with low-flow shower heads or when gently running hot water for tasks such as rinsing dishes. In contrast, instant gas systems usually require a minimum flow rate of around 3 litres per minute to activate.
- Due to high furnace output and good energy efficiency, diesel hot water systems generally have faster reheat times than equivalent gas storage systems.
- All diesel hot water systems can support optional air heating, a feature that is not available with many gas hot water systems.
- Diesel appliances can be DIY installed as unlike gas, there is no license requirement.
Read which diesel hot water will suit me best and to learn more about options for different diesel hot water systems.
