PowerSwitch

Hi.

Apparently you can buy propane instant water heaters.

Are they just for outside/camping use?

And are they any good?

I'm not sure what you mean. We have houses running on LPG / Propane that have instant water heaters and central heating.

Yes they are useful. Some types are for outdoor installation only, these can be used to supply water to an indoor shower or kitchen sink provided that the water heater is on the outside of the wall. Vulnerable to freezing though. SOME types have frost protection but others are primarily for summer use with the assumption that they will be removed and stored indoors in winter.

Others are suitable for indoor installation provided that the ventilation is good as they do not normally have a flue. The products of combustion are vented to the room air, they burn cleanly with negligible toxic fumes, but beware simple suffocation due to oxygen depletion.

Many types need no external electricity supply, a decided advantage in a power cut. Ignition and controls from dry cells in the heater housing.

Many different loadings are available but 14 kw is popular, that gives a far more effective shower than most electric showers. Propane has increased in price but is still cheaper than electricity, and removes all worries as to the sufficiency of the electrical supply for electric showers.

We have one which is vented outside and works well. We have had no problems with frost although it is in a well insulated but otherwise unheated shed. The pilot light is pizzo spark ignited but we only light that when we want to use the heater which isn't very often.

We also installed a mains gas one in our first house 50 years ago. The technology is the same.

See page three of this thread for a recent install viewtopic.php?f=40&t=28198

The technology of instant gas water heaters has changed in one respect. Older types used a continually burning pilot light. Turning on the water flow operated a valve that opened the gas supply to the main burner. No electricity needed. The pilot light slightly warmed the bathroom and gave some protection against frost.
This design is now banned under energy saving rules due to the continual gas used by the pilot light. There is a general EU wide prohibition on ANY new gas appliances with a pilot light, including gas lights.

Newer types have no pilot light, the gas is lit on demand by an electric spark. Mains electricity for natural gas and dry cells within the heater for LPG.