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Zodi hot water heater

Started by yycken, Aug 14, 2008, 02:57 PM

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yycken

Aug 14, 2008, 02:57 PM
With the move from tenting to a pop-up I've also tried to get more civilized with some of the other camping accessories.  One of the annoyances was the lack of hot water....sure you can always put the coffee pot onto the stove but it only makes a small amount and takes a fair amount of time to get it to a decent temperature.  I'd been looking at the Coleman on demand hot water heater and while it looked interesting it got very mixed reviews.  I came across the Zodi portable shower/hot water heater and was interested.  Unlike the Coleman it includes the shower accessory (just a long hose with a spray nozzel) with the basic package.  The Zodi also appealed to me since its pump runs off of 4 D batteries which are easily replaced in the field vs. the Coleman which has an internal battery which has to be recharged off of a 120vAC or 12vDC source.  Given the Coleman's battery is only rated for 40 minutes of run time (meaning you'll probably get closer to 30 min of "real" use) it didn't seem like an effective option when dry camping.

I picked up the Zodi (model number 6189 with the soft carry bag) on ebay for $130 (including shipping to Canada) and had a chance to try it out last weekend.


First the positives:
-its fairly compact (~5"x5"x9" (without the tank) or 16" (with the tank)....it ea silly stores in the short rubbermaid container I use as a wash sink
-it seems to be well made with both welding and rivets used to hold critical parts together
-uses standard 16.4oz stubby propane bottles
-the long hose is nice if you want to use it as a shower
-while the pump doesn't deliver massive water pressure (it is only 6v after all) it is enough to rinse dishes and I'm sure give a decent shower

The negatives:
-if you want to use bulk propane you either need to buy or make a stand to hold the heater
-there's no option to use anything other then the battery pack (could get expensive going through a lot of D's)
-the hot water didn't stay at a consistent temperature.....the first blast would be too hot and then would cool down if you ran it for anything more then 15 seconds at a time
-would be nice if there was a way to control the water flow from the shower head
-the outlet hose came loose during the first run, while not a big deal it was a little annoying....easily fixed with a hose clamp
-the suction end is too large to fit into a standard 23L water container


Would I buy it again?  Probably since having "running" water is nice especially for cleaning up after a meal but by no means a necessary item.

PM3579

#1
Aug 14, 2008, 10:28 PM
I have the same unit only with the hard case. I've had it for about 8 years.We use it when we go primitive camping and caving.We have built a shower stall in the woods and use 5 gal buckets and creek water. We have put a funnel in the stall and when once wet we recirculate water back into the bucket to conserve on water and it allows you to slowly turn the burner down.In 8 years we have only had 2 problems with it. 1st a speck of sand or dirt found its way into thegas line - orifice.Not really a problem to fix in the field ,with some simple tools aaand-a piece of wire about the diameter of a coat hanger 2 1/2" long and much more rigid to disassemble the valve. The 2nd problem, about a year ago the seal around the impeller shaft failed and water filled the motor housing and that was the end of it. I always drain it and let the whole unit dry out good but there is no way to know when that seal may fail. I think the motor was about $35 with shipping from Zodi . Over all its been a great investment. :usflag:

Gracy

#2
Sep 06, 2008, 07:09 PM
Just FYI..... I've been looking for the best deal on this same unit... and found it
at walmart.com for $99 right now and also they carry it at some of their stores.  They also offer free site to store shipping on this ;)

I am planning on buying on of these really soon!!! :)

miss kathy

#3
Sep 07, 2008, 10:20 AM
I have the Coleman on Demand - and have experienced none of the negative comments- it really does last for 40 hours- baterry life - it comes with a cig adapter for charging,  I used it 2 weeks ago and after 3 days needed to charged the battery and this was with both washing dishes and general use. You can use the  standard 16.4oz stubby propane bottles or you purchase the long hose from Coleman and it attaches to the larger propane bottle.  I use the big propane bottle and love it- I now wonder why I waited so long to purchase one.  I love mine.

miss kathy :-()

Gracy

#4
Sep 07, 2008, 02:14 PM
Quote from: miss kathyI have the Coleman on Demand - and have experienced none of the negative comments- it really does last for 40 hours- baterry life - it comes with a cig adapter for charging,  I used it 2 weeks ago and after 3 days needed to charged the battery and this was with both washing dishes and general use. You can use the  standard 16.4oz stubby propane bottles or you purchase the long hose from Coleman and it attaches to the larger propane bottle.  I use the big propane bottle and love it- I now wonder why I waited so long to purchase one.  I love mine.

miss kathy :-()
Overall I think they are both really great systems... the Zodi one is a lot cheaper (cost) then the Coleman one I think.  I'm looking for a used one... in any brand I'm lucky enough to find..... of course thats not an item your gonna find used very easy so I just keep checking out ebay and craigslist every day!  If I don't find one by our next trip I'll order the Zodi from walmart.

If anyone has one for sale for an afordable price I would be very interested :D

haroldPE

#5
Sep 07, 2008, 08:20 PM
i agree- it's a personal preference choice.  weight, cost, etc. all figure in.  i connected my Coleman HWOD to the pup water system, so i do not need to mess with any external water.   and i use it in the pup, right int the sink.  we use the sink alot, which i know some others dont use much.  again, it works for us.
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