Stiebel Eltron DHC 3-1 Electric Tankless Water Heater, 120 Volts

In late 2010 I bought and installed a PowerStar 120V tankless water heater to replace an old 10-gallon tank water heater that provides hot water for a kitchen sink. I was limited in options due to having a single-pole 30 Amp breaker feeding the circuit with #10 AWG wire. Be aware before buying that you must have a single-pole 30 Amp breaker powering your circuit. In most cases where you are replacing a tank style heater, you will likely have to upgrade your breaker to 30 Amp rated and your wire to #10 AWG (most 120V circuits are #12 or 14 AWG on a 20 Amp breaker). The PowerStar, manufactured by Bosch, is by comparison much more cheaply made - I base this on the quality of parts viewable when the unit cover is removed. The water would only get lukewarm, maybe 100 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not very hot at all. The unit would also intermittently fail to heat the water at all. Not very impressive. At the time, it was the only 120V tankless water heater available.With this unit, I could see much higher quality workmanship in the manufacturing and parts. After installation it was putting out noticeably hotter water. I would guess around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to mount the unit as close as you possibly can to the faucet. It also comes with an aerator to attach to your faucet. This aerator restricts the flow, which allows the unit to heat the water adequately. If you do not install the aerator, your water will not get as hot. It all depends on your preference, and how hot you want your water to be. Without using the aerator, your water will get warm, but certainly not hot. Also be aware that the water temp can vary seasonally. The colder incoming water in the winter will not get as hot as in the summer time when the incoming water is not as cold. I mention this, because a tank heater keeps the water at a constant temp, but tankless units are limited in their ability in that they raise the incoming water temp by a fixed amount (around 40 degrees F for this one). All that said, as of right now (early 2012) this is the best 120V tankless water heater you can buy! Most tankless heaters run on a 2-pole 240V circuit, which is capable of producing much more heat due to the increased power availability. But when you are limited to a 120V circuit, this is the way to go.If anyone has any questions, just comment on this review. I don't mind answering questions when I can.

I purchased this tankless heater to use at a sink in a small building to wash up dirty knives, pans etc. as we clean fish or game. It doesnt get hot enough to even wash your hands and feel they are sanitary and the water flow is very small using the aerator that came with the unit. I would not purchase again. I purchased that one because we have that brand in our house as the main tankless heater and have had wonderful results with it. I called company tech support and did what she said to do and still not hot enough.

When our previous (thought identical) unit gave up the ghost, we replaced it with this unit. It worked well for a couple of weeks and then hot water production became nil. Called the company to investigate a warranty replacement. Instead of listening to our problem, we got a dissertation on water flow, ambient temperatures and by the way, they dumbed down the specs. If you like to gamble, this is your company. If you want a quality product, run don't walk to the nearest exit.

It's October 2018 and I've had this installed since 2015 yet IT STILL WORKS JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME. BRILLIANT!!!

read other reviews, not enough to warm water more than a drizzle flow rate, went w a propane for my RV

Very good!

The Stiebel heater worked just a I expected. It was quite easy to setup and it heats the water adequately. Great product.

Read about 200 reviews before buying and had high expectations for instant hot water at a single sink. Not exactly "instant". I put in a separate 10/2 wire with a separate 30 amp breaker, used stainless hoses 12" long, Turned on the hot water It takes a while for the water to even get warm, then went to cold. I turned down the flow to a trickle, oh yes hot water, but would of took me 1 hour to fill a 3 quart pot.The problem is the water needs to flow slowly in order to benefit from the electrical heater. Naturally that means a very low flow output. A small tank device would be better...but alas, is much more expensive to run in order to keep the water hot 24 hours a day. Also don't forget...This requires a new 30amp electrical circuit and water by-pass shut-off valves to be installed. Not for the handyman-challenged. If your going to go to this much trouble to install go with the 220v versions. this product was reviewed as mostly 5 star and it rates a low 2 star only.