by hawk » Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:56 pm
My reply will be specifically about the Zodi portion of your question. Since you mentioned Wally's place, I extracted and summarized the negative review comments about Zodi heaters from that site. My comments are exclusively those of a consumer/user. However, if you decide on this method, I think your closeout price discovery represents an excellent dollar value for the return you get. I felt really uncomfortable ($$$) about buying mine, but got over it after the first use, and the unit continues to amortize the initial cost quite nicely.
* "Cheap plastic battery clip hinge is weakest point, subject to breakage"
Me: Maybe, but holding the case halves closed, then pressing the clip in place instead of slamming it shut would probably help -- has been working for me. Remember hinge breakage problems on early laptop computers? Those problems were invariably caused by the user repeatedly slam-dunking the screen to a closed position. Plus, the writer said "subject to breakage". Sounds more speculative than real. Finally, parts (or just the the pump/battery) are available. Duct tape to the rescue in the interim?
* "Pump floats to surface -- won't stay under water"
Me: Secure a weight loosely around either the pump body or the hose to keep it submerged. Plastic zip-style wire ties or a length of nylon cord come to mind. Or try my method: in addition to the water hose, the pump also has the power line connecting it to the remote battery case. Just add a clothes pin or other small spring clamp to hold the wire captive against the edge of the water container. I'm sure there are other methods, I just happened to have a clothes pin (but no clothes on) within reach during this discovery. <g>
* "Cannot turn off the water while water is heating"
Me: BTW, this means both at the pump and at the nozzle. The water must continue to flow while the heater is working, otherwise things could turn ugly pretty fast.
* "Okay for warm weather"; "Okay if water not reallly cold to start with"; "Doesn't get hot enough", along with similar statements.
Me: This is a water heater, not an on-demand instant heater. Options are to heat a container of water to add to the abient temperature supply water, AND/OR, put the opened nozzle into the supply container to recirculate the water until it gets to -- or over -- the desired temperature. This is also from the user manual.
* "Won't pump water from ground to head height"
Me: I'm free-styling here, since my unit is in storage. I believe we're talking about 4 'D' cells for a total of 6 volts nominal voltage (the initial voltage drops off pretty fast, then remains fairly constant for a long time). I believe the pump to heater hose is a smaller diameter than the shower hose portion, which is about 3/8 or 1/2" diameter by 8 feet or so. I can't do the math, but with these parameters, it's like pushing a train up-hill with a rope. Even bilge and fountain pumps usually have an "amount of rise" specification. I'm further supposing that Zodi found and settled on the optimal combination of components for production, based on the intended application. This did not necessarily include the up/over/around and through scenario of a shower tent, as opposed to kneeling down next to a pond or stream.
The solution is to elevate everything onto a table or other higher surface. (I haven't had this ground-to-head problem exactly, but have used this raising scheme to gain additional "reach" for the shower hose portion)
* "Leaks while heating, doesn't leak when cold"
Me: This is also documented in the manual. It's not broken. It's called condensation -- a glass of iced tea does the same thing..
* "Batteries corrode inside container during storage"
Me: Not going to touch this one, since it's a universal no-no in the world of infrequently used battery operated devices. I remove the batteries following every use, to make sure I don't forget later on when packing up. (Also relates to learning how to work the hinge/latch portion of the battery box).
* "Not like home/hotel/motel shower"
Me: True, and there's no power massage feature either. However, it does a great job when home and motels are just out of reach.
One final note regarding flow rates, low pressure, etc. Many folks don't realize that the pump has a twist-off screen filter. This is to collect any sand, sediment, or "cooties" that might be drawn into the pump when the water supply is ... questionable. This screen reduces the chances of jamming the pump impellers, and burning out the pump. It might be that some of the power and flow rate complaints failed to notice that (if any) portion of the user manual.
Good luck in your decision!
~hawk
~hawk