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→Tanked Water Heaters
Tanked heaters are direct, using AC or gas, or indirect with a heat exchanger using engine coolant or solar heating. While attractive in concept, solar-heated tanks aren’t suited to marine use because of the large size of the collector, and other obvious factors like nightfall.
For indirect operation, marine models are available with a set of coils inside through which you can circulate the engine coolant system or attach solar heating. When the engine is running, surplus heat is used to heat hot water.
Many diesel stoves have a similar feature. A water jacket heats the hot water, which is then circulated through coils in the hot water tank. Standard electrical elements are also provided as backup. Features to check for in a water tank are stainless steel, well insulated (R16 minimum), flow rate, coils in the bottom (where the cold water sits!), and a winter drain cock.