Off-Grid Hot Water System for Cabins & Tiny Houses

If you're building off-grid, hot water is usually the last thing to get sorted and the first thing you miss. Whether it's a tiny house, a cabin build, or a converted shipping container, the same problem comes up every time: no mains power, no mains gas, and no straightforward way to run hot water without a full plumbing install.

Country Comfort was solving this problem before "off-grid" and "tiny house" were terms anyone used. Container home conversions were already using our units well before the tiny house movement went mainstream in Australia. One customer near Wauchope set up two shipping containers side by side with a roof between them as a remote off-grid retreat. Hot water was never the hard part.

Who this actually suits

It's not just tiny house builders. We regularly hear from motorbike trail riders setting up remote shacks for group rides, families converting containers into weekend retreats, and property owners putting hot water into a shed or workshop that will never see a mains connection. One customer is even buying a second unit specifically to run a washing machine off-grid. If there's a water source and a gas bottle, there's usually a way to make hot water work.

How it works without a mains connection

Country Comfort runs on LPG and a pressurised water source. No mains electricity, no mains gas line, no fixed plumbing required. That makes it suited to cabins, sheds, container builds, remote work sites, and recreational shacks, anywhere a permanent hot water system isn't practical or affordable to install.

What pump do you need for an off-grid setup?

This is the one detail that trips people up. For a gravity-tank-fed off-grid setup, you need a minimum 12.5 L/min pump to maintain consistent pressure through the filter. That's higher than what we'd recommend for a camping setup, because a tank-fed system has more variables in pressure and flow than a simple hose connection. If you're weighing up pump sizes for other setups too, our full pump guide breaks down the 6 and 12.5 L/min options by use case.

Gravity feed alone won't cut it. It doesn't produce reliable enough pressure to run the unit safely, so if your setup relies on gravity from an elevated tank, you'll need a pump in the line regardless.

Keeping drinking water separate

Families running off-grid or remote setups typically keep their drinking water and shower water on separate circuits. A dedicated storage tank, filled from a river, dam, or rainwater catchment, feeds the shower pump. That way, showering never eats into the drinking water reserve. It's a simple setup and worth planning for from the start rather than retrofitting later.

Safety features that matter when help isn't close by

An off-grid site is usually a long way from a plumber or gas fitter, so the unit needs to look after itself. Country Comfort has no old-fashioned pilot light. Auto ignition and auto gas shut-off mean there's no naked flame left burning unattended, and flame-out protection cuts the gas supply if the flame ever drops out. An overheating shut-off protects the unit if flow drops unexpectedly, and a digital display helps avoid scalding, which matters more, not less, when you're setting up your own system without a plumber checking it over. These are the same safety features built into every Country Comfort unit sold, off-grid or otherwise, because the specification hasn't changed since AS2658 certification locked it in back in 2012.

Built for the long haul

Country Comfort has been AS2658-certified since 2012 (certificate GMK10277), and every unit sold carries a warranty. That certification locks in the specification: stainless steel burners, a full brass gas manifold, and a stainless-steel faceplate, so the unit that's been protecting off-grid builds for over a decade is the same unit going out the door today. Nearly 80,000 have been sold, and the ones coming back for just a service are typically 7 to 10 years old.

If you're planning an off-grid build and want to talk through which setup will actually work for your site, Country Comfort's product range is available here, or get in touch to speak directly with the people who designed it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Country Comfort run off a rainwater tank?

Yes, with the right pump. You need at least 12.5 L/min, 40 psi to maintain consistent pressure, especially at greater distances. Gravity-fed systems don't produce reliable enough pressure for safe operation.

Is Country Comfort suitable for a tiny house or cabin?

Yes. It's used in tiny houses, cabin builds, and container home conversions across Australia. It runs on LPG, needs no mains electricity, and connects to any pressurised water supply.

How do off-grid households manage water supply with Country Comfort?

Most keep drinking water and shower water on separate circuits. A dedicated tank, filled from a local water source, connects to the pump that pushes water to the hot water unit, keeping the drinking supply untouched.

Is it safe to run unattended on a remote site?

Yes. Every Country Comfort unit has auto ignition, auto gas shut-off, flame-out protection, and an overheating shut-off built in as standard. There's no pilot light left burning, which matters on a site where no one is checking the unit day to day.