Getting the water temp right.

[Nightwatch]

Hello.

We have a washing machine onboard. To save power we use a short length of hose from the hot water supply to ,hit and miss, the temperature when filling.

 

I would like an in line temperature gadget that we can set at,say, 40/30 degrees and let it do its own thing. Is there such an item. Any ideas? Where from, potential hiccups?

 

Any suggestions.

 

PS. I have just thought of a potential problem! It will rinse at that temperature as well unless we have a way of bypassing the stat.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Nightwatch

[bizzard]

Hello.

We have a washing machine onboard. To save power we use a short length of hose from the hot water supply to ,hit and miss, the temperature when filling.

 

I would like an in line temperature gadget that we can set at,say, 40/30 degrees and let it do its own thing. Is there such an item. Any ideas? Where from, potential hiccups?

 

Any suggestions.

 

PS. I have just thought of a potential problem! It will rinse at that temperature as well unless we have a way of bypassing the stat.

How about a thermostatic shower control. One of those bar shaped things with hot and cold feeds with an outlet to the showerhead.

[Nightwatch]

Yes! I had thought of that. Also, I have seen a simplified version only about three inches long. Still chrome and shiny. Will take up less room under the kitchen sink. After the first wash fill, we will have to reduce the set temperature for the rinsing.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Tony Brooks]

You can buy thermostatic mixing valves. See if you can find an adjustable one.

[Nightwatch]

Thank you Tony.

 

There's plenty available. Like the idea of the ones that have isolation valves so that the hot supply can be.........isolated.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I installed a mixer valve ten years ago, and it has worked flawlessly ever since. I set it up so we have (very) hot water in the galley sink, and warm water for the bathroom sink and shower. It is adjustable, with an allen key, but I don't think you would want to do that too often.

 

I guess you want a couple of valves controlling the supply to the machine, so that you have one open to fill from the warm supply (thermostat controlled) and then you close that and open the one from the cold supply for rinsing. I can draw you a diagram if you like! Or you could use a three way valve I am sure to do the job more straightforwardly ....

 

Don't forget that these mixers have one-way valves in, so if like me you are paranoid about draining the system in the winter you need to have some way of draining the pipes downstream of the mixer. I installed a bypass with another valve in...

[Nightwatch]

Thanks Simon. I think I get what you are saying.

I have looked at a mixer/valve arrangement with turn valves on the hot and cold side. Once the hot had gone through the mixer I guess I can turn of the hot and just let cold through. The temperature control, controls the maximum temperature I assume, therefore will allow cold only through.

 

Martyn

[Scholar Gypsy]

Thanks Simon. I think I get what you are saying.

I have looked at a mixer/valve arrangement with turn valves on the hot and cold side. Once the hot had gone through the mixer I guess I can turn of the hot and just let cold through. The temperature control, controls the maximum temperature I assume, therefore will allow cold only through.

 

Martyn

 

This is what I had in mind, with 2 valves to control whether the machine gets warm or cold water. I think that with your arrangement the mixer might get confused if there is no hot being supplied, and try to shut down the cold input.

 

You could have the machine plumbed in permanently, though I guess it would be prudent to shut both valves when it is not in use to reduce the risk of leakage etc.

 

There may be three way valves (left, right, off) that would be even neater (and simpler to use).

 

Edited August 20, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[Nightwatch]

Food for thought. Taa!

[David Mack]

 

There may be three way valves (left, right, off) that would be even neater (and simpler to use).

 

 

 

Something like this:

 

 

 

"The L port configuration allows one threaded female port to feed in, and two threaded female ports to feed out, which can be operated one at a time, but not together."

[Scholar Gypsy]

That looks suitably complex.

 

Mark II design will involve a motorised valve controlled by the washing machine..

[MoominPapa]

This is a solved problem on Melaleuca. Hot water temperature is controlled by a thermostatic mixer valve. This supplies all the hot outlets: it's mainly there to avoid 80-degree water from host taps and showers for safety.

 

The washing machine is fed via a 12v motorised 3-way valve which is controlled by a timer circuit. When you start the washing machine, you press the magic button and the valve moves to hot for the wash fill. 6 minutes later the timer expires, the valve moves back to cold in time for the rinses and the circuit switches off. The temperature supplied is such that the wash water ends up somewhere between 30 and 40 Celcius: if you select a 40 degree wash the washing machine heater still comes on for a while, if you select a 30 degree wash, it doesn't.

 

The 3-way valve and timer module came from Ebay, the whole circuit needs three or four extra components in addition to the timer.

 

 

 

MP.

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

Very neat! Does it also do the ironing?

[emlclcy]

This is a solved problem on Melaleuca. Hot water temperature is controlled by a thermostatic mixer valve. This supplies all the hot outlets: it's mainly there to avoid 80-degree water from host taps and showers for safety.

 

The washing machine is fed via a 12v motorised 3-way valve which is controlled by a timer circuit. When you start the washing machine, you press the magic button and the valve moves to hot for the wash fill. 6 minutes later the timer expires, the valve moves back to cold in time for the rinses and the circuit switches off. The temperature supplied is such that the wash water ends up somewhere between 30 and 40 Celcius: if you select a 40 degree wash the washing machine heater still comes on for a while, if you select a 30 degree wash, it doesn't.

 

The 3-way valve and timer module came from Ebay, the whole circuit needs three or four extra components in addition to the timer.

 

 

 

MP.

 

I'm interested in this as I have a washing machine on-board. do you have a schematic or a list of part numbers so I can source similar?

cheers

carl

[MoominPapa]

I'm interested in this as I have a washing machine on-board. do you have a schematic or a list of part numbers so I can source similar?

cheers

carl

I'll try and put something together and post it here in the next few days. Don't expect anything fancy, it'll probably be a hand-draw then scanner diagram.

 

MP.

Very neat! Does it also do the ironing?

No ironing on this boat. Becoming an itinerant boater seems to have cured MoominMama of her ironing habit......

 

 

MP.

[FadeToScarlet]

I don't even own an iron.

 

I'm surprised there's not an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi in there somewhere!

[sjc]

There have been some fantastic technical solutions here, having considered similar ideas we decided to keep it simple. We have a short day cruising, then moor up in an isolated spot and keep the engine running ( idling ) to do a wash. This means the batteries are fully charged, and the water and engine are hot. The washing machine is plumbed in for a cold fill but we guesstimated the water for a wash cycle. Once a wash is ready to start we fill a 1 litre milk carton from the hot tap and add it via the soap powder drawer during filling. The heater does come on but for a reduced time, see the graph below :-

 

 

[MoominPapa]

I'm interested in this as I have a washing machine on-board. do you have a schematic or a list of part numbers so I can source similar?

cheers

carl

This is the timer module I used.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1Pcs-DC12V-Delay-Timer-Switch-Adjustable-Relay-Module-0-1-to-1-hour-/191638104655?hash=item2c9e856a4f

 

and this is the valve.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-way-motorized-ball-valve-DN15-Reduce-port-electric-motorized-valve-L-Port-/121649269242?hash=item1c52dc89fa

 

The other components you'll need are a fuse and holder, a momentary push-to-make switch, a rectifier-type silicon diode, IN4001 or similar, and a 12v-coil changeover-contact relay. I used one of the PCB-mounting cube relays like the one on incorporated in the timer module, but any will do. If you can find a timer module with a DPDT contact set, the extra relay could be eliminated.

 

You'll need a small box of some sort to build it all in. Except when timing, the circuit uses no power, so it doesn't need an on-off switch. Pressing the button starts the timer and motors the valve to the hot position. When the timer trips, the valve moves to the cold position and the whole thing switches off. To change over which valve port is hot and which cold, swap the wires to the valve motor.

 

The timer comes with instructions on setting the time. Our machine can have a few goes at filling with hot water if it has a big load of absorbent washing in, so be sure to have the time long enough for that situation.

 

Circuit below:

 

[bottle]

Oh! I do like all these solutions

 

We just run the washing machine, when we charge the batteries but we do have a generator that can run the washing machine and the charger.

[by'eck]

All this effort to turn an automatic washing machine into a manual one

 

It might be easier to modify charging system/battery capacity so you could use w/m as intended. Even changing usage regime may help - running w/m whilst tackling a flight of locks for example.

[ditchcrawler]

If I wanted to feed warm/hot/cold water to a washing machine I would use a thermostatic shower mixer. Most have a red button that limits the high temperature which can be depressed to get hot water. So if this is adjusted to give the water temperature you require you and then sap it round to cold for rinsing or depress the button and zap it the other way for a hot wash. No change over valves, timers solenoids etc.

[Nightwatch]

My original plan was to use a shower mixer.

 

I asked this question to get either confirmation or other examples of achieving the same objective.

 

I have been pleased and amazed with one or two of the inventive ideas.

[emlclcy]

 

cool, thank you:)

[emlclcy]

This is the timer module I used.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1Pcs-DC12V-Delay-Timer-Switch-Adjustable-Relay-Module-0-1-to-1-hour-/191638104655?hash=item2c9e856a4f

 

and this is the valve.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-way-motorized-ball-valve-DN15-Reduce-port-electric-motorized-valve-L-Port-/121649269242?hash=item1c52dc89fa

 

The other components you'll need are a fuse and holder, a momentary push-to-make switch, a rectifier-type silicon diode, IN4001 or similar, and a 12v-coil changeover-contact relay. I used one of the PCB-mounting cube relays like the one on incorporated in the timer module, but any will do. If you can find a timer module with a DPDT contact set, the extra relay could be eliminated.

 

You'll need a small box of some sort to build it all in. Except when timing, the circuit uses no power, so it doesn't need an on-off switch. Pressing the button starts the timer and motors the valve to the hot position. When the timer trips, the valve moves to the cold position and the whole thing switches off. To change over which valve port is hot and which cold, swap the wires to the valve motor.

 

The timer comes with instructions on setting the time. Our machine can have a few goes at filling with hot water if it has a big load of absorbent washing in, so be sure to have the time long enough for that situation.

 

Circuit below:

 

like the way you press the momentary switch and it self latches until it times out, very cool

thanks

carl

[Scholar Gypsy]

Very neat.

 

I think as my winter project am going to adapt this to produce a system that runs the bilge pump for for a max of 10 seconds each morning, while the engine heaters are on. That's more than enough to empty the sump the pump sits in.

 

This system will not operate if the engine is started during the day, other than momentarily, as turning the keyswitch to start will (probably using a second relay) stop the auto bilge pump.

 

Alternatively the pump could stop when a float switch breaks its contact, and then a LCD panel will display how many seconds of pumping were needed that day. Then I can work out if I need to tighten the stern tube....