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Saving hot water

Bobbybass

By Bobbybass
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Bobbybass Experienced

Bobbybass

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I have been pondering about our hot water.

We generate plenty of it in the daytime..going along.. but when stopped...it runs out.

We have enough in our tank for 2 showers in the morning...I have huge amounts of insulation around the tank...so it stays piping hot.

 

Now I know people will say..."have showers etc while you go along"...but I am a person who likes things to happen at certain times.

One of the main problems...is that if you run any water off....even with a thermostatic balance valve...the tank refills with cold....so hand washing...and washing up etc....drains it down.

 

I have pondered this for weeks....

 

This morning...I sat supping coffee with my wife...and mentioned it.

 

"We'll get a couple of 2 litre thermos flasks...and I'll fill them up before we stop"...she said...

"That will be enough for hand washing and washing up...and we don't waste gas boiling a kettle".

 

She's a clever old thing.

 

Bob

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Chalky Experienced

Chalky

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Friend of mine has a slightly different set up with his hot water tank at home. Instead of heating the water in the tank via the heat exchanger coils and adding cold water as the hot is removed the boiler is connected to the tank itself, and the water to be heated is passed through the heat exchanger coils. He recons that he gets more hot water that way. He does run the water in the tank at a hotter temp than normal and it is connected to solar panels as well. It was suggested that I try this on the boat - anyone tried it?

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Nickhlx Veteran

Nickhlx

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To me, that does not compute.

 

I think the term is a "thermal store" - however if you pass the cold water through the calorifier tube to heat it, then the bulk of the water will in turn be cooled in the process...

 

and, I would guess, by exactly the same amount.... How can you get more energy out of it ?

 

They are sometimes used in domestic arrangements where a conventional DHW tank, which is generally only safe to about 1 bar ( 30 foot head) and so can not withstand the more normal 3 bar rising main ( sometimes much more ! ) . However the heating coil is able to withstand the mains pressure, so the rising main is configured to run through that and the contents of the tank is heated by the boiler - so you can have a mains pressure shower using a low pressure (indirect) DHW tank.. nearly did it myself but just fitted a shower pump instead..

 

Nick

Edited by Nickhlx
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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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The simple answer is to work around the system that you have got. Showering on the move helps but you say you dont want this, maybe turn the shower down slightly and have a slightly cooler shower to save some hot water.

 

We have a shower tap that will only work when you have your hand pressed on the button on the back (think glorified garden hose attachment) this saves loads of water and we easily have enough hot water for us both to shower and wash pots in the evening and the following morning. We tend to shower on the move though where possible, we dont like to waste time when we have moored up for the day with things that could have been done whilst we were cruising :)

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ymu Rising Star

ymu

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We were without any running water at all for several weeks this winter - washing/washing-up via third party water receptacles is painful. If it's the only option, then that's what you do, but only as a last resort. I can't imagine choosing to do it on a regular basis if there was an alternative.

 

If you don't like showering on the move, do the washing-up on the move instead. Turn off the shower whilst soaping (and if you don't already have a mixer tap that makes it easy to turn on again at the right temperature, get one). Fit a second/bigger calorifier.

 

And for those times when you have no choice, get a partner who doesn't get smelly however inadequate the bathing facilities. B)

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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<Visions of Phylis showering whilst steering a boat>

 

It would be possible we have a transom shower :rolleyes:

 

Don't be silly, it'll have an auto-pilot! :P

 

Not yet but we have considered fitting it :lol:

 

We were without any running water at all for several weeks this winter - washing/washing-up via third party water receptacles is painful. If it's the only option, then that's what you do, but only as a last resort. I can't imagine choosing to do it on a regular basis if there was an alternative.

 

If you don't like showering on the move, do the washing-up on the move instead. Turn off the shower whilst soaping (and if you don't already have a mixer tap that makes it easy to turn on again at the right temperature, get one). Fit a second/bigger calorifier.

 

And for those times when you have no choice, get a partner who doesn't get smelly however inadequate the bathing facilities. B)

 

We had no running water aboard for eight weeks this winter. It wasnt so bad as there was no water on the pontoons either so everyone was in the same boat, so to speak, we did have the shower block still working thankfully. As you say you manage with what you have got.

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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To me, that does not compute.

 

I think the term is a "thermal store" - however if you pass the cold water through the calorifier tube to heat it, then the bulk of the water will in turn be cooled in the process...

 

and, I would guess, by exactly the same amount.... How can you get more energy out of it ?

 

 

I was thinking the same thing. There is a finite amount of thermal energy in hot water whatever you do with it. If Chalky's friend can create energy from nowhere I think he's the guy that's going to solve the world's energy problems.

 

A second calorifier is one option, or what I have done is fit a gas water heater as well as a calorifier. If I'm on shore power hot water isn't an issue as I have an immersion heater in the calorifier, but if I'm moored up elsewhere for a few days and I run out of hot water from the calorifier I can switch the hot water supply to gas water heater with an L-port valve. It's very simple to switch from one to the other - I just turn on the gas isolator to the water heater, light the water heater and then switch the hot water supply with the L-port valve under the sink. Then I've got as much hot water as I want providing there's gas in the bottle.

 

Last summer when I was away from shore power for about 2 months I probably used the calorifier/gas water heater about 50/50.

Edited by blackrose
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jelunga Influencer

jelunga

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Always have cold shower here (hangover from boarding school)

 

I must have gone to an up market boarding school. We had baths not showers. OK, after sports etc there were showers in the changing room, but baths in the dorms!!

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Bobbybass Experienced

Bobbybass

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I think maybe...you all missed the point..

I have drawn about many diagrams over the last few weeks...

 

Version 1....self built solar panel...using valves to bypass the existing Eberspacher system..and utilise that calorifier coil to heat water...

I even had a version of that with a copper plate and coiled 10mm pipe under the floor to act as a heatsink....and underfloor heating.

Version 2 and 3 similar to above...but storing in a different way..

Version 4....new extra calorifier...for home made solar...run into original one and boosting water available..

Version 5....new calorifier tank...doubled up into engine heating coil ...doubling into first tank to boost available water...

Version 6...New calorifier tank...feeds hot to first tank instead of cold..but the feed from this tank also does the bathroom and kitchen sinks..

 

All of this costs...cost ...cost...£200 - £500

 

Then my wife said...buy a few thermos flasks...

We use that water for washing...washing up etc...and the calorifier tank is ample for morning showers...

 

I had my spanners...and master plans all ready !!

 

Bob

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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I think maybe...you all missed the point..

I have drawn about many diagrams over the last few weeks...

 

Version 1....self built solar panel...using valves to bypass the existing Eberspacher system..and utilise that calorifier coil to heat water...

I even had a version of that with a copper plate and coiled 10mm pipe under the floor to act as a heatsink....and underfloor heating.

Version 2 and 3 similar to above...but storing in a different way..

Version 4....new extra calorifier...for home made solar...run into original one and boosting water available..

Version 5....new calorifier tank...doubled up into engine heating coil ...doubling into first tank to boost available water...

Version 6...New calorifier tank...feeds hot to first tank instead of cold..but the feed from this tank also does the bathroom and kitchen sinks..

 

All of this costs...cost ...cost...£200 - £500

 

Then my wife said...buy a few thermos flasks...

We use that water for washing...washing up etc...and the calorifier tank is ample for morning showers...

 

I had my spanners...and master plans all ready !!

 

Bob

 

No we didn't miss the point, we just had other ideas. If a couple of 2 litre thermos flasks works for you and your wife then you need do nothing further. Personally an extra 4 litres of hot water wouldn't do much for me, and for others who may be reading the thread and wondering how to extend their hot water supply more substantially the ideas posted here may be useful.

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Bobbybass Experienced

Bobbybass

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No we didn't miss the point, we just had other ideas. If a couple of 2 litre thermos flasks works for you and your wife then you need do nothing further. Personally an extra 4 litres of hot water wouldn't do much for me, and for others who may be reading the thread and wondering how to extend their hot water supply more substantially the ideas posted here may be useful.

 

Silly person...missed the point again...and obviously needs a lot of water...to cover their body !!

 

Bob

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Bobbybass Experienced

Bobbybass

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Yes I obviously missed the point that this person is an idiot.

 

Never mind...

 

Nah..if I was an idiot..I'd be on my boat now instead of wintering in the warm...

I'd be worrying about the recession..the price of diesel...and bothering about my pension.

I only worked 8 years of my life...I must be bloody simple..

 

Dream on.

 

Bob

 

PS...although wintering in Spain..I am holidaying for a week in Ibiza...see my post about fuel (fule) and Gin palaces...

Edited by Bobbybass
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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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Nah..if I was an idiot..I'd be on my boat now instead of wintering in the warm...

I'd be worrying about the recession..the price of diesel...and bothering about my pension.

I only worked 8 years of my life...I must be bloody simple..

 

Dream on.

 

Bob

 

PS...although wintering in Spain..I am holidaying for a week in Ibiza...see my post about fuel (fule) and Gin palaces...

 

Do you really think anyone is impressed by your bragging? I'm afraid it only reinforces what I already thought.

 

Such a cosmopolitan jetset lifestyle, yet your frugal solution to extra hot water is a couple of flasks...

Edited by blackrose
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