

| Subject: | Re: Heat exchanger for hot showers |
| From: | Tom Rowsell |
| Date: | Sat, 7 Jul 2007 13:49:20 -0300 |
It's about half price at Cabelas too: http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0038862517356a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=zodi&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=zodi&noImage=0 See Doug Alcock's page here: http://doug.alcock.googlepages.com/westyshower Tom On 7/7/07, Sam Conant <samcvt@comcast.net> wrote: > > Jake, > The Zodi was listed as a clearance by Campmor a month or so ago, and they > may still have some. I'd go to their www site, and search their archives > for the Zodi and see if they still have some in stock. The price was > reasonable. I bought one to augment my solar hot water bag systems for > the > sailboat and Westy > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jake de Villiers" <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 12:38 AM > Subject: Re: Heat exchanger for hot showers > > > Darned expensive compared to the Zodi hot water system that goes on top of > your propane stove, seems to me. > And you'll have to start & run the engine for some time to create enough > heat for a shower. > > The Zodi looks to be more economical to run as well as to buy but I don't > have one yet so I can't give you a review. Still working on the > house....... > > On 7/6/07, Troy <colorworks@gci.net> wrote: > > > > > check the archives. no, really. ;) > > > there was a guy in the early days of the vanagon list (can't recall > his > > > name right now) and he built a system under the rear seat of his > camper. > > > used the rear seat heater to provide the coolant ... which flowed > > through > > > some copper coils inside a water tank. he had some sort of thermostat > > that > > > shut off the flow of coolant to the coils if the water got too hot. he > > > used it for the sink and had some sort of hookup to run a hose to the > > rear > > > hatch (which held the shower curtain when the hatch was up). > > > > > > seems like the guy's name was dave something or other. had pictures > and > > > text on a web site. > > > > > > hope it helps. good luck! > > > joel > > >Thanks Joel: > > > > Here's that link your referring to: http://www.syncro.org/HotWater.shtml > > > > And then a response I sent to one other person who emailed me. > > > > <<Yes, I have the link for that particular set up. That would require > > using > > the onboard 13 gallon water, which is not something I was interested in > > doing. The link I provided appears to be an "on demand" system, that is > to > > say as long as you have adequate water supply, (stream, lake, etc) you > > could have endless hot water on demand. That's a lot different than > > heating > > up the onboard water. The key is the type of heat exchanger. There are > > propane units available such as the one I have (Coleman) and I believe > > there > > is another company that puts out something called the zodiac, which > works > > on > > a similar principle. The Coleman actually works quite well on a picnic > > table > > with a 5 gallon jug, but it is kind of large and bulky and takes up > > precious > > space. Anyway, as I said I'm intrigued by the challenge more than > anything > > else. In my own experience, there seems to be plenty of places available > > along the way to get a hot shower for cheap, and the Coleman works great > > at > > picnic side for dishes, etc.>> > > > > > > Another drawback to heating the onboard water is it promotes bacterial > > growth. An "on demand" --heated as needed system--is what I was trying > to > > accomplish. That particular heat exchanger I provided the link for > > (http://www.hotcampshowers.com/new51788.html) seems to do just that. > > Basically, the criteria for this would be to figure out volume of water > > needed (gallons per minute) versus the required rise in temperature. > > Generally the greater the increase in temperature, the lower the flow. > For > > example heating water from 40� to 100� may only result in 1/2 gal. a > > minute > > (GPM) versus going from 70� to 100�, which may result in 1 gallon a > > minute > > or better. The Coleman I have is basically a 1 gallon per minute, but > > slows > > down quite a bit if you try to crank the water temperature to say 160 > > degrees. I know just enough about this to get myself into trouble;) I > was > > hoping someone else might be more knowledgeable about this than I am. > > Sounds > > like I will have to do a Google search and compare specs on the various > > heat > > exchangers available out there. > > > > If anyone else cares to chime in about this, I'm all ears. > > > > Troy > > > > > > -- > Jake > 1984 Vanagon GL > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" > www.crescentbeachguitar.com >
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