| Author | Message | ||
| Arthur (24.62.228.193)
Rating: N/A |
I am looking at my heat options. I am installing AC that has 26K of BTUs of heat between the front and back. I own a new 42 K Suburban furnace that I was going to install but I am trying to keep from having to many heat sources in the bus. I am putting in Precision Temp demand hot water heater that can provide 42.5K BTUs of output. I am thinking about using the Precision Temp as the primary heat source and installing a heat exchanger and some form of heat distibution for hot water heat in the coach. If this works it would give me heat, hot water and an engine heater in one unit. What kind of pumps do you use for the the hot water system and what have you used for heat distribution such as a baseboard or a fan type heaters. Any advise at this time would be really helpful. | ||
| FAST FRED (209.26.115.109) Rating: N/A |
What does the Precision Temp use to get warm? If its electric you may not find many campsites with such huge electric that heat requires. As youre air cond are also AC being locked into only one source might prove unwise , unless your willing to trust your life to the lawn mower motor in most gen sets. Having a bunch of options is great as the versatility of the coach goes up greatly. Try to be able to heat for at least 48 hours , no outside juice , no gen set , and you have a valuable piece of gear. A month is hard but not unrealistic. In these times using the camper as a spair cottage , or as an escape vehicle might pay. FAST FRED | ||
| Arthur (24.62.228.193) Rating: N/A |
Thanks Fred, The Precision Temp uses propane. I had caught some posting a while back that the cost to run a hot water diesel system would be less than that of a forced hot air system. My Suburban forced hot air furnace draws 11.5 amps and a water pump for hot water would draw 3-5 Amps. The Precision burns 2.55 lbs per hour and the Suburban burns 4.2 gallons per hour. When you look at less amps usage, less gas usage and the beifits of thermal mass in hot water it would seem that the hot water system would cost less in electicity and fuel to operate. Does this all make sense? | ||
| FAST FRED (209.26.115.215) Rating: N/A |
Sure , a few companys make circ pumps with very low draw DC motors. There fine units as there is no shaft seal , magnetic drive for very long life. The Baseboard system is prefered as very little pressure is created by the Marche line of pumps ,(or their competition) and you would prefer to avoid box heaters and toe kick heaters both for the amount of resistance to flow the tiny radiators have and the need for 3 to 8A DC to get heat out of each unit. Toe kicks are great in a 5000 sq ft house where zone heating can be used, sorta foolish in a 300sqft camper. Add the furnace and circ pump and 3 or 4 toe kicks and its big amps to operate the system . Endurance would be enhanced by the much lower amp draw to circ hot water with simple baseboareds. The system you would shoot for would have 2 circ pumps . The first would take the HW heated by your furnace and stick it into a large insulated tank.Coils around the outside could create domestic hot water. The aquastat (furnace controll)would be set at about 115F to 150F keeping the tank warm at all times. The thermostat would cause the circ pump to feed the heat pipes ' tiny circ pump would draw water from the supply tank . The recovery is slow with this system , so you would expect the circ pump to at least be on half the time. If it operates 100% of the time , you simply raise the temp of the circ water , by adjusting the aquastat. Very easy to live with , and silent and draught free . Although the complexity and circ pumps amps added to the furnace amps is about equal to the cheap & fast Suburban. Would be among first choices for long term endurance in cold (Ski Country) . Less sophistacated and using NO electric at all is still the diesel ranges & furnaces that come from Dickinson , and use diesel with a gravity fuel supply. FAST FRED | ||
| Arthur MC5C (24.62.228.193) Rating: N/A |
Fast Fred, By the way its your fault I own the bus I have. I am so far quite happy with it, thanks. I bought it from the Holiday bus guys in NY 3 years ago and found them through one of your postings. Its a 1978 MC5C. Would a small super store tank work well? I own on of their diesel heaters that I have never tried to get going. Do you know if anyone has gotten theirs to work? | ||
| Doug (12.90.23.122) Rating: N/A |
Arthur, I have a webasto Airtop 2000 I am looking to sell. Have one in my 04 and have no other heating needs down to around 20 degrees.....I'm talking warm enought to wear shorts. small, low electrical draw and low fuel consumption......easy instalation I would not suggest any other type of heat | ||
| R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.179)
Rating: N/A |
Tell us more about the Airtop you have for sale. But as a suggestion, you otta use the BNO Flea Market section or 'ole Ian'll move it there anyway.  How much $$, BTU's, etc Thanx, RCB | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (65.130.11.192)
Rating: N/A |
I have toe kick heaters on my Espar system Marche Pumps draw less than 1 amp. 5 zones in the bus and one in the water bay. 6 pumps. But they don't run all the time. If you can afford the extra pumps and thermostats it is a great way to go. It is the main Espar pump and the Espar ignition and fuel pump that suck all the amps. Hot water storage tank for system is 20 gallons. Looks like a modified air compressor horizontal tank. |