| Author |
Message |
Nelson Thomas (152.163.252.199)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 12:36 pm: | |
I am considering useing a Webasto 2110 45000 btu hydronic heater for my conversion. Some of the heat exchangers seem pretty pricy. I was wondering if other types of heater cores would work as well? Awhile back there were some school bus heaters for sale on e-bay. They had 4 or 5 connectors to attach heat vent hoses to pipe the heat around with. Does Anybody have experience with this? I have a hot water heater that uses propane, engine heat exchanger and 115v.. Could I use both the engine heat and the Webasto heat for the hot water heater?
Thanks Nelson Thomas |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.156.117.224)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 5:21 pm: | |
Concsider using baseboard for the bulk of the heat with a blower only in troublesome areas such as the dash or the bathroom. Cheap, quiet and uses no extra electricity. Super even heat, also.
As to the water heater, it would be either engine or Webasto unless you shut off the plumbing to one or the other. This could be done with ball valves or solenoids.
If you have an inverter, you could use 110volt circulators at about $60 each rather than 12volt ones at $235 each.
Now to the biggest problem- controlling the temp of the Webasto during the time it is heating the water in the water heater tank. You will need a thermostat mounted on the water heater to control the firing of the Webasto. Otherwise, the tank will go cold and the Webasto will just sit there toasty warm not knowing the hot water is now cold. Certainly not a major problem, but it must be addressed.
I have done systems like this very successfully. It just takes a lot of forethought and planning.
Jim |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.156.117.224)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 5:26 pm: | |
Damn! A dreaded spelling error on the first word. Please forgive me. |
madusbritus (67.136.126.7)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 5:45 pm: | |
...... and I thought a "Concsider" was someone who collected those big seashells and sold them "on the side" for their beer money......... LOL.
Peter. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.2)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 12:40 am: | |
Here is a link showing how to use a Webasto by tying into the existing engine/bus interior heating system. You could tie the water heater into the same system just like another heater box. The Scholastic Series Webasto has a high output circulation pump and works well as shown in the diagram. In fact, this is what I am using along with the heat exchanger water heater (same as yours) and two school bus heater boxes. In case you don't know, the heat exchanger on your water heater takes a few hours to warm up the water, but is stays hot to warm for 8-10 hours.
http://www.hydro-hot.com/Webasto/webasto_school.html
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
Ed Roelle (68.62.25.203)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 8:18 am: | |
There is a thermostat in electric water heaters. It is an open/close switch. Just run this to a relay to signal the webasto when to turn on to heat the water.
You can run the engine, hot water heater and Webasto heater lines in series so that either will heat the water. Install bypasses for flexibility when you are camping and don't want the engine heated.
Ed Roelle
Flint, MI |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.175.62.184)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 12:54 pm: | |
But if the electric thermostat is being used for the Webasto, what will turn on the electric element? You really need two thermostats to make it a foolproof installation.
Jim |
Dale MC8 (66.81.130.227)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 2:20 pm: | |
Hook 'em up in parallel. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.4)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 4:09 pm: | |
Since Nelson only has a water heater with a heat exchanger it is not really worth running the Webasto for hours just to heat the domestic water. The heat exchanger is mainly for heating the water while driving, or as a side benefit while using the Webasto for interior heat. Otherwise it is better to use the propane or electric heating elements in the water heater to heat the water.
--Geoff |