| Author |
Message |
larry lacoss (Tokyojoe)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 6:02 pm: | |
I used to have a drawing showing how to plumb a loop into the hot water line to the kitchen sink. The purpose of this was to circulate the hot water in the pipe so you didn't have to run a lot of water until it got hot. (Or maybe my memory has gone south along with other parts of my body.) Does this ring a bell with any of you engineer types? |
Geoff (Geoff)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 7:37 pm: | |
All you need is a return line from the hot water line back to the fresh water tank with a close off valve-- it would need to be tied in before the line that feeds the hot/cold water handle at the sink. Personally, I don't think you lose that much water waiting for it to warm up to justify the extra work, unless you count every drop while boondocking.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 7:55 pm: | |
Use 3/8" to the kitchen sink instead of 1/2". Significant results if your sink is a long way from the HW source. Personally, I used 3/8" on my entire HW system beyond a header manifold off the the HW tank, which is 1/2". |
skoolbusnut
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 9:02 pm: | |
James
Does 3/8" give you enough volume?
Do you use 3/8" for the cold water too?
Thanks
Mark |
Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 9:57 pm: | |
Commercial buildings use the loop system. Try asking the super at a commercial building. You want to run the loop back to the hot water heater. It may work as a thermosyphon if you plumb the return line into the cold water inlet of the hot water heater. Probably need a valve to control the flow. You could even run 1/4" back to the cold water inlet. It won't take much flow to keep hot water available at the faucet or shower. |
Sean Welsh (Sean)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 11:25 pm: | |
We just dump the water back in the tank. Our system uses a tee as close to the faucet as possible (one each for the kitchen and bath sinks as well as the shower). One leg of the tee goes to the faucet, the other goes to a 24v solenoid valve that returns the water to the fresh water tank. We used irrigation valves ("sprinkler" valves) from Home Depot -- these are rated to work on 24vac but work fine on DC. A simple pushbutton next to each faucet allows us to activate the system.
Doing it this way is much simpler than trying to plumb the return back to the water heater or other presurized parts of the system. (Also, irrigation valves won't work if the return side is under pressure.) If your goal is to conserve water (and gray tank capacity), then this meets the need. BTW, in our case, this system saves about half a gallon each time we use hot water -- over a week of boondocking, that really adds up.
-Sean |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 11:40 pm: | |
I have more than enough hot water, even for the shower, which is a temp. calibrated mixer. I use 1/2 cold line thruout. |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 5:20 am: | |
If your going to make a HW return loop , be sure to run it thru a towel rack built for the purpose.
Nothing like finishing a shower and having a WARM towel to dry off with!!
FAST FRED |
Brian (Bigbusguy)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 7:49 am: | |
What about using the instant hot water tanks and do away with the water heater ?
When I was in Asia all most every shower had one in the shower. I would mount it so it was not in the shower but close.
I was also thinking of getting a 220 50 cycle inverter and buying them over in asia 1/2 price of the ones here and also they have 1000's of tiny washer dryers and refrigrators and dish washers just the right size for RV's but need the 220 50hz to run em.
Brian 4905 Klamath Falls Oregon |
gillig-dan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 8:56 am: | |
Brian,
Before spending money on a big-ass inverter, I would try to run whatever Euro appliance you have on 60 Hz, 220VAC. The continuous water heaters should run fine on 60HZ. These things take huge amounts of current, even at 220 VAC. You'd need a full bay just to house an inverter to power it. Plan it right though and, just like sleeping with a fat girl, you'd have plenty of heat in the winter from the inverter. If you run 50 Hz AC electric motors on 60Hz, they would run a little faster as would clock circuits.
The continuous water heater is actually very efficient but, you need to draw all the current at one time. That means you might go over the 60 amp max most RV hook-ups have if you run the hot water and AC at the same time.
You're right about the people "over there" having great appliances for RV's. I haven't looked around yet but, I would like to find the combination front-load washer/dryer I saw in Britain. The whole thing wasn't bigger than a mini-bar fridge. That would be great to keep up with the kids clothes while traveling.
Gillig-Dan |
Cory Dane
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 8:28 pm: | |
My loop is on the shower control valve, it is fed from the old "tub faucet" postion. Since I only have a shower, the tub was erroneous so I plumb it back, ahead of the water pump and it will circulate it until warm.
Some circulate back to the water tank, what ever is best in your case....
"In the Fall of ones life, you realize that You Ain't Lived Yet"
cd |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 5:44 am: | |
"My loop is on the shower control valve, it is fed from the old "tub faucet" postion. Since I only have a shower, the tub was erroneous so I plumb it back, ahead of the water pump and it will circulate it until warm."
This is an EXCELLENT and Elegant solution for any 'instant ' water heater, gas or electric used for showering..
FAST FRED |