How recycle engine heat for hot showers and cooking

language on wheels · 08-18-2015, 11:57 PM

I'm thinking running a copper tube through radiator but not sure best way to make it cycle through hot water tank. a simple 12 volt boat bilge or sink pump would do it. but it could get boiling hot and damage pump. what normally cycles coolant through a radiator?

crazycal · 08-19-2015, 12:42 AM

Many buses already have a coolant pump for the heaters. It would be easy to repurpose one for hot water.

Kubla · 08-19-2015, 12:43 AM

You can actually buy RV water heaters that do this, I have one in my Wanderlodge, electric with a engine coolant loop to heat the water when it is running

USMCRockinRV · 08-19-2015, 02:27 AM

I'm interested in this. I don't have a pump - was about to do 40' of 4" PVC on the roof... Gravity feed.

crazycal · 08-19-2015, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USMCRockinRV

I'm interested in this. I don't have a pump - was about to do 40' of 4" PVC on the roof... Gravity feed.

I would be surprised if your bus didn't have a coolant pump.

USMCRockinRV · 08-19-2015, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazycal

I would be surprised if your bus didn't have a coolant pump.

I should have said a 12v RV Pump... I've got a 30 gal tank w/ no pump installed yet. I need to just get a pump... But then I've seen a PVC rooftop reservoir that I liked. I think one joint of 10ft 4" PVC holds 8gal... 4x would be 32gal plus some "H" pieces with PVC 90's would put me around 40gal... Good enough to go fishing with. Gravity feed into the Shower, Sink, and Toilet...

crazycal · 08-19-2015, 11:19 AM

The bus parts websites will have them for about $100-200 for the brass ones. I wouldn't use them in direct contact with drinking water.

nat_ster · 08-19-2015, 02:07 PM

Please guys don't mess with your rad.

You mess up your rad it's $750 to $1500 to for a recore.

Buy a stacked plate or other type of heat exchanger. Plumb it into the heater line with a bypass and your done.

I covered that topic in my thread "hydronic heating in a bus".

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/hy...-bus-9024.html

Around here, the rear engine buses are the ones that have the 12 volt coolant booster pumps.
Only a few of the front engine buses have one.

Nat

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