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03-24-2011, 06:47 PM
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#1
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Andrews,Indiana
Posts: 2,457
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: AARE
Engine: 3116 Cat 250hp
Rated Cap: Just the two of us.
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Re: idea for heating water
Welcome
That is just a heat exchanger. It will probably work much depends of how much copper tubing, water tank size, etc. If you have stuff to experiment with go for it. Let us know how it works.
PICTURES
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03-25-2011, 08:49 AM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: idea for heating water
Quote:
Originally Posted by fonetek
...Either take a shower after you drive your destination, or just idle the engine to bring things up to temp...
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Welcome to the site! That sounds like a great idea. I would also put an electric water heater element in there so if you have hookup at your destination, you can use that rather than running the engine. I think if the engine is running anyway, then by all means use the energy from the heated coolant, but it would not be cost effective to run the engine just for the purpose of heating water. My engine takes about 15-20 minutes just to come up to normal operating temperature. So you would need electric or propane backup. I'm also thinking about passive solar water heating in the warmer weather: just put a 25' black plastic 4" diameter pipe on the roof and fill it with water. That would provide free hot water by the end of the day.
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03-25-2011, 10:20 PM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Savage, MN
Posts: 472
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International
Engine: 7.3 diesel
Rated Cap: 14
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Re: idea for heating water
If just showering after arriving at your destination it should work good. I get a little bit of this type of thing from my fresh water tank which is under the driver seat under the floor. It gives me a slightly warm shower after a couple hour drive. Just warm enough where you don't have to hold your breath while going under the water and just cool enough to help me sleep better if I can't turn on the a/c cause of a lack of power to plug into.
(honda won't run roof unit)
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10-02-2011, 06:51 PM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 50
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Re: idea for heating water
That setup is common in boats. My cabin cruiser has a combination electric or engine-heat water heater and it works great.
If you don't want to make your own just check the marine supply places.
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10-03-2011, 12:18 AM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,485
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Re: idea for heating water
ive seen ones like this before mounted in trail rigs etc for when out in the middle of nowhere yet needing hot water.
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10-03-2011, 12:37 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
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Re: idea for heating water
Just like part of an Aquahot system. Pricey sucker that you can build yourself for half of their price. The website has changed a little but you can download installation manuals, owners manual and parts lists. Back when I got my info, they sent it all to me, including the parts list and I priced it out at Lowes. Since we are DIYers with more sweat then $$ it was a logical thing for us to do. This is not a unique system. Vehicle Systems simply puts it all in a pretty box. The stuff I was sent seems clearer than what is online. I've been thinking of turning my stuff into a PDF and putting it online (somewhere). Also need to do the same with my NFPA 1192/ANSI A119.2 (Standards on Recreational Vehicles 1999 edition) since I keep losing the thing. I did find it again...it's in the bus! They don't change much in the book and it's not all that cheap for what we use it for. So I figure the old edition is just fine.
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10-06-2011, 11:12 AM
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#7
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Whidbey Island, WA.
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 3208 na boat anchor
Rated Cap: 2
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Re: idea for heating water
One must be careful when using engine jacket water to heat potable (drinking) water. If ethelyne glycol gets into the potable system, and if someone were to drink it, it could kill. Years ago, when I researched it, there was a requirement for a double wall seperation, like tubing wound around the outside of the water tank. Propylene glycol is a less toxic antifreeze and could be used. Another way to do it would be to put a heat exchanger between the engine coolant circuit and the heating circuit, and use a less toxic coolant in the heating loop (an idea I like).
What I'm trying to say is be careful, etheylene glycol is poisonous.
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10-07-2011, 12:39 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Whidbey Island, WA.
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 3208 na boat anchor
Rated Cap: 2
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Re: idea for heating water
I agree with Bender477 & joemonstermaker. The boat heaters are designed to be safe. My comment was directed at the DIY'ers, which I, and probably most here are.
To reiterate: "Ethylene glycol should be avoided if there is a slightest chance of leakage to potable water or food processing systems. Instead solutions based on propylene glycol are commonly used."
From: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethyl ... d_146.html
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