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Old 06-02-2019, 12:57 PM   #261
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Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
Hi sledd..,


We love it.. We run a recirculating shower. That is 3/4 gallon in the shower pan. small sump pump takes it thru a UV filter then thru the heated shower head and so on. After 10 minutes of soap we stop the pump and heater and drain the 3/4 gallon of water. Repeat with clean water. It takes about 30 seconds before the water is warm.


Johan
thanks - seems like an interesting alternative

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Old 06-02-2019, 02:29 PM   #262
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hmmm,, ...interesting alternative, thank you Sledd ... .Some other might think it is wheew to reuse water that has passed over your body before.
With outside temps around 60 -70 F the 2700 watt heater makes the water to hot. So we turn it on / off 15 seconds on 5 seconds off. I ill have to improve this time function so that it is easier adjustable.,
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Old 06-02-2019, 02:37 PM   #263
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Ingeneous, actually.
It's not, "ewww," at all. As an environment scientist who has made a career of water quality issues, I'm here to affirm that all water is recycled.
Photosynthesis notwithstanding...
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Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
hmmm,, ...interesting alternative, thank you Sledd [emoji3]... .Some other might think it is wheew to reuse water that has passed over your body before.
With outside temps around 60 -70 F the 2700 watt heater makes the water to hot. So we turn it on / off 15 seconds on 5 seconds off. I ill have to improve this time function so that it is easier adjustable.,
Besides, you know where that water's been!
Anybody who gets skeeved out by a one time re-use, followed by a clean rinse, has more serious personal problems than personal hygiene...
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Old 06-02-2019, 02:50 PM   #264
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Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
hmmm,, ...interesting alternative, thank you Sledd ... .Some other might think it is wheew to reuse water that has passed over your body before.
With outside temps around 60 -70 F the 2700 watt heater makes the water to hot. So we turn it on / off 15 seconds on 5 seconds off. I ill have to improve this time function so that it is easier adjustable.,
did you ever read about the off grid housing in the Canadian arctic experiment done by the Canadian Air Force in the 1940's? - heat pumps extracting heat from the permafrost to heat the houses, closed circuit complete recycling of human waste and water to provide drinking, bathing, and cooking water - pressure treated plywood foundations - state of the art ( for the time ) insulation - when I read about it the first time in the mid 50's it seemed like science fiction - but it worked ! ( I don't remember if they had wind generators )
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:11 PM   #265
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Haha hazmatt, indeed, no fiddling in the shower.


I like to experiment with self supporting systems and using less water is about as critical as it gets.


Being out in the wild off grid for a while now with Dory has given Smita and me sometimes a feeling that we were in a space ship.


It is very satisfying to take a 20 minute hot shower with 1-1/2 gallon water / person. As a result i do not feel "bad" letting 1-1/2 gallon gray water flow out on the road.
Our fresh tank is only 40 gallons and that is plenty for 1 to 2 weeks.


Sledd I tried to find an article on it but did not.
before we left I installed a heat pump in our house..Air to hot water that uses CO2 as refrigerant. Sanden is the brand.
It is normally used for domestic hot water, i just use it differently.


It is amazing how low the outside temperature can get before it is not efficient anymore.
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:15 PM   #266
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To the nay-sayers, "A 20 minute hot shower using 1.5 gallons of water," should ought shut them right up! [emoji106]
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:22 PM   #267
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Originally Posted by joeblack5 View Post
hmmm,, ...interesting alternative, thank you Sledd ... .Some other might think it is wheew to reuse water that has passed over your body before.
With outside temps around 60 -70 F the 2700 watt heater makes the water to hot. So we turn it on / off 15 seconds on 5 seconds off. I ill have to improve this time function so that it is easier adjustable.,
looking at the YouTube video, I see that there is a pressure release plug on the side of the shower head - I wonder if that portal could be used to supply cool water to the shower head AFTER the majority of the water has passed over the heat element - would that work to control the temperature of the water? ---- ( or the shower head could be mounted higher on the wall giving the water time to cool as it fell - lol )
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:22 PM   #268
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It sure would partially resolve the water " drought" problems in the south west.


Ours is just above the 1767 level....





From wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_recycling_shower



The first recycling shower, operated by a hand pump, was patented in England in 1767 by the stove maker William Feetham.[1] This recycling shower used the pump to push the water into a basin above the user's head. To receive the water, the user pulled a chain to release the water from the basin. Like this, the invention would recycle the same dirty water during the entire session. It also gradually lost temperature.
It was not until 200 years later, in 1979, that Billy G. Bloys invented a motorized version of the same concept, discarding the hand pump.[2] Using no filtration or a means of re-heating the water, the contraption likened the original invention by Feetham but did not improve on it beyond the electronic pump and some fixtures. It was never commercialized. In 1988, Francis R. Keeler patented a similar but smaller and more mobile version of the recycling shower for usage in motor homes, boats and airplanes.[3]
In 2011, Nick Christy of Australia won the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, an annual competition for sustainable ideas[4] for his version of the water recycling shower. The shower aimed to collect, filter, pasteurize and then dilute the water with fresh tap water to cool it again to the set temperature. Citing cultural problems and lack of traction in his native Australia, Christy aimed for the UK market.[5] They are yet to collect certification standards.
In 2013, the Swedish company Orbital Systems introduces their first shower, the launching company being a spinoff from a NASA internship.[6] It comprises a closed-loop system where the water is purified using a replaceable filter. These filter out particulate matter and microbes from drain water before sending the water back through the head.[7] After the capsules have been depleted, they have to be replaced at cost. Orbital Systems has had several high-profile investors, including Skype and Kazaa co-founder Niklas Zennström and Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of the fashion company H&M.[8]
In 2015, the Dutch company Hamwells introduced the e-Shower at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in London.[9] Citing hygiene issues in earlier solutions, Hamwells opted for a solution with a semi-closed loop where the water is used several times instead of the entire session.[10] External hot water is used to maintain temperature, with incoming hot water replacing the used water within the loop. In addition to replacement, water within the loop is filtered and purified with UV light.[11] For users unable or unwilling to use the recycling mode, the e-Shower offers a classic shower where all the water is drained.[12] Being a computer, the e-Shower is able to self-clean, regulate shower times between users and offer the user music streaming and remote control through mobile apps.[13]
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:29 PM   #269
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To the nay-sayers, "A 20 minute hot shower using 1.5 gallons of water," should ought shut them right up! [emoji106]
an adjustable resistor to restrict current to the shower head? - they come in fairly robust sizes - I have one that I use to adjust the speed on a 1/2 horse motor
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:41 PM   #270
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Yes a heavy resistor that could work, albeit at the cost of efficiency. An electric on / off duty cycle, super heavy duty light dimmer or variac, is more efficient and easier on the solar. Not sure how the less expensive sine wave inverters would react to a high power light dimmer. A variac transformer is somewhat heavy.

With good sun we could support two people showering with our 900 watt panels. A mentioned before we also cook and cool with solar electric.

Kind of fun to manage the energy use. After a while it is easy.
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Old 06-02-2019, 03:48 PM   #271
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By, "current," (especially coupled with a "resistor") I'm surely hoping you're referencing water flow!
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an adjustable resistor to restrict current to the shower head? - they come in fairly robust sizes - I have one that I use to adjust the speed on a 1/2 horse motor
Tho I suppose it also applies to the di-hydrous oxide used in that 'current' session... [emoji6]
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Old 08-20-2019, 09:29 PM   #272
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5 month ago we came back from our 4-1/2 month trip to skoolie palooza and other adventures in the south west.

This weekend before the kids have to go back to school we decided to see if Dory would like to go to Letchworth state park in New York. Only a 4 to 5 hour trip from state college. We left Friday in the afternoon and boondocked south of Corning. Next morning we had breakfast at the "landing strip". Good but not as exciting as we had expected from the reviews.
Then we came to the conclusion that I had forgotten to pack a sweater and we stopped at the next goodwill. Our friends from Toronto would be meeting us at 4 pm. We felt we did not have enough time to stop at the corning glass museum.

Drove to the campground and settled in. Our friends brought a tent. Our food truck style table was set up ad an outdoor kitchen. All was good.
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Old 08-20-2019, 09:41 PM   #273
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way cool!!! amazing how the weather varies across the country!!! you talked of wearing a sweater and this past weekend i was travelling and had 70,000 BTU of Air-Conditioning pumping as i drove and i still wasnt freezing ...



looks like all of us get a taste of fall this coming weekend! the cooler weather is perfect for sitting out by a fire and hanging with friends!!
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Old 08-22-2019, 11:16 AM   #274
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Next day we did some walking on a trail along the canyon with some waterfalls.. pretty.. but not very exciting or adventurous. A nice thunderstorm in the evening made us appreciate our awning. This one came from the junk yard and can use better fabric. Originally I thought it was to big but now we feel lucky with the size.


later J
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Old 08-23-2019, 12:45 AM   #275
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Monday morning our friends from Toronto left. We extended our stay with another night because, by chance, other friends were coming.

We were in camping loop 100 and according to the map that was pretty close to the gorge. It was but impossible to get to the water. We used the retractable dog leash as rope to " rappel" down a tributary gorge but when we reached a 40ft drop of we decided to quit. Our dog Rosie had issues getting back up the hill but I was able to give her a little push to get her over the hangup.
No success but an adventure after all. To bad none of us was able to make pictures.

Then our friends arrived and in the evening food and drinks.

Later johan
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Old 08-23-2019, 05:22 AM   #276
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Ah yeah, another nice adventure. Maybe not as exotic as the summer trip, but still has nice views and good friends to share it with... and no parts replacement (I hope I did not jinx it)!
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Old 08-23-2019, 07:54 PM   #277
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Thanx native, I will not disappoint you,, we really miss our time out west and often tell each other what a great time we had... but on with the story.


Tuesday morning we slowly started packing up. By 1 PM we drove of the campground. Then we came to the conclusion that the inside of the dam was open for sightseeing but would close at 2 PM.


The GPS set the course through a small village of Mount Morris.

and there .. ah well.. it happened.... a combination of cop standing at the intersection, me being in a hurry a super tight turn uphill and.... granite kerbs that were not aligned and stood out like a jagged knife.


I miscalculated and touched the kerb at the wrong spot and shredded the sidewall of the tire.
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Old 08-23-2019, 11:04 PM   #278
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We parked off the road and got the tools out to jack the bus up and take the tire off.
A gentleman who worked for the county and had seen the whole thing stopped by to offer help. He came back after work time and offered me his pickup to bring our unmounted spare and flat to the tire shop. Amazing nice people you meet when one is in trouble.
The first shop did not have a tire machine for this Alcoa 19.5 rim and I got redirected to an antique truck center. They did not have a tire machine and attempted it by hand. An hour later with no success I tried my own luck and ended up with the 5 ft tire iron swinging back against my head.
The shop tried some more and gave up directing me to a large agricultural truck shop. They did not have a machine or just did not want to deal with it.
Either way the next shop was further away. My cellphone was running low and my stomach was acting up. I was a little nervous about the side effects of the impact on my head so I returned back to Dory. From there we called the tire service center Sedam to come out to unmount and remount the tire on the rim. The guy was amazing. He did not have a machine either and did it was two small tire irons. 15 minutes...all done...$60 for driving over .since it was 4.30 the shop considered it overtime so charged two hours to the job...at $150/h... Old tire disposal $20 and some taxes ..total $399. Had to pay in cash. Cops showed up ..I think because the shop was afraid that we would not pay because he left immediately after I gave him the money..
Then my wife drove the nice gentleman's pickup truck back and filled up his fuel tank.
It was a good Murphy law and overall experience how different society reacts.... The amazing nice people when you are in need and the company's approach to pull the max dollar out of you because they can.

Anyhow by 6 pm we were back on the road . did not see the inside or even the outside of the dam. We boondocked at a rest area along the highway 20 miles north of Corning.

Later j
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Old 08-23-2019, 11:33 PM   #279
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OUCH
Changing big tires can be very dangerous.
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Old 08-23-2019, 11:42 PM   #280
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I think you got off very lucky with that one. Looks like a helluva knot. The tires on my Bluebird scare me.
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