It's coming soon - hot water recirculating system. |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Topic: It's coming soon - hot water recirculating system. Posted: 28 Oct 2014 at 8:12pm |
Quiet is the key - definitely would be quieter than the furnace. It should be more efficient than using a generator to run an electric heater, too. I'm not sure the FW tank would be a problem, just withdraw water from the WH tank on the hot side and feed the return line back into the WH on the cold side. The existing hot and cold water system would operate normally, unless I'm missing something you've thought of?
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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dsmiths
Senior Member Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Location: Southern Ind Online Status: Offline Posts: 866 |
Posted: 28 Oct 2014 at 8:35pm |
and then we could add a thermostat to the Fresh Water tank so if boon docking in temps below 30 or so some hot water could be circulated in a loop through the fresh water tank to keep it from freezing . Humm the possibilities are endless.
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Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Posted: 28 Oct 2014 at 8:43pm |
Dump 50 pounds of ice in the FW tank, throw the HW bypass valves and we got us a Air Conditioner!!
Oh, don't forget that we could plumb more than one exchanger for zone heating and cooling! Somebody stop me! fred
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 9:04am |
Doug, I'm thinking we'll need an inline check valve on the cold water returns of the city water line and the tank line to keep the boiler/exchanger a closed loop system. I think you are right that there should be no issue or significant interference with on board FW system.
I guess we could use the existing thermostat to turn on exchanger fan and circulating pump.
dsmiths, that sounds like a great and simple idea also! A loop through FW tank (or anywhere else) would be just a matter of plumbing. Practically speaking, I'm really surprised this isn't done. Yes, I know Aqua Hot systems are used in some large and expensive coaches, but the idea seems even more practical in a small space like the pod where we often heat 6 gallons of very hot water, use just a little and then let all that energy just fade away... I'm going to take some HW temperature measurements today. I know it's hot. fred |
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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wildfire305
Groupie Joined: 22 Jul 2014 Location: Erlanger, KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 85 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 9:25am |
Suburban service manual says 140 degrees nonadjustable. That is hot enough to cause blisters in half of a second.
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2005 Dodge Durango 4.7 V8
OLD Tow Vehicle 2004 Honda Odyssey 2015 RP179 "73b" OLD 2005 Viking Saga 2480ST popup |
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 9:39am |
Thanks wildfire! I looked for that spec but missed it. I turned on the propane HW just about 20 minutes ago. I'm curious what I measure with my smoker probe when it shuts off. After about 15 minutes w/ambient about 50 degrees it measures 105. @140 it would seem an efficient exchanger might offer a good deal of useable heat, no?
Thanks again for giving me an idea for another winter project! fred Edited to add: At 30 minutes, propane shut off and I measured 138 @ kitchen faucet, so I would say the 140 spec is pretty accurate. Thanks! |
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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hogone
Senior Member Joined: 09 Apr 2013 Location: St. Louis Online Status: Offline Posts: 1049 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 1:26pm |
fwunder: so you liked the "mr. buddy"! did you use disposable containers or a small refill one. seriously thinking of making this purchase. hogone
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 1:59pm |
Dang, don't give me another project to consider! My to-do is already long enough.
But it would be an interesting project to fiddle around with. Then there would be testing to compare propane used via the furnace vs. the WH given the same outside conditions (temp and wind). Then improvements to make it more efficient, then....
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 3:00pm |
Hogone,
The Mr. Heater portable buddy cranks some heat...quickly and quietly. We used a one pound bottle on this trip, but I do normally carry a one gallon refillable tank and hose that can be used with either my Weber Q or the Portable Buddy. Total burn time on low (which is hot) is about 5-6 hours per pound. Wife was a bit more skeptical and a bit uncomfortable with the heater than me. It has a small open flame pilot and glows bright red and is very hot directly in front and on top. It does have a built in oxygen sensor and auto shutoff if tilted more than 45 degrees. I don't think I would leave it running all night and you really do need to crack a window or two just in case. It's really great for sitting in front of under the dome or standing in front of after a shower! Doug, I tried to find my 45 year old Thermodynamics textbook to work out the energy equations...then laughed at the thought of me trying to understand that again! Ya know, we could probably find an old auto heater core, a small fan, a pump, a sink full of 140 degree water and do some testing in your kitchen! I won't tell my wife if you don't tell yours! Seriously though, given the amount of heat the furnace throws outside and reading that the furnace is, at best, 70% efficient *and* I still got 6 gallons of 140 degree water; I gotto believe the hot water heating system would be more efficient. But...I was also positive we would have flying cars and a robot maid named Rosie! fred
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 7:45pm |
LOL, that testing is exactly the type of thing I would enjoy on a Saturday afternoon when I should be outside doing my leaves.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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