[TennetClean]

I know I have a bit of a rep for being blunt, but in all seriousness mate, that just doesnt look safe to me.

[L.J.Thorpe]

my god you ve done it now you,nat jones have..........REVEALED THE SECRET OF HOT ...MAKING IT KNOWN TO THE UNWASHED WINDOW CLEANING MASSES OF THE WORLD ......someones gonna pop a blood vessel,theyll be after you like that monk in the da vinci code looks pretty straight forward tho...might have a convert to the HOT GOSPEL right here

[L.J.Thorpe]

I know I have a bit of a rep for being blunt, but in all seriousness mate, that just doesnt look safe to me.

personally i would find a gas fitter to do the connections and check it but its no more dangerous than a gas cooker or fridge on a caravan or a gas tar boiler

[Nathanael Jones]

I connected the gas myself, basically through impatience, but I've had a gas fitter check it over since and he passed it. It does need a lot of tidying up and some real effort to make it look more professional,.. but that is a job for the weekend,.. You guys get the sneak peek while its still a mess!

[L.J.Thorpe]

personally i couldnt give 2 fishes tots what it looks like if it works then nice one.By the way not wanting to be thick but are those really euro signs on the prices or is it mis type cos thats real cheap if so and ok if £s

[Nathanael Jones]

Yep,.. I'm in Ireland, so €uro rules!!
www.xe.com is good for conversions to sterling.

[L.J.Thorpe]

i may be there for next winter at that money well done in being helpful informative and open

[Nathanael Jones]

I'll post more pics and info in the days to come,... as I get it tidied up a bit!
It really is a lot simpler than I was expecting, and a fraction of the price of the brand name hot systems. Give me a couple of weeks with it and I might get as bad as Mr Sol,.... 

[[GQC] Tim]

I think really, this is the way to DIY hot. No doubt. Yea you've got a gas canister. But....at the other hand, you'd need Diesel if you go the Diesel way. Probably costs the same, but Propane looks as simple as it can get.

Any idea how you are going to get the hot fumes out? Looks like there is no place you can put a pipe on is there?

Could you perhaps give us a diagram aswell? Like this hose goes to the unit, here goes the water, etc?

Many many thanks.

[Nathanael Jones]

I'll work on a diagram tonight,... but it is fairly simple though. The pic above doesn't show the thermostatic valve and the line returning to the tank which I hope to get installed today,... so when it's all done I'll post more pics and diagrams etc.
I do like the diesel heater option,... but it is way more complex to install. I've yet to find a diesel heater that will switch on and off automatically as the water flow starts and stops, so you have to use a calorifier pump and circulating pump,... more expensive and an extra drain on your leisure battery!

I'm still trying to figure out how to install a flue/exhaust in the roof of the van. The caravan ones don't quite look up to the job, and I'm finding it had to source one for the roof of the van that is weatherproof and heatproof. I may end up putting the vent out the side of the van,... which wouldn't look too pretty, so it'll only be done that way as a last resort.

A few hours on google/ebay will prob get me sorted!

[matt]

I'm still trying to figure out how to install a flue/exhaust in the roof of the van. The caravan ones don't quite look up to the job, and I'm finding it had to source one for the roof of the van that is weatherproof and heatproof. I may end up putting the vent out the side of the van,... which wouldn't look too pretty, so it'll only be done that way as a last resort.

the through the side vents work ok, they put them in campervans, ive put a link on your post on SCSF, its a roof mounted mushroom type vent, it takes a 80 mm pipe, which the self build motorhome folks run a lenght of metal pipe stuff around the roof line, this gives the fumes time to cool and then exit the roof vent, talking of motorhome self builds, they also add another mushroom vent, which is incase anything goes wrong and the fumes will escape from that, not telling you what to do, but thats how the selfbuilders do it

[matt]

120 quid delivered is a great price tbh

[Clear Vision]

Looking very good to me!! Well done!

Does It heat the water in the tank or does it just switch on and heat it as you use it?

Do you have your normal pump (shurflo/flo jet) Pumping the water into the heater unit?

If you do what happens when you thur the tap at the bottom of your pole and the pressure builds up to switch the pump off, will it damage the heater?

Cheers

[Nathanael Jones]

Looking very good to me!! Well done!

Does It heat the water in the tank or does it just switch on and heat it as you use it?

Do you have your normal pump (shurflo/flo jet) Pumping the water into the heater unit?

If you do what happens when you thur the tap at the bottom of your pole and the pressure builds up to switch the pump off, will it damage the heater?

Cheers

The heater is "on demand",.. it's a clever little thing and switches on when the water flows (minimum 0.4 litres a minute) and switches off when the water stops,.... BUT,.. I will be installing a valve that will allow me to return the hot water to the tank if need be on a frosty night. Heat the tank to 25 or 30 deg C and it'll act as a big radiator overnight and keep the frost away.

I have a normal 100psi shurflo pump, but its plumbed before the heater, so it never takes hot water.

The heater is rated to 145psi, so when i stop the water the pressure builds up safely inside the heater, and the heater switches off as the flow stops!!!

Thanks for the info Matt,.. I should have known you'd know how to sort it,.. I owe you one!!!

I didn't get chance to play with the hot system today,.. it was miserable weather, so I spent the day setting up a rainwater harvesting system!!!

[matt]

Thanks for the info Matt,.. I should have known you'd know how to sort it,.. I owe you one!!!

i only know this as i was looking at water heaters that the motorhomer's use, i was looking at a smaller unit, but your will do a great job, well done

[Nathanael Jones]

Here's the diagram,... a bit basic, but you get the idea

[[GQC] Tim]

That's what I'm talking about, nice one. That explains it. Paint skills.

So what the thermo valve basically does, is.....get some cold water that doesn't go through the heater, and mixes it with the hot coming from the heater, so you've got the temp that you want. Just like on a normal kitchen tap (well sort of)

What does the valve look like? Does it have a turn valve on there? Or like a thermostat?

Where does your DI vessel go? (for polishing, normally after the pump and before the hosereel) What effect has hot water on DI resin?

How hot is your maximum for the system? As hot as you want? What is considered normal water temp for a hot wfp system?

Thanks for answering my questions, really helps a lot.

[Nathanael Jones]

I have a static RO/DI in the shed,.. so I kinda forgot to draw it in the diagram,.. I'd put the DI directly before the hose reel. I haven't tested the TDS of the water after it's heated to be honest, but I will shortly. I am a little worried that the heating process will SLIGHTLY increase the TDS but only by a reading of 001 or 002.
The thermostatic valve automatically compensates if the hot feed gets hotter or the cold feed gets colder, so you are guaranteed a constant temp. The use the valve for showers etc in old folks hoes to prevent scalding.
The max temp for the system?? I haven't tested it yet,.. but I honestly think I'll be able to make a cup of tea with it if I turn it up full power,... hence the need foe the thermostatic valve!!!
Here's a pic of the valve:

[matt]

are we not over complicating the process

here are my thoughts

insulate tank in van

water from tank in van through heater back into the tank ( you will get to know how long it needs to be on for the temp you want , we will say, 1 hour in morning, 30 mins at lunch time )

then just pump the water from the tank

am i missing something by making it overly simple ? ? ? ?

[[GQC] Tim]

are we not over complicating the process

here are my thoughts

insulate tank in van

water from tank in van through heater back into the tank ( you will get to know how long it needs to be on for the temp you want , we will say, 1 hour in morning, 30 mins at lunch time )

then just pump the water from the tank

am i missing something by making it overly simple ? ? ? ?

That would really defeat the purpose. You can do that with a heating element overnight or on a timer. And it will no matter how good you insulate lose it's temp slowly. Maybe not at 25c, but at higher temps it would.

Hot wfp is ment to be hot water on demand. Not to store hot water.