[shammy davis jnr]

After a bad winter I was wondering what is the best and cheapest way to heat water in a I can tank in garage obviously a1000ltr tank when filled when heated to say 50deg will stay heated for a good bit
My question is will this decant and stay warm in say 500/600 ltr van mount all day for work use our is it better to heat water as you go
Any info systems photos welcomed

[Smudger]

There will be many opinions on this and depending on your priorities wether you feel cheap is better than quality having said that it’s just warm/hot water

I have really can’t justify 5k on a heating system then the running costs on top and I still see issues with carrying gas bottles for the mobile shower setups

I use 2kw immersion heaters and plug in overnight works well and yes 500 ltrs stays warm for several hours - it not be as consistently hot as a diesel system but it’s good enough
Darran

[alank]

Immersion keeps frost at bay and stays warm for work and is cheaper than some options dazmond will be on soon he's had gas before but has diesel heater now. Come on dazmond pro's and con's 

[The Jester of Wibbly]

As above. Immersion if you want it just for frost protection and not for hot.

50 c will soon drop at brush head  when hose is out in the cold.  Also to take into account temp drop in tank during the day too.

It's a chicken and egg senerio. And you get what you pay for.  Cheap and best don't mix.

[shammy davis jnr]

Not that I’m a cheap skate but ,would say a hot tub heater system be cheaper than say a webassco in van system in the long run ,our a boiler type timer switch ,just curious as to pros and cons and get a general feel as to the ways of the jedi

[nathankaye]

I use an immersion heater which is 27inch long and fits at the bottom of an insulated 500ltr wydale tank.
I'm able to get the water into the 60's and 70's.
But I also have a day n night rate tariff for my electric so it works out cheap.
Depending on the water I've used as I don't use a full  tank. By time I top the water up at the end of a day ready for next days work, I have a starting temp in tank of being in the forties.
So yes it can be done, but not everyone has the set up to do it this way.

[dazmond]

DO NOT go for the gas shower units........too dangerous.its just not worth it....

an immersion heater is your best bet mate.....

[dazmond]

the best and cheapest dont go together mate.the best is a professionally installed diesel heater(with frost stat) but they are pricey.

[Stoots]

Immersion is ideal for what you want it for.
I put one in mine last year and I'll only use it on the odd occasion in minus temps to stop freezing.

If I wanted hot all day I'd buy a diesel heater but when you look at the initial outlay and the running costs it seems a bit daft to me.

[Dry Clean]

I use an immersion heater which is 27inch long and fits at the bottom of an insulated 500ltr wydale tank.
I'm able to get the water into the 60's and 70's.
But I also have a day n night rate tariff for my electric so it works out cheap.
Depending on the water I've used as I don't use a full  tank. By time I top the water up at the end of a day ready for next days work, I have a starting temp in tank of being in the forties.
So yes it can be done, but not everyone has the set up to do it this way.

This is complete and utter nonsense, if you're using a full tank of water each day and having to heat the water from scratch then
even with a 3kw immersion you would be lucky to get it to 40degrees in the time available.
A 3kw immersion will require an electrical upgrade and the length of the immersion makes no difference, its power that counts.
If you go back though some of the immersion threads you will find a link to a water heating calculator that will let you work out the amount of heat you can achieve in the time available, the calculator doesnt allow for heat loss while you are heating the water so deduct about 10% from the figure given.

Added, No need for another video showing the temp of your water that has taken three days to heat, (roll eyes)

[P @ F]

Here you go 

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/calc.html

[Shrek]

I bought fish tank heaters , can’t remember the wattage but they stopped my water from freezing. Plug in and leave dangling in your tank , I only used them a couple of times in the never ending bad winter of 2018 
Who’da thought it was minus 5 at the beginning of April eh?!

[AuRavelling79]

I have a 3kw heater with 16 amp upgraded electrics (caravan type sockets).

I've done this on four different tanks over the last 6 plus years and it works  very well for frost protection and a side bonus is supple hoses too for easier and "non-kinky" (ooh errr) winding.

[nathankaye]

I use an immersion heater which is 27inch long and fits at the bottom of an insulated 500ltr wydale tank.
I'm able to get the water into the 60's and 70's.
But I also have a day n night rate tariff for my electric so it works out cheap.
Depending on the water I've used as I don't use a full  tank. By time I top the water up at the end of a day ready for next days work, I have a starting temp in tank of being in the forties.
So yes it can be done, but not everyone has the set up to do it this way.

This is complete and utter nonsense, if you're using a full tank of water each day and having to heat the water from scratch then
even with a 3kw immersion you would be lucky to get it to 40degrees in the time available.
A 3kw immersion will require an electrical upgrade and the length of the immersion makes no difference, its power that counts.
If you go back though some of the immersion threads you will find a link to a water heating calculator that will let you work out the amount of heat you can achieve in the time available, the calculator doesnt allow for heat loss while you are heating the water so deduct about 10% from the figure given.

Added, No need for another video showing the temp of your water that has taken three days to heat, (roll eyes)

Oops too late 

https://youtu.be/b7_VAO_rh4w

The cheapest to set up is an immersion heater and find out for your self.
Like I've said many a times, if it's a fresh full tank of water Im prepared to leave the heater on for longer. Some of the negative ones on here may be too tight to do so!
Also Sean,   havent you heard,  size does matter. Perhaps there being kind by not telling you 😂
A piddly 14 inch heater in a large volume of water like a 500ltr tank will take far longer than a larger same kW heater.
Also as I have said many a times, I don't use a full 500ltr tank a day, but this is why I bought a bigger tank so I'm not limiting myself or worried about how much water I get through (less if you miss houses out 😂 before anybody else says lol) in a day. Therefore I have added variables which the calculator doesn't take into account. As the vid shows, the water at the end of the day, THAT'S THE END OF THE Day incase  ones missed it, is in the 50's still because the tank is insulated. So even if I was to top the tank up with water from my ibc tank, I still start with a higher temp etc etc.
Again as I've always said, my method my not work for everyone.

Your have to report back on what you decide.

[Dry Clean]

Nathan you really haven't a clue, lol, heat is stored energy so 1kw of energy added to your water will be 1kw of energy no matter the length of the immersion.
The calculator gives you the BEST possible heating results so even with all your insulation and other factors you cant better this
its only possible to be worse.
Now once and for all stop with this nonsense, you are only fooling yourself.

[Splash & dash]

Cheapest method I think would be the immersion heater route , but for hot water on demand diesel wabasto type heater cannot be beaten but it’s expensive to buy and run , I would say your choise of heating would depend on why you want hot water if it’s to speed up cleaning on dirty first cleans costal work on a regular basis then diesel is the way to go , if you just want to stop freezing up in the winter months then the immersion heater is probebly the best option

[shammy davis jnr]

So I take it the. People that run diesel  webasco systems do so on red diesel ,which would make it cheaper yet again so what would you say running cost per day our week with average use  of  say 10 new cleans and a few mingers ,,our would the diesel heating system still be expensive even on the red stuff

[Jonny 87]

So I take it the. People that run diesel  webasco systems do so on red diesel ,which would make it cheaper yet again so what would you say running cost per day our week with average use  of  say 10 new cleans and a few mingers ,,our would the diesel heating system still be expensive even on the red stuff

There’s a lot of variables, but you can’t use red diesel, (chokes up the burners). A full days use your looking at about £5 worth of fuel tops.

As has been said immersion is the cheapest way to do it, that’s what I currently use, in my static IBC, then transfer that to my van in the morning. It’s warm, and no more.

Diesel Webasto is the best, but also the most expensive.

[dazmond]

So I take it the. People that run diesel  webasco systems do so on red diesel ,which would make it cheaper yet again so what would you say running cost per day our week with average use  of  say 10 new cleans and a few mingers ,,our would the diesel heating system still be expensive even on the red stuff

i treated myself last year to a grippatank hydro heat custom fit system to celebrate 25 years in the window cleaning business.yes its expensive(4.5k including fitting,VAT,etc)but i never have to worry about anything freezing up in winter(frost stat feature)and to have hot water all day every day just makes the job easier(even in this hot weather!).

it costs me around £4-£5 a day in diesel(the system is plumbed into my diesel tank in my van).red diesel is a no no....

having messed around with cheap gas shower heaters,changing bottles and having gas leaks etc this diesel system is much better.so it should be for the price....you get what you pay for....

[Dave Willis]

Strange you can’t use red deisel. That’s the only kind if deisel that’s put in my boat and runs the webasto heater.