Water heater mod

olley · 01-10-2006, 07:02 AM

Hi got fed up waiting for hot to come through my taps, the heater is at the front and the pipes go down the side to the back over the tanks back into the coach and forward to the sinks, so I bought a little 12v circulating pump, and ran another pipe (10mm plastic) from the heater all the way round to the sink, the pump sucks hot water from just before the hot tap and pumps it in to the bottom of the boiler. works a treat, instant hot water on tap.

Olley

olley · 01-10-2006, 07:02 AM

Hi got fed up waiting for hot to come through my taps, the heater is at the front and the pipes go down the side to the back over the tanks back into the coach and forward to the sinks, so I bought a little 12v circulating pump, and ran another pipe (10mm plastic) from the heater all the way round to the sink, the pump sucks hot water from just before the hot tap and pumps it in to the bottom of the boiler. works a treat, instant hot water on tap.

Olley

DonavonP · 01-10-2006, 11:41 AM

This is great for boondockers who don't want to waste water waiting for the hot water. You just turn on the extra pump, circulate the hot water to the kitchen faucet area, turn the pump off and turn on the faucet. Correct?? Or am I way off?

olley · 01-10-2006, 02:04 PM

Hi donovanp when on shoreline i leave it on all the time but otherwise turn it on when needed, it takes about 5 mins to circulate the hot water. You don't need to turn it off when you open the hot water taps.

Olley

BucknJeff · 01-10-2006, 05:13 PM

I have been thinking of doing this for years!

Well done, you!

Where did you get the pump? What model is it? What did you have to pay?

Thanks for the great posting and idea!

olley · 01-11-2006, 12:10 AM

Hi bucknjeff Its a Jabsco, over here in europe having a water tap and waste connection on your pitch is very rare , a sewage connection even rarer so wasting water and filling your tank especially as in the brave its the black tank that the basin goes into is important.

Took me some time to locate a pump as it needs to be brass, able to stand at least 5bar, able to pump hot water, continuously rated and 12v.

Eventually found this
>>>click here<<<

Good company delivered in 2 days

Don't the more expensive RV's have this system?

Olley

whammon · 10-09-2007, 06:45 PM

Can anyone draw a plumbing schematic of how to plumb one of these pumps in a trailer?

Duner · 10-10-2007, 09:09 AM

At $270, that circulating pump is pretty pricey. It's rated at 30K hours service life so it will never wear out in an RV.

Here's another solution that works for about $25 in parts from Home Depot.

I installed a 12 volt actuated valve in the hot water supply right under the bathroom sink. When flipped on it directs the water back into the fresh water tank. So when you want hot water for the sink or shower, turn the valve on for 10-20 seconds or so then back off. Hot water without "wasting" all the cold water in the line. In my rig the hot water tank is way in the front right & the bath/shower is rear left.

Here's link to discussion with photo's we had last year: July 2006 Topic

Happy Trails,
Duner

bobpie · 10-13-2007, 12:09 PM

I have a question about this modification. What do you have to do to winterize this line? Anything different than putting the suction line in the bottle of pink stuff, changing valve settings and turning on the water pump. This is what I have to do now to winterize. I like the mod myself, but it looks like you'll have to fill your water heater tank in order to winterize this line. Is this true?

bobpie · 10-15-2007, 05:13 PM

OK, after looking closly at the pictures it appears that you are pumping the hot water back into the freshwater tank. I guess that you only use this pump setup for a minute or so as not to fill the fresh water tank up with hot water. So then when you winterize you can get the antifreeze into the fresh water tank. Hmmm. I think that I will try and run the line back to the hot water tank inlet, instead of the fresh water tank. Make any sense?

Duner · 10-15-2007, 09:02 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by bobpie:
OK, after looking closly at the pictures it appears that you are pumping the hot water back into the freshwater tank. I guess that you only use this pump setup for a minute or so as not to fill the fresh water tank up with hot water. So then when you winterize you can get the antifreeze into the fresh water tank. Hmmm. I think that I will try and run the line back to the hot water tank inlet, instead of the fresh water tank. Make any sense? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, it's not a pump setup, it a valve that's tee'd off the hot water line. When you switch the valve on you get full flow directed back into the fresh water tank. You only flip it on for about 10 seconds and then turn it off.

If you run the return line back to hot water heater and not the fresh water tank, then you need the circulation pump.

I'm a warm weather camper and have never had to winterize in 30 yrs of rv'ing. Thinking about how to do it ....what if you added a 3 way bypass valve downstrean in the new line running to fresh water tank. To winterize, turn valve to bypass to send antifreeze water to the ground and not in fresh water tank. Somebody with winterizing experience would have to confirm this.

Duner