I recently installed
Aqua View’s Sinkmiser kit at our bathroom sink in our 2016 Micro Minnie 2106DS to aid in conserving freshwater while dry camping, boondocking etc. I had installed their Showermiser kit a few years ago. Here is a
link to that install. The Showermiser has been a big help in conserving freshwater while dry camping. The Sinkmiser will allow us to conserve additional freshwater, which is a real plus when using the Atwood on-demand water heater that was standard for 2016 Micro Minnies.
Both kits allow you to divert the cooled water that sets in the hot water line, back to the freshwater tank. This is the water that would normally end up in your gray tank while you’re waiting for hot water to reach the tap.
These kits use a diverter valve and a thermally activated, color changing (blue to white) plastic indicator. The color changing indicator lets you know when you have a continuous supply of hot water at the diverter valve which can then be directed to the hot water tap as needed.
A key to installing these kits is having the ability to add/install a return line back to the freshwater tank. I installed my return line during the previous Showermiser installation. I tapped into this return line when I installed the Sinkmiser.
Below are pictures from my Sinkmiser installation. In a nutshell, I added the three port (one input and two outputs) diverter valve to the incoming hot water line. I then connected one of the output ports to the hot water tap and the other output port to the color changing indicator assembly on the return line side.
The
first picture shows the top of the vanity with the diverter valve handle and color changing indicator installed. The
second and third pictures show the installation of the diverter valve, color changing indicator assembly and return line from underneath the vanity. Here is a
link to the included install instructions that come with the Sinkmiser kit.
To operate, start with the hot water tap turned off and the Sinkmiser diverter valve handle turned to use the output port for the hot water tap (
first picture). Also, have the water pump and water heater turned on.
To get hot water to the tap without wasting the cooled freshwater sitting in the hot water line, turn the diverter valve handle 180 degrees to allow the water from the water heater to pass through the color changing indicator on the return line side. The water flowing through the color changing indicator will return to the freshwater tank. As the water flowing through the color changing indicator becomes hot, the center of the indicator will change from solid blue to white as shown in the
fourth picture. This color change lets you know that there is now hot water at the diverter valve that can be directed back to the tap side by rotating the diverter valve handle back to its original position and turning on the hot water tap as shown in the
fifth picture.
The
sixth picture shows the bathroom sink return line tied into the existing return line that I had previously added which passes through, below the bathroom vanity.
In the future, I will also install a Sinkmiser kit on the kitchen sink.
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