Morning Shower!

[jpaulroberts]

My water heater works fine after the engine has run for a while, but has anyone figured out how to make hot water fro a morning shower while at anchor? Is there a way to heat water independent of running the engine or shore power? Thanks, Jerry

[Paul Bosquet]

This is where a generator comes in handy, probably a 2000 watts.
Paul

[jpaulroberts]

I don't really want another engine on my boat, and I don't want to run any engine in the morning at a quiet anchorage. I wonder if there is a good, safe, gas heater. Or maybe I could just heat up a kettle of hot water on my stove. but then how do I mix it into the system?

[Ron Hill]

Jerry : The water heater requires either 1200W/1500W AC or the engine.
Guess you'll have to change to an evening shower (after you've run the engine) or get used to a old shower or a warm sponge bath.  

[Stu Jackson]

Good Old Boat magazine had an article within the last year or two of some folks on a boat without a water heater at all.  They heated up a kettle of water and added it to a Sun-shower.  Works for us.

Instantaneous gas heaters have a rotten reputation.  Others can comment on this.

Another source is an Espar-type diesl fueld heater, used for cabin heating, that also makes hot water through your existing water heater.  I do not know if there is a way to turn off the cabin heating to just make hot water.

Or just switch your routine.

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

We've done the same thing with a sun shower.  Heat up some water, lay it on the cabin roof with the hatch open enough to run the hose into the W/C.

[Paul Bosquet]

Having an Wabasto forced air system installed on my boat tomorrow. It's just like the ESPAR.
Will ask the installer more info regarding the hot water heating system and will get back  with the info
Paul

[Bob Kuba]

Try this link for Zodi portable showers.

http://www.zodi.com/index.html

We spent a month on the boat last summer using this system and it worked well. Of course, our water supply was fresh water, directly from the Great Lakes, but it was unlimited hot water!  

A small bilge pump drew water from the lake up to a propane heater assembly, and then pumped it to a shower head. It was hot within seconds, never used the ships supply, and lasted until you turned into a prune, or the propane ran out. I think we did the month on 2 small portable bottles of propane.

It just takes too long for the engine to heat up the water, and the Sunshower seemed like such a limited supply, and you needed sunshine to get anything really warm. And this water was HOT!

[Stu Jackson]

Bob

That looks very promising.  It seems that with some of their accessories, one could tap into the boat's freshwater supply, and using the 12 volt motor just rig it up almost permanently.  Do you keep the propane section right in the head?

As far as the Sunshower goes, ours has at least 5 gallons, which goes a long way.  We don't wait for it to heat up for morning showers, we add hot water from the tea kettle on the stove.

[Mike Smith]

Very interesting - you could plumb that sucker into both the low pressure propane system and the hot water system.  I would keep the heater part out of the cabin, though, perhaps mount it next to a barbecue grill on the stern rail.

Mike

[Bob Kuba]

I bought this unit just before leaving on our month long trip, and never had a chance to devise a permanent mounting solution for it. After the UPS man dropped it off, I took it to the boat for a trial run. Here's what I found out.

I set the unit topsides, next to the window in the head. I lowered the pickup tube over the side, and down into the water, with it's attached battery operated pump. I found that the tubing wasn't quite long enough to fully submerge the pump, especially if there was any wave action present. So I added a 12 inch extension piece to the line.

The tubing that contained the shower head was routed from the exit point on the heater unit, under the dodger, and then through the open overhead hatch in the head.

Before lighting the propane burner unit, there must be water flow first. So I switched on the battery operated pump, and found that the vertical rise was more than it could handle, and the resulting water flow, was a trickle at best.

So I wired up my spare bilge pump, (350gph) and attached it to the pickup tube instead, and scrapped the battery operated unit completely. This provided a steady stream, equal in volume and pressure, of what normally comes out of the boat's own shower system. Now, satisfied that I had an adequate supply and flow of water, I lit the propane heater. It sounded very similar to the gas grill, and produced quite a bit of heat. There was a knob to regulate the intensity, so I turned it to the midpoint, and went below to check the outflow.

HOT water! Instantly! No more Navy showers for us!

Ideally, the system should/could have a more permanent mount and installation.  Another project awaits.

Maybe tapping into the thru hull for the engine inlet water.

I would definitely mount the heater externally.

Also, a stronger bilge pump, especially if the heater unit is located any distance from the showering area, whether it be the transom, or the head, as the additional length of water line will drop the flow rate. Remembering though, too much flow rate, and the water won't stay in the heater long enough to get hot. Too little flow rate, and the output water will be too hot to use. So, some experimenting is in order, to find the perfect combination of waterline length, and pump volume.

Tapping into the ship's propane supply is also an option that would eliminate the need for carrying the small propane bottles aboard.

All in all, it was worth the relatively small investment. Especially when it came time to explain to the Admiral, just how long we would really be gone, and how remote the area was that we were heading into. When I mentioned the part about "unlimited hot showers", it sold itself. And it was a great trip!

[Stu Jackson]

When I mentioned the part about "unlimited hot showers", it sold itself. And it was a great trip!

Oh boy, you have ME hooked!  What a great description.  Thanks so much.

[jpaulroberts]

Bob, that ZODI unit sounds great. I went to their website and I'm already thinking of where to mount it and how to tie into into the boat's system.  I guess the advantage of an Espar system is that then I could heat my cabin (my wife and two month old daughter will love that on cool nights). But I think I might start with the the Zodi since it's so cheap and simple.

I still wonder if it would be a good idea to try and feed the hot water into the boat's hot water tank so the mix and pressure system remains the same. Otherwise I'd need to rig another hose system and shower head in the head.
Thanks, Jerry

[Paul Bosquet]

Well I installed the WEBASTO AIR TOP 3500 forced air system today. The job will be completed tomorrow. The ducting is done and the motor installed. I Will have pics when all is done and the boat in order.
As far as the hot water heating system, which draws move amps than the forced air system,, all you are doing is heating the coolant and circulating it through the engine which also circulate into the hot water tank and heating radiators. It is possible to bypass the radiator so as to only heat the engine and hot tank.
You might want to check with truck outfitters for used unit like I did, low hours and great price. My cost for a 13K BTU forced air system, (furnace has only about 300 hours )$ 2,000.00 installed with i duct in the forward cabin, 1 in salon, and one in head with return in aft cabin. Should be plenty to also heat my full enclosure.fuel consumption between 0.04 gallon/ hours to 0.11gallon / hour.
Amperage is between 1 and  3 amp/hour
www.webasto.com  this system is almost identical to ESPAR also made in Germany
Paul

[stevewitt1]

I like the sound of the Zodi unit.  Being on the Great Lakes a PO removed the waste tank macerator and used the thru hull for a pick up for a deck washdown pump.  I wonder if I could just make a hose to run from my deck wash down outlet (just outboard of the manual bilge pump) to feed the Zodi water heater?
Just a thought as I sure like a nice warm shower.  I think I have taking a shower on the boat down to around 1 gallon (with shampoo) but sure would like a longer one.  If the water is decent I jump over but when the temps get too low the cardiac shock is huge for an old salt like me.

Steve

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