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Old 23-11-2008, 18:36   #1
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Shower help, please

Hot water on board is heated by an on-demand gas califont which is situated in the galley area. With the shower forward, it takes a while for the hot water to reach the shower rose so you either let the cold water gurgle dowb the plug hole or grit your teeth and leap under. I had a very good schematic of how to set up a recirculating system for the shower water whereby the water was directed back to the tank or the califont (I can't remember which) but have mislaid it, as you do.
Can anyone help, please?

Chris
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Old 23-11-2008, 18:45   #2
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Use a container to collect the water until its warm enough for your shower. When your done empty the container back into your tank.
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Old 23-11-2008, 19:27   #3
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Old 23-11-2008, 20:13   #4
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Just fit a T connection just before the shower valve. Put a valve in the connection from the tee. Route a new hose back to the tank, and tee into the tank suction connection. You open the valve and keep the shower / faucet valve closed. The water recircs until you get hot water in the hose.
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Old 23-11-2008, 20:56   #5
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Excellent, Evan. Thanks a lot.
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Old 24-11-2008, 04:14   #6
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I thought you just wanted help with taking a shower! My mistake.
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Old 24-11-2008, 05:00   #7
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Evan,
Wouldn't you need a small circ pump in the return line to move the water? Without "removing" any water, pressure would equilize on both sides of the tank.

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Old 24-11-2008, 10:47   #8
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The tank is not normally pressurized...yours is vented...right.
You are upstream from the pump.

The valve and handle should be metal so you can easily tell when the water is hot, then turn it off and open the shower.
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Old 24-11-2008, 11:18   #9
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Chrisc, how far is your on-demand propane water heater away from the shower? In order to be effective, they are supposed to be quite close: in my boat, I have one of these gems (as well as the usual water tank with heat exhanger/electric coil) and, since it is mounted only about 6 feet of hose in either direction from the shower/galley sink, does not waste significant water before you begin to get the warm stuff. A one litre plastic water jug more than suffices to collect it, whenever I have been in a serious conservation mode.

In my experience it is often worse with tank water heaters (except in the case of consecutive showers) since they are frequently mounted a greater distance from the shower.

Brad
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Old 24-11-2008, 11:24   #10
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Ok James educate me. I'm not familiar with boat water systems so I'm not sure how this is supose to work.
You start at a storage tank.
Water flows by gravity to a hot water heater?
Still no pressure water, I'm assuming a pump after the HWH?
What activates the pump?
What's a califont?
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Old 24-11-2008, 12:08   #11
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Generally the domestic water pressure pump is located adjacent the the potable water storage tan, and everything downstream from there is pressurized.
Evan's system works, though I'd use a plastic Y-Valve, rather than rely on the shower valve to divert the water to re-circulation.
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Old 24-11-2008, 21:13   #12
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My gas califont would be about 10' - 12' from the shower, hence the big wait for the warm water. However, the shower is right next to a water tank and in fact the filler pipe runs through a cupboard behind the shower. I am thinking to modify Evan's cunning plan with the diverter valve and send the recirculated water into the tank by tapping a tee into the water tank filler pipe.
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Old 24-11-2008, 21:44   #13
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Hyprdrv
Water goes from the storage tank to a pump that is generally activated with a pressure switch.
From there you have pressurized water going to the cold side of your faucets and the cold water side (inlet) of the water heater.
Coming out of the water heater is pressurized hot water going to the hot side of the faucets.
Just before the shower faucet (mixer) you can tee off another line that goes to a valve (diverter valve) situated anywhere, with its outlet going back to the storage tank
That valve is normally closed,
When you need hot water you open that valve until you feel its handle getting hot.
Then close it and open the faucet.
The return line from the diverter valve back to the tank need not be insulated.

Gordmay
I'm not sure what is gained by using a plastic Y-valve.....can you clarify?
Thanks
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Old 24-11-2008, 21:52   #14
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A califont (according to a search I just did) is a gas (LPG) powered instantaneous water heater.
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Old 24-11-2008, 21:55   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by James S View Post
The tank is not normally pressurized .

FWIW....mine is
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