Bowie69 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Sorry for slightly OT, but the enginer water to hot water tap water heat exchanger on my parents camper van has imploded, filling the water container with anti-freeze It's currently one of these: http://www.glind.com.au/index.php/Heat-Exchangers/18-Motorhome-Heat-Exchanger.html Which is fine, if a little spendy IMHO for a plastic box with a coil of copper pipe in it... but firstly tyhey don't have any UK/EU dealers, and second I suspect the cost of shipping is going to be prohibitive, and more importantly too long. So... trying to find a UK-sourced replacement if possible, I found something that may do, but again a bit pricey, and I don't need the rest of the kit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180834384234?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619 But actually googling for any camper/motorhome/caravan/shower heat exhcangers seems to produce almost zero results, or are all gas based, no good to me Anyone come across these before, and know of a source? Any alternatives? TIA Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 When I wanted hot water out of the tap in my camper, I simply poured a kettle of hot water in the water tank or just into the sink. Simples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 Ah, should have been clearer, this is for the built-in shower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Ebay one looks to be the classic Swep brazed stainless steel plate heat exchanger and should last very well. But all you need is two 15mm to 22mm copper plumbing adapter reducers, two unequal 'T's of 22mm main and 15mm side and some copper pipe. And make a sleeve heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAT-EXCHANGER-biofuel-veg-vegetable-cooking-oil-WVO-/130665033359?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item1e6c3e2e8f#ht_620wt_1185 Looks very similar to the one in your ebay link, just without all the extras Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Here we go; http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/159605551/m/8481011281 There was a really good one that showed how to do it, but I cant find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoltan Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 A bit more rustic, very heavy duty and much less spendy. This is the same as what I have for my Gaz truck http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOWMAN-OIL-COOLER-/200729619913?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_Boat_Engines_EngineParts_SM&hash=item2ebc6aedc9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoltan Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Less rustic and less spendy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bowman-heat-exchanger-/110844396385?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item19ced74361 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Webasto UK do one, not expensive we use them on the horseboxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 May be a step too far: http://www.thinkauto.com/laminova.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Cheers chaps! Fridge, lovely, but rather spendy, but I think you knew that Fozsug, do you know where they came from? Can't see anything on the webasto site or just general googling... Zoltan, reckon they would work well, maybe even overcool the diesel lump in it Bit limited on space, and engine hoses are only 5/8", i.e. heater size... Idris, not sure it would be efficient enough TBH, the existing one is a coil of ~10mm copper tube almost the full length of the exchanger, so 350mm or so. Currently thinking of maybe making a container for the old 'element' to sit in, the problem was in the outer casing, rather than the actual pipework.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Cheers chaps! Fozsug, do you know where they came from? Can't see anything on the webasto site or just general googling... Call Paul Gofton 07774737374 or 01302 322232 Webasto Uk 30 plate heat exchanger If you pm me an email address i can send you a full instruction book with better pictures and spec etc, i think they are about £ 150 but they are very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Gidday Fellas, Might be a bit late to post, but I used a section of one of the RR "bottle brush" style oil coolers. A sleeve around the "bristles" with a shock bush brazed on each end creates a water jacket. A couple of garden hose outlets in the jacket, cold in hot out. Then mount the unit in the cooling system. It's mounted on the bulk head behind the engine for lovely hot showers (for the wife, not me) while camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovernut Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Does all appear to be an expensive way to produce hot water. To produce enough hot water for a shower, how long do you have to run the engine for a good heat exchange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 my thoughts too, surely you'd have to run the engine for ages to get a decent water temperature? hence my nearly silly sounding idea of a putting a kettle of hot water in the water tank We did just that when overlanding, but used a separate small 20 litre water jerrycan for the shower feed so we didn't end up with hot water coming out of the sink tap, and one boiled kettle got it to just the right temperature. Might not be enough water for inside a cosy big camper though - we had to have our showers standing butt naked at the back of the Land Rover, so they tended to be fairly swift (actually I did pack a shower curtain, just never told the missus ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soutie Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I have a Glind heater exchanger for showering fitted to my 110. At the end of the day one the vehicle coolant was already up to temp and in fact I found it the opposite that the shower was too hot. Mind you, that was in Africa and I have not since used it in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovernut Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 The Truma gas/electric boiler in a six berth Motorhome only produces 10ltrs of hot water at any one time. As the hot water is used it is replaced by cold water that then has to be heated. A hot kettle added to 20ltrs is not such a silly idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 WELL... I have found a good solution in the end, and a lot cheaper than most out there. Firstly though, to dispel the nay-sayers, the old Glind worked fine, and will produce as much hot water as you have in your cold water tank, so there's no waiting for it to warm up before you can use it. So 'how far do you have to drive?' is irrelevant, as long as the engine is at operating temperature the thermal transfer to the running water is all you need to heat it to a showerable temperature. The glind does not hold more than about a litre, maybe a litre and a half, so it's not a storage tank, purely a heat exchanger. So assuming you have been using the van that day, start it up and get it idling at operating temperature and bob's your uncle. So to my solution, the Webasto plate heat exchanger looks great, but at £150 is very steep, even if fantastic at heating water, so a bit of googling about found me one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330699637412?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 Webasto one is 30 plate, this is 50 plate as you can see, but, this way I was able to choose the form factor, don't remember the size of the Webasto one, but it certainly looks longer. I spoke to a mate who's a chemical process engineer in Germany and knows these things inside out and was convinced it would be up to the job. Next thing was a way to plumb it in, polypropylene is not rated to high enough temperatures, and brass/stainless fitting, whilst being VERY expensive, did not come in the flavour I required, 3/4" BSP x 5/8, and 1/2" BSP x 12mm, so I ordered some nylon ones, which are good for temperatures up to 110C: http://www.t-mex.com/index.php/pipe-fittings/female-hose-adaptors.html So for less than £100 delivered, plus some new hose clips, it will be job done. BTW, I ordered that heat exchanger on Monday and it arrived this morning 9:30 from Germany! Will update once I have it all installed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Good find, will give one of those a go instead of the Waeco one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 Well I got it all plumbed in on Tuesday, got the van up to temperature (eventually, just idling, and it's a diesel!), and started running some hot water out of the shower/bathroom tap. First bit is absolutely scolding hot, fortunately the tap is a mixer tap so no problem there. Setting the temperature on the mixer tap to a 'quite hot' hand washing/shower temperature and after about a minute the temp starts to drop off, until it levels out at what I guess is about 40-45C, not hot, but plenty warm enough for washing hands, or showering etc. The nylon fittings worked very well and have proved to be leak proof, without the use of o-rings, so hopefully that is the van sorted for another 10 years So a very good result, for a budget price. Had I realised it was a mixer tap in the bathroom before ordering I may have gone bigger again -two reasons I went with the 50 plate, first it was good value, second I didn't want to make it TOO hot to use(!). The exchangers seem to be rated in KW, this one is rated at 90KW, which seems enough for this application, but for more heat you could try a bit more for actually not a huge amount more money: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Steel-Heat-Exchanger-Plate-Heat-Exchanger-40-Plates-165kW-/330715735144?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item4d0031a468 Hope that helps anyone else wanting an on-board shower Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew65b Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 On 3/20/2012 at 5:13 PM, fozsug said: Call Paul Gofton 07774737374 or 01302 322232 Webasto Uk 30 plate heat exchanger If you pm me an email address i can send you a full instruction book with better pictures and spec etc, i think they are about £ 150 but they are very good. Are those just normal bsp connections with rubber washers, or something else. If washers are they special high temperature, or just normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Holy thread revival batman!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 Yeah, but to update this, the camper water system still functions exceptionally well, parents are very happy with it, and no more leaks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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