[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Just a small idea that might be useful to some.

I believe that hot water systems work, the hotter the water the better the cleaning potential, you wouldn't clean dirty dishes with cold water.  I however don't have the money at the moment for a hot water system or the room in my truck for one.

I used to fill the tank in my truck every evening after work for the next day like many do, however with the freezing nights we have this time of year the water in the tank drops in temperature.  The water is really just above freezing point sometimes and therefor has much limited cleaning potential.

Most who have a static system will keep it in a garage or heated shed so that the membranes don't freeze.  I have a shed with an oil filled radiator, nice and toasty.  The water in there can be as high as 27 c.

So all I've started doing is getting up a bit earlier and filling the tank in my truck in the morning before work.  The water is going to loose some of it's temperature on the way through the hose to the pole but it's probably 10 to 15 degrees warmer than if I'd put it in the truck the night before. 

If you have a trolley you could do the same, keep the barrels indoors or the like.

I have to say I've seen a big improvement in results and not needing as much water.  Just an example, I went out today to do a nursing home, I've only done it wfp once before and that was 5 months ago, wooden frames and yet the results were perfect.

That's my rambling finished, just an idea that doesn't cost you anything.

Simon.

[Jon-scwindows]

i cant see that working very well for some of us, though ive had ideas of heating the water without the expense, like electrically, though with a generator and inverter/ or just a high enough power generator.
difficult to get it right though.

[Wayne Thomas]

Here's a stupid idea for you DIY would like hot water for free wannabe users:

Have a storage tank custom made with a removeable lid or source one from ebay or similar (even cheaper). Insulate it. Fit a radiator in it and plumb it into the home radiator system. That way you maximise heating your static water cheaply and can transfer it to your van mount in the morning.

[Jon-scwindows]

your the man with The' system in your van Wayne

though us pawns are simply trying to experiment with cheaper solutions, such as a generator and 16ltr tea urn pump from tank into urn out of tap into di into hose with Di after?

[Wayne Thomas]

I have tried all sorts of things with regard to building a DIY hot water system. I have fitted a calorifier tank running off the van's radiator. I've tried 12volt 600watt turbine fan electric dump element in a small wfp trolley I've tried a zodi 10,000 BTU gas heater. I've tried an inca alloy heater element fitted inside my baffled tank. I've even heated the water from a static tank through solar panels to a baffled tank in my van.
I learnt a lot from my experience. Now I simply use Omnipoles water heater and my calorifier tank. Although in the summer I will be transfering water through the solar panels again. The best advice I can give you if you want cheap hot water to pump into your van is this:
Use a static storage tank with a removable lid to allow you to fit radiators inside. Then fit a radiator or better still, several radiators all linked together with an inlet connection on the first one and an outlet on the last one, (it works on the same principal as a heat exchanger, if you get my drift).  Have a plumber or a competent DIY'er connect it all up to your home radiator central heating system or an eberspacher or webasto diesel heater (more expensive to run).  Insulate your static storage tank to the maximum possible to reduce heat loss. That is the cheapest way you are ever going to heat the water short of using solar panels and a wind turbine. Then before you plod off to work in the morning, transfer it into your van mount baffed tank.
You'll probably think I'm around the bend now, you're probably right, do I care.... no, not really, but you can have a lot of fun experimenting and learning.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I have tried all sorts of things with regard to building a DIY hot water system. I have fitted a calorifier tank running off the van's radiator. I've tried 12volt 600watt turbine fan electric dump element in a small wfp trolley I've tried a zodi 10,000 BTU gas heater. I've tried an inca alloy heater element fitted inside my baffled tank. I've even heated the water from a static tank through solar panels to a baffled tank in my van.
I learnt a lot from my experience. Now I simply use Omnipoles water heater and my calorifier tank. Although in the summer I will be transfering water through the solar panels again. The best advice I can give you if you want cheap hot water to pump into your van is this:
Use a static storage tank with a removable lid to allow you to fit radiators inside. Then fit a radiator or better still, several radiators all linked together with an inlet connection on the first one and an outlet on the last one, (it works on the same principal as a heat exchanger, if you get my drift).  Have a plumber or a competent DIY'er connect it all up to your home radiator central heating system or an eberspacher or webasto diesel heater (more expensive to run).  Insulate your static storage tank to the maximum possible to reduce heat loss. That is the cheapest way you are ever going to heat the water short of using solar panels and a wind turbine. Then before you plod off to work in the morning, transfer it into your van mount baffed tank.
You'll probably think I'm around the bend now, you're probably right, do I care.... no, not really, but you can have a lot of fun experimenting and learning.

WOW!!!

I thought you was joking about the radiators in in the static tank.  How does the omnipole heater work, how much does it cast and does it take up a lot of space?

Simon.

[Nathanael Jones]

I have tried all sorts of things with regard to building a DIY hot water system. I have fitted a calorifier tank running off the van's radiator. I've tried 12volt 600watt turbine fan electric dump element in a small wfp trolley I've tried a zodi 10,000 BTU gas heater. I've tried an inca alloy heater element fitted inside my baffled tank. I've even heated the water from a static tank through solar panels to a baffled tank in my van.
I learnt a lot from my experience. Now I simply use Omnipoles water heater and my calorifier tank. Although in the summer I will be transfering water through the solar panels again. The best advice I can give you if you want cheap hot water to pump into your van is this:
Use a static storage tank with a removable lid to allow you to fit radiators inside. Then fit a radiator or better still, several radiators all linked together with an inlet connection on the first one and an outlet on the last one, (it works on the same principal as a heat exchanger, if you get my drift).  Have a plumber or a competent DIY'er connect it all up to your home radiator central heating system or an eberspacher or webasto diesel heater (more expensive to run).  Insulate your static storage tank to the maximum possible to reduce heat loss. That is the cheapest way you are ever going to heat the water short of using solar panels and a wind turbine. Then before you plod off to work in the morning, transfer it into your van mount baffed tank.
You'll probably think I'm around the bend now, you're probably right, do I care.... no, not really, but you can have a lot of fun experimenting and learning.

I'm seriously interested in how you plumbed your calorifier tank in. I'm guessing you use an indirect twin coil one? What size tank? Do you feed the pole direct from the tank, or heat the water through the second indirect coil?

[edd]

why not buy an ex telecom van its got a webasto heated in as standerd or that type of heater
it under the seat just plumb in a heat exchanger and away you go or go to the breakers and get on
poss only 50 quid

[matt]

on this note

i have thought about heating the water in the night and transfering it to a van tank that you have insulated well, afterall the house hot water tank stays warn for a good number of hours

[Jeff Brimble]

Aye but then you have to drain the unused days water, move it and start again.
Insulation does keep it warm.

If the temprature difference from freezing on a cold day to water on the glass is say 20 degrees to prevent cracking as many have suggested.

Then is that 20 degree difference enough to really clean greasy dishes or windows ? and on a hot day of say 20 degrees do you still need the 20 degree difference and use 40 degree water ?

[Jon-scwindows]

ive been thinking about getting a diesel four stroke generator, and having a home made calorifier setup, with 8 or 16litre stainless steel electric water boiler/tea urn.
 With a plumbing fitting at the bottom to connect some 6mm copper tubing to the inside,with several meters spiralling inside the urn to the top, and out a hole in the lid.
 Then with your pump to microbore connected to the copper tubing at the bottom and out with some microbore at the top with jubilee clip. So the water flows through the copper tubing whether the urn is on or not. So you can use it cold or hot.
If you want it hot, start up the generator which you could sound insulated in the back of the van with exhaust going outside, or have in a sounds insulated tube box with a electric fan behind the generator to cool it, then the urn will boil the water using 2200w (16ltr version) and go into keep hot mode at low power 150w.

 The spiralling copper tubing will absorb the heat and heat the water as it flows through the pipe, having enough copper tubing in the urn will get your pure water quite hot, without having to travel through the pump and without coming in contact with the heating element, which is concealed and stopping most water contamination. You could have a Di after the water is heated to ensure purity. then theres no safety issues like with gas heating.
think it will work?

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Jeff I was only think really of cold winter mornings.  I've noticed that water that is nearly freezing doesn't do a very good job even in comparison to water that is even only 10C.  I wouldn't bother emptying out the water from the tank, I try to aim to get the tank as empty as possible normally.  So I guess that a few liters left in the bottom won't make too much difference once it has been diluted.  It's just a simple idea that to me makes a big difference at no extra cost. 

I like all the other novel ideas though, not that I'll be trying any of them out.  Tea earns in the back with generators or radiators plumbed into the IBC tank  .  Makes me laugh what an ingenious cost saving bunch you all are.

Simon.

[Jeff Brimble]

I once tried to make a still and nearly blew myself up 

Simeon,
Whether its freezing or summer the principles must apply, either it helps or it doesnt.
So your problem was eventually and after a lot of reasearch, money and TIME -   solved by  an Omni heater ?
Cheers 

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

When I eventually get a bigger van, I probably will get a omni heater.  How much are they and how do they work, I can't find them on the omnipole site?

Simon.