Hot Water Recirculation Loop - Save Water - Camp Longer

[Camper_Jeff___K]

A Great Truck Camper / RV Modification
How to Install A Hot Water Recirculation Loop Or Recovery Loop
Save Fresh Water And Extend Your Camping Trip A Day Or Two With Water Saved By Not Running It Down The Drain While Waiting For Hot Water To Arrive At The Faucet
VIDEO Hot Water Recirculation Loop VIDEO


Valve and switch

Return Loop into Fresh tank

Return Loop from kitchen sink Hot, to solenoid valve then back into fresh tank.

[ticki2]

Having flushed more than one water heating tank I would not want to return from it to my fresh water tank . But that’s just me

[Grit_dog]

JRscooby wrote:

My house, built in '50s, I have a small tank heater under the kitchen sink. A timer turns it off/on so I have instant hot water when I'm most likely cooking/cleaning. Yes, the bucket is used in bathroom then flushes toilet when needed.

You're a bucket dumper in your house? Wow

Although maybe giving rise to my next question....
Why does it appear that you cannot just tell someone "Hey, looks great, bet it works well." and stop there?

[Camper_Jeff___K]

StirCrazy wrote:

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

Dave D. wrote:
This might be useful for winter camping. Hot water won't freeze up. Although shouldn't the recirculation return to the hot water tank, not the main tank? At least this is how I plumbed my house's recirc. heat.

The water needs to return to the low pressure side of the pump to cause a pressure drop so the pump will start. Returning to the water heater has no pressure drop because it's on the pressure side of the pump so the pump won't activate because no pressuredrophappens. You could return water to the cold Input of the water heater but to make it work, you would need a small pump and a check valve to prevent backflow. Another way to connect if you can make room is to put the return connection to the pipe between the tank and the pump. This way, there is a low pressure connection to the fresh tank and the water will recirulate directly into the intake side of the pump and get pumped right back out into the system, not into the tank

neet idea but I think if I were to implement this I would not return it to the tank but rather create a loop from the hot water heater and use a small circ pump. that way you could use it even if you had water hookups but now sewer.

True, it won't work when hooked up to citi water but then it's an endless supply of water so running the water to get hot doesn't matter since water is unlimited. When hooked up to city water, I run the water anyway to get the hose smell and taste from the hose out of the line. I have a blue hose that isn't supposed to smell but it does, just not as bad as the white hose.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

JRscooby wrote:

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

JRscooby wrote:
LOL. I use a bucket to catch the water you are saving.

My way is way cooler than a bucket and I don't have to screw around with lose water splashing about. Sure it cost time and money, being retired, I have lots of both. I know the water going back into the tank is clean. Bucket water is good for toilets. The water is much more useful to me in the tank!

Well, decades back, plumbing my aunt's new house I ran 3 lines to each fixture that use hot water. Uncle figured the solar heater could heat water recirculating back to tank not need to waste water or the electricity to heat it. Aunt loves not waiting for hot water.
My house, built in '50s, I have a small tank heater under the kitchen sink. A timer turns it off/on so I have instant hot water when I'm most likely cooking/cleaning. Yes, the bucket is used in bathroom then flushes toilet when needed.
I'm not saying your idea is bad. But when you think about the small percentage of time most RV owners spend in them compared to S&B the idea would be better in homes.
BTW, for the people that want to extend time on tanks; Save your dish wash water in a bucket w/lid, use to flush saves fresh and grey water tank space. Capture and save dish rinse water. Heat fresh, add to that rinse for next wash.

Valve and

As a retired home builder, I've installed several recirculation systems. I spend a solid 5 months a year in my TC. Much of it in remote locations. Thismod will work well for me. I don't want to have to think about things, I just want them to work and be convenient. With all the improvements I've made to my TC, it's pretty darn convenient especially with the solar, just like a house now only smaller a d the bathroom should be 2 inches wider. Or I should be 30 pounds thinner.

[StirCrazy]

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

Dave D. wrote:
This might be useful for winter camping. Hot water won't freeze up. Although shouldn't the recirculation return to the hot water tank, not the main tank? At least this is how I plumbed my house's recirc. heat.

The water needs to return to the low pressure side of the pump to cause a pressure drop so the pump will start. Returning to the water heater has no pressure drop because it's on the pressure side of the pump so the pump won't activate because no pressuredrophappens. You could return water to the cold Input of the water heater but to make it work, you would need a small pump and a check valve to prevent backflow. Another way to connect if you can make room is to put the return connection to the pipe between the tank and the pump. This way, there is a low pressure connection to the fresh tank and the water will recirulate directly into the intake side of the pump and get pumped right back out into the system, not into the tank

neet idea but I think if I were to implement this I would not return it to the tank but rather create a loop from the hot water heater and use a small circ pump. that way you could use it even if you had water hookups but now sewer.

[JRscooby]

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

JRscooby wrote:
LOL. I use a bucket to catch the water you are saving.

My way is way cooler than a bucket and I don't have to screw around with lose water splashing about. Sure it cost time and money, being retired, I have lots of both. I know the water going back into the tank is clean. Bucket water is good for toilets. The water is much more useful to me in the tank!

Well, decades back, plumbing my aunt's new house I ran 3 lines to each fixture that use hot water. Uncle figured the solar heater could heat water recirculating back to tank not need to waste water or the electricity to heat it. Aunt loves not waiting for hot water.
My house, built in '50s, I have a small tank heater under the kitchen sink. A timer turns it off/on so I have instant hot water when I'm most likely cooking/cleaning. Yes, the bucket is used in bathroom then flushes toilet when needed.
I'm not saying your idea is bad. But when you think about the small percentage of time most RV owners spend in them compared to S&B the idea would be better in homes.
BTW, for the people that want to extend time on tanks; Save your dish wash water in a bucket w/lid, use to flush saves fresh and grey water tank space. Capture and save dish rinse water. Heat fresh, add to that rinse for next wash.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

3 tons wrote:
Bravo Jeff, that is truly a most logical and creative idea Sir, saving precious water while conserving gray tank space all in one fell swoop - Yea!! :C

What is the source and model of the solenoid valve??

3 tons

Valve is "US Solid" half inch stainless steel body solenoid $42.00
Momentary push button switch with LED 10 amp rated by Apiele $16.00

Both from AMAZON.

Switch

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Dave D. wrote:
This might be useful for winter camping. Hot water won't freeze up. Although shouldn't the recirculation return to the hot water tank, not the main tank? At least this is how I plumbed my house's recirc. heat.

The water needs to return to the low pressure side of the pump to cause a pressure drop so the pump will start. Returning to the water heater has no pressure drop because it's on the pressure side of the pump so the pump won't activate because no pressuredrophappens. You could return water to the cold Input of the water heater but to make it work, you would need a small pump and a check valve to prevent backflow. Another way to connect if you can make room is to put the return connection to the pipe between the tank and the pump. This way, there is a low pressure connection to the fresh tank and the water will recirulate directly into the intake side of the pump and get pumped right back out into the system, not into the tank

[time2roll]

Dave D. wrote:
This might be useful for winter camping. Hot water won't freeze up. Although shouldn't the recirculation return to the hot water tank, not the main tank? At least this is how I plumbed my house's recirc. heat.

Yup. Did this years ago to prevent further freeze ups.

Mine is a small 1 amp DC pump that pumps water to a grundfos temperature regulated valve made for home circulating systems.

Manual switch or if cold the pump will cycle on with the furnace. Mine uses the cold side as the return so it gets some heat too.

[3_tons]

Bravo Jeff, that is truly a most logical and creative idea Sir, saving precious water while conserving gray tank space all in one fell swoop - Yea!! :C

What is the source and model of the solenoid valve??

3 tons

[Dave_D_]

This might be useful for winter camping. Hot water won't freeze up. Although shouldn't the recirculation return to the hot water tank, not the main tank? At least this is how I plumbed my house's recirc. heat.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

JRscooby wrote:
LOL. I use a bucket to catch the water you are saving.

My way is way cooler than a bucket and I don't have to screw around with lose water splashing about. Sure it cost time and money, being retired, I have lots of both. I know the water going back into the tank is clean. Bucket water is good for toilets. The water is much more useful to me in the tank!

[JRscooby]

LOL. I use a bucket to catch the water you are saving.

[Lwiddis]

A very good instructional video.