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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Water Heater For Yachts

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MacGyver

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Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 1329
Posted: 04:43am 13 Apr 2011
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Crew

Since retiring and moving into my "land yacht" full time, I have come up against taking a longer-than-7-minute-shower with only 6 gallons of heated water. To that end, I will be building a version of a steam boiler that I made some 40 years ago.

This will use the same flame area as you would use to make a cup of tea, but the way the burning gas is channeled through the device allows it to transfer nearly all its heat value to the water on the other side of the fire tubes. A metal fan pulls the burning exhaust gases through the thing and the temperature of the final exhaust is about that of the water inside the thing, roughly 106*F which should give me an "endless shower" inside my little rig.

There are a few out there, like "Tinker" who have yachts and could use this to do the same on their boats as I am in my land yacht. It will be fueled with propane gas in my case. It would even make a dandy "camper" water heater if you rig some way to have water pressure (water bladder hanging in a Eucalyptus tree or something similar) to feed it as you while away the hours in your outback shower.

For now, this post will be merely a place holder, but I'll slam one together and post the results here very soon. I'll wait until it's a done deal, but will show the building process by taking pictures as I machine things. It does require a lathe and a drill press as well as the ability to braise or soft solder, but it's for the most part an entry level project.


. . . . . Mac
Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
 
MacGyver

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Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 1329
Posted: 06:36am 10 Jun 2011
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Update

I'm having a heck of a time finding some brass plate to make the boiler end plates out of. As soon as I get my hands on some, I'll slap this toether and post a build.

In short, this is a "fire-tube" boiler housed inside a long piece (about 5 feet long) of copper tubing. The tubing is a bit of a problem too, because I'd like to use 3" and that stuff is about the same price a gold!

Anyway, the tubes are made of anealed 3/8" copper and are "twisted" against each other once shoved throught holes in each end plate. The twisting lets them occupy less space and exposes less surface area between the tubes inside the whole run, which keeps the water hotter in the core. The unit operates in a horizontal position.

On the exhaust end is a small fan, which "draws" the heated gas through the length of the boiler. Doing it this way, the flame can be as small as one you'd use to heat a cup of coffee. The trick is to get the exhaust gas temperature only slightly higher than the water temperature, which increases the efficiency (not as much heat is wasted to the atmosphere as in a "conventional" water heater). To enable this, it has to draw slowly.

I'll git-r-done sooner or later. Hang in there.


. . . . . Mac
Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
 
MacGyver

Guru

Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 1329
Posted: 12:07pm 23 Oct 2011
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Update & Warning

Just to let you know, the above-described contrption has not been built yet. I still haven't located any brass sheet.

In the meantime, I put together a heater core from an automobile, which sits on a stove burner and is connected to my water heater via some of those "Never-Burst" braided stainless-steel flexible connectors. My solar pump is re-routed (via several valves) to direct water flow from the tank through the heater core and back to the tank. This allows me to heat my domestic water using either solar, built-in electric element or gas from my galley's propane gas stove.

Anyway, I'm here to tell you those flexible connectors that are touted to be "Never-break" CAN BREAK. I awoke at 4 a.m. today to the sound of spraying water. One of the connections at the interface between the hose and the threaded connector at the heater core let go. Fortunately, having a background in military engineering, I built in several redundant systems when I designed and installed this contraption and was able to isloate the problem and secure it within seconds.

All in all, after making a little water of my own (after taking a well-deserved pee), the clean-up operation lasted only 20 minutes. Had I not been home, I'd be writing this update from a rubber raft! I think I'll install a supply loop and valve to the front of my home, so I can secure the water easily when I leave the place. I'd hate to come home to a Noah's Ark scenario in progress.


. . . . . Mac
Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
 
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