Backup hot water solution

BenDover

BenDover

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Been meaning to post this with all the power outages. If you have electric hot water like me you will quickly discover that your generator is probably too small to make hot water. Here is my solution:

http://www.amazon.com/Eccotemp-L5-Portable-Tankless-Outdoor/dp/B000TXOJQ4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1320612144&sr=8-6

31pk0OeONbL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


You will need a gas grill propane tank to run the thing (outside of course). You will also need to attach 2 rubber hoses long enough to reach your washing machine hookup (I use old garden hoses and some fittings). The cold side of your WM hookup goes to the inlet of the water heater and the outlet of the water heater goes to the hot side of your WM hookup. Then you need to close the outlet valve on your houses hot water heater (*very important*) and the installation is complete.

This arrangement allows water to back feed from the cold to hot side of your WD hookup. Since there is an on-demand water heater in between the cold and hot sides, you will be back feeding hot water at about 3 gallons per minute. I take showers, wash dishes (by hand), etc with no problems whatsoever. best $100 I spent during the great ice storm.
 
Prepper said:
Well that's an interesting find. It says it needs at least 20 PSI though; I thought houses normally had just 15 PSI.
Click to expand...


Answer
The range of normal residential water pressure is from 30 to 80 psi. Ideally, the pressure should be set between 45 and 60 pounds in most residential plumbing systems.If the pressure rises too high particularly above 80 psi, plumbing fixtures and appliances (primarily water heaters) could be damaged or leak excessively.


Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_normal_house_water_pressure#ixzz1cxx6Jcux

I like it, might have to get one. I been working on our survival hit list. We did ok, but I can see lots of areas to improve on. If I get the bad boy generator, I think I won't need this, but it sounds like a great backup for cheap money.
 
That does look pretty cool. My hot water plan here had simply been to get increasingly stinky, and settle down my messed-up hair each morning using cold water followed by a brush. But, that plan can only go for so long.

Possible uses that I'd want this for include:

1. Backup shower and dish washing water here in the suburbs for emergency. That one's a no brainer.

2. Use up in Maine when off-grid, either at my future travel trailer that'll be up there, or future cabin. Although, this may be affected by water pressure; the well would have to be installed with a pump and a pressure tank that builds suitable pressure.
 
That's a nice idea... Far better than boiling water on the stove to get a sponge bath while standing in the shower!
 
Nice find! Thanks for sharing. After going eight days without power, the wife accused me of getting a ‘little’ sticky. I don’t know what she was talking about. I think I was just about right.

This will be going onto my list of things to buy before the winter really hits hard!
 
My cellar door is about an 8ft hose from my washer hookup. I put a screw in the concete wall just outside the cellar door and hang it from that. The case DOES get hot and will probably burn your house down if you do something stupid!

When I am done, I just unhook the propane and bring it inside. I run mine at full temperature so that the mixer in my shower can mix in some cold water and I get a bit more flow out of the shower head. When washing dishes the water comes out super hot so you gotta be careful.

Another caution: D batteries :)

I had not used it since the big ice storm and the D batteries that run the ignighter were dead...fortunately I had some fresh ones. If didn't have spare batteries I would have been SOL since all the stores were sold out instantly. I'm going to add a 3V DC jack to mine so I can run it from a wall wort.

green_metalflake said:
The only downside I see is that I have all my outdoor faucets shut off & drained in the winter so I would need an indoor hook-up.

Here is the manual if anyone is interested -

Eccotemp L5 Manual
Click to expand...
 
That's pretty neat. I can't help but think that I could make my own with some 3/8" stainless tubing I have in my garage. Copper would probably work too. Add some hose connections, bend it and and put in the gas grill. Maybe cook some food at the same time. Yankee inginuity right there.

I would think you'd want a hose rated for hot water on the hot side. Also, I wouldn't drink out of that. I know we all drank from the hose as kids and turned out fine (right?) but hot water in your typical made-in-china garden hose is going to pick up all sorts of nasty stuff--fine for washing but I wouldn't let your kids drink it.
 
GomerPile said:
Another caution: D batteries :)

I had not used it since the big ice storm and the D batteries that run the ignighter were dead...fortunately I had some fresh ones. If didn't have spare batteries I would have been SOL since all the stores were sold out instantly.
Click to expand...

You need a few of these in the emergency bin. D batteries were all gone from the shelves but AA's were abundant.

This adapter (Soshine) holds 2x AA whereas most others only hold one. Fits like a D and worth hunting down.

2pcs-battery-cell-converter-adaptor-holder-34406n.jpg
 

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