Temporary solar hot water setup...

Re: Temporary solar hot water setup...

Very good that you fixed the leak. I try to have a backup plan or two for most things since I live in hurricane prone FL. In 2004, our area was without power for 18 days. Here are some of the hot water options I have on tap (yea, bad pun).

Option A:

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25' travel trailer we keep parked next to the house. Has an onboard water tank, and a 6 gallon water heater. In our warm climate, that's about a 10 minute hot shower with a fairly quick recycle time. The water heater can use either of the onboard propane tank, but also has an optional 120VAC heating element.

Plan B:

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I've also used the side burner on my BBQ grill to heat water for showering. Water temp started at 67 degrees, I stopped at 116 degrees. Turns out I needed to add some cool water, this was a bit too hot for comfort.

To spray the water, I used an Outback Porta-Shower. Drop the pump into the water tank, turn on the switch.

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During the Summer, a clear plastic jug sitting in the sun is plenty hot enough by the afternoon to use for showering. I've done this many times when camping on a friend's 30 acre lot in the boonies. At home, I'll put a 5 gallon bucket in the sun. I have the Home Depot $3 buckets (orange). I think the color helps warm them up a bit quicker.

The sun is so intense here during the Summer, I'd be concerned about using a solar shower bag as the water would be very hot if left out for long.

I don't have a Zodi shower, but that's another good option I've read positive reviews on.

Re: Temporary solar hot water setup...

techntrek wrote: »

Sounds energy inefficient - heat loss along the length of the line to and from even if insulated, plus the circulation pump, even if it is thermostat triggered. A small local water heater would keep the energy contained in one spot and I can put a timer on it like my big heater.

depends if you are on hydro or gas for DHW and house heat, if gas the 'lost' heat just adds to what BTUs come out of the furnace. Not really a loss, kind of like an incandescent light bulb. Unless you are on PV