Recirculating shower Part 4: unlimited hot water shower! | EP36 | Ford Transit Campervan Build
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 23. 08. 2024
- In this episode I install the filters for the shower and give the shower its first temperature test with surprisingly good results. I am using the Bobilvans hot water heater which uses the hot air from my Chinese diesel heater to heat the water. Allowing me a unlimited hot water shower in m,y self build campervan.
Additional testing for the shower is needed to find the most optimal settings.
Welcome to my Ford Transit Mk8 Van build series.
My name is Alex Frood, I'm a UK based Freelance Expedition Leader and Outdoor instructor. During I am converting my 2018 Ford Transit Mk8 L3H3 into a full-time Camper.
My Amazon Store link contains many of the parts and products used for the van build and shower. Purchases through my Amazon store help out the channel.
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These videos are not How-to videos but showing my process for my conversion. feel free to copy me but id always recommend doing your own research as well.
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Terrific tutorial. I think that you're my new best friend.
Thank you, glad you have found it helpful!
Great system installation. I may follow your guide to instal this in my own van this winter. It will make wild camping a lot more enjoyable. Five star for this video, thanks
Living full-time in the van and be able to have a long hot showers every day is definitely a good bonus. Especially the winters
What an awesome build, and how thorough ! thank you for the precious informations you share here. I wish you all the best in your future adventures
Hope you found it helpful. As at the time this was reasonably a new area was not many videos I felt I would make it detailed and show my method to pass on the information
NIce one, like it and finally someone who shows the shower actually running as I was wondering what the pressure would be like. Guess it's really down to the pump flow huh? Now I just need to go back and watch the rest. Especially how you've made that rather nice cabinet for the filters. Great ideas, thanks.
No problem at all. Yeah pressure wise its really down to the pump you use. I guess more often than not in vans people tend to go for less powerful pumps to conserve water but since in the recirculating system your water is unlimited so going for a higher pressure pump for a more powerful shower is an option
Good to see it come together. Next time you need to trade in that ski cap for a shower cap.
At the moment I building the door so I can give it a full test. A love that hat! It was haggled for in the souks of Marrakech. I normally but more of them on my trip there as friends wants them. Itâs pretty much not left my head for 6 years, seen 6 continents, from Himalayan mountain to jungles! But I might take it off for a shower!
If you don't end up writing an eBook or something of the back of this, it's a missed income opportunity!
Might be something I should consider. The shower has been fantastic used it every day for the last week whilst away working
@@MispronouncedAdventures do it , your work is super nett.
Really cool. A little propane water heater would make this perfect. Smart one
Yeah, I know a few who use one
Great series for the recirculating shower.
Thank you very much. Currently in the real world testing process and itâs performing brilliantly only a few tweaks to make
Can you give an updated video of the adjustments you made .
@@MispronouncedAdventures can you give an updated video on the tweaks you made after using it after a while .
Sure, iâve still got more testing to do before I make a video on it all but. More or less. The recirculating system worked fine as it. I found with the shampoo I was using I had to replace the water after a few showers, so switching to a completely natural shampoo as I suspect Iâll be slightly easier for the carbon filter to screen out. Adding a sponge filter to the bottom of the collection tank just to help screen out large debris. The main tweaking was using the bobil van is hot water heater for the heat source, iâve started to preheat the tank to 60° and then turn it on because that negates the temperature drop from the cold water and the filters reaching the tank, then set it back to 42° on the tank. Slightly non-related to the shower, I put a bypass valve in the heating ducting before the hot water heater
Such a fantastic idea, and a well made informative film too.
My new fave channel lol.
Thank you for joining
Not sure if you asked the question and if it's been answered, but generally the pipe inserts without the additional seal are used for compression fittings and the super seal ones are used with the Speedfit fittings. I think it's because the compression fittings/olive would clamp down right where that additional seal is!
Yeah. Indeed you are correct. The insert without the seal are for use in compressions fittings as you rightly said the compression fitting which crush the pipe
This is the first one I've seen where the filters were accessible from inside the shower. What an excellent idea! No worries about dumping the water out while replacing the filters. I now know where my filters will be! Question, are you running a uv sterilizing filter also?
That was part of my thinking! Ease of access to replace, maintain, check the filters without worrying about water getting every, it was also a good use of otherwise dead space / unused space.
Indeed I am using a UV sterilisation filter. Itâs located just outside the shower room to the right of the other filters in the same recessed wall area just not in the shower room after its electric after all.
Great system. Have you considered running a pipe with a thermostatic or manual valve through a T fitting from the hot tap to the waste tank. That way you could turn on the recirculating pump for a couple of minutes to flush the filters and balance the system before taking a shower and avoid the sudden drop in temperature.
Thatâs a good option. I havenât made a video yet around the fine-tuning and refining of the system. But I figured out the sudden temperature drop filter water issue and how to fix it. Really easy actually. I found I just turn the recirculating pump and shower on for 30 seconds, it flushed all the cold water sitting into the filter into the hot tank as normal ( and heats the filter and pipes up ) and had the temperature drop ( 45c hot tank start has a initial drop to about 36-38c ) , but then I just turn the shower off and give the tank about a minute to get back up to 45c. Previous times I had left the shower running whilst it was trying to increase its temperature from the initial drop.
I saw a suggestion in another recirculating shower video to use Epsom salts to help break down the soap, and it helps to use biodegradable soaps/shampoos.
I have switched to a bar soap that uses natural products and eco friendly. I have seen a big improvement with it! Yet to test the Epsom salts but thatâs on my list
just to mention - every 90degree bend you use in line will reduce your shower pressure by about 30percent!!! smooth curves / bends better and less fittingds
30% seems quite a lot, but I have a 45 psi pump and itâs still a very powerful shower
Brilliant idea. Also excellent video.đ
Glad you enjoyed
Such an amazing build đ
Thank you very much
Nice looking system. I've seen ones with the filters outside and I wonder what happens to them in frosty weather.
Great added perk is that the boiler doesn't need to work so hard after a bit because the returning water is already warmed.
Definitely my thoughts when researching this shower system type. Didnât like the idea of the filters being under the van as they would freeze and potentially damage them or make the system unusable whilst frozen.
Yeah after the water is up to temperature The hot water heater keeps up easily
@@MispronouncedAdventures there could be an argument that ordinary houses should reclaim the heat this way as well..
I used our engine's spare coolant lines into a plate heat exchanger, otherwise the same exact setup. Soap has always been an issue and we question the effectiveness of the UV sterilization.. Leaving the tank for a few days resulted in bad smelling water, so we emptied after every shower. And, since soap and other material seemed to stay in the filters, we found it necessary to run water through the system and out for almost 10 minutes to get clear water rushing out. I find the recirculating shower idea game changing for vanlife, but Im not sure I would do this route again... Unless one could incorporate a distillation process where the used water is literally turned into steam to near perfect filtration. This is after a year of use.
Having just been using it for 3 weeks every night. I can agree with you. I was normally changing the water every few days. Which seems to be pretty inline with the results others have. Going to be doing some experimenting with different soaps,add Epsom salt as a binding agent, filter types and so on. After three weeks i have also done a flush of the filters. I agree itâs a game changer and personally I would definitely take this route again ( maybe a few tweaks ) but it is definitely a System which requires maintenance and upkeep, which I had planned for. Which is fine by me.
As for UV sterilisation itâs hard to understand itâs effectiveness without testing. I havenât noticed bad smelling water just discolouration from the bright yellow soap I was using and a soapy smell.
@@MispronouncedAdventures loving your video series and I am also wanting a recirc shower - have you or plan to do an update video with your comments above? I have ordered my 3 tube filter rack and will be ordering the rest soon
Glad you are enjoying them. Yes I definitely plan to do another video about changes, learning from use and System maintenance.
@@MispronouncedAdventures nice one bud! Any hints and tips on the parts you used before I buy the ones you linked in your video? I think your shower move turned out to be a good layout change! Everything happens for a reason!
If any of the filters are mounted in areas which can get wet, such as in the shower room like mine or if you wish to use them underneath. I would recommend making sure that the screws are stainless steel. I also found a threads on the spin down filter as the one I bought came from America quite confusing as they are different to British threads. So I had to eBay an obscure adapter
Ok you have a new follower, I am going to be watching everything over and over. I plan on building a recirculating shower in my box van. This is so helpful. P.S. if you ever came out with an E-book this diagrams on the flow for the water and even some on the electrical side of this, I would buy it. I do solar system design so all that is in hand. When it comes to wiring in auto switches I have a lot to learn. Thank you so much for making these high quality videos. I all ways joke that the people that have truly exceptional content that is useful can't film it, and the people that have nothing useful to offer can film like it is a big budget movie. Happy to find some one that is good at both. cheers
Very much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed the video. I do plan to put together some sort of documentation at some point so people can see a visual layout of the shower system. There are definitely a few different designs you could build the system depending on your hot water heater
It is nice! I will follow!! thx for sharing!
No problem at all. Hope you find it helpful
Wow, hope you fully understand that incredible complex system you're fitting here, coz you lost me about 5 and a half months ago...!!
Wherever do you get all those ideas from...? Anyway, congrats on your work of art so far.
Yeah I see what you are saying about a complex system its a lot easier to understand what you are the one designing & building it, definitely in my research process had to watch the same video a few times to full understand some of people systems.
Great system man, keep practicing your sealent skills đ
I was once again using sealant for the shower room door frame. I feel my skill set with sealant has plateaued....
EPIC !
Nice setup
Thank you
Hiya what i wouldve changes is that you need 6 filters not 3. 3 doesnt quite do it clean enough to be honest. You will have bacteria growing in your pipes very soon in summer.
Great job!!
You can buy a marine shower sump pump from ebay really cheap which houses the pump and container and will only operate when the waste water fills it. Great ideas though.
Thatâs a pretty cool bit of kit Iâd never heard of been. If I was to do it again that might of been something to consider. Cheersâ
Hi there, amazing job, well done. I have looked through all of your shower videos and i didn't see where you talked about the shower door? Did you cover that in a video and i just missed it? If so, what video? Thanks again and keep up the good videos
I didnât make a video about the shower door in the end. itâs really just I wood door as normal but with the 2 mm pvc panel on the inside and some waterproof strips
@@MispronouncedAdventures thank you for the response, I really appreciate it
The non- rubberised inserts are for compression connections, as an olive will squash the rubber and potentially blow off under pressure.
I know from experience...LOLđ
4:07 love the build series - very very good! Still planning mine but I am basing my shower on yours. So I noted your rig just fits in the filter alcove what is the overall dims of your alcove? Just so I can add a smidge more. Plus your latest travel vid in -31 was entertaining!
Great info. Thanks
Glad you found it helpful. Iâll have another video on it eventually but Iâve been using it for a few weeks now and itâs been great
@@MispronouncedAdventures yeah Iâm building a Ford Transit conversion as well. Was thinking of a regular shower but really like the idea of a recirculating one. Will check out your other vids too. Thanks
I think in my case guilty pleasure itâs a nice long hot shower! Since Iâm going to be living in the van full time definitely seemed like a worthwhile investment
Just think if he ever sells this van, trying to talk the buyer through the whole van set upđđ
Yeah, I think that will take a while!
Great concept hoping to do something similar. Am I right to believe you now have 3 water pumps and accumulators?
1- cold water
1- hot water to sink tap
1- shower
Thank you.
Cold water and hot water have a pump and accumulators each.
The shower is feed by the hot. but the recirculating part is only a pump no accumulator
@@MispronouncedAdventures Hi Alex, Thanks for the speedy reply. That makes sense now and having watched the video again I can see the 3 pumps installed now.
Out of interest - would you suggest fitting an accumulator to the recirculation shower system if space allows now you've got months of use of the system or don't think it will make much difference?
Thank you again.
Looking forward to your next artic video đ Really enjoy your videos.
@AboveGroundLevel. No need for the accumulator on the recirculating part as the accumulator just even out the effects of the pump since that section of the system is only pumping through the filters and into the hot tank. No need to have the water smooth.
Great idea but it seems to be perfect conditions for legionella and other bacteria to breed uncontrollably.
Especially given you wonât use the cold side of the shower mixer.
Tank is preheated to 60c before use. The shower system isnât not part of the fresh water system. Itâs use sedimentary and UV filtrations.
But Iâm not sure how using a mixer or cold would decrease risk legionella or bacteria? ( apart from delusion, )the system is kept like any other hot water system. A few years on itâs still fine
@@MispronouncedAdventures if you have the cold side plumed in to the cold water and you donât use it it provides an area for bacteria to live and breed.
Main concern was you only heating the tank to 40c as that is perfect breeding temperature for legionella to breed.
UV lamps require replacing every 6 months as they lose effectiveness.
Iâd consider flushing the system twice a year with something like puriclean itâs what I use on my caravan.
Brilliant series by the way Iâm currently planning a build at the moment so watching plenty of builds at the minute and yours is definitely one of the better ones Iâve watched.
I normally flush the system every 2-3 months with bleach ( the safe sort I canât remember the brand name ) when I do the filter change.
As the the 40c. At the time of this video I was still learning the system. Itâs pre heat to 40c isnât enough as when the cold water in the filter gets flushed back in it dropped the tank temperature to much. So I pre heat to 60c as they drops it to around 42c when the shower is in use.
Glad you have found some use in the build series. I do my best to explain why I do something and not just do it because everyone else does
Do you have anything filtering before your pump other than the filter that came with it? In other installs I have seen the spin down filter before the pump to protect the pump from soap scum, and hair. How often do you need to clean that little filter included with the pump?
Thanks!
Can you give an update on how well it's working any positive or negatives? Like does it get soapy after a couple of showers
There is a video on taking about maintenance and how im getting on with it.
Positives are unlimited hot water shower, and having to search for water a lot less.
Negatives are filters need to be replaced every 2/3 months ( depending on usage and soap ) . But at ÂŁ3 per filter is not exactly a bad price to pay for option of long showers.
I usually swap the Shower tankâs water ( around 15 Litres ) every 4 showers-ish . As soap can start be build up ( depends on the soap used ), itâs not dirty as such, the filters do a great job at screening dirty out. Just the water does get cloudy with soap as a few showers
I saw a guy in another video who used flexible pipe to go into and out of the pump. He said the vibrations will cause the rigid pipes to break eventually.
Iâm not too worried vibrations on this type of pipe, theyâre not really ridge, plenty of flex on them. Whilst using hose for the direct connection that on the pump would definitely decrease the noise, which I do plan to do. The connections on these are quite flexible and moving able , but if you are using something with compression fittings with fixed joints or metal olives then definitely in time the vibrations would weaken the joints
So pleased i found this channel! Great to see a van build with some great ideas and some competency too! You've got a great backlog of videos I'm looking forward to catching up on. A question for you... I was under the impression that pumps of the style of the recirc pump do not like being run 'dry', are you not effectively running it dry some of the time? This may also contribute to the elevated pump noise levels?
Glad you found the channel when youâre enjoy it! And that I have some competency!! Haha The pumps I use are Seaflo 33 Series diaphragm pump, The manufacturer advertises them ârun dry safeâ, but there are definitely difference between safe to do so and if the pump is happy to do so. Having now used the shower system for a couple weeks every day, The excess noise i think is definitely down to a number of factors. One of them I suspect is when the pump has sucked up most of the water from the collection tank that itâs taking a lot of air as well which increase in the noise. Iâm going to play around with decreasing the volume of that collection tank. And a few other things. Which Iâll probably make into a video
Amazing. I've got a Bobilvan water heater too, but read in the instructions that it can't be used with a pressurised system??!?
Yes. The bobilvans water heater is not a pressurised system. As the hot water tanks are vented for safety reasons. Which is why my system had two pumps, I use one pump to take the grey water from the shower through the filters into the hot water tank and then one pump to take the hot water out of the hot tank to the showerhead
@@MispronouncedAdventures I see I see... Thanks for your clarification đ
If I understand correctly, for the hot water loop, you have a accumulation tank, while for the recycling shower loop, you have not. I believe that is why the shower pump is so loud.
Thatâs actually a very good point I didnât think about. I used the accumulator on the hot water loop so it would produce a steady stream of water, I didnât consider itâs vibration dampening properties as well. Something I could look into, the recycling loop canât build up pressure as itâs effectively open end as it empties into the hot water tank, but I guess it could build up a little bit of pressure from the resistance of pushing the water through the filter. Something I might have a play with. But at the time of testing in the video I think both systems were still dry.
@@MispronouncedAdventures perhaps I get it wrong, but for my understanding you have 2 pump for 2 isolated water loops, one shower loop and one hot water loop which is used for the sink, connected to the fresh water tank. The shower water are heated thought a heat exchanger. If the recycling loop empties into the hot water tank wouldn't that contaminated the hot water loop?
For the shower system there are two isolated loops as such, One is the hot water coming from the hot tank going to the showerhead, and the other is the grey water from the shower drains going through the filters and sterilisation into the hot water tank.. ( there is a fresh/cold water loops as well but letâs ignore that for this conversation)
I consider any water in the hot water tank no longer âfresh waterâ or fit for drinking as such, even though it has been filtered sedimentary down to 5 ”m, carbon filter and UV sterilised it does overtime get some soap build up.
The only purposes for water in the hot tank for the shower water or sink hot water for dishes. The shower mixer and kitchen tap mixer both have double check valves on so no contamination between the hot and fresh/cold water systems there.
The grey water emptying into the hot water is no longer contaminated as such. As it has been cleaned through the water filtration system and sterilisation process. Whilst there is soap build up in it over time after a few showers, which is when I would normally then dump the hot tank into the grey tank under the van and replace the hot water. The water is clean just a bit soapy. If I was to pour myself a drink from the cold water tap in the kitchen. I would run it for a second or two just to clear any potential hot water tank out of it, which would be clean as such anyway just potentially have a bit of soup in it. As for using that hot water for cleaning dishes Iâm going to be adding washing up liquid and soap to anyway to clean the dishes so doesnât really matter., followed by a rinse with cold water as you would anyway
The hot water loop includes both the shower hot tap and the kitchen hot tap, The recirculating loop is only for grey water from the shower drains, to be cleaned and return to the hot water tank
This is one of my next projects, I like how thorough you are in the build. Have you considered using a relay to turn on the pumps? I heard pumps can use a lot of amps when they first start which is not great for the battery/wires/fuses, apparently a relay can mitigate that.
Would love to see a full schematic and parts list once you know what you can recommend. Put together a list of amzn affiliates links and earn some bucks ;)
These pumps are pressure sensitive, so when the tap is open they turn on, the tap is closed pressure builds up and then turns off. I normally keep the overall circuit off as well when not in use.
There is Amazon store with links to all the parts in the description.
Hello, loved your neat build and explanation. I'm playing around with a system that fits most if not all of the components (like the filters and the UV) beneath the shower tray. Could you picture that? The tray will have to be metallic, so as to give it strength but why not use the space beneath?
thank you, Sounds like a good use of spaces. I didnât have the space to put them on them under the tray in my case. As long as you still have space for maintenance it should be all good
Would you mind letting me know the SeaFlow pump part number when you get a chance as I'd like to know the delivery pressure/volume spec for the good flow you are getting? Thx.
Seaflo 33 series diaphragm pump. 45psi / around 12.5L per minute
Great ideas! How do you remove the soap from the water since being dissolved will allow it to pass through your filter system?
I find the carbon filter does some of it. But the main reason myself and others user of this type of shower change the water is because of soap build up after a few showers
Have you considered Ecover which is friendly
Always looking to try new things, iâve used there dish soap. Do they do a shower version?
Do you have a drawing of your plumbing?
Very clever. Reckon you could use a similar closed loop system for underfloor heating from a Chinese diesel heater?
I reckon so. I have heard of a few people using the Bobilvans hot water system for underfloor heating. Not seen it in person yet but I donât see why it wouldnât work
@@MispronouncedAdventures Greg Virgoe is very against the notion, but I presume that's just in regards to being wary about pressurised systems. An expansion tank should resolve any concerns though surely?
Greg isnât a fan of recirculating showers I know, as we have talked about it in the past with each other.
Greg is an expert in that area. But if was making a under floor heating loop I would probably make it unpressurised with a expansion tank / reservoir and using glycol and not water
@@MispronouncedAdventures I hear you, but that's an entirely separate system and I just want the one with a servo operated loop to shut one off from the other. An expansion tank in each then... We'll see. Gonna connect with you elsewhere as I'd love to show you a plan for my next build
Would it not be better to have the sedment filter before the pump.
Pumps are better at pushing then pulling. And with multiple filters inline that is a lot more resistance. the intake of the pump might not be able to handle versus the output of the post.
yay
Hi perhaps you mentioned it, but I guess using soap/shampoo is a no go for this system?
Yeah I do use shampoo/soap. Iâve experimented with different types from the conventional shower gels to organic bar soaps. Some get screened out better by filter, but decrease the lifespan of the filters and vice versa.
Alex, where did you get your mixer from? I canât for the life of me find a non thermostatic mixing tap for my recirc system
Could you mount the filters upside-down so that the water drains into the tank and then you don't get the thermal drop?
Hmmm. Thatâs a interesting idea. Iâve never thought of that. I canât remember seeing anything that says they canât be mounted like so.
Do you also get hot water for the sink? Is the water heater only for your shower and air? Or is there a way to do hot water for sink as well?
Iâm trying to figure out how this all works together to see what would be best for my build.
Thank you so much for all of the ideas!! Super brilliant! đ
Hey, yes the hot tank feeds both the shower and the sink. But realistically I only use the heater for shower and hot air. I very rarely use the hot tank for the kitchen tap but that is mainly as the recirculating shower system uses the hot tank as the shower tank whilst the water is filtered it does become a little bit soapy so I generally donât use that water in the sink
@@MispronouncedAdventures I see, definitely considering this set up. Thank you!
Top job that mate. Can I ask what water heater your using please and do you have a link to buying one. Keep up the good work
Thank you very much, Itâs a Bobilvans water heater which uses the Diesel heater for a heat source. Check out episode 34 which is all about the heater and has the information in the description for buying one!
you could add an ozone generator to sanitize and purify
Never heard of one of those before, but With the amount of filters already in place, multiple sedimentary, carbon and UV, which are designed for domestic drinking water. I think The water is at a sufficient sanitised and purified level for its intended use as hot water and shower water, ( not fresh/drinking water )
are you using two tanks for your recirculating water?
Would you be able to use a heat exchanger rather than your hot water holding tank? That way only one pump required.
Yes, thatâs a more popular option. But not possible with the style of a heater Iâm using.
You would still however need some sort of tank to hold the shower water
Wow this is amazing! Iâm looking to do something similar but with a vintage trailer. Is this possible?
I donât see why it shouldnât be. As long as the hot water heater to power enough to heat the water quicker than itâs looses heat running through the system itâs should be fine.
Alex, just a thought - I've followed Marcus - Tucks Truck on't internet. He's been travelling one way or another for eons - even on his world travels he only has a 5mu and then a 0.5mu filter for drinking water and never a problem. Do you think that would help refine your system by cutting down the water volume?
The quality of the water in some ways doesnât worry me too much, I usually replace the volume of water after three or four showre worth. I feel having 20 ”m filter just help prolong the life of 5 ”m filter a bit more. My normal job has me in developing countries & remotest parts of the world for six months normally a year ( in a normal year ) so super clean water doesnât bother me too much. so filtering water is a normal day to day.
There isnât a much more water volume to cut down really. There is probably only 15-20 litres in total The total system between the hot water tank the filters. Any less volume of water the hot water tank is towards empty before the water has made its way through the system and the filters back into the tank again.
Having had the system in for a few months now. The main experimentation & improvement was the start temperature of the hot tank. Currently playing around with using natural and organic soaps as the carbon filter has an easier job apparently then normal more chemical soaps
Iâm going to check out that channel you have mentioned
Nice work! Could you negate the thermal drop by dumping the water from the filter system after having a shower?
Itâs not really as such possible to dump the water out of the filter System without unscrewing each cartridge and manually emptied it. Having now used it in realife now. What I do it preheat the tank to 60C ( takes a bit longer to heat up ) but the thermal drop itâs still above normal shower temperatures which it all good
Plus 60c is a recommend temperature to take hot water tanks see every so often anyway to remove the risk of small or tiny of legionnaires
How often do the filters need changing? That looks a neat system.
6-8 weeks sometimes 3 months on uses
Awesome setup, where are you located?
Thank you, full time in the van so anywhere. Mostly scotland
I might have missed an update, but how has your recirculating shower been doing. Especially in the cold temps your in this now.
Cold temperatures donât effect it has all the filters and piping is internal so no problem in the cold
Does this require two water pumps and two accumulators, or how would this fit into a normal cold water system?
I have a pump and accumulators on both the hot and cold System. However only the hot is used for the shower. There is additional a pump for the recirculating section as well.
The two pumps are a byproduct of using the bobils vans hot water system as itâs an unpressurised system
@@MispronouncedAdventures That's amazing cheers for the quick reply. It does mean extra cost but the functionality of unlimited showers is too valuable. Best video on the subject to date.
Also would love an ebook on this as not many people have the bobil petrol water heater and a recirculating shower of which im getting both!
No problem, if you used a pressurised System for hot water. You could potentially get away using only one pump to push the water through the filters and the showerhead in one go
Where did you get the cupboard that you have the filters fitted in?
Itâs built into part of the wall for the shower room I made
@@MispronouncedAdventures thanks, did you make the enclosure yourself or did you buy it from somewhere?
Alex. Did you ever find a good shower gel and/or shampoo to use with the filter system?
Always playing with combo.
awesome! where did u get your UV filter pls?
love your setup, im gonna bulid something similar, thank u...
I still need update the descriptions with links
Realgoal 16W Ultraviolet Water... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076BFT4HN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And to use it at 12v
Realgoal 12V DC UV Ballast... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H68F8RS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
@@MispronouncedAdventures only 2gpm Alex? (Not that it appears to be available now)
Yes. 2PGM works out 7.6 Litres per minute. My pumps are 11.6L per minute but Iâve added a reducer to 9L per minute ( then lose a little more due to the amount of 90° elbows and pipes ) . Which I know isnât ideal as itâs slightly under the UV light . But where this UV filter would be use on a domestic water supply normally the water only passing through once. At least with the recirculating system the water passes through multiple times.
Great system. But I would be pretty nervous about having my water system near electronic stuff. Make sure to maintenance check regularlyđ I work for a cleaning company, cleaning dangerous chemicals and or making a house/company being able to be build up again by removing burned debris. One of the most common fire causes I've seen was where someone had a water leak near electronic devices.
Which electrics? The cupboard behind the sink?
just had to watch back to see what it was like at that point in the build. There is now a 10 cm up stand at the back of the kitchen worktop so no water can rollback back as such, and the cupboard it self now has a door built on it. Three of the units in that cupboard are ip67 as well ( they just happened to be not that I had planned them to be )
@@MispronouncedAdventures ahh I see well that's much better already haha. All the best :)
Yeah definitely a lot happier with it now with the door in front of it and a stand up at the back of the work top
Class. Have you a parts list?
I just added a parts list for the filters used in the description. On the final video in this shower build I try and make a cumulative list of all the parts.
do you think it's possible to have recirculating sink system? or are the particles from washing dishes might make it trickier?
I mean in theory there is no reason you canât. But I feel the filters would struggle to cope or struggle to cope long with the amount of things in the up in the sink water.
Question for you: At 17:14, you have a Seaflo pump and accumulator installed; it's my understanding that the Seaflo pumps don't require accumulators? Or is that model to model and the pump you have there does require an accumulator? You don't appear to have one in the mix on the recirculating shower side of things.
The Seaflo pumps Iâm using are diaphragm pumps. Without the accumulator you get the pulsating action of the diaphragm moving up and down. Additionally this accumulators hold pressure in the system so you can turn the tap on quickly without the pump engaging.
The accumulator is on the hot water circuit ( there is also one on the separate cold freshwater circuit ) which is the loop which pushes all the water to the showerhead where I want a nice constant stream of water. The recirculating pump the one which sucks up shower grey water out of the drains push it through the filters into the hot water tank doesnât have a accumulator on as it isnât necessary as I donât mind about the pulsating action there as it only going into the hot tank
@@MispronouncedAdventures I see. Any chance you know what the model number is on those Seaflo pumps?
Indeed, I use Seaflo 33 Series. 11.6L pm
You can find listings to most parts of my Amazon shop
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/mispronouncedadventures
Gotcha. That explains that - I've been looking at the 42 model, which apparently doesn't require an accumulator. I'll have to look into the 33 as well, just to understand the different models. Thank you Alex!
No problem at all
Where did you get that temperature gauge for the shower head that comes off of the mixer part?
Amazon, if you go on the Amazon store link in the video description and find the recirculating shower list itâs on there
can you tell me how you powered the uv sterilizer as i noticed it was 240v not 12v.
Itâs 12V, I brought a replacement power supply for it as the original was 230V
ok ok so it will still work if i change the ballest from 240v to a 12v?@@MispronouncedAdventures
@TheHiveOffGride yes, but I shouldâve said if I changed the ballast from 240v to a 12v model
lol your forgiven. ive just started putting it all together now, ive just got to get a few connectors then test it all. Many thanks for your help bud.@@MispronouncedAdventures
Hi have you got an affiliate link for eBay stuff you bought off eBay? Cheers
Iâm currently working on eBay affiliate links but If you click on the Amazon store link in the description that has a Full list of the shower parts
@@MispronouncedAdventures
Thanks, but Iâm looking for the US to UK adapter itâs not on your Amazon link.. I know how to get it but I rather sort you out a couple ÂŁ
ive messaged you a couple of times on instagram but no reply regarding the schmatics of the recirculation system and heating the water. could you reply please sir
Sorry, Iâll check the requests folder. Sometimes new messages end up in there
Did you consider pex tubing instead for the water lines?
John Guest is a type of Pex pipe. Pex pipe is just a name a multilayer pipe made from high-density polyethylene. Was there a particular brand you were thinking of? However some Pex pipes is more flexible than others, if I was to do it again I may considered using the 12mm variant which is more flexible but expense.
Why do you have 2 pumps and 1 accumulator? Can you explain what each pump does?
As my recirculating shower is a vented system / and pressurised hot system due to my model of hot water heater. It wouldnât be possible just to have one pump like other recirculating showers do. One pump sucks up the grey water from the shower pushing it through all the filters into the hot tank, this pump doesnât need a accumulator as I donât see the water. The second pump which takes the water from the hot tank to the showerhead has a accumulator so it is a nice steady flow of water, opposed to the pulsating effect which diaphragm-based pumps can give
Very cool bud! how many amp hours you reckon you'll need for a 5-10 min shower? Taking into account heating water up too.
Good question Iâm gonna have to do some maths to figure that out!
So with the shower running ( Diesel heater on and heating water, recirculating pump on, Hot water pump on & UV filter on ) . I was getting about 5-6amps on my Victron shunt as power consumption. However I canât remember when I got that number in case the solar was adding in power to the system.
What I do know the the current draw for the pumps is 3.5amp x 2 pump = 7amps
Diesel heater running is about 1.9amp ( 13amp start up )
UV filter about 1.6amp
So everything was pulling its max amps Total 10.5amp. Which would be 10.5ah for an hour long shower. So letâs says a running a 10 minute shower would 2.1 amp hour ( excluding diesel heater start up time and water heating about 10 minutes in total. Which is 10-13amps for the first minute of starting the heater and then 1.9amps when itâs running as heating the water )
Not sure if Iâve helped I just confused myself there with the maths. Basically only a few amp hours
@@MispronouncedAdventures Cool thanks for the info..so basically not an issue for someone running 2-300 AH of lithium methinks. Btw doesn't the Victron bmv just give you a readout of what amps are being consumed rather than added solar too? Yet to set mine up.
Aye you should be fine with a battery bank of the size. Mine is 390ah lithium so itâs not noticeable.
You are mostly correct about the shunt. Victron BMV / shunt will record/read out what the current/amp are passing through it. So if a âloadâ in the System was pulling 8 amps, but the solar was bringing in 2amps, the other 6 amps would be pulls from the batteries through the shunt. So the shunted would only see 6amps going thought it as the 2amps from the solar is already in the System.
@@MispronouncedAdventures 390! Very nice! Cheers!
Good set of video's..great idea putting the water filters in the shower area...I'm doing one using a plate heat exchanger running off a truma 4e...if you have the time look at my layout plan on my youtube video would be interested in your comments....
Hey, I just checked out your shower plan. I think the core layout of the system is fine! Quite a different layout from mine since due to me using a non-pressurised hot water system. The only bit I donât know in general for your system is what the heat transfer rate between the Glycol filled heat exchanger and the hot shower water would be ( which should partly be dictated by flow rate of the water through it ) hopefully since glycol just get rather hot what it would be sufficient to fit the water in one pass.
Or for a cold start. The system / shower might need to run for a few minutes to build up the overall temperature of the water in the shower system.
@@MispronouncedAdventures Thanks for looking and commenting. The 60 plate exchange rate, I will be testing before committing to this system. Cheers..having seen your video's I might well revise my idea's...cheers
With my system with my heat exchanger was never going to be able to heat the water from cold to shower temperature in one pass is which I went for a hot tank heated to shower temperature at the starting points with the hot water in the hot tank being heat by my heat exchanger which the shower is running.
The CZcams channel âSnow and Curtâ have a similar system to your layout only using a Diesel water heater to heat the glycol for the heat exchanger
I am also going for the plate heat exchanger like a combi boiler system either heated by the engine or a Webasto Thermo Top C. Will have normal slimline radiators and a fan blower also. Ours is a 460 Minibus Transit though. Good job.
why is there two pumps? is one to suck the water up as such and the other one redelivers the water to the showert head? or is one a fill pump from the fresh water tank ?
Because the hot / shower tank is a separate tank and unpressurised.
One sucks gray water up from the shower, forcing it through the filters into the hot tank, and the other one removes it from the hot tank to the showerhead
@@MispronouncedAdventures do you then still have the small pump that came with the bobil kit to pump the water through the heat exchangers? Or is that the same pump that's sucking the grey water
Yes, the bobil circulation pump is separate from the recirculating system, ( however, still connected to the hot tank ) as it is controlled by its own temperature controlled relay
@@MispronouncedAdventures ah I have it now, there's a lot going on! Thanks for the quick answers tho
Itâs definitely complicated from the outside, but having made it myself, itâs quite straightforward for me
Too bad you can't have a really long shower hose and potentially use the system for the kitchen sink too. Of course you''d have to be sure any food scraps would be filtered out before going into the system.
Although the hot water tank does lead to the sink. the recirculating part you are correct about. I suspect as you said the sink waste would massively decrease the lifespan of their filters
After 7 months how are you finding the effectiveness of the recirculation shower? Looks like a great job.
Itâs been brilliant. Use it most days. Generally replace the water every 4 showers. Switching to a natural bar soap helped the filters last longer. Minor maintenance once per month and replace filters every 2 months ish
Well worth it for me. Very happy and Iâd would built one again if I was to do it again
@@MispronouncedAdventures when you said you were replacing the water every four showers, is that replacement water already on board in a tank? Or are you saying that you are introducing new gallons of water into the system? I'm trying to figure out if I should go this route but if I've got to add new water every four showers, why do I need to recirculate it all? I could just get new water every four showers.
The shower tank is 15L of water. Itâs quite a powerful shower so my pump speed is about 10L a minute. So if I have four 10 minute showers Iâve used the equivalent of 400 L of water. Whilst in reality only using 15L in total.
I drain the shower tank into the grey tank and put 15 new litres of freshwater from the freshwater tank into the shower tank.,
@@MispronouncedAdventures thanks, excellent!
Or just park on hill to drain the pipe
Does your filtering system remove the dissolved soap?
It does a carbon filter tries too but not all of it, which is why most people replace the water is recirculating shower, same as me after a few uses as the soap starts to build up.
Well I guess thereâs no peeing in the shower for you. Maybe you need Dr. Squatch all natural soap. Iâve been reading all the other comments out there and it seems a little sketchy to me but cool at the same time. What about the pH level? Soap has a lot of caustic soda in it. Well getting three showers is still a good deal. You may have already said this but how much water were you holding in your recycle system maybe it just needs a little more water? I can see where youâre having fun with this little experiment. How about a charcoal filter maybe even two you want to get rid of the fat chemicals more than micro particles also known as DNA
Funny you should mention Dr squatch, actually ordered a set from them two weeks ago which Iâm still waiting to arrive.
Having had the system in for months now on used it ( particularly in December are used it every night for three weeks whilst selling Christmas trees ) itâs been great. I think length of use of the same body of water is definitely related to the volume to use. I probably use around 15 L of water ( due to tank size ) , which means it needs replacing more often, after three or four showers. Which Iâm perfectly happy with.
The third filter in my cartridge system is a carbon block filter which I believe would serve the same function as a charcoal filter.
lol, you answer on the over video, and i was already watching the recirculating,( i design my water plan around those filters.) Alex, nice to meet your chanel,
the point of the 12v "resistance ?" is like in summer, you dont want the blower right, over wise you may create a cross vent directly to outside,
Did you see this one ? czcams.com/video/vtvy2MwbArQ/video.html
Hey, aye the point on the 12v Immersion heater ( resistance) would only really in the the summer. It will be more used as an automated passive system opposed to when I would decide to turn on and off. I will to have a relay activate when the batteries are fully charged from the solar. So at least the solar energy is being used.
I will however still use the Diesel heater in the summer for the shower. So much heat energy goes into the water that the hot air from the diesel heater is pretty cooled down so it wonât hear the van up that much
One suggestion for the presenter is to speak a little slower and possibly enunciate a bit more for us in other countries. The material may be pure gold but if people can't follow what you're telling us, a lot is lost.
Apologies I do have a habit of speaking quite fast
As for enunciation. Iâm Scotish, grew up in southern England and Then lived in the north of England/Yorkshire for 10 years. I can pronounce the same word in about three different ways.
Didn't mean it to be offensive. Some of us are more visual learners so when material is presented verbally we are at a disadvantage. Nothing makes me happier than a good diagram or chart.
Donât worry no offensive taken! My channel is called mispronounced adventures after all. My pronunciation isnât always great haha
What happens if you pee in the shower
You donât, same as I donât have a pee whilst taking a Bath.
@@MispronouncedAdventures is there an option to turn off the recycle option incase you too dirty
Indeed. When the recirculating part isnât turned on the water would just drain into the grey tank if you turn the shower on it.
@@MispronouncedAdventures okay cool. Amazing. I was thinking of putting a stand up urinal with separate drain pipe
your going to have so much gunk eventually blocking the shower drain pipe, dude trust me you cannot do that its such a bad bad bodge, that will bite you within 4 months of use.
No such issues. Not sure what bodges you are talking about? The both shower drain pipes are 40mm. So no chance of them blocking. Both the shower drains and bottom of the drain tank have a course mesh foam filter / strainers. So just like a regular shower you would clean your strainers
disgusting and overcomplicated idea....better cheaper and cleaner just to carry a bit more water
trying having an hour long hot shower in a van. you would need a hundred litres.
No sure why itâs disgusting? Shower is cleaned, sediment filtered, carbon filter and UV sterilised, thought System is designed for domestic drinking water before reuse. Itâs not a original ideal, been done many times before, this is just my adaptation for this style of water heater, it is a bit more complicated than a standard shower step up but having filter it not too complicated at all, the bonuses are having unlimited hot water showers in a van outweigh any cons in my books in regard to building it or using it.