Water Heater

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David VanDenburgh
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Boat Name: Ariel
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Water Heater

Post by David VanDenburgh »

We have a Raritan electric water heater with exchanger aboard Ariel that I'd like to replace with something smaller so I can open up some room in the locker for more batteries. I know that there are replacements like Isotemp, Raritan and others out there, but what I'm most interested in is a heat exchanger without the electric heating element and associated wiring. We've never used that part of the system; primarily we use engine-heated water to clean dishes.

Is there a hot water tank that is JUST a heat exchanger (and considerably less money!)? And since it's more space I'm after, I'm looking for a system that's about 4 gallons. Any leads? If not, any recommendations on inexpensive systems that work?

Thanks for the help,

David
Last edited by David VanDenburgh on Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hirilondë
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Re: Hot Water Heater

Post by Hirilondë »

Why do you want to heat hot water? (sorry, just couldn't resist) ;>)
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
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Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
David VanDenburgh
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Posts: 244
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:33 pm
Boat Name: Ariel
Boat Type: Cape Dory 36
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Re: Water Heater

Post by David VanDenburgh »

See subject line. : ) Better?
Hirilondë
Master of the Arcane
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Re: Water Heater

Post by Hirilondë »

David VanDenburgh wrote:See subject line. : ) Better?
LOL, much. Now I wish I had some advice to offer.
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
David VanDenburgh
Skilled Systems Installer
Posts: 244
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:33 pm
Boat Name: Ariel
Boat Type: Cape Dory 36
Location: St. Joseph, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Water Heater

Post by David VanDenburgh »

Hirilondë wrote:
David VanDenburgh wrote:See subject line. : ) Better?
LOL, much. Now I wish I had some advice to offer.

Me too.
ILikeRust
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Re: Water Heater

Post by ILikeRust »

I am just starting to think about putting in a small heat-exchanger water heater myself. Your question prompted me to do a little Googling.

Based on the prices, it doesn't look like I'll be putting one in anytime soon...

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... +-+Isotemp

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... er+Heaters

Defender's prices are a little bit better:

http://www.defender.com/waterheater.jsp

But they're still pretty darn expensive.
Bill T.
Richmond, VA

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible." - T E Lawrence
ILikeRust
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Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 8:22 pm
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Re: Water Heater

Post by ILikeRust »

Oops, I re-read your post and realized you're asking for a heater that is JUST a heat exchanger; no electric. That is what I would be looking for also.

I didn't realize those heaters were also electric...

To quote the infamous Emily Litella: "nevermind."
Bill T.
Richmond, VA

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible." - T E Lawrence
David VanDenburgh
Skilled Systems Installer
Posts: 244
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:33 pm
Boat Name: Ariel
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Location: St. Joseph, Michigan
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Re: Water Heater

Post by David VanDenburgh »

I doubt that I'll pursue this project - too many already - but the idea of using an aluminum propane tank had crossed my mind. It would seem like one could install three more fittings on the tank, two of which would be dedicated to a coil that "floated" in the middle of the tank and served as the heating element, thus creating an engine-heated water tank without too much effort. It would have to be insulted, of course, which might involve putting it in a container of some sort and then surrounding it with expanding foam which is then trimmed to size and covered in a layer of fiberglass cloth to finish it. Anyway, it's an idea. Not sure how practical it is.
mitiempo
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Re: Water Heater

Post by mitiempo »

It is practical but would need custom fabrication. A tank of the size you can fit in a material that will not corrode - stainless or even fiberglass - a coil inside and connections for engine cooling in/out and water feed in/out are all that is needed, of course with insulation surrounding it.

If you had a stainless tank of the proper size you could remove one end, insert coil, and re-weld the end on.
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