A hot shower!

[johnamross]

I have a small cruiser which I would like to use for extented cruising in warm and not so warm areas. I have a Volvo 2002 18HP diesel and I m considering fitting a heat exchanger so that I can shower while the engine is running. Has anybody tried this? Any advice?
Thanks, John

[Bro-ofasailer]

If your a woman (or a fish) please email me. I''d love to take a hot shower with u!

[jklewissf]

I had a 10 gallon heat exchanger water heater on my last boat. The 13 hp engine had to run a very long time to make the water in the tank reasonably hot.

We usually used a sun shower...If there was not enough sun to heat the water we would heat it on the stove and pour it into the sun shower. Very hot water from the stove mixed with cold water in the sun shower made for a warm shower.

On a sunny day the sun shower got to hot for me. So, my wife would use it first and then I would add some cold water and take my shower.

[hamiam]

I have done it on several of my boats and it does take a while to heat up the water unless you spend a fair bit of cash on the water heater itself. Practical Sailor did a review and found that Super Stor warmed up the quickest and Isotemp held heat the longest. Its a trade off as if you get a small tank it will heat more easily but run out of water quicker and vise-verse for a bigger tank.

[geohan]

Re Hot water from engine waste heat. I haven''t tried it but would think two tanks in series might be an answer. Enter the potable water into one tank and thence to a smaller tank from which the hot water is drawn. Direct the hot engine water into the smaller tank first thence to the other tank in a manner counter to the flow of the potable water. The small tank should heat quickly and after a long motor the other tank should be hot as well or at least warm enough to avoid that sudden cold during the middle of your shower. Just a thought, George.

[obiec]

I have a 33 foot boat whith a grate shower all it is is a hose over by the stove, with a pump on it yo heet some water on the stove through the hose in turn on the pump, which is just an rv water pump, then in the head there is a hose with a shower head on it it is the same as yo have on your kitchen sink. so when yo press the lever yo have good hot water and you are set.