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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Cheap Hotwater solututions at the cabin?
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bushbunkie
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 15:08
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Hi All,
Currently we have a well with hand pump and Yamaha genny for power at the cabin with an RV stove/oven inside for cooking. I'm working on the bathroom (currently have outhouse) and will be installing a tub and toilet soon...though the actual water system into the cabin may take a few years still. For the toilet, we would simply bucket flush and drain into the septic system...but a step up from the outhouse for my wife!
I was thinking about how I could fill a tub of hot water for my wife and my neighbour suggested simply buying a propane turkey cooker with the big pot. Fill it with water, boil it and empty into tub. these burners are 60 BTU - so it would go pretty fast. I though it was not a bad idea and pretty simple for our current situation. Anyone else have a better simple system they are using at the moment? Ideas welcome...operative word being "cheap" !
Turkey Fryer
Turkey Fryer


xtolekbananx
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 15:22
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I use a wood stove. Put a big pot (same as with the turkey cooker) on it and is no time I have hot water, enough for a shower and other things. I once left full pot of water on wood stove overnight and in the AM the water was boiling. I also have the turkey cooker just in case and for those days I dont run wood stove. If you want to go fancy look at propane tankless showers and a 12v flojet pumps, the whole setup wouldn't cost you much, probably less than $200.

bushbunkie
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 16:26
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Cool....thanks XT.....I haven’t heard of the 12v flojets....will have a look.

darz5150
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 18:18 - Edited by: darz5150
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I got one of these for a buddy of mine. He uses the turkey burner or the stove to heat the water. He has a shower stall roughed in. He powers it with a portable jump box with a lighter plug built in. He and his girlfriend love it.
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DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 18:34 - Edited by: DaveBell
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$120
Free Fuel.
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Just
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 19:05
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You can get a used flojet for 20$ at the trailer place in Port Huron .

buckybuck
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 19:18 - Edited by: buckybuck
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I experimented with a turkey fryer a couple of years ago. I didn't feel comfortable lugging around that much heavy, scalding water.

And I'd try to talk your wife into a shower instead of a tub. You'll need less space for a shower, and a heck of a lot less hand-pumped water from that well.

Here's what I do at my cabin. (Admittedly, my system resembles something the Professor on Gilligan's Island might have designed after a night of drinking hootch with the Skipper). I've got a flojet pump. The output side is plumbed to the shower faucet and it works pretty much like a real shower, meaning the pump turns on when you open the faucet and you control the water flow the same way.

On the input side of the pump, I've got a long hose that I stick into a recycled 20 lb. cat litter jug. What I do is fill the jug up with water, then dump some of that water into a two-quart saucepan, heat that water up to near boiling on the cook stove, and then pour that water back into the jug. It's just the right temperature for a shower.

cspot
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 19:38
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We have a gas stove that I heat water on for our showers. I don't heat all the water, but simply take a pot and get water to a boil and then add room temp water to get it to the right temperature. Sometimes during the summer during hot days we leave the water out in a 5 gallon water jug and it can get pretty warm on it's own.

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 19:50
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Quoting: bushbunkie
my neighbour suggested simply buying a propane turkey cooker with the big pot

Sure has worked for us

Borrego
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2017 20:10
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https://www.eccotemp.com/eccotemp-l5-portable-tankless-water-heater/

Nate R
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2017 08:57
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This is what we have for now. Stores easily, transports OK. Wife and I easily get a shower for each of us out of 1 tank. And the burner doesn't take real long to heat up water.

http://zodi.com/hot-showers/extreme-sc

bushbunkie
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2017 09:03
Reply 


Thanks all....some great ideas to explore...will check up on some of these links!

Gary,so you are currently using the fryer idea for your hot water needs at the cabin? Any major drawbacks?
Btw...HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the cabin folks and families!

bushbunkie
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2017 09:08
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Thanks Just.....Port Huron is close to Home and I know that trailer place.

Ontario lakeside
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:24
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we use an ecotemp and 12 volt pump. Its really worth the investment for the convenience. You can see our setup in this video if you like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=funUNu9zVLQ&t=44s

bushbunkie
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2017 14:26
Reply 


Quoting: Ontario lakeside
we use an ecotemp and 12 volt pump. Its really worth the investment for the convenience.


Hey Thanks Ontario LS - I waffle back and forth re. how much to invest as there are so many other projects and priorities - and I have thought of this system - the video is really helpful. Question about the 12 volt battery - will it run the pump for a weekend say...for 4 - 6 showers total?

Ontario lakeside
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2017 16:53
Reply 


Yes that battery would work for 6 - 5 min showers no problem. I have to say, having hot water on demand makes everyone happier.

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 1 Jan 2018 00:33
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Quoting: bushbunkie
Gary,so you are currently using the fryer idea for your hot water needs at the cabin? Any major drawbacks?

Just using it for heating water for spring baths in the meadow (too far to carry from the cabin)

summer, we let ol' sol heat it

other'n that we just heat water the ol' fashion way, atop the earth stove

Cooking, cabi thinks this rocks


and, of course the BBQ

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 1 Jan 2018 02:40
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Just put it right under the tub




DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 1 Jan 2018 08:12
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTP3EFSjPtM

skootamattaschmidty
Member
# Posted: 1 Jan 2018 10:26
Reply 


We use an eccotemp L10 so a bigger version of the L5 and it is fantastic. I really think the L5 with a 12v pump would be much easier and convenient for you. A turkey fryer is about $100 and will take a while to heat the water each time you use it. And then you have the issue of carrying the big pot of hot water.
Other ideas include a shower in the bag. We used one for a number of years. In the summer I'd let the sun heat the water. When it was colder I would heat a kettle of water and fill the bag and add cold to make a nice temperature. I had a hook I could hang over the tub and if you were efficient you could get 2 showers easily.
One final idea is the Coleman on demand hot water heater. It's portable, has a built in pump and heats water quickly. We used one for years when we were camping. Not sure the price of them anymore though.

bushbunkie
Member
# Posted: 1 Jan 2018 15:56
Reply 


Thanks Scoot...I’m going to take a serious look at Ecotemp options with the 12 volt pump. Lots of great ideas provided. Thanks all!

justins7
Member
# Posted: 2 Jan 2018 10:29
Reply 


I have a shower stall in my cabin, but in winter the water is shut off due to freezing.

To heat water for a shower I use a 5-gallon bucket with a bucket heater (see link below). It's designed specifically for a plastic bucket and works well — the water is hot enough for a shower in about 45 minutes. I then put the bucket in the shower stall and use a portable USB-rechargeable shower head device (see below, similar to the car-charging version someone linked to earlier) to spray the water. It works great! (Sometimes I stand in a large basin so that I can collect the grey water for further scrubbing and recycling.)

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/037835-allied-precision-bucket-heater.html

https://www.amazon.com/Ivation-Portable-Outdoor-Battery-Powered/dp/B00IFHFJXI

And BTW, for dishes and other washing I use a large electric water kettle, which also works well:

https://www.amazon.com/Adcraft-Countertop-Water-Boiler-Capacity/dp/B004FNZM9C/ref=sr_ 1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1514906530&sr=8-4&keywords=hot+water+urn+100+cup

bc thunder
Member
# Posted: 2 Jan 2018 11:05
Reply 


Takes a little effort, but I heat water on the wood stove, pour into a plastic caring tote with a shower head attached, and hang on a hook on the ceiling.
I have a shower curtain with a large plastic tub to stand in. Works great........
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