Twine Shower long intake hose

You're right about priming I reckon. I don't require a high 'head" as i always have water supply at road level. However, I have had issues with the pump not wanting to self-prime which has led me to fit a small rubber bulb (from outboard motor) to the intake end of the hose. This stays on there and sits in the plastic box which I fill with water. A couple of squeezes gets it primed and pumping ; no worries.
Cheers
Roachie

Willie

If you are only getting a small amount of control over the water temp via the heater controls - the installers probably about-faced the hose route. I get great control over my Glind, and inserted the unit AFTER the heater core - i.e. on the return line back to the block. By operating the heater control valve, you essentially let water into the heater core in the cabin where it "radiates" heat - i.e. gets rid of excess temperature. I you get the hot water going through the core first, and then into your shower's heat exchanger, by simply closing the heater core off you get the hottest water going though the heat exchanger. If you fully open the heater core valve, then water is much cooler as it has already radiated heat into the cabin - and you get a cooler chower. Then you have a heap of control in between.

I use the FlowJet 4L/min pump in the shower I installed into the Patrol. I found that the 12lpm pump just shoves far too much water thought the heat exchanger and the result is a cold shower. If you restrice the flow via a hshower rose-mounted slide valve, then you will get the hotter shower - as you have said. I've spoken with FlowJet in the USA and they don't reccomend restricting the flow of the pump for too long.

How's your heater control sensitivity when you close off the shower rose valve?

Gday Willie

I've got a 100series TD and the ARB guys told me that they install a larger heat exchanger as this model idles slowly and cooler than required for optimum shower temp. They also told me that this "newer" model is not dependent on the cabin heater control and to simply alter the flow from the rose... and that the pump had a pressure switch so no harm done.

cheers
JohnN

Chrispy and John ,

I really appreciate both your comments . I will investigate the hose routing and will check the make of the pump and see if the Company says it is OK to restrict the flow .

John , I also have a TD .

Cheers ,

Willie .

If the pump is a Shurflow or Flowjet , then stopping the flow of water is no problem.

They have an internal shut off.

These pumps are used for pressurised water systems on Caravans and boats.

Turn the taps on , the pump starts and water flows. Turn the taps off the pump stops.

I spoke to a guy from Glind Showers a couple of weeks ago about the exact thing

Interesting concept..... :)

Do you have one, or have you seen one in use? Looking at the figures, even at the highest flow rate (shower rose tipped right down) it goes through 15 litres in 5 minutes - which is 3 litres/minute - not a really high flow at all. Maybe the shower rose has really fine jets that still give good pressure and as such doesn't need to use as much water as the AAA water-saver head that I use on both my Glind and Coleman Hot Water On Demand systems.

The website doesn't tell me what you pay for one of these - but I'd be interested to take a look at one - I think it's a good concept.

I'll try calling today...

Thanks for the info!

I just rang the manufacturer. These units are still in the prototype stage - and won't be production-ready for at least another couple of months. No pricing yet either. Shelley (the manager?) will get back to me when they're ready to go - or at least when they put some photos up on their website showing one in use.

Cheers
Chris

John - be wary of the "Gardena" type clip-on hose fittings. If you use one on the suction side (i.e. "input"), then these fittings are a right royal PITA. After only a little while, they start to loosen and flex a little, letting air bubbles into the line. When this happens, you get a really on-off "spurty" cantankerous shower. Much better idea is to go to a Pirtek (or similar) store and grab yourself some air line pressure hose fittings that snap together, or use screw-together garden hose fittings in-line.

Fixed all my initial problems this way....

Cheers :)
Chris

I agree.

I've ditched the Garden hose stuff , and gone to Airline Hoses and Connectors. They work extremely well.

Also on the temp issue.

Another idea folks are using (and I'm about to change to) , is to run a seperate Heater Valve inline to the Heat Exchanger. Allows temp adjustments from under the bonnet , and , if need be , can be used in conjunction with the vehicles heater controls.

I guy I know actually has his setup , with the cable , so it can be adjusted whilst IN the shower.

I'm also toying around with the idea of a Mixer style set of taps to better adjust water temp (like glind use on boat instals).

John ,
Where are you going on the Abercrombie ? I own the land between the Isabella River and Abercrombie River Junction . It is very rugged with hardly a flat place to camp , but very beautiful .
In the winter the trout run up there out of the dam , but in summer, it gets to hot for them and we are just left with rotten monstrous carp .
I hope the weather is good for you - Easter is the most pleasant time of the year to go down there .
Cheers ,
Willie .

Gday Willie

A mate owns about 750acres on the river near Tuena. We leave the council road about 2kms from Tuena and have an hours 4WD to get to the camp spot on the river. He had to put some track through and as you say it is pretty rough... but once there, brilliant. We end up camping below the Yarraman ridge near Morris point. As you say the carp are everywhere. We head up there most long w/e's and any other time we can get 3-4 days in a row minimum.... have been for some years now.

cheers
JohnN

Yep, totally agree with ya Roachie...

There was a similar discussion here not so long ago, and I'm amazed that people continue to talk about drawing water directly from rivers/streams for washing/showering etc.. W-a-y too close!!
(In fact, anywhere below "high water" mark is too close for such activity, IMO)

Cya.. Ed. C.

I agree in general , but lets not jump to conclusions.

One , it wans't actually mentioned it WAS for showering purposes , just assumed. Plenty of people use these pumps to refill , tanks, bladders , jerrys etc , to take away to shower etc.

There are biodegradable soaps and shampoo that cause no problems.

But yes , I agree about showering to close to rivers/creeks.