Orton DIY - Water System

[Graphite Dave]

The system is installed in the sliding door step area under the sink cabinet. Seemed like a good use of that space and kept most of the piping lower than the van floor in case of leaks. Also made it easy to drain the system. The fresh water tank outlet is located above the step just in front of the rear wheel well. Attached to the outlet is a tee. One leg of the tee goes to a hose bib to allow tank draining. The other leg has a ball valve and then goes through a rubber hose to the pump inlet. Out of the pump after a second rubber hose is another tee. One leg of that tee goes down to a hose bib that allows draining of the water system. The other leg goes to a copper manifold that goes to the sink and attaches to a Pex pipe that goes across the van in the floor to the shower. The shower leg also has a ball valve so I can isolate that part of the system. The whole system is 1/2" piping.
The pump is a Shurflo Whisper King model 2093. It is a low flow (2 GPM) low pressure (30 psi) low speed 3 chamber pump. Works OK and is not too loud. Due to space constraints I could not use the Shurflo silencing kit. 3' hoses did not fit the space. Instead I used plain old black heater hoses about 1' long. They are more flexible that sanitary hoses. I suspect most small RV's have higher volume higher pressure pumps that contribute to a higher noise level. A larger pump may not fit in the step area.
Still need to make a support for the copper manifold. Manifold will be supported from bottom of sink cabinet.
Now that I am done with the system, I would not do it the same way next time. After deciding on a portable hot water tank I no longer need a pressure system. The sink water would just have a small centrifugal pump that you turn on at the faucet when you want water and turn off when done. Have a hose bib after pump to manually fill the hot water tank.

[thampiss]

Originally Posted by Graphite Dave

.
Now that I am done with the system, I would not do it the same way next time. After deciding on a portable hot water tank I no longer need a pressure system. The sink water would just have a small centrifugal pump that you turn on at the faucet when you want water and turn off when done. Have a hose bib after pump to manually fill the hot water tank.

So you would not need the heater below your freshwater tank? Do you have a diagram of how the proposed system would work? I have been educating myself by reading your posts while waiting to buy a Sprinter. Many thanks.

[Graphite Dave]

I would not buy the Espar water heater from Mercedes. Instead I would buy a Espar air heater. Probably install it under van floor behind the sliding door step. Air inlet on vertical step wall at the front of the step and outlet up through the floor and out in front of right rear wheel well. Would not need the water radiator with fan now installed in right rear. For this van I will complete the system using the water Espar. Still need to build and install the water heat exchanger. Got very busy with designing a beer bottling line so have not worked on the Sprinter for two months.

[Ski_Bike_Camp]

I did the Espar Rixen system. You get on-demand hot water and heat in one unit. There are pictures on my V3 Mobile thread.

[cedarsanctum]

Originally Posted by Graphite Dave

I would not buy the Espar water heater from Mercedes. Instead I would buy a Espar air heater. Probably install it under van floor behind the sliding door step. Air inlet on vertical step wall at the front of the step and outlet up through the floor and out in front of right rear wheel well. Would not need the water radiator with fan now installed in right rear. For this van I will complete the system using the water Espar. Still need to build and install the water heat exchanger. Got very busy with designing a beer bottling line so have not worked on the Sprinter for two months.

I'm not so sure installing an Espar air heater outside of the van interior is a good idea, they are really not weather tight. The heater itself is meant to mount inside the cab with the exhaust and combustion intake air passing through the body. The body of the unit just has a plastic cover over the internal workings, and would be prone to all sorts of corrosion and moisture problems. They're not at all like the water heating units.

[Graphite Dave]

I may never do it. It would be on the next van. Depends if a better van becomes available. I will use the Espar water heater and the 12 volt heating pad in this van. I would think I could install air heater between step and frame rail and put a sealed removable SS 14 ga. cover under the heater with two holes for the intake and exhaust. So heater would be protected from the elements. Noise should be less and it would not take up interior space. Have to do some measuring to see if idea is possible.

[cedarsanctum]

I like the idea of the cover. Easiest would be to mount the heater to the cover, then mount the cover assembly to the frame. Flexible ducting would allow you to drop the heater down enough to detach it. That would only clear up interior space, the noise issue would still be there. Most of the inside noise from mine comes from the heater outlet itself, not the unit, unless you're outside. The intake itself makes a sucking sound even on low. Mine is buried deep in a hard to get at place under the refrigerator, and it makes very little difference how much noise barrier i tried for the heater unit, most of the sound came right out of the duct. In the end i left most of the sound barrier attempts out, preferring good air flow around the unit instead, even though it rarely ever feels warm to the touch.
Jef

[Graphite Dave]

Completed the water system inside the van. Made a support for the tee in the plumbing out of 1/4" x 2" aluminum that bolts to the bottom of the sink cabinet. Used two 1/4" SS U-bolts to attach the tee to the aluminum plate. Since the last picture I have installed a 3/4" copper drain line from the propane storage locker in the sink cabinet. It exits out through the back wall of the step. Glued the propane copper fittings together instead of soldering. There is a 1/2" air inlet at the top of the propane locker with a hose from the air vent hole in the floor on opposite side of van.
The water system has 6 valves. A 3/4" hose bib valve to drain the fresh water tank. A 1/2" ball valve between the fresh water tank and the pump inlet to shut off water to the pump for service. A 3/4" hose bib after pump outlet to provide pressure water to a hose. A tee after the pressure hose bib sends water to the sink valve and across the van through a 1/2" ball valve on the water line for the Pex pipe that goes to a location behind the drivers seat. There is another 1/2" ball valve located behind the drivers seat so I can fill the portable hot water tank without moving the tank. Just have a short length of 1/2" heater hose that I stick into tank fill opening.