Insta-hot water heater

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Ordutch1975

New member
Hi all,

Just curious (while waiting on my boat...) how does the insta-hot water tank work that comes with the venture? is this only functional when hooked up to shore power?

I am thinking of installing a shower on the back deck and Ting it into the sink lines. I am just curious how this works.

Thanks,
Harald
 
Yes, only on shore power. I bought a new Honda EU2000i gas generator last season and love it. I would recommend buying one and then you can run all your shore power items when ever you're away from the dock.
 
That is unfortunate. I really rather not carry a generator I also dislike the noise of them. Maybe I will get one of those little hot water tank units that will keep hot water for a while.

Thanks for the info :-)

Harald
 
Get a big kahuna shower, heat some water on stove, add to water in tank.
Had one for 3 years now, great for washing dishes on cutting table or rinsing off pot puller plus taking a shower. I also use it for rinsing the salt of the windows, will reach all the way to forward glass.
https://youtu.be/bThmmHyHwjk
 
Can anyone enlighten me on an "insta-hot water tank" in C Dories. I have not seen one. I am familiar with the 6 gallon 120/about 1200 / 1500 watt heater element. In looking for an "instal-hot water tank"..I did find an " InSinkErater 750 watt tankless water heater", which uses 750 watts, and holds 2/3 gallon. The 750 watt unit can work off a honda EU 1000, and even potentially with an inverter when an engine with large alternator, to charge the battery. (Don't consider this with the small standard battery bank or a low output alternator.).

Ordutch 1975, if you have the standard 6 gallon tank, and heat that at the dock, it will stay warm enough for a shower for a number of hours.

Many of us use solar showers, with come in sizes ranging from 2 quarts to over 5 gallons. That is what we use. Also a garden pump up sprayer left in the sun often gets hot enough for a good warm shower, and the high pressure saves a lot of water.
 
I really rather not carry a generator I also dislike the noise of them.
Click to expand...

I have one of the Honda 2000i generators too. I love it. Unlike most generators, the Honda is amazingly quiet. I put mine on a little platform in the splash well when using it......works well. When not using it, I either leave it there in calm conditions, or put it in the head where it fits perfectly.
 
breausaw":ilkhpzs6 said:
Get a big kahuna shower, heat some water on stove, add to water in tank.
Had one for 3 years now, great for washing dishes on cutting table or rinsing off pot puller plus taking a shower. I also use it for rinsing the salt of the windows, will reach all the way to forward glass.
https://youtu.be/bThmmHyHwjk
Click to expand...

Too funny that looks like the container I have for our dogs food. What I am hoping to do is put a recessed port on the back corner of the cab with a hot/cold dial and a water connection.

I am looking at some options like propane heaters and the like (of course need to be installed outside the cab). It is a work in progress. I plan to work on this over the winter. I'd like to have it plumbed into the main water supply. I want to keep the boat as decluttered as I can and limit the amount of stuff I have to haul along.

Maybe a unit like this. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CJPU6JI/re ... 33634&sr=1
 
Harald,

If thats the case you should go to the factory and tell them your concerns/needs since they're building your boat new. Then they can do a clean install and you'll have the boat set up the way you like it.
 
Part of the fun is doing it myself. I enjoy building and modifying things. To me working on projects and making something the way I want is fun. But yes I will ask on the 4rth when I go visit the factory what their thoughts are.

H
 
Ordutch1975":5br160bk said:
Part of the fun is doing it myself. I enjoy building and modifying things. To me working on projects and making something the way I want is fun. But yes I will ask on the 4rth when I go visit the factory what their thoughts are.

H
Click to expand...

Gotcha , cool. That sounds like a good winter project then!
 
There are a number of problems with installed propane systems on boats. One is the issue of propane tank connection/storage. If you just use the small green 1# bottles, it may be OK. (I store mine in the port lazarett which drains overboard. With a larger tank, you have to have it in a sealed locker which drains overboard--(not into the cockpit)

Also in FAQ the seller responds about the propane system you cited:

Please make sure to prevent the water heater from rain and wind.
Click to expand...

Several other answers suggest that English is not primary language--bottom line: that it is not waterproof--and that will be a major issue with a boat. Also is the issue of venting the exhaust gas--even outside--if you have a Bimini.
There is a history of these units catching on fire, as well as the bug-a-boo of the mismatched British standard/pipe threads..

I did have a somewhat similar unit which was made in Europe for boats--installed in a 38 footer --with proper venting and properly installed propane system, including sniffer in the bilge, with remote solenoid cut off at the tank--sealed locker, with overboard drain etc. It was larger than this unit--and worked well. But these are not approved to use in the USA...

I believe that there are much safer and better ways of having hot water aboard. I would be looking into a truly instant heating system (Since no one has been able to describe the system which you thought was factory installed--that is most likely the standard 6 gallon water heater which draws 1200 watts.) The web site on the specs for the Venture 23 shows "Insta-Hot Water" and "water system, hot" as standard on the boat. Also the web site shows 110 V AC system standard--I noted that Wefing's had it as an additional option???? The web site also says "© Fluid Marine LLC" at the bottom, so it may not be accurate. What comes standard on your boat--and what are you getting?


If your boat is in the build process currently--you need to be sure that a 6 gallon water tank not placed into your boat now--if you want to use another system. You need to be communicating with the factory! If I was shelling coin for a new Venture 23, I would want the factory/sales person to correspond with me on every detail....!! If you cannot find out from the factory--then get the salesman who sold you the boat to find out exactly what comes on the boat. I would give some consideration to a simple inverter with 800 watt inverter to run something like the In-Sink-Erator--with the 40 amp alternator on the main engine at full output it will take 2x the time it takes to heat the water, to re-charge the battery--probably 20 minutes to heat the water, and 40 minutes to recharge the battery...

I "T" ed the water system on the Tom Cat to provide a shower on the transom. It worked fine--but I heated the water with the Honda Generator.
 
I believe it is something like this http://www.amazon.com/InSinkErator-H-CO ... nstant+hot

I dont want to remove the factory unit rather want to add a port for water connections on the back and build a mount for the propane heater on the back and use 1lb tanks (which we will store in a separate airtight container for the buddy heater, grill and possible water heater)- I intend to then hook up the hoses when we want to use it, hang the heater and be rd to go. I think this will work - we'll see when it comes I am just spit balling here. I have a weird aversion to noise and thus rather not have a generator but that may change. We'll see when she comes.

I saw this generator too as an alternative to the Honda everyone loves - WEN 56200i.

anyways its a work in progress
 
If you want to add a port for water, there are several--and many of the C Dory line come with one of two types of self sealing ports, which are like--but in my experience not identical to air hose connections. That should be easy to do.

As for the generator--we seem to see another competing brand to Yamaha and Honda ever couple of years. They come--and they go--Champion was one, there have been half a dozen in the years. Maybe the Wen is equal to the Honda and Yamaha, maybe not. We had such good service from the Hondas that I am not tempted to take a chance. I have one Honda generator I have owned close to 35 years and it still runs fine--after traveling over 100,000 miles on board boats. I have a friend who is running a Honda EU 2000 over 16 hours a day, for the last 90 days without a hitch. Not sure what his longevity is going to be, but he has another brand larger generator, he runs during the day, and it has broken down twice during this time. Right now he is trying to find parts for it--which can be an issue...with the "orphan" brands. -- It may be that the Wen is as good as the Honda--and may have a good parts distribution service---but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
 
Just some thoughts on hot water. My wife and I have a simple solution to hot water when we are travelling in the camper, on the boat, in the kayak or just in the car. Every morning we fill a couple of thermos bottles with hot water and then we are ready if we want a hot drink, instant soup or just need to wash something, we have hot water all the time, in limited quantities. On the C-Dory we tend to cook on the Wallas in the morning and there is usually a spare hot burner to heat our extra water on. Also if the seas get to rough to cook, we still have some hot water. When in boats, wether that be the C-Dory, Kayak or Canoe, I like to have a thermos of hot water with me for emergency purposes, like an unplanned swim in cold water, to help stave off hypothermia.
 
Some more thought for the DIY crowd. I went a different way, but I thought about this. There are 12V heating elements that fit a home water heater. They vary in wattage, but I know that they go as low as 300 watts (I have one) and that the smaller ones are made with two elements with separate electrical connections. In other words, you can use a single element of only 150 watts (13 Amps). Igloo makes an insulated "cooler" that these can fit inside of. With some epoxy and ingenuity, it would be possible to make a little 3 gallon 12V hot water tank.

I did the calculations and in a couple of hours of cruising I would have enough warm water for two showers and it would stay warm for hours. I decided that my "collapsible bucket" system shown in my photos was simpler. I can heat water to boiling in a few minutes on my inversion burner and add it to a bucket of cold. Then I just drop in my little pump/shower head. Faster and less electricity.

Mark
 
I first encountered using Thermos for providing hot water all day long in several Chinese universities in the late 1980s. Hot water heating was from coal and totally centralized. We did not have hot or potable water in our rooms. Every morning and every evening two large thermos arrived outside my door, often with a flower or some small gift (very Chinese). I first made tea, maybe some instant oatmeal (rice gets old three times a day), and then mixed hot and cold and bathed in the sink. I set aside a cup to cool to brush my teeth. I was careful to only drink boiled water, as were my patrons. The system worked great, and I still use it on my boat and car camping, as well as when I scuba dive, I keep two large Coleman thermos with hot water to pour into my wetsuit. Puget Sound can be very cold, and this really helps keep the extremities warm.
 
Coleman makes a propane fueled hot water on demand portable unit. It uses the small green tanks. It attaches to clear poly water bags in 5 and 7 gallon size and comes with a shower attachment. I bought one to wash hot water into my wetsuit before and after surfing in Neah Bay. It would help stave off hypothermia!

Its a pretty neat setup and not very expensive. Mine still works over a decade later. I don't use it on the boat, but might if I still lived in a cold climate.
 
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