Solar hot water heater

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Doryman

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Lori Ann
I subscribe to the Rosborough owners list, to make sure they are behaving appropriately, and found this interesting post today for a solar hot water heater made from a cooler. Not sure if this design has any inherent advantages over the garden sprayer idea that several of us use.

Warren

P.S. Blog entry date 2/6/10, if you need to search.
 
Dam red necks. looks like it will work but a solor shower bag is almost as cheap and easier to store.
 
Warren,

I see no benefit of the cooler vs. just buying a couple of the plastic Sun Shower type of roll-up when you are done showers. We use Sun Showers, have 3 of them. You can tie them to the cabin top rails and move them around to keep them in the sun. We hang them in the shower, on a hook above the door, to use. They store away in any nook available.

Brent
 
Careful Warren, The "dark side" may be checking on you too :lol:

I agree, even though we have enough space up there for Dusty to land a couple of airplanes, I wouldn't want to have to deal with 1/2 a cooler.
Two of the plastic bags OR, as we have done, just install a water heater and shower fittings for the cockpit. It's only $$$ not real money.

Merv
 
Solar bag on top of Wild Blue - $20 for the 5 gal model with thermometer

Bungee to hold it to the cabintop handrail - $1 (OK, less than that in bulk)

Run the line from the cabintop through the head window to shower - free

Feeling squeaky clean - priceless

That solar shower in a cooler looks like a project for someone who wants a project. We have the factory electric water heater on Wild Blue and certainly use it when we're at a dock with power and water available. But, when you want to conserve water, the solar bag uses WAY less than the pressure water. We can get 2 showers each out of a 5 gallon bag and still feel plenty clean. We also have a fresh water washdown in the cockpit - nice for a rinse when you get out of the water. It's not heated water, though... refreshing if it's hot out, a bit chilly otherwise.

When it's cold out, the solar showers can take all day to heat up and still not be really warm, depending on the amount of sunlight. I can run our generator for 20 minutes and have plenty of hot water from the 6 gallon unit onboard, and it will stay warm for hours.

Nice to have options.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Another vote for the convenience of a solar bag.
 
Brent,

I didn't want it but the Admiral prevailed. Very useful for storing the dinghy (Just take the plug out when it rains :oops: ) and taking photographs. Wouldn't go so far as some who will remain unnamed and put seats up there :shock:

Back to topic, you just put up a simple curtain and you have the biggest shower stall in the business.

Merv
 
Jim

I have never seen one of the solar bags with a thermostat, where did you locate that one?
 
Don and Brenda":1mgdcn0x said:
Jim

I have never seen one of the solar bags with a thermostat, where did you locate that one?
Click to expand...

Thermometer, not thermostat. It's one of those inexpensive bar-types that you can buy as a "stick on" for a car mirror. I think we bought that particular solar shower bag at the West Marine in Marathon, FL, a few years ago. We've had several different bags over the years, from the cheapies at Wal-Mart to the more substantial ones. They all work. The thermometer isn't a big deal... you can put your hand on it to get a feel for the temp.
 
Thanks Jim, My mistake on the thermometer, though I do like the idea of a therostat, I'll work on that project when I retire.
 
If it's too cold out, or cloudy, to heat the sun shower, I just heat a couple of quarts of water on the stove to near boiling and add it into the sun shower, about 100-105F -- good to go!
 
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