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offgrid 
Senior Member 
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
 Topic: Concept for cold weather use of rPod water systemsPosted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:29pm |
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I use the crimp tool and ss crimps. Not having used the ring type I can’t compare either. I’ve rarely if ever had a problem getting into small spaces with the crimp tool though, it doesn’t go around the tube so you don’t need space behind or side to side of the tube but you do need some space in front to open up the crimp handles.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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texman
Senior Member
Joined: 24 Jul 2014 Location: TeXas Online Status: Offline Posts: 446 |
Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:39pm |
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i am planning to use the shark bite fittings since i dont have any pex tools. they should work well in the tight areas i think. my 182g has two low drain points and the rear kitchen sink too. i plan to put valves and join the low point drains and move them inside the pod walls if possible. not sure that will work out if the low point drains will be inaccesible one moved inside the pod. need to do some investigating. i am also thinking i will add a pressure regulator to limit the amount of water flowing back into the fresh water tank via the overflow line. hopefully that will limit the flow enough to allow the water to drain back into the tank instead of blow out the overflow.
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 5:08pm |
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Maybe that’s what You meant Texman but probably just a valve is all you need to regulate the flow back into the fresh tank. Press on sharkbite type fitting work just fine, they’re just spendy. Personally I don’t think the low point drain fitting are going to be be necessary as you will have a route to flow any antifreeze back through the whole system once you’ve made these mods, but adding interior valves for them won’t hurt anything if you can find a place for them.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 10:16am |
I am thinking of doing this modification, mostly to reduce water use by pre-heating the water going to the kitchen sink and the shower. The valve in the link is brass, and the listing states that it is not for use with drinking water due to lead content. I have been looking at a stainless steel version, but can't find it in a 1/2" model. I did find this 1/4" model: With a couple of adapters, would this work? I would think that a small water flow through a 1/4" valve would be adequate for the tasks of making sure hot water is available immediately as well as to help with freeze prevention in overnight breeze situations. Given the smaller diameter, it also should be less likely to be too much for the overflow pipe to handle on the return side. What do you think?
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 10:45am |
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I think it ought to work OK. The pump will work a little harder that it would with a larger valve. You could also get one of these:
which is cheaper, the right size and is a 3 wire device, and run it from the little W1209 thermostat card via a spdt (single pole double throw) relay, like this: It would have the added advantage of better isolation of the W1208 thermostat. IIRC, Texman had a noise issue with a couple of the ones he got originally and had to get a second set. His second set were the same as the ones I got for my water heater temp adjustment which worked OK.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 10:58am |
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1" seems a bit large. What about 3/4" stainless steel? Also, the link was for a 2-wire auto-return valve. I was not thinking of running it with a thermostat, but either manually or with a timer. The primary use will be the instant hot water. I don't recall the issues Texman had. I'll have to look for that post. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 12:14pm |
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Sorry I meant this one. Since the pex lines are 1/2 inch I think a ball valve that size should be fine and easiest to connect to.
Up to you but I wouldn't want to get up all night long to turn the valve on and off manually. And running it continuously would waste a ton of propane and electricity. Here's a rough schematic of what I had in mind to do. The manual switch and tstat spst relay contacts are in parallel so either will turn on the spdt relay coil, the contacts of which then send 12V to the "open" wire of the valve. A spdt relay is needed because you have to power on the valve both open and closed. Once its in a position it stays there and doesn't draw any power, so you can leave 12V on the "closed" wire of the valve when the manual switch and the tstat are off. Hope that makes sense.  |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 12:59pm |
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Thanks for the clarification and the link. I see what you mean. That is why I said I was thinking of a timer that would cycle it periodically if it is cold but use a manual switch if I just want to pre-heat the water in the lines for dishes or a shower. However, a thermostat teamed with a manual switch is probably better since it then would not run if it were not needed.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 2:49pm |
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The W1209 thermostats only cost a few $. They're really pretty nice, versatile, easy to set up and have a nice little display. You can calibrate the temp probe in an ice bath and adjust for any errors using a setpoint. You can power everything up using the 12V switched supply at the water heater. The probe should be long enough to reach from there to the base of the pump supply line which is going to be place that will freeze first. You can put your manual switch on the wall next to the outlet by the furnace if you don't want to fish another set of wires all the way back to where the other switches are.
Or, get one of these instead of a manual on/off switch. Just push the button once and forget. Not sure if 10 seconds is enough or not, might need a different potentiometer. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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texman
Senior Member
Joined: 24 Jul 2014 Location: TeXas Online Status: Offline Posts: 446 |
Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 6:49pm |
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Holler if you have questions. I completed the recirc mod a while back.
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Concept for cold weather use of rPod water systems