Very cool Idea!! 💡

I have thought about recirculating hot water from a system like this for heat. Good video.

Well done 👍

This is my first time watching one of your videos. You might have already made an in depth video of your shower system. I like the idea of only needing 300 watts to heat up your water so a person can take a quick shower. Hopefully I will find a video explainging how your water tanks and solar power is setup. I'm trying to design a small lightweight travel trailer using a quad recumbent trike with an elecrtric battery and pedal assist. I got the idea from watching folks over in Europe using cargo boxes to deliver packages. I just want to be able to use mine as a camper with all the amenities. I want to be able to cook, shower and go anywhere I want without needing any fuel whatsoever except solar panles and a nice top quality generator like my Eocoflow to run my 72 watt heater and my small fridge. Thanks for posting your video. Have a wonderful day Dadz Van.

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing.

Got to replace the tank in my almost 45 year old American Boler camper I just purchased in Austin . . . BelieveItOrNot I pulled it back to southern Mo with my Smart Car 😮

Awesome video.

Very interested in this, even with your low wattage that's decent! Nice cabinets as well.

👍👌🇨🇦❤, just so a person does not need to use the AC thermostat, there are 12, 24, volt elements sold with a built in thermostat on the element. Try Arizona Wind and Solarfor supply. Just need more solar wattage than the wattage of the element, all is good

I am about to do this and I have 800w on the roof of the van and have found the same capacity hot water system, in a square shape. I will get silicone heating pads, slap them on the side of the tank, use my own thermal sensor and controller to regulate it, while keeping the AC guts all untouched. Enabling it to still be powered from the inverter or mains power as well as the lithium battery. But the best part is I will sense the voltage on the battery and when the battery is showing it is in the topping off stage I will enable the hot water system to charge from the solar coming in. I will also have a bypass that will let me choose to heat the water when the battery is at any voltage.

Thank you for this video!

Can use copper tubing to connect with radiator and. link it to the hot water tank. Do this will heat up the tank very fast while the RV engine is running.

Very cool.

Clever. Considering similar but instead installing the Dernord element directly into the 10 gal fresh water tank--(1) keeps the water warm and (2) prevents the tank from freezing. Thanks for sharing as now I have better confidence that it will work.

I made a Honda clone generator giving me 5000 watts ac 110/220 and 12vdc, I charge 3 150 amp hours battreys and have a 3000 watt ac inverter with 450 watt hours of DC storage, I wrapped 1/2 inch aluminum pipes around the muffler and heat tape wrapped the muffler. I heat water 💧 through 1 coil and I heat antifreeze thru the second coil around my exhaust. My generator runs on propane or gas ⛽️ this is a good solution I have enough power to run a house 🏠 😊

very creative

I have done the same thing using 120v and 240v elements 1500watt 4500watt elements if I remember correctly the higher voltage higher wattage 240volt elements were less watts in the hundreds on 12 volt .

Just wondering, at ~90-98%+ efficiency, why not use a solar hot water heating panel? You can make one.

They need to invent a 12 volt heat pump water heater. It's at least 3 times more efficient than electric and it can also cool and dehumidify the air. Great for hotter climates.

Thank you for this video. I’m in the planning stage and this is amazing information. ✌️

Didn't notice a fuse or breaker on the supply line for the heater. Even with a main breaker, it's probably advisable to have a breaker or fuse on that branch circuit. Just a thought. Nice affordable conversion though.

Would have been great to see the wiring etc

This is exactly what I'm looking for. I have the same 12v\300w element that I want to install in my RV. Do I need the smart shunt..? my systems consists of 4 lithium bb 100ah batteries, 3-400w panels connected to a Victron 150\85 and a CERBO gx with touch screen. I was thinking I had to cut the MC4 connectors off and wire directly to the water heater.

Very clever. I agree, no propane. I've seen 120v instant hot water heaters, but the you need to run it through an inverter. This seems simpler.

Minute 3:22: cables seem to be much smaller between the thermostat and the heating element than between the battery and thermostat.

How about a 100/150L copper tank? Some come w. two immersion heater adapters and some 200L volume

Brilliant discovery...thanks for making this video. Just what I was looking for. I want to create an off grid friendly 100% 12v closed loop system with something like this water solution of yours for a catering trailer (Wood Fired Pizza in the UK.) Alongside a12v Eberspacher Handwash & 12v Undercounter fridge. Do you have any advice/references/links, so as to punch in all the data, ie what I am planning, what I will run, and what the climatic conditions will be in this part of the hemisphere etc to determine whether my 410w 'Canadian Solar' panel will suffice and what amount of battery Amp will be req etc? Any pointers welcomed. Subscribed. Thanks again.

I think this is a better solution over propane hot water tanks or instant-on propane hot water heaters. What I would do different is have a well sized electrical system that operates at 24vDC. Go with a 24vDC hot water element driving at least six gallons or better yet 10 gallons. Plug into shore power when available, engine alternator driving a 12v to 24v isolator when on the road, or finally battery/solar when parked and boondocking. Why the extra capacity? I'm thinking after driving for three hours or so the hot water can be fully heated and the capacity is high enough to last the night and the morning without needing a reheat and use up power.

Why did you change the heater to DC? No inverter or inefficiency of the inverter? Great detailed video. Thank you.

I was looking for exactly this video. You mentioned a solar HW heater on your roof. Any details available on that? I was thinking of a solar-powered heater/pre-heater, either a simple “black tube” or possibly a parabolic trough heater.

The link below is for a 150 Watt but you can get anything from 50 to 400 Watt DC. These are true DC and not AC made to look like a DC as you may find out there. LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE PLEASE. THANK YOU!

Thanks for the video. I’m wondering how long the hot water would last for as I have the same tank size. More specifically as you use hot water some water fills it’s space and is heated and we don’t use hot water from only the heater as it’s mixed with cold water so how many gallons would that tank last you?

Hello! Love the idea. How much hot water do you get out of that before it goes cold? I know its a 2.5G tank but I am hoping you could get more than that?

Love this!! Where can I get one of those 2.5 gal Rheems?

This is a great solution I might use it can you link a parts list?

I have a water tank like that in my Van that only works on a mains hook up. I have asked several auto electricians about what you have just demonstrated. They’ve all said it can’t be done it will be too big a draw on the battery. I’ve told them that I would only heat water when in transit (engine running) and they have said the alternator and battery won’t cope. I’d be interested in your thoughts on that.

Cool

I’d like to do the same thing with a Rheem 5 gallon do you think that would work OK and which element should purchase

And if you're using a 12v fuse panel, can you just wire this to the fuse panel?

How about an instant 12v 300watt small heat exhanger that will heat water on demand? Copper tubing with 300 watt element installed so water passes over it and heats it instantly?

A lot of elements you see sold on eBay that say their 12-volt elements are not cheap artificial knock-offs. You want a good 12 volt element. But Channel called Missouri wind and solar KZfaq they have the best true I've seen anywhere

Clever idea. What was the make and model of your boiler? I'm based in the UK so need to find one here. Also, can this been used with 10L boiler?

Thanks for posting this- very helpful! Will this work on other types of anode hot water heaters? For example the Camplux ME25 is a lot cheaper, seems better insulated and has a pressure release. Would it be as simple as swapping the anode cutting the electric wire head (that is 120) and using those wires into a 12v fuse box? Bosch also has a popular electric heater that uses the element.

Great job👍 Did you use original 120volt thermostat or do you need a 12volt one?

I'm about to do the same thing and I got the Rheem but can you help explain why you changed how the original wires were run? For example, the white wire originally ran straight to negative but instead you have it connected to the second terminal of the thermostat. Also, isn't that a double element so 600 watts?

Hi. I love your idea here of no propane, no insta or tankless and 12v. I have a Sprinter Coachman Galleria with a Truma Combi Eco Plus and it just doesn't produce a long enough shower for my wife to take a hot shower. Even when hooked up with shore power. I'm wondering how long of a reasonably hot water shower you can take with your system? 5 minutes? 10? What are the dimensions of your water heater and did you have to vent it? I would keep the truma for sink hot water and furnace but I'd go to this system for shower. Any advice?

I am doing this right now (thanks for sharing) and I just ran into a concerning thought. It looks like you are using the same wires (black and white) that came with the unit. My guess is these are 14 or 16 gauge. If these are wired to the heating element does that mean 300 watts are pulling through the wire at the 12 volts. If so isn’t that too high of a rating for those wires or do you only need the large wires (6 awg) connected to the other points of contact like you have in the video?

If it runs off 12v where does it get its wattage from..

Hi Dan i see you used 6ga wire could you get by with 10ga wire or no ? thanx again for the help !

they make huge socket tools sir for removing hot water elements... sir

Would like to see an amp clamp on that while it's heating to see an actual visual of how many amps it's pulling while heating....

Interesting. So you just swapped out the white and black AC wiring with red and black DC cables?

Wouldn’t an inverter just let the water heater be used on the AC side? I’m assuming this must be more power efficient?? Thanks

How insulated is the tank and how long does it take the tank to cool down. Will it stay warm for a few hours?

I’m new to this , I’m converting to a 24 volt system. Can I use the existing breaker and thermostat that is 110-240

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/irxki5mB37WqdKM.html. This is a video on the DC water element/thermostat talked about in the Comments. Looks pretty good and I agree it would help anyone with thermostat issues converting. Better wiring terminals and I like the 600 watts. Less power consumption but still good heating. Thanks

Rheem also makes a 5 water gallon tank

What's the model number of the tank

Hi, Just about to pull the trigger on doing this… I noticed that you posted this about a year ago…. I also watched another video on this type of conversion. Have you had to make any further changes since this video? Any issues that I can take care of as I do this work?

What size fuse are breaker did you put on it?

I bought the 600 watts and did the calculations (600/12 = 50) so that’s 50amps per hour on my 300AH lithium batteries that’s a lot isn’t? If I use the original element (1400 watts / AC 110volts it’s only using 12.7amps per hour. That’s a big of a difference. Any input on this?

Is this 12v conversion due to the demand of the 120v through an inverted solar source? I'm doing a box truck conversion and will have a fridge and water pump, as well as 120v receptacles for devices, fans, lamps, ect.

Just to confirm the thermostat ran on 12v as well without having to change it out. All you had to do was only replace the element.

Are the 2 elements bridged. I've seen people put bridge busses on connectors to join the 3 elements.

The only problem is you cannot use DC on an AC thermostat if you got away with it the question is how long will it last. 73

I went gas in my home. I used an excel water heater I hooked it up to a gas grill regulator and used a one pound bottle adapter and used one pound propane canisters. We can get 5 good showers on one bottle of gas. I just put a twenty pound bottle for long term usage.i don't know how many showers we will get out of it but I'm going to keep track until the water heater quits giving hot water I would expect to get a months worth or more. I really don't know how much gas is in these machine given tanks someone told me you be lucky to get 15 pounds of gas next time I need a fill up I will weigh the empty bottle before trading it in. Then I will know for sure. So I think in an RV which this heater was made for would work and you wouldn't need to carry a big bottle. But most RVs have one or two bottles because of the gas stove and water heater and also heat for the RV. I like the battery water heater if I had solar but you can use the sun to heat the water without using power out of your batteries. I guess it's how much hot water you need. 73

Installed a 6 gallon Rheem with a 500w element instead. The wires to the element get HOT and melted the plastic. Should I replace factory wiring with 6awg as well? Was thinking this wire can’t handle the amperage. It’s pulling around 50amps.

could you use a 600 w element in 12 v wouldn’t it heat faster ? or does it depend on the solar panels u have ?

What size of battery bank do you have?

im running a 24 volt system on my busand assume that i could do the same with a 24 v element ?

What's the resistance on that 12v element?

Can this be done also on a 6 gallon Rheem? I'm assuming it will take longer for water to heat?

Did you change the thermostat for a 12v?

What is tne name of the company making the elements please?

I tired this, and it ain’t working, can you help me out?

Link to the 12v element? Or brand and model?

You ran 12v to an A/c thermostat ?..

Why can't you set up something like this to temper the water going into your household water heater. Even if your household water heater runs on gas, this would preheat the water coming in which would save you money on gas.

I imagine this is too small for a shower? What do you recommend for showering from solar only?

How long does the hot water last?

what pump are you using?

do these come in 48v. ? I don't know many people running 12v any longer.

Why would you heat hot water

Links to 12v element?

2.5gal. FAST SHOWERS. I might be able to get use to it. MY wife no way. I use a 10gal. LP. And I'm not getting the mad wife

I am off grid. No wheels .

I considered a 12 volt water heater for a while, but gave up on the idea and here's why: I'm running a 608 AH System with a 2400 watt inverter at 24 volts. It's one of the all-in-one varieties, so It handles the solar input as well. In the end, it's all just energy and I'd rather have the 1400 Watts from my Bosch WH (58.33 amps at 24 volts) going to heat the hot water in 15 minutes vs 3 hours or so for the 12 volt. I still have solar on the roof and a couple of portable panels for about a total of 600 watts of solar, so those can still be used to charge the battery. The difference is I don't have to wait. Sure, the inverter uses 60 watts power while it's running, but it only takes 15 minutes to heat 4 gallons of hot water up to temperature. Again in the end it's all just energy. Higher/faster, lower/slower. The battery stores the power in either case. And for anybody wanting to use their engine to heat hot water, just buy yourself a heat exchanger or cooler (used for beer making). A heat exchanger can be used to cool as well, and they just tend to be cheaper to purchase that way. You can get a 30 to 40,000 BTU model for about 80 bucks. You'll need a small one gallon or so per minute pump to push the water from the water heater through the heat exchanger, but the water pump from the engine will push the coolant on the opposite side of the exchanger. It takes a very short amount of time to heat 4 gallons this way. You can do the math if you want to, but it's going to depend on what size heat exchanger you buy as to the time required, but it's very quick. I use a similar setup on my recirculating shower, so my domestic hot water does not go through water heater that's been used for the recirculating shower. The engine holds residual heat for quite a while too, so you still get some heating effect even after the engine is shut off or a good hour or so (just a bit slower). It's a good way to use btu's that normally just vanish into the air. Lots of options. The only advantage I see to the 12 volt is if you have limited battery power, but you pay to wait as well. If you have a larger Lithium ion phosphate battery bank you can still take advantage of the solar. I like your ideal though!

Wow this is almost like cheating.

“Hot water heater”?? If the water is hot already, why do you need something to heat it?? 🤔

www.dernord.com/products/12v-150w-immersion-heater-submersible-water-heater-element-1-inch-npt-flange?variant=27344139976768&currency=USD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6_Ka_LD18AIVHx6tBh3fsQ7gEAQYASABEgIM9_D_BwE

I thought you could not run an AC thermostat with a DC current?

I have had this argument many people who have gone solar with batteries. If you going this way and need hot water, a dc powered hot water tank makes the most sense e cause it it inexpensive both to setup and to operate… no losses to the the inverter and is very reliable.

You don’t heat hot water. No such thing as a hot water heater

Well now you have enough hot water to wash your hands lol. ... Two and a half gallons rotfl... your killing me... I can't breathe ... this is too funny ... stop deadpanning me with that hot water tank capacity .... wait did you just say van? Oh I get it now, um ok. My laughter still has some momentum but it's winding down now.

SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! Volts X amps = Watts. So, A 300 watt 110v. AC element is the SAME DAMNED THING as a 300 watt 12v. element!!! A 120v. or a 240v. water heater will run just fine on 12 volts if there are enough amps. No need for new elements if the ones you have are the SAME WATTAGE.

hot water heater? you mean water heater, right? heating up hot water would be stupid. don't be stupid.

Dumb idea using 12 volt.you don't put tank inside you run a pipe. Heating uses large amounts of power. I've been of grid for 50 years. You use propane for large loads so you don't cycle your batteries to often.