Water heating using ONLY the pilot light

[OffGridKindaGuy]

Originally Posted by Christ

Nice to meet you, and good first post here. Welcome to EM!

Question - What effect do you think a solar pre-heater would have to using ground water in this setup? A smallish one, not one that's sufficient to heat the water for the home.

Thanks for the welcome!

If you could raise the input water temperature 10-20 degrees above the ground temperature, it would work well. I even pondered having another water tank without the covering on it setting next to the actual heating tank for a buffer to increase the temperature with the ambient room temperature.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by OffGridKindaGuy

Thanks for the welcome!

If you could raise the input water temperature 10-20 degrees above the ground temperature, it would work well. I even pondered having another water tank without the covering on it setting next to the actual heating tank for a buffer to increase the temperature with the ambient room temperature.

So here's what I'm thinking:

My Father, as I noted above, has an electric water heater. I want to add in solar directly from the well pump's input to the tank to preheat the water some.

So the rough and dirty of it is me unscrewing the hose from the well to the water input, and coiling up a garden hose (that's OK for drinking water and extreme heat) and tossing it up on the roof, then connecting the other end back to the inlet of the tank.

During a Pennsylvania winter, would there be any positive effect? (There are often days with little or no sun at all. To intensify this effect, he lives in a valley with limited sunlight. We lose about 2-3 hours of direct sunlight a day due to the proximity of the hills, but there is still light just like anywhere else.

[OffGridKindaGuy]

The hose would freeze in the winter. Does he keep the basement heated? The extra tank in line that I mentioned above would help a lot.

[Christ]

Wood heat. There is no indoor holding tank, but he does keep the house ~50 degrees or higher. It's a masonry house, so it holds the heat well. I will suggest stripping the insulation off his old tank and using it for a hot-line pre-heat holding tank. I can't absolutely say he'll go for it, but he's been pretty OK with my greening ideas so far.

[OffGridKindaGuy]

Just remember that the "buffer" tank will sweat because of the cold tank in a warm environment..

[Frank Lee]

I put my hand right on top of the water heater tank and it felt cold- room temp. It must be higher than ambient but for sure not much. Thus, insulating up there will do what?

I did shower with only pilot light "hot" water. It would save energy for sure, cuz I was in and outta there in record time!

[Christ]

HAHA Frank. You're crazy!

Hot showers are one of the luxuries I still afford myself. At times, I take longer than I really should in the shower.

[luvit]

Originally Posted by Christ

... At times, I take longer than I really should in the shower.

[Frank Lee]

Too much info! LOL

Yes, I don't shower myself in luxuries but a hot shower is a nice one that I won't do without.

[Christ]

Hey, I enjoy standing under the shower when the water is nearly unbearably hot. I also have low blood pressure, so in the shower is nearly the only time I'm truly warm.