17' Series River water for showers

[Dobbie]

Stay dirty, it's a hell of a lot easier!

Re pumps....I meant to check if a 12v shurflo (?) pump is an option...any thoughts? I had one years ago on the boat and it was good.

I know it's dependent on capacity and distance to pump but our camping style would require 12v ...240 won't work as I don't want a generator. Rather stay dirty!

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Stay dirty, it's a hell of a lot easier!

Re pumps....I meant to check if a 12v shurflo (?) pump is an option...any thoughts? I had one years ago on the boat and it was good.

I know it's dependent on capacity and distance to pump but our camping style would require 12v ...240 won't work as I don't want a generator. Rather stay dirty!

I did look at the 12v option.

Bunnings also has a sureflo rip off, which is 36w (so 3A draw @ 12v) but it only has 1.5m lift and 10m head so it would probably work but would need to be very close to the water surface and not too far from the van.

Getting 12v there could be a challenge but a portable battery pack would probably do it.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-36w-600l-hr-pressure-pump_p4816367

 

[Dobbie]

Mmmmmm. Thanks for that.

I must have been more vague than usual when I saw your Ozito as an option for us. I forgot it was 240v only!

but I'm still interested in your field trials ....for distance and height.....when I get around to it, I'll check out the 12v options again but, on reflection, we probably don't need it urgently as we've now refined our water harvesting ....and it always rains when we're away. We're still drying out from the cyclone.

Water harvesting is now two 20litre water jerries and one bright green funnel. We catch the water from either the awning or the side of the van, funnel it into the water containers and dump it into the tanks. In one rain event we filled the two 95 litre tanks easily in one morning. (Didn't want to fill with bore water so the rain water was a good option)

Very technical design ...and I forgot to take a photo in the excitement....but it works brilliantly.

and....are you looking at filtering your river water before it goes into the tanks or after? I'd imagine the water flow would be slower with a filter but the pump flow might be adjustable.

also wondering how the river water will affect the anode....maybe about as much as bore water.....

The ponderings on a Saturday morning while I put away our dried out camping gear!

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Mmmmmm. Thanks for that.

I must have been more vague than usual when I saw your Ozito as an option for us. I forgot it was 240v only!

but I'm still interested in your field trials ....for distance and height.....when I get around to it, I'll check out the 12v options again but, on reflection, we probably don't need it urgently as we've now refined our water harvesting ....and it always rains when we're away. We're still drying out from the cyclone.

Water harvesting is now two 20litre water jerries and one bright green funnel. We catch the water from either the awning or the side of the van, funnel it into the water containers and dump it into the tanks. In one rain event we filled the two 95 litre tanks easily in one morning. (Didn't want to fill with bore water so the rain water was a good option)

Very technical design ...and I forgot to take a photo in the excitement....but it works brilliantly.

and....are you looking at filtering your river water before it goes into the tanks or after? I'd imagine the water flow would be slower with a filter but the pump flow might be adjustable.

also wondering how the river water will affect the anode....maybe about as much as bore water.....

The ponderings on a Saturday morning while I put away our dried out camping gear!

I will be filtering before it goes into the van. If there is sufficient pressure and flow I'll just connect it to the mains I let, if not will fill the tanks.

We are actually pumping out of a water supply reservoir on this trip so the water is pretty good, but have taken it from a Sam and river before using the petrol pump.

Doesn't seem to lose too much going through the 2 filters

 

[Drover]

If you have to push it a distance then a bigger diameter hose the better, smaller hose more resistance less pressure and flow, can reduce it at the head then you will have decent flow.....
Old Landy had Power Take Off, fit a pump, park near river and hit the gas, could fill tanks in no time and push thru 6 filters if need be................trying to figure out how on Colorado, big inverter wired in and Bunnings pump maybe ????

 

[Bellbirdweb]

If you have to push it a distance then a bigger diameter hose the better, smaller hose more resistance less pressure and flow, can reduce it at the head then you will have decent flow.....
Old Landy had Power Take Off, fit a pump, park near river and hit the gas, could fill tanks in no time and push thru 6 filters if need be................trying to figure out how on Colorado, big inverter wired in and Bunnings pump maybe ????

So I have tested the setup now, pumping out of the pool into the van using the normal drinking water hose, into the mains inlet via the BEST filter and excellent pressure at the shower inside the van.

New setup good to go for Easter, and nice long showers

 

[Dobbie]

So I have tested the setup now, pumping out of the pool into the van using the normal drinking water hose, into the mains inlet via the BEST filter and excellent pressure at the shower inside the van.

New setup good to go for Easter, and nice long showers

Go for it!

 

[bigfut]

I've got one of these that I am yet to try out, but trying in the back yard seemed to work more than enough for a quick shower.

It can do 30L/min and takes your normal hose connections.
Seems to have enough pressure too, and doesnt have much weight.

https://www.milwaukeetools.com.au/power-tools/cordless/m18tp-0

 

[Bellbirdweb]

So I have tested the setup now, pumping out of the pool into the van using the normal drinking water hose, into the mains inlet via the BEST filter and excellent pressure at the shower inside the van.

New setup good to go for Easter, and nice long showers

So tested out the new electric pump setup over the easter weekend.

Worked well, except for it sucking up a lot of sand from the bottom, which ended up clogging the filters and slowing the flow to a trickle.

I tried a few makeshift floats to pull the hose up off the bottom, but will need to make up a proper float for next time.

Because of the reduced flow, instead of going in to the mains inlet, I just kept filling the tanks and used the van pump, which worked well.

 

[Drover]

A small poly clacker valve with strainer on the pick up with a crab pot float would do the trick, clacker valve would keep the prime.........Got me started now on a set up for Big Mal, just what I need another mod to the list.......would have been great at Bingara for the washing machine and long showers......Does that pump shut down when tap turned off ???????

 

[mikerezny]

So tested out the new electric pump setup over the easter weekend.

Worked well, except for it sucking up a lot of sand from the bottom, which ended up clogging the filters and slowing the flow to a trickle.

I tried a few makeshift floats to pull the hose up off the bottom, but will need to make up a proper float for next time.

Because of the reduced flow, instead of going in to the mains inlet, I just kept filling the tanks and used the van pump, which worked well.

View attachment 48807

Hi,
might be a silly suggestion.... Get a plastic bucket or plastic washing up dish, put it in the water, put a rock in it to keep it on the bottom and put the pump intake in the container.

cheers
Mike

 

[Bellbirdweb]

A small poly clacker valve with strainer on the pick up with a crab pot float would do the trick, clacker valve would keep the prime.........Got me started now on a set up for Big Mal, just what I need another mod to the list.......would have been great at Bingara for the washing machine and long showers......Does that pump shut down when tap turned off ???????

Shouldn't need the clacker valve, as there is a non return valve on the pump inlet that comes with it.

We use floats on our portable firefighting pumps, so was going to copy one of those.

It does have a pressure switch fitted, so does turn off automatically when the outlet is closed off.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Hi,
might be a silly suggestion.... Get a plastic bucket or plastic washing up dish, put it in the water, put a rock in it to keep it on the bottom and put the pump intake in the container.

cheers
Mike

I kind of did that, but there were a lot of waves from the passing boats, and it kept dislodging the rock, so I gave up.

It worked ok, but keeping the sand out of it would make it work much better, and save me clogging the filters next time.

 

[bigcol]

you could try something like this, just need to annoy some Granno's when they are doing the steel fixing - too keep it up off the ground, maybe put a hessian bag over it as well to filter

http://www.transcrete.com.au/combination-bar-chairs/w1/i1001551/

 

[Bellbirdweb]

you could try something like this, just need to annoy some Granno's when they are doing the steel fixing - too keep it up off the ground, maybe put a hessian bag over it as well to filter


View attachment 48846

http://www.transcrete.com.au/combination-bar-chairs/w1/i1001551/

Not a bad idea @bigcol

 

[bigcol]

not too sure about the hessian though, maybe constrict it too much

 

[Bellbirdweb]

not too sure about the hessian though, maybe constrict it too much

No I think if I can get the strainer off the bottom, it wouldn't need anything else

 

[bigcol]

cool cool

 

[Janeymck]

Hi all i have a setup using a similar pump that the caravan uses.
I have fitted it into a plastic tool box with in and out connections 2 batteries that i join up if needed with mini jumper leads also i have a mini Anderson plug to hook up a solar panel as needed , volt meter to no whats going on.
I purchased a one way foot valve but it was a pain to keep it off the bottom so i fitted a small float which works a treat, then into a disk filter which gets rid of th big gunk before the pump .you must have the pump near the river as it will push far but not suck far, then up to the dual cartridge filters to make sure the waters ok .
I have managed a 3 metre lift with 60 metres of hose and have still had a good shower.
Its worth fitting the one way valve in the mains / tank system as the pressure is not strong enough to shut the valve on the van pump, so it can fill your water tanks which you dont want to happen regards Pete

 

[Drover]

Thats a cool set up, a clacker valve with a small float to keep it off the bottom makes things easy if left in place, on the dam with 50mm pipe I had a 20lt drum which kept the valve about 2ft under and all worked well, untill the dam ran dry.

Have been looking at those small petrol pumps in Bunnings very tempting.