Valve to recirculate hot water via Univalve

[Cleanser75]

Hi. I've made a valve that will return the warm water to tank when u stop water with the Univalve. No running back to van to recirculate by turning the tap (facelift model has recirculation tap) or disconnecting the pole hose and connecting reel to lid. In past we had a pipe next to reel that was connected to the tank lid. Connect those and pump would keep running and moving water into lid via that hose.

The problem with the diesel heaters is the constant on off on off damages them so u need to keep them running. Chatting to a customer with water off the webasto shuts down or even a long walk back to van and reeling in webasto shuts down. Driving between jobs if not recirculating webasto shuts down.

So my valve works perfectly via the univalve and great for the 5.5kw single operator and great for a 2 men 9kw system.
If one man uses a 2 man set up u can leave the 2nd pump, reel and controller on low and recirculate that way all day keeping webasto going but if one man set up or 2 men using the 2 men set up then the on off is an issue.

I'm really considering selling them but need to gauge the interest from lads with warm water. The valve will work with lpg set ups too.

Would u warm water lads be interested. Cost would be about £60 ish per valve.

 

[Pjj]

Hi. I've made a valve that will return the warm water to tank when u stop water with the Univalve. No running back to van to recirculate by turning the tap (facelift model has recirculation tap) or disconnecting the pole hose and connecting reel to lid. In past we had a pipe next to reel that was connected to the tank lid. Connect those and pump would keep running and moving water into lid via that hose.

The problem with the diesel heaters is the constant on off on off damages them so u need to keep them running. Chatting to a customer with water off the webasto shuts down or even a long walk back to van and reeling in webasto shuts down. Driving between jobs if not recirculating webasto shuts down.

So my valve works perfectly via the univalve and great for the 5.5kw single operator and great for a 2 men 9kw system.
If one man uses a 2 man set up u can leave the 2nd pump, reel and controller on low and recirculate that way all day keeping webasto going but if one man set up or 2 men using the 2 men set up then the on off is an issue.

I'm really considering selling them but need to gauge the interest from lads with warm water. The valve will work with lpg set ups too.

Would u warm water lads be interested. Cost would be about £60 ish per valve.

With respect we already have this sorted out most firms that fit hot water systems automatically fit a return to tank to prevent the boiler shutting down , Ionic’s use a valve probably similar to what you have come up with that opens when water pressure is above 60 psi returning water to the tank .

 

[Cleanser75]

With respect we already have this sorted out most firms that fit hot water systems automatically fit a return to tank to prevent the boiler shutting down , Ionic’s use a valve probably similar to what you have come up with that opens when water pressure is above 60 psi returning water to the tank .

I did wonder if ionics had done something. My valve will work with the ones that don't have a retun pressure valve. It just connects to reel. We run a 2 man facelift and a 2 man pure freedom. Both don't have return valves and I assume x line, streamline etc don't as they all the look the same.
The click on valve just saves racing back to the van to recirculate etc and it will fit any reel with a rectus 26 female.

 

[Cleanser75]

Would also work with lpg boilers too

 

[AW Services]

Hi. I've made a valve that will return the warm water to tank when u stop water with the Univalve. No running back to van to recirculate by turning the tap (facelift model has recirculation tap) or disconnecting the pole hose and connecting reel to lid. In past we had a pipe next to reel that was connected to the tank lid. Connect those and pump would keep running and moving water into lid via that hose.

The problem with the diesel heaters is the constant on off on off damages them so u need to keep them running. Chatting to a customer with water off the webasto shuts down or even a long walk back to van and reeling in webasto shuts down. Driving between jobs if not recirculating webasto shuts down.

So my valve works perfectly via the univalve and great for the 5.5kw single operator and great for a 2 men 9kw system.
If one man uses a 2 man set up u can leave the 2nd pump, reel and controller on low and recirculate that way all day keeping webasto going but if one man set up or 2 men using the 2 men set up then the on off is an issue.

I'm really considering selling them but need to gauge the interest from lads with warm water. The valve will work with lpg set ups too.

Would u warm water lads be interested. Cost would be about £60 ish per valve.

Have you a trademark

Hi. I've made a valve that will return the warm water to tank when u stop water with the Univalve. No running back to van to recirculate by turning the tap (facelift model has recirculation tap) or disconnecting the pole hose and connecting reel to lid. In past we had a pipe next to reel that was connected to the tank lid. Connect those and pump would keep running and moving water into lid via that hose.

The problem with the diesel heaters is the constant on off on off damages them so u need to keep them running. Chatting to a customer with water off the webasto shuts down or even a long walk back to van and reeling in webasto shuts down. Driving between jobs if not recirculating webasto shuts down.

So my valve works perfectly via the univalve and great for the 5.5kw single operator and great for a 2 men 9kw system.
If one man uses a 2 man set up u can leave the 2nd pump, reel and controller on low and recirculate that way all day keeping webasto going but if one man set up or 2 men using the 2 men set up then the on off is an issue.

I'm really considering selling them but need to gauge the interest from lads with warm water. The valve will work with lpg set ups too.

Would u warm water lads be interested. Cost would be about £60 ish per valve.

What component parts are you using?

 

[Patrickr]

With respect we already have this sorted out most firms that fit hot water systems automatically fit a return to tank to prevent the boiler shutting down , Ionic’s use a valve probably similar to what you have come up with that opens when water pressure is above 60 psi returning water to the tank .

Do you have pics

 

[Pjj]

Do you have pics

Unfortunately not that you can see the valve on as it’s a tight squeeze excuse the state of the van

 

[spruce]

Do you have pics

If you follow the yellow hose from the water to water heat exchanger, you will see 2 brass T pieces. The first is a temperature sensor and the second on the right is the pressure relief valve. When you shut the Univalve off, the pressure builds in the line and activates the pressure relief valve, which sends hot water back into the tank.
This works brilliantly. The only downside is that the wfp pump is working under load all day.

As @Pjj reports, the valve 'blows-off' as between 60 and 65psi. So the dead end on the controller needs to be set higher than this so it doesn't dead-end before the valve activates.

There was someone selling them on Ebay about 18 months ago. I've done a search today with no results.

The yellow hose then goes to the hose reel.

 

[Cleanser75]

Have you a trademark

What component parts are you using?

No trademark. Not sure it can be trade marked or patent. I've got 2 retired patent lawyers so will ask them. It's works amazing. It fits into the rectus 26 of the reel. Can be disconnected easily and back to cold water. The prototype I made is on permanently for cold and hot and no issues. Put hot on and then pull univalve and the water re circulates straight into tank. I trialled it last week at dinner on a gutter job. Webasto just ran whole time I ate my dinner re circulating into tank. Then pulled univalve and warm water quickly after the cooled ran thru. Can chat to customers with water off and webasto just runs.

 

[Cleanser75]

View attachment 30381

If you follow the yellow hose from the water to water heat exchanger, you will see 2 brass T pieces. The first is a temperature sensor and the second on the right is the pressure relief valve. When you shut the Univalve off, the pressure builds in the line and activates the pressure relief valve, which sends hot water back into the tank.
This works brilliantly. The only downside is that the wfp pump is working under load all day.

As @Pjj reports, the valve 'blows-off' as between 60 and 65psi. So the dead end on the controller needs to be set higher than this so it doesn't dead-end before the valve activates.

There was someone selling them on Ebay about 18 months ago. I've done a search today with no results.

The yellow hose then goes to the hose reel.

Mine is so much simpler. It can be disconnected in seconds and attached in seconds. No pressure relief etc. Quite a simple design that works well.

 

[Pjj]

View attachment 30381

If you follow the yellow hose from the water to water heat exchanger, you will see 2 brass T pieces. The first is a temperature sensor and the second on the right is the pressure relief valve. When you shut the Univalve off, the pressure builds in the line and activates the pressure relief valve, which sends hot water back into the tank.
This works brilliantly. The only downside is that the wfp pump is working under load all day.

As @Pjj reports, the valve 'blows-off' as between 60 and 65psi. So the dead end on the controller needs to be set higher than this so it doesn't dead-end before the valve activates.

There was someone selling them on Ebay about 18 months ago. I've done a search today with no results.

The yellow hose then goes to the hose reel.

That’s the perfect picture to show the workings

 

[Pjj]

No trademark. Not sure it can be trade marked or patent. I've got 2 retired patent lawyers so will ask them. It's works amazing. It fits into the rectus 26 of the reel. Can be disconnected easily and back to cold water. The prototype I made is on permanently for cold and hot and no issues. Put hot on and then pull univalve and the water re circulates straight into tank. I trialled it last week at dinner on a gutter job. Webasto just ran whole time I ate my dinner re circulating into tank. Then pulled univalve and warm water quickly after the cooled ran thru. Can chat to customers with water off and webasto just runs.

I run my hose reels back to the tank between jobs as this keeps the water hot in the reels all the time so hot for the next job I have return to tank hoses under the van and connect the hose reels into theses

 

[ched999uk]

View attachment 30381

If you follow the yellow hose from the water to water heat exchanger, you will see 2 brass T pieces. The first is a temperature sensor and the second on the right is the pressure relief valve. When you shut the Univalve off, the pressure builds in the line and activates the pressure relief valve, which sends hot water back into the tank.
This works brilliantly. The only downside is that the wfp pump is working under load all day.

As @Pjj reports, the valve 'blows-off' as between 60 and 65psi. So the dead end on the controller needs to be set higher than this so it doesn't dead-end before the valve activates.

There was someone selling them on Ebay about 18 months ago. I've done a search today with no results.

The yellow hose then goes to the hose reel.

Any idea why ionics ( I assume it's one of theirs?) don't lift the heat exchanger off the cold floor and then insulate it to hold the heat in?

 

[Pjj]

Any idea why ionics ( I assume it's one of theirs?) don't lift the heat exchanger off the cold floor and then insulate it to hold the heat in?

None of the manufacturers insulate them but no idea why not

 

[spruce]

Any idea why ionics ( I assume it's one of theirs?) don't lift the heat exchanger off the cold floor and then insulate it to hold the heat in?

This is a good question. The very fact it's on the floor will tell me that it could freeze even if the inside of the van is kept warm with an electric heater. I see the floor as a massive heat sink.

The pros of the Ionic's heater is that everything is very easy to get at to work on, and the relief valve idea to bleed that heat back to the tank is an excellent one. The cons are that the heater takes up a lot of space and I don't like that heat exchanger on the van's floor. I also would like to regulate the heat going to my brush a bit more than just using the Webasto temperature settings, which Ionics have translated as summer and winter settings. I feel the pump running all day under load would significantly reduce its longevity.

The heat exchangers on our Heatwave diesel heater aren't insulated either. I added a 3rd heat exchanger to the 'roof' of my heater, and I insulated it with carpet under felt. I also cover the whole heater with a towel just to keep some of the heat contained. Saying that, for some strange reason, the heater case itself gets warm but no overly hot like I imagined it would.

 

[spruce]

That’s the perfect picture to show the workings

Thanks goes to someone trying to sell their kit on Ebay many years ago.

 

[spruce]

I've been thinking about this non insulated heat exchanger @ched999uk . If you look at the underneath of the heat exchanger, it has a lip all the way around. Down the length of the one I have, the lip is 6mm, but on each end it's 5mm. This means that the heat exchanger sits on this lip and not the whole base of the heat exchanger. So heat transfer will be less imo. If Ionics then put an insulating insert into the cavity caused by the lip, then heat lose will be much less.

The very fact that Ionics have stayed with their design concept for years maybe says a lot.

 

[ched999uk]

I've been thinking about this non insulated heat exchanger @ched999uk . If you look at the underneath of the heat exchanger, it has a lip all the way around. Down the length of the one I have, the lip is 6mm, but on each end it's 5mm. This means that the heat exchanger sits on this lip and not the whole base of the heat exchanger. So heat transfer will be less imo. If Ionics then put an insulating insert into the cavity caused by the lip, then heat lose will be much less.

The very fact that Ionics have stayed with their design concept for years maybe says a lot.

As you say having it sitting on the van floor will be a huge heat sink. I was more thinking of insulating the heat exchanger to stop it wasting heat but the burner needs to be running most of the time to stop the cool down and startup cycle coking it up. So maybe if it's insulated the return temp of the coolant would stay higher for longer cycling the burner too much?
As you say Ionics have been producing these systems for a long time and I have yet to see anyone else insulate the heat exchangers.

 

[PCS2013]

I would definitely be interested in this if it was simple enough. I’ve got a one man hot water system (I know I should have gone for 2), and I have to constantly connect the hose to the tank lid between jobs.

 

[Cleanser75]

I would definitely be interested in this if it was simple enough. I’ve got a one man hot water system (I know I should have gone for 2), and I have to constantly connect the hose to the tank lid between jobs.

The prototype works great. Just need to make it prettier. Do u use rectus fittings into tank lid. What reel do u use. I suppose it's electric

 

[AW Services]

The prototype works great. Just need to make it prettier. Do u use rectus fittings into tank lid. What reel do u use. I suppose it's electric

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