Valve to recirculate hot water via Univalve

[Rahul]

I’d be interested in this as well. We use the slick connect to return to the tank but it needs constant connecting between jobs.

 

[Cleanser75]

Be mindful of poor feedback, compliants & liability if making something for sale as a hobby as you'll not have any cover or means of saving your reputation
It can be a cruel world in innovation and design

True. My prototype is a bit rough but the newer design has less places to leak, virtually non unless the rectus fail but rectus do fail after time. It works so well tho. Pull univalve and instantly the water is recirculating into tank. I've trialled it on fan jets when do gutters and on pencil for windows. Works great. Need to make it look more professional and lose a few parts to make it a sealed unit.

 

[Cleanser75]

I’d be interested in this as well. We use the slick connect to return to the tank but it needs constant connecting between jobs.

It would work without disconnecting each time back at van and every time univalve stops water it re circs into tank warming tank too.

 

[AW Services]

True. My prototype is a bit rough but the newer design has less places to leak, virtually non unless the rectus fail but rectus do fail after time. It works so well tho. Pull univalve and instantly the water is recirculating into tank. I've trialled it on fan jets when do gutters and on pencil for windows. Works great. Need to make it look more professional and lose a few parts to make it a sealed unit.

On that note, I wouldn't attempt to sell anything that isn't polished, perfect & well presented because you'll get issues

When I made my WFP pump trolleys I spent lots of money on making jigs for hole drilling. Professionally wired and installed electronics along with water ingress tests and also offered a 2 year warranty which was backed by an insurance policy

Why don't you post an image of your prototype as you'll get some helpful pointers. If using off the shelve component parts there's no form of copyright or trademark. It's only proof of concept

 

[PCS2013]

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

Yeah I use the standard rectus fittings and plug it onto the tank lid. (I also have a hose lock connection on the lid for when I want to just plug in direct from hot water and not use the reel). And I have the new waterworks electric hose reel

 

[spruce]

The other issue op has is trust. Who is he? Please don't take offence @Cleanser75

There is another member on here who also makes and sells components who is a window cleaner and was/is a regular poster on here. Over the years he has gained our trust. But this takes time and done through the channels of Ebay.

Many years ago, there was a window cleaner on the forums who went by the name of Daz who sold brushes with modified swivels. Some of us ordered brushes, the cheques cashed, but all the promises of delivery never happened. I am one of those still waiting for my order to be delivered some 12 years later. He disappeared and moved somewhere else. I traced him.

He signed up on here a few years ago, thinking no one would recognize him, but disappeared when a few of us remembered who he was.

You might be a very genuine person who has a product which could help us, but unfortunately there have been others before you who have made us very cautious of dealing with someone who has just joined the forum to sell a product.

As @AW Services says, we need to see a prototype of your product. This is the only way you are going to start to develop a trust with those on the forum who may believe your product will benefit them. But I doubt that you will do that for reasons I understand.

Would I spend £60 on a product from someone I didn't know? Would you spend £60 on a product if you were in our position? Sorry, but the answer is no.

 

[Cleanser75]

The other issue op has is trust. Who is he? Please don't take offence @Cleanser75

There is another member on here who also makes and sells components who is a window cleaner and was/is a regular poster on here. Over the years he has gained our trust. But this takes time and done through the channels of Ebay.

Many years ago, there was a window cleaner on the forums who went by the name of Daz who sold brushes with modified swivels. Some of us ordered brushes, the cheques cashed, but all the promises of delivery never happened. I am one of those still waiting for my order to be delivered some 12 years later. He disappeared and moved somewhere else. I traced him.

He signed up on here a few years ago, thinking no one would recognize him, but disappeared when a few of us remembered who he was.

You might be a very genuine person who has a product which could help us, but unfortunately there have been others before you who have made us very cautious of dealing with someone who has just joined the forum to sell a product.

As @AW Services says, we need to see a prototype of your product. This is the only way you are going to start to develop a trust with those on the forum who may believe your product will benefit them. But I doubt that you will do that for reasons I understand.

Would I spend £60 on a product from someone I didn't know? Would you spend £60 on a product if you were in our position? Sorry, but the answer is no.

I joined 5 years ago when I changed from trad to wfp. I was trad 26 years. Your posts really helped me on changing over and ro stuff tbh. Think I forgot my log in details so re started. Tbh I wouldn't sell thru here etc I start on ebay and the likes. The other problem I have is I can source the parts here in uk and make it but ideally I need to source the parts from where the UK suppliers get theirs to bring price down on making it and then a decent profit to warrant making and selling them. Also is the market big enough too as hot water diesel ️ is that big a market in UK window cleaning. I know we have europe too who have cold winters and even the USA but it would copied too as I'm unsure whether a patent could work. I've got 2 retired patent lawyers on round so I will ask them.
I've made 2 van door holders that stop van doors peeling back in wind too. One when slightly windy and quick release. Other one quick release and more substantial in stronger winds too. Only made for myself and lads van tho. But they work a treat too

 

[Cleanser75]

On that note, I wouldn't attempt to sell anything that isn't polished, perfect & well presented because you'll get issues

When I made my WFP pump trolleys I spent lots of money on making jigs for hole drilling. Professionally wired and installed electronics along with water ingress tests and also offered a 2 year warranty which was backed by an insurance policy

Why don't you post an image of your prototype as you'll get some helpful pointers. If using off the shelve component parts there's no form of copyright or trademark. It's only proof of concept

I'm trying to source it so it's not a parts bin tbh. My prototype has too many joints at mo which can weep and need tightening up as hot loosens things. It can be made with 3 parts when I source them and one part needs an insert which isn't available I think. Less joints no leaking. Prob is finding time to clean windows, family time, cutting the grass etc and sorting this.

 

[spruce]

I joined 5 years ago when I changed from trad to wfp. I was trad 26 years. Your posts really helped me on changing over and ro stuff tbh. Think I forgot my log in details so re started. Tbh I wouldn't sell thru here etc I start on ebay and the likes. The other problem I have is I can source the parts here in uk and make it but ideally I need to source the parts from where the UK suppliers get theirs to bring price down on making it and then a decent profit to warrant making and selling them. Also is the market big enough too as hot water diesel ️ is that big a market in UK window cleaning. I know we have europe too who have cold winters and even the USA but it would copied too as I'm unsure whether a patent could work. I've got 2 retired patent lawyers on round so I will ask them.
I've made 2 van door holders that stop van doors peeling back in wind too. One when slightly windy and quick release. Other one quick release and more substantial in stronger winds too. Only made for myself and lads van tho. But they work a treat too

That could be interesting.

 

[ched999uk]

I've made 2 van door holders that stop van doors peeling back in wind too. One when slightly windy and quick release. Other one quick release and more substantial in stronger winds too. Only made for myself and lads van tho. But they work a treat too

There could be a bigger market for those! Been looking at motorhomes/panel van conversions (shocking to see how prices have risen! so stopped looking :-( ) and I have seen a few people on forums comment that their doors have been blown open damaging the side of the van or the side windows.
So might be worth looking into commercialising those?

 

[kevinc250]

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.

@spruce, over the years i have learned that the whole 60psi thing is pretty much rubbish, calibrate the controller to 99 or next to no dead end and then adjust the prv so the pump is running without load, my controller is set at 50, i know you use a different one but say 3 on yours then, open the valve until the pump runs and sounds fine, without any load and you are done

 

[AW Services]

I'm trying to source it so it's not a parts bin tbh. My prototype has too many joints at mo which can weep and need tightening up as hot loosens things. It can be made with 3 parts when I source them and one part needs an insert which isn't available I think. Less joints no leaking. Prob is finding time to clean windows, family time, cutting the grass etc and sorting this.

Sounds like your using MDPE or a speed fit alternative

 

[kevinc250]

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?

if you insulated the return tank the returning hot water would quickly put the heater into stand by mode as it would get up to 85c quickly it needs to lose heat for the heater to keep on working, although if you installed a pipe through the tank connected to the water back to main tank you would gain a few c's
the exhaust is another way to gain heat, i get 15c just by circulating cold water via the exhaust, i know i could get more if i re-circulated the water but, it works just fine for now.

 

[Cleanser75]

There could be a bigger market for those! Been looking at motorhomes/panel van conversions (shocking to see how prices have risen! so stopped looking :-( ) and I have seen a few people on forums comment that their doors have been blown open damaging the side of the van or the side windows.
So might be worth looking into commercialising those?

Again it's a prototype that is rough but works. Seconds on and off for both vans. To make it commercially might be too difficult as of van widths etc. Needs to be strong too. It works in quite strong wind but I've not tested our van doors in really strong winds. On those days the hose gets pulled out and doors closed. I made it after we did a gutter clean in really strong winds. Just in my van on that day and we had doors closed over hoses. Lad went into van looking for his drink and closed door but not slamming it and it wasn't closed properly. He thought it was as hose made it look closed but wind whipped it back. I had to replace the door lock hinge thing. Door now opens more than it did and not in line with van which does p1ss me off tbh. I've got straps on both doors now too so they can only go so far open but use the quick bar aswell when window as it also stops doors closing and if wrong door closes first then the other door will damage that door.
I've also got one that's for mild wind and that fits on off really really fast.

 

[Cleanser75]

Sounds like your using MDPE or a speed fit alternative

No. All metal with rectus fittings at mo and pipe. It's the pipe that needs to go one part the main part needs to be made specially I think to avoid leaks and failure.

 

[spruce]

@spruce, over the years i have learned that the whole 60psi thing is pretty much rubbish, calibrate the controller to 99 or next to no dead end and then adjust the prv so the pump is running without load, my controller is set at 50, i know you use a different one but say 3 on yours then, open the valve until the pump runs and sounds fine, without any load and you are done

I have a 2-man Heatwave heater. I added a third 22kw water to water plate exchanger, a third Shurflo pump, a 12v digital cooling temperature controller with probe, and a cheap PWM controller to reduce pump speed.

The 9.1kw Webasto goes into reduced heat mode at around 75 degrees C and then the Webasto goes into shutdown mode at about 85 degrees C. The third heat exchanger is on the return to the header tank.
When the internal water circuit reaches 83 degrees C the controller activates the Shurflo pump. Cold water from the tank is drawn into the pump, and it pumps water through the third heat exchanger. The then hot water is pumped back into the tank. The PWM controller runs the pump just fast enough to bleed the heat off slowly. Once the internal water circuit temperature drops to 78 degrees C the controller switches the pump off.

This method will run the heater all day, just ticking over on reduced heat mode. I don't have to worry about stopping to talk to a customer as long as the controller is switched on.

I also added a second temperature heating controller to act as a frostat. Once the internal water temp drops to 3 degrees, the controller switches the boiler on. It stays on for around 8 minutes before switching off. The internal hot water circuit gets to around 75 degrees C. On a very cold night, the boiler could come on twice during the night. I know this by looking back over the current draw on the graph produced by my Victron battery monitor. As I've mentioned before, I have a towel over the boiler to insulate it a bit.

I do have a heater in the rear of the van, but this over winter acts as another insurance against the cold. I run the electric heater to kick on at 1 degree C, and it switches off at around 5 degrees C.

 

[Damo]

I have sent a PM

 

[spruce]

I have sent a PM

If it's for me, it's not received yet.

 

[Damo]

If it's for me, it's not received yet.

Was for OP. Thanks.