[jkole]

$50 bucks in parts but it works great...

It will heat up a 5 gallon bucket of water, to the point I cannot put my hands in it, in around an hour (fire and outside temp variability).

Something to heat up water for dishes and showers (river trips).

It will get some good use on the Grand in February.

 

[AZfisherdude]

Do you mind explaining how it works?

 

[jkole]

Do you mind explaining how it works?

I fill up the copper coil and heater hoses full of water. I have to rock the coil back and forth to get the air out.

Once filled, I plug the ends of the hoses with my fingers and submerse both ends in a full bucket of water.

I use the lid to hold in heat and keep the hoses from sliding out (they pull and push a little when it gets going).

I drop the coil in the fire and walk away to set up camp or ???

The steam/expanding water pushes mainly through the hose on the top of the coil and the hose attached to the bottom of the coil mainly draws. The heating creates a current and as long as the heater is full of water it works well.

It would be more efficient to use 2 containers and gravity, but this is more hands free.

 

[AZfisherdude]

That is interesting. I was wondering how the water circulated.

 

[Vanillagurilla]

Ever think about a big pot from a kitchen supply store? lol

 

[TODDTHEFROG]

I use the pot on the grill technique. Old school and multi function.

 

[jkole]

Ever think about a big pot from a kitchen supply store? lol

These are the kind of fire pans (required on some rivers) we mostly use now and 5 gallons (40 lbs) is a little heavy for them. The extra propane needed for 20+ days of water heating gets a little old.

In the Grand Canyon in February, sun is limited (days without) for heating solar showers and we can burn drift wood (winter deal). A warm shower after being splashed with ice water all day will make it worth it.:biggrin:

 

[lotsa luck]

It will also work better if you spring the coils apart a little and we use to use the same method to heat our tent (without water). A copper pipe through the coals with a small muffin fan blowing air in one end and the other end coming into the tent. Often you would leave the tent screens open in December at Elk camp.

 

[TODDTHEFROG]

I like that fire pan. I've always just used my little gas stove and did without grilling where I couldn't have a fire. That grill looks awesome!

 

[Kendraschmidt]

The campfire water heater works because of a thermoelectric generator. This type of generator uses the temperature difference between two different sides of a semiconductor to produce electricity, in this case with a hot side and a cold side.