Hot water in van with engine preheater

Having hot water in a camper van is one of the most valued improvements for traveling in comfort. A very effective solution is to take advantage of a Webasto thermo top type engine preheater, Hydronic or any of its versions economical china to heat domestic water without installing a traditional boiler. This system uses a closed heating circuit and a plate exchanger to obtain hot water relatively quickly., taking up very little space.

What does this system consist of??

The method is based on transferring heat from the closed circuit of the preheater to the domestic water using a plate exchanger. Large volumes of hot water are not stored, but heats on demand, using the thermal inertia of the circuit itself, and the larger/longer it is and the more coolant it carries, the more hot water it can provide without the preheater having to be restarted..

Main components

• engine preheater (Webasto Hydronic, Eberspächer, etc.) o version economical
  Heats the coolant that circulates through the primary circuit with diesel.
• circulation pump
  Maintains constant flow of hot refrigerant through the pipes and exchanger.
• plate exchanger (primary-secondary)
  Completely separates the heating circuit from the domestic water, allowing heat to be transferred without mixing liquids.
• Clean water tank
  Provides cold water that will be heated on demand.
• Sanitary water pump
  Drives water from the tank to the exchanger.
• Hot water tap or mixer
  System endpoint, where the heated water arrives when passing through the exchanger.

Drawing / water heating system diagram

Closed loop operation

The preheater heats the coolant in the primary circuit, that circulates through the pipes and through the exchanger thanks to the circulation pump. This hot fluid maintains the temperature and acts as thermal mass, allowing heat to be available even if the burner is not working at that moment.

Production of domestic hot water

When opening any tap, The water pump drives cold water from the tank to the exchanger. There it is immediately heated thanks to the heat of the closed circuit and reaches the tap already hot., without risk of contamination between circuits.

Advantages of the system without a boiler

• Does not require a separate boiler: space saving and simplicity.
• Fast heating: the water heats up in a few seconds.
• Compact and very efficient system, ideal for small and medium sized campers.
• Low consumption electric and diesel.

The use of an engine preheater together with a plate exchanger is one of the smartest and most efficient ways to obtain hot water in a van without installing a boiler. It is a compact system, reliable and perfect for those looking for comfort without sacrificing space.