Recirculating Showers?

Sitec

Adventurer
Hi all. I've had this thread pointed out to me as I asked about recirculating showers elsewhere. Looking at the system in the Sprinter, it sounds good but also sounds busy and expensive, which kinda defeats the purpose. The primary filtration is a good idea and I think this is key, but is the UV light and very fine filter really needed? I have learnt that you can feed pre heated water back into a hot water heater, which was one of my questions, and I think the heat exchanger is a must, so there's never the chance of used shower water going through the heater. I'm just trying to decide if the extra items are worth it...
 

Ramdough

Adventurer
Hi all. I've had this thread pointed out to me as I asked about recirculating showers elsewhere. Looking at the system in the Sprinter, it sounds good but also sounds busy and expensive, which kinda defeats the purpose. The primary filtration is a good idea and I think this is key, but is the UV light and very fine filter really needed? I have learnt that you can feed pre heated water back into a hot water heater, which was one of my questions, and I think the heat exchanger is a must, so there's never the chance of used shower water going through the heater. I'm just trying to decide if the extra items are worth it...

I would say the UV filter is absolutely required if you want the water coming out of the head to be clean.... but then again, people bathe in Tub water they are sitting in. I think the fine filter is there to make the UV filter effective. Otherwise the particles in the water may block the light...... or so I have heard.

Essentially, the setup is like what you would use to draw water from a questionable water source, except you have a bunch of soap and other crud in it.
 

Ramdough

Adventurer
Thats the site. They dont have it available as a unit yet but if you email them and are willing to go to *i believe Oregon * he could install a system for you. Its just in the phase of still being patented and its complex so he installs it himself only for now. Theres a few vids on youtube that mention his system such as ourlandyacht and jarrod tocci. If im understanding correctly, to shower the system basically fills itself up with 1.5 gallons of water, you shower and it recirculates/sanitizes for as long as you have energy for the instant hot water, and when you finish the shower it dumps out of the system and into the gray tank. I personally would love this system, take an hour hot shower using 1.5 gallons of water, sounds worth a few grand to me.


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I tried reaching out three times. No answer, no call back. I am thinking he is not interested in selling his products.
 

DirtWhiskey

Western Dirt Rat
These systems look cool and all but I would personally focus the effort on filtration etc for your consumable house water. These shower filters seem a little too complex. Why not recirc your shower water without the complex multi-stage filtration for as long as you want during initial cleaning then flip a valve to switch over the source to "fresh" for a nice rinse with clean water? Kablam, a 10 minute two gallon shower! This is the basic concept for the Australian recirc showers, except without the "fresh" part. This is the path I am going. As stated earlier, the icky factor is only equal to a bath.
 
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Momodolo

Member
Hi all. I've had this thread pointed out to me as I asked about recirculating showers elsewhere. Looking at the system in the Sprinter, it sounds good but also sounds busy and expensive, which kinda defeats the purpose. The primary filtration is a good idea and I think this is key, but is the UV light and very fine filter really needed? I have learnt that you can feed pre heated water back into a hot water heater, which was one of my questions, and I think the heat exchanger is a must, so there's never the chance of used shower water going through the heater. I'm just trying to decide if the extra items are worth it...

You need the water to be sanitized, unless you want water that you just washed **************** with to go in your eyes/mouth and get sick/infections. Its necessary.


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Momodolo

Member
I would say the UV filter is absolutely required if you want the water coming out of the head to be clean.... but then again, people bathe in Tub water they are sitting in. I think the fine filter is there to make the UV filter effective. Otherwise the particles in the water may block the light...... or so I have heard.

Essentially, the setup is like what you would use to draw water from a questionable water source, except you have a bunch of soap and other crud in it.

You gotta consider the fact that most people arnt dunking their face in the water in a tub though, its not safe to have water with potential feces or bacteria in it to go near or in your eyes or mouth.


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Momodolo

Member
These systems look cool and all but I would personally focus the effort on filtration etc for your consumable house water. These shower filters seem a little too complex. Why not recirc your shower water without the complex multi-stage filtration for as long as you want during initial cleaning then flip a valve to switch over the source to "fresh" for a nice rinse with clean water? Kablam, a 10 minute two gallon shower! This is the basic concept for the Australian recirc showers, except without the "fresh" part. This is the path I am going. As stated earlier, the icky factor is only equal to a bath.

You will get pink eye or worse. Water from your butt going into your face isnt safe


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Momodolo

Member
I tried reaching out three times. No answer, no call back. I am thinking he is not interested in selling his products.

Try an email, id imagine that he would love to make money off of his products so long as his situation allows him to.


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Sitec

Adventurer
Fair call. I guess when lying in a bath for a few hours you are in a lot more water, and even though you wash your hair, you don't put your face and eyes under. I hadn't really thought too deep into it, but yes, very valid points. Cheers.
 

DirtWhiskey

Western Dirt Rat
You will get pink eye or worse. Water from your butt going into your face isnt safe


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I would say your dirty little fingers are way worse risk to your eyes than your filth diluted to X% in a recirc situation. In fact I would say the vast majority of "water-bourne" illness in the USA is due to dirty fingers and cross contamination during cooking. I run one of the most clean and careful remote kitchens you will ever see. But then again I'm also known to drink wild water* when I walk remotely at any opportunity so I would say don't listen to me!

*when I deem it safe, in the USA/Canada only- judgement call - alas our bodies have never been expected to drink sterile water exclusively
 

Momodolo

Member
I would say your dirty little fingers are way worse risk to your eyes than your filth diluted to X% in a recirc situation. In fact I would say the vast majority of "water-bourne" illness in the USA is due to dirty fingers and cross contamination during cooking. I run one of the most clean and careful remote kitchens you will ever see. But then again I'm also known to drink wild water* when I walk remotely at any opportunity so I would say don't listen to me!

*when I deem it safe, in the USA/Canada only- judgement call - alas our bodies have never been expected to drink sterile water exclusively

You can say what you want, you will end up getting pink eye or similar infections if you wash your butt and then your face with that same water, definitely not even close to being debatable. Your hands should be clean, your anus will not be. If you wish to recirculate water and not be disgusting or risk infections then it must be sanitized.


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DirtWhiskey

Western Dirt Rat
You can say what you want, you will end up getting pink eye or similar infections if you wash your butt and then your face with that same water, definitely not even close to being debatable. Your hands should be clean, your anus will not be. If you wish to recirculate water and not be disgusting or risk infections then it must be sanitized.


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Amazingly, after over 300 recirc showers I am Pink Eye Free!

Edit: I'll take pics of my setup and try to post shortly.
 
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plh

Explorer
I had an apartment in Fuzhou China for 6 months a few years back. Shower water smelled like poo, but took one nearly every day without ill effects ... so far ;-)
 

Momodolo

Member
Amazingly, after over 300 recirc showers I am Pink Eye Free!

Edit: I'll take pics of my setup and try to post shortly.

Cheers to that. For me, even if i am unlikely to get pink eye or some type of infection, i still would like my water to be sanitized before it reaches my face again.


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Chuck1

Active member
California beaches might be worse.

Swimmer's itch occurs when people swim in water contaminated with parasites. Generally, swimmer's itch occurs in freshwater, where aquatic birds and snails are likely to live. These animals serve as carriers for the parasite. When this parasite enters the human skin, it causes an irritating allergic rash as it dies.

Seabather's eruption is a different type of allergic rash that occurs after swimming in the ocean and being exposed to jellyfish larvae. These larvae get trapped between a person's skin and bathing suit, resulting in an itchy skin rash on areas covered by clothing.
 

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