Mike Wait's Redneck Pool Heater 04/21/2012

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See email with details below photo!!!

From: Mike Wait
To: Todd Harrison

Hi Todd,

Here’s my own version of a redneck pool heater, except for a camping hot tub. it runs of a 12V 600GPH bilge pump that will be attached to my truck battery - we will keep a close eye on battery level and run my truck as needed, and it pumps the tub water through roughly 40 feet of 1/2" inside diameter soft copper tubing, over my 68,000BTU turkey fryer burner and then back into the tub.

One pass through the coil nets a 45F increase in temperature with the copper coil turned sideways instead of vertical, seems to work better that way. Preliminary testing found that the 360 gallon tub increased 20F in one hour. My calculations show that it runs at 57% efficiency and will heat the tub to 105F~ in about 3 hours. I’ll email back in a few days with the full results. I had to move the tub from its spot so it needed to be drained.

Oh yeah, the tub is built from 3/4" plywood and 2X4s, its 6'X4'X2' and collapses down when you pull the door hinge pins from the corners for easy transport. Everything except the walls, burner and propane bottle packs into the metal garbage can I’m using to hold the heat in on the burner as well.

Thanks for the extremely helpful ideas, without your website my wilderness hot tub wouldn’t have been possible.

Mike

----reply----

From: Todd Harrison
To: Mike Wait

Mike,

That is such a great idea and it doesn't get much more redneck than that! Great job!
I see some amazing camping parties in your future.

Todd