Save your water!!

I would like to share one of tne things I have done on my campers to improve on the factory water system design. It concerns the hot-water system and the waste of water encountered waiting for the hot-water to reach the faucet.
The modification consists of -at least- an extra line, a number of check-valves, a pump and a momentary switch. A better system includes a normally open temperature activated switch and a small indicator light or two.
I will explain the system as it is in my newest camper. The system is dependent upon your particular configuration.
My hot-water heater is at the front of the camper, the kitchen sink is at the rear  and the bathroom is in the middle on the other side. The hot-water line runs up one side and tee's to the bathroom. What I did is eliminate the tee to the bathroom and coupled that line (to the bathroom) to an extra line that now comes from the kitchen sink line just below the faucet ( I used the eliminated tee for this). Yes I coupled the main line also... LOL I then tapped the line at the bathroom sink with a tee and ran that line to a pump. (just make sure you use a pump that can handle the temperature of your water. Most sure-flo's will not but they do have one that will). From that pump, I ran a line to the cold water supply for the hot-water heater (between the heater and the main fresh-water pump) The "new" pump and an indicator light are wired to a temperature controlled, normally closed switch and voltage is applied with the momentary switch.
Whenever you need hot-water at a faucet, press the switch and the pump will circulate hot-water through the whole system without wasting any water in the process. Using just the momentary switch would necessitate a guess-timate of when the hot water is present just before the faucets and the temperature activated switch addition would eliminate the guessing. A small indicator light wired to the same wire that powers the pump would indidcate that hot-water is present at the faucet (the light would be on when the pump was running and would go out when the temperature switch stopped the pump. There is no need in most situations for check valves because the diaphram pumps act as check valves. If I have failed to explain this clearly, let me know here and I will try to help.

We just catch the cold water in a pitcher while waiting for the hot and use it for coffee, the dog, etc.

at least the dog gets plenty of zinc in its diet from the anode rod... LOL that is if you have one in your heater. But catching it in a pitcher is too easy. don't you want to tear into your rv and spend some $'s.

No anode rod, the dog has to get her zinc some other way   I spend enough $$$ paying others to tear into my RV to fix things that are broken so I don't need to fix things that aren't.

Or, there's a nifty little gadget you put on your faucet called a WaterSaveR.  After putting it on the end of the faucet, you turn on the faucet, but no water flows until you move the "thingy" that hangs down from the faucet.  Best water saver I've ever seen.  Camping World used to carry them and probably still does.  About $12.

ArdraF

Ardra, we have one of those, but it won't solve the problem of getting hot water to the faucet quicker   It is a useful gadget for boondocking and does save quite a bit of water.

Ned,

That's true on both counts.

ArdraF

Speaking of saving water while boondocking, does anyone here really shower with your foot in a bucket so you can collect the water for flushing the toilet?

LOL Kathy, were we cut from the same mold or something?  ROFL  When dry camping, I kept a bucket under the faucet.  This allowed the water (while waiting for it to get hot) to flow into it.  Since it was 2 of us, usually for 4 or 5 days the black tank never filled, so I would simply throw the water into the toilet.  Also when washing my hair I would do it over the bucket.  Alas we now have a shower with no faucet, but a larger fresh water and gray tanks, but we're still careful by shutting the shower head off while soaping etc.  Darn hair still uses too much water lol.

JoAnn