Rocket Stove Outdoor Shower

[Longhare]

I came across this great outdoor shower while I was Googling for info on "donkey showers." (Anybody heard of those? A friend who spent time in Africa told me about them.)

Anyway, this rocket stove outdoor shower would make a GREAT addition to Peter's site...:o

Check it out here:http://permaculture.org.au/2009/09/01/the-rocket-powered-shower/

[StressMan79]

indeed louanne, something like this would make living in the sticks more bearable. I plan on an insulated box with 55 gallon drums (2 or 3) and a reflecive "lid" on the side that closes at night to reinforce the double pane windows (the weak part of the deal). In a couple days, I'll have more than 100 gallons of 120 deg water. For living, I'll then run this through an on demand HWH, so it will basically be a preheater, but won't require much gas to run.

...Now all I have to do is figure out how to actuate the door to close at night, and open during the day. Of course I could just run a motor/switch off of a solar panel, but how big of panel and then closing (tight) when the sun went away is not a simple design.

[Longhare]

That sounds like terrific idea. How about a solar operated greenhouse shutter, set to open and close based on temperature? Here's one example I found: http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/prod1;gs1_cooling_fans-gs1_shutters_vents_louvers;pg105109.html

What about the idea of using old non-working water heaters painted black? They would come with a built in pressure relief valves, and would already have inlets and outlets plumbed.

[StressMan79]

that is kind of like what I was thinking, but 77 degrees is way too cool as a close. I was thinking that if the intensity of the sun got too low, then the shutter close, rather than the temp. stay tuned for my design in the member's section.

[Longhare]

I later looked around a little more on that website and there were a couple others that had higher temp ranges (one was 120). There were some different designs that might be more helpful, more like a hydraulic door opener.

Can't wait to see your design.

[ChainsawGrandpa]

Here's a design I've kept refining.
About 80,000 btu, and 6 gpm.
Because a shower uses less than six gpm the waste heat could be blown off the pipes and used as a space heater for the shower area.


Well, that didn't work.

My file is now so small I can hardly see it.
Hey Louanne, PM me if you would like a copy of the refined rocket stove boiler. I designed it for my needs (space heating) but the water jacket also allows it to heat water for bathing, hot tubs, or whatever.
I designed the boiler, then started refining it after (cart before the horse) I read Ianto's book.

G'pa