A RECIRCULATING SHOWER for Vanlife Update | Is it WORTH IT?

[@davidjennings6000]

What I am planning on doing is having two plug holes, one will be blocked off which would go to the gray water tank and one hole will be used for the continuously circulating water hole WITHOUT soaps that would go through the filtration unit. When I am ready to get clean, THEN block the filtration hole off and open up the gray water tank hole, use soaps, and rinse off, that way the filtration unit won't need cleaning as much

[@johngalt1967]

I think I'm going to do a regular shower, with a switch to recirculating after I'm done with soaps just to enjoy the hot water

[@wagu7003]

We get your drift but written like that it sounds like you want to enjoy dirty soapy water after your clean water.

[@AyanamiNabeshin]

Understandable, but sad. Your video is very informative, and helps others know possible problems. It helped me adjust my expectations and come up with counters for the problems. 1. Use it for water use reduction per shower. This can be made to have a set small amount used per shower, no matter the length. Smaller reservoir replaced fresh each start. 1-2 gallon showers. Also reduces need for UV. 2. Custom back washable filters. Sand/KDF in the fillable empty canister filters. No Carbon. Carbon cannot be backwashed and will plug with soap. 3.Perhaps have a bladder tank downstream of filters, that backwashes on dump solenoid. This makes a small backwash per shower or dump. The bladder tank can have a separate solenoid to not backwash every time.

[@scottstonebraker8107]

If you want to filter out soaps an oils shaving cream etc you need to check out the Wavebrite grey water filter. Its used on boats so they can dump grey water overboard. You need to prefilter of course. Its an expensive filter up front and only good for like 5000 gallons of water but can be refurbished for about 1/3 the price of new. I would try to only run water through the filter when washing soap/shammpo off then divert around the filter so it will last longer. Ive been working on it myself

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Never heard of the Wavebrite before… absolutely worth looking into for a recirculating shower! Hoping your shower goes well! Let us know how it turns out!

[@scottstonebraker8107]

@@WanderfulRevolution I looked for ever for a filter to remove soaps and I believe this is the only filter/module that will do it in real time and its been out a decade now. Using with NanoCeram filters with Carbon so its like 2 filters in one that removes all the bad stuff (virus/cyst etc.) with high flow rate. Its really just trying to come up with a package and figuring out how to get it as small as possible as you know. Im using a 110 version of the I-heat shower head as well to heat water with temp control. I have it connected right after the filters and just use a hand held shower head from there. Just my 2 cents and passing on what I have learned to you since you have passed along what you have learned! Good luck to you as well.!

[@calvinl2149]

Really appreciate the follow-up and honestly sharing your experience.

[@anthonyrosa4388]

I've have mines built for about 4 months now I have never tested it yet just ran it a couple times for 20 minutes soon I'll be moving into it and then we'll figure it out from there thank you so much for all the information if not for you guys I've honestly never would have thought of the idea we are all wishing you guys nothing but happiness and success😊

[@WanderfulRevolution]

That’s so awesome!!!! Like we said if it doesn’t work out you can convert it back to a traditional show or remove it!!! I’m glad we could help! Good luck on your travels! Also let us know how your shower works!!!

[@wagu7003]

Commas and periods are your friend.

[@catH727]

Hello Bethoonies!!! Miss hanging with you two! Stay Wunderful

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Awwwww thank you Cat!!!! We miss hanging out with y’all too!!!

[@suzanneseale9543]

Thank you for your honesty. Very helpful.

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Thanks for watching and glad it was helpful! 😊

[@krehlcook406]

Thanks for truth on your experience, looks like recirc shower is expensive and time consuming, sounds like gym is best bet for long hot shower!

[@hawaiidogs9277]

TY you guys God bless

[@WanderfulRevolution]

@@hawaiidogs9277 thank you!

[@joehoffman7019]

Been waiting FOREVER for the follow up. I've watched them all

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Thank you for watching! Sorry it took forever! We have been traveling and got hit with some big life changes…

[@joehoffman7019]

@@WanderfulRevolution I completely understand. I didn't mean to make it sound like y'all owed me/us. Just excited. Those are all great reasons for stopping the shower and when I put mine and if I find a solution for the soap/shampoo I'll definitely share. A couple ideas of getting a sand filter as the first pass after draining from shower. Have you looked at that, which means am I wasting my time looking into and testing that? Thank you so very much for all of your tutelage!!

[@WanderfulRevolution]

@@joehoffman7019 no worries! We didn’t take it that way at all! We have not tried the sand filter idea at all. After our UV filter went out, we just didn’t want to take in the expense. As far as the UV filter goes though, we used a 12v filter, but you could always use a 120v one and it will save lots of money and I don’t think it would consume too much power. Just a thought. Best of luck, we look forward to hearing how your experiments go!

[@WanderfulRevolution]

@@joehoffman7019 we totally get it!!!! The sand filter is a great idea… just have to deal with getting the flow rate right! I know some home systems use sand filtering but they also have a lot more water in the circuit… we are wishing you the best on your system and would love updates!!!

[@kirkduncan1189]

Welcome back kids! Missed y’all shower here is always open. Love y’all❤️

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Miss y’all too! Never know when you have to borrow a shower lol 😂

[@redraine2353]

Water operator here. If you're not drinking the water, you don't need UV disinfection. The quartz tube around the light will just get all shmaged up and be ineffective from the soap scum. If this water is only being used for bathing, then you dont need a whole lot. We've all had a bath in a lake. You'll be okay. For filtration, just get a filter that catches the hair and large particulate. That soapy water is your soapy water and just means you don't need to use soap every time. Just wash with the soapy water, like you would when you have a handwashing pan. When you're done, let the water settle out. Gently pour the supernatant from the top of the tote into a second tote and throw out and rinse the settled solids left over on the bottom. You can do all this with 2 rubbermaids and a pump. All you really need is a pump, a way to heat the water, and a porous filter that catches debris so you don't get a face full of hair (like a furnace filter or something similarly porous depending on your preferred filtration). Make it so you can take the piping apart easily to run a cloth on a stick through the lines to clear out built up residue, and you're set. You're overthinking it. I use this at my cabin just fine. If your source water comes from a lake or stream, filter it before you put it in your reservoir. If you're worried about contamination, get some chlorine tabs or calcium hypochloride (swimming pool chlorine). You can add extra filtration as you like, but just lettling it settle over night and keeping the supernatant will still give you enough for another shower of semi-clean water. If the point is to have a shower with only 10 or 20 liters, then this is your best and most affordable way.

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Awesome!!! Good to hear from an expert!!!! Thank you for the information and your comment!

[@cheryl1766]

recirculated water for washing needs to be heated above 40c to prevent the legionnaire bacteria...or run through a UV light

[@C3Rl3]

Never invite me over for dinner if you are reusing the soapy water to wash your dishes.

[@wanderingzythophile9083]

Thanks for the update! I still plan to go forward with a recirc system, but definitely will tweak my design to (hopefully) get around some of the issues you two have had.

[@WanderfulRevolution]

We absolutely promote people trying to perfect this system! Please keep us updated on your progress!!! If we had a permanent home base I would have a huge ever changing mockup until we figured it out!!! 😂

[@wanderingzythophile9083]

These things are learning processes, aren't they :D

[@WanderfulRevolution]

@@wanderingzythophile9083 indeed they are!!!

[@Beingbethunes]

Ahhhhh! Makes me miss y’all even more!!!! Shower or not shower, we love you both!! ❤❤❤ Also, more Wanderful Revolution videos!!! They are so good!! STAY WANDERFUL!!! ❤Jenn

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Awwwww thank you!!! We miss and love yall!!!!!

[@manoahvanderwolf3259]

kudos to you guys and the amazing work of trying to make it work. the idea of recirculating and having long warm showers is a dream come true for people like me, whom absolutely live for long, hot showers. i can shower for like 20 minutes, on a hot shower, and it is therapeutic, relaxing and does wonders for me, and if i need to be 'energetic' instead of 'snoozy' i just rinse off with cold(er) water for the last few seconds. now, if the main problem is petroleum-based soaps cause problems, then well, the 'easiest' solution is non-petroleum based soaps. yeah lol, wish it was that easy, it is not, because it ends up getting expensive AND, as you said for the parts-you need to stock up on those materials and that comes at a space and weight cost. now the thing imho though where i personally believe improvements can be made is that imho, your 'exterior mounted setup' is just not feasable. the entire thing gets dirty so it's going to be a hassle and with cold winters that is just not not fun, it's potentially able to make you catch the flu/cold. on top of that, freezing is definitely a problem, even though imho, you could circumvent that by simply closing off that space and isolating that space and combining it with the heater system. as for the uv filter, a dozen reasons can be why it stopped working, but i think you should consider placing it in a 'shock reducing' setting. something - as weird as that may sound, like 'hanging', with a few springs to prevent it from dancing around. i think an improvement could be is having the filters in a 'box' in the shower space itself where you can simply take them out, rinse them in the shower itself, and as such make maintenance a easier job. i also wonder how long one should go anyway with that and whether some additional pre-filters could be installed like in the floor pan of the shower. i don't know how long you guys do with the water, but i'd say that perhaps you simply should go for like two to three weeks maximum, then simply dump the grey water and add fresh clean water again. perhaps something to ponder about: could you perhaps implement a system where you 'reverse flush' the system, like when 'dumping' the grey water, you switch the direction of the pump and you push back out a lot of the clogging, and as such, have like a multi-weekly automatic 'filter clean' ? i'm also sure that this gets a lot more comfortable for people that live in a van solitary, not as a pair. what i'm also thinking of is this : i think you can compare it greatly to a swimming pool. perhaps adding like a filter with chlorine (pool) tablets can improve hygiene, and add like a mini pool sand filter, which could, perhaps, theoretically, catch most of the filter issues. the benefit of pool filters is backwashing. perhaps a system like that can be invented for vanlife too. i think it would be essentially the holy grail of vanlife, and water shortage at the same time. the combo of a water-saving shower setup, recirculating your shower water, and being able to backwash could provide a combo that would be industry changing.

[@houseinavan194]

Great Video...After basing our recirc shower on yours and Snow and Kirt's (the same filtration, UV system/heat exchanger idea etc) and after a couple of months tour in Europe, we could never get rid of a slight odour in the water after about 4/6 showers, we even did wet wipes before showering and not using any products in the shower basically a warm shower to rinse ourselves off, we decided to take out the system, weigh all the equipment used for the record, (pump x 2, UV filter, spin down filter, surge tank, 3 x 10 inch filters etc etc plus fittings and actual water volume...it all came to around 35kg and then added a tank for the same weight in water ie 35kg...we can now do far more showers, albeit short showers, in fresh water....It was an interesting excersice putting the recirc system together.....but it didn't work out for us....Cheers

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Thank you!!! In the end I don’t think we got as much use out of it as we expected… this van was built during Covid when everything was closed and we wanted the flexibility to shower whenever we wanted… in the end we opted for other shower options as well… if we ever build another van I think we will definitely skip a recirculating shower… but I’m glad you gave it a go! It was a fun lesson indeed!!!!! Thank you for your insights!

[@nirodper]

​@@WanderfulRevolution What I don't understand is why reuse the water for multiple showers, all the van lifers do it. In the original showerloop the water was dumped after every use, the loop is for each shower not for using the same water for a week. You use a much smaller tank (2 gallons max) and that way your water is always clean, only need to clean/change filters

[@lornamackenzie2525]

Have missed you guys❣

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Thanks! We’ve missed you too! We’ve just had a lot going on! Be on the lookout for an update video next week! ❤️

[@richardowens9061]

First of all, as a caveat, I will just say that I have not built a recirculating shower system. Secondly, I will tell you that I abandoned the idea of a recirculating shower and decided I would focus on an alternative approach that I think would be superior: 1 - Instead of a recirculating shower, I would suggest a gray water recycling system, instead. This would work with both the shower and the sink(s) that you have. 2 - Install a float switch in your gray water tank about one third up the side of the tank, so that the switch is closed when the level in the gray tank goes above the point of the float switch. The reason you would want to install the float switch about one third up the side of the tank is so that solids have a chance to settle to the bottom of the tank and are less likely to reach the filter system. This float switch will toggle the pump for the system on and off, as the water level rises and falls. 3 - Install a bulkhead fitting at a point just below the level of the float switch, so that the water level is above the bulkhead fitting and below the float switch. The reason you would want to do this is to ensure that the water level is always above the bulkhead fitting when the system is operating. This way the pump will never be cavitating. 4 - Plumb a spin down filter to the bulkhead fitting installed in the gray tank. This is a component that is likely to need frequent emptying and cleaning, depending on the amount of solids that end up in it - which is why you would want the bulkhead fitting to be one third, or more above the bottom of the gray tank. 5 - Next, route the water through the pump and then to a pre-filter that is about 20 microns, followed by a 5 micron carbon filter, followed by a 1 micron ceramic filter. The 20 micron filter and the 5 micron carbon filter will need to be replaced on a regular basis, depending on its frequency of use. The 1 micron ceramic filters usually come with a wire brush that can be used to clean it, rather than having to replace it. 6 - Next route the water to an accumulator tank that is set to about 45psi. 7 - Following the accumulator tank, route the water to a reverse osmosis system. These are typically rated at 50 to 200 gallons per day flow rate. There will be two outputs from the reverse osmosis system. One of the outputs goes to your fresh water tank. The other output goes back to the gray water tank through any existing drain plumbing The reverse osmosis system is going to be much slower than the pump can pump water. The pump for the system will be switching on when the water level in the gray tank goes above the float switch and switching off when the pressure in the accumulator reaches the set pressure and when the water level in the gray tank falls below the float switch. 8 - Install your UV filter on the output line of your fresh water tank, so that all of the water you use will have been sterilized. And, only the cleanest water will be passed through it. Remember, the UV filter depends on the light inside being able to kill any bacteria and viruses in the water. So, it is ineffective if the water is cloudy. Additionally, the UV filter should be attached to an inline flow switch that turns the filter on only while water is flowing through it and is off when no water is being used. Suggestions for extending the life of the filter cartridges: Use no soap or shampoo while showering and use the minimum amount of soap needed to wash dishes or anything else you might wash in the sink. If you must use soap while showering, use bar soap and as little as possible. I have not used shampoo in almost twenty years, using only warm water to wash my hair. When I stopped using shampoo I also stopped needing any kind of product on my hair, since my hair was not stripped of all the natural oils. Use a fine mesh filter in the drain of the shower and sink(s) to pre-filter solids from reaching the gray tank. NEVER put grease or oil down your drain. However, since the system will stop running before the water level drops to the bulkhead fitting for the system, any small amount of residual oil from dinner plates will rise to the surface of the water and not be drawn into the system. Periodically drain completely and wash your gray tank while the system is disabled. Another advantage of this approach is that you need only one water heater - that should be an instant hot water heater for long continuous showers. Or, you can use a regular hot water heater and just be satisfied with shorter showers, while still saving almost all of the water. And, of course, all components should be located inside a climate controlled environment or heated, if positioned where they might be exposed to the cold. And, purge the entire system when winterizing for times when you will not be using the vehicle. I hope these comments help anyone considering such a system.

[@wagu7003]

Is there any way possible to make it more complicated?

[@richardowens9061]

@@wagu7003 If you have a better approach to achieving the same or superior results, I'm all ears.

[@dmh-gaming3983]

Would this system be a good idea to filter mountain water just for showering/washing clothes and keeping the water tank for drinking and cooking?

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Thanks for updating us! Happen to have any data on # of showers between filter cleanings/changing? Was soap filtered out well for 'n' number of showers before you noticed the water was no longer cleaner than the objects to be washed? Basically an 'use' data you might have can be useful for other designs. May your water tanks always be full and the tires always pointing down! :-p

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Unfortunately no… the data ended up being about the same… if we ever do a system like this again I’m building spreadsheets!!!! 😂 thank you so much for the well wishes!!!

[@ZillaYT]

So you never rerouted the spin-down filter?

[@WanderfulRevolution]

No… we ended up converting it to a conventional shower when we sold it

[@sherriweber7105]

I didn’t know you did your own van built. You did a great job! Glad you fixed your shower system. And it works. Sandy I’m glad you have a husband like Jed who happens to be a handy man. How was your shower in the van after you converted it? Talk you both soon!

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Sandy is the real star! I just provided the manual labor!!! 😅😅😅 The van was our home for two years… it’s how we met Kyle and Jen!!!! We went to a tiny home show and met one faithful day!!!! 😂

[@sherriweber7105]

@@WanderfulRevolution I love that story! Thank you for letting me know. I love hearing of how you started with your van and how you net Kyle and Jenn! You all are great people love you all. 🤗😘🥰❤️🧡💜

[@orvsr4me2]

Great video guys, as usual. Thank you! A single POV comment, those easy/awesome snake-bite pex connectors are super expensive vs crimp clamps. I only use them when crimp-ons are not possible.

[@WanderfulRevolution]

Thank you! Absolutely true about the crimp-ons being cheaper!!!! We did have concerns about some of our smaller spaces and working with the crimping tool… we decided to play it safe and go with the snake bites! Looking back we could have saved a decent amount! Thank you!!!

[@JimYeats]

If you’re doing an entire home and placing fittings in regions that are inaccessible, then I would agree that using a crimp/clamp, or expanding fittings would be better, but for a small system like this where you have accessible fittings - but very limited elbow room, the Shark bites are much preferred, plus you can disconnect and reuse them.

[@pianogal853]

I hadn't known that sharkbites were available for pex - I noted that when watching this! Are they also reusable??

[@WanderfulRevolution]

@@pianogal853 yes they are!!!

[@JimYeats]

@@pianogal853 They are reusable, yes. Although you wouldn’t want to use a fitting that has been used and abused repeatedly in a permanent or inaccessible area. But something like this where it has been used just once in a light duty application you could absolutely reuse with confidence.

[@jessesmithchannel]

Bummer! I'm deep in the weeds of building my recirculating shower system. I'd love your thoughts on why you used a UV filter at all. I know they're recommended in most systems, but it feels like overkill, especially at the price point.

[@WanderfulRevolution]

We are kinda split on this… you can wash in a lake or stream and probably be ok… if you get municipal or city water that has been treated you’re also probably ok… we never tested the water after use… it’s an extra layer of protection, but for the price I’m not entirely sure if it’s necessary…. Testing would be the only definitive way to be sure!!! Good luck with your shower!

[@scottstonebraker8107]

Check out the NanoCeram filters with activated carbon(these filter out all the bad stuff). You wont need UV and it helps with smells. Want to remove soaps in real time/Wavebrite Gray water module!

[@gideonporter537]

Why not just plumb your sink water supply into the shower? You'll have dual hoses/shower set-up, but it means you can wash soap-free (recirculating mode). Then rinse with normal shampoo/conditioner (which can exit straight to gray water without going through your filter system?

[@stanb990]

Just have a sediment collector tube at the bottom of your holding tank One valve at the top of the tube and one at the bottom. Soaps and sediment will collect in the tube Occasionally Turn off the top valve and turn on the bottom valve to purge the sediment Make your system reverse flushable to clean out filters Scrap UV everyone seems to have issues UV does nothing a few drops of chlorine in the drain won't do

[@renstillmann]

Do you have some more info/sources regarding these tips/tricks?

[@Sabine-r5n]

I think the szstem is onlz good if ou have minimum 100 Gallons fresh and grey water

[@wagu7003]

Do they get paid more for each cut? Smh

[@JimYeats]

Why even bother filtering? Just reuse that soap! Nothing makes your skin feel clean like a liquid scrubbing mixture of old soap scum, skin flakes, and pubes.

[@WanderfulRevolution]

My PCP told me it’s ok because it’s my favorite!!!! 😂 😂 😂

[@MrGiovanni1968]

I saw the Videos of the KZbin Channel of Snow and Curt,and that makes me really curious The Filter Systems ( i heard ) wouldnt be very expensive,but they woulld be a bigger Problem with Shampoos/soaps. Some ppl uses Filters from aquaristic They also use a UV c lamp Water heated by standheater But anyway i keep lookin.. Greetings from the Italian who lives in Germany

[@WanderfulRevolution]

I do wish we had more time… ideally we would have built a separate mock up to experiment with!!! Thank you for watching!!!