Heated transom shower on SN196

[ErikBerghiller]

Hi!

 

Went out sailing whit my parents last week and discovered that they have a hot water shower on the transom, somehow heated by the engines cooling system. It was awesome being able to take a hot shower after a cold swim!

 

Now I’m thinking about installing one on my SN 196 as a winter project, I’ve been googling around to see if there any complete kits out there to just plug in but it doesn’t seem like it. All I can find is kits where it’s just the hose and handle or kits for 230V electrical heaters…

 

There are plenty of space in the transom storage compartment to store the hose, handle, pump, mixer and some kind of tank to store the heated water.

 

Anyone who have done this on a skiboat or know a good heated “transom shower kit”?

 

Thanks!

//Erik

 

[bigskieridaho]

heatercraft.com

[mwetskier]

skip the tank. you don't need it for the shower and you don't want it for the added weight.

[dbutcher]

You can buy all the parts necessary at a good hardware store. No pump needed - just use engine RPM's to push the water to the shower head. Use a Y like you put on a hose faucet to mix hot and cold water to get the temperature you want. Cost should be under $50. Wash machine hoses work for the supply lines (with some modifications).

[bigskieridaho]

Buy a pump that way you can just have your engine running and not have to rev it up. As for the kit, like I said the heatercraft ones are great. Spend the extra cash and do it right the first time so you aren't sorry later. The only thing I changed on mine is the main shower hose. Buy a coil style RV wash hose and it won't take up so much room.

[mwetskier]

you can assemble a shower kit for far less than the heatercraft offering. aside from the marine pump all the other parts are simple plumbing components plus an adjustable hose nozzle. the best pump we found is this one on ebay that puts out almost twice the flow of the heatercraft one - marine pump with demand switch

 

You can go to any west marine store and ask to look at the shower kit they sell for a ' free ' lesson on how to put it all together. draw the 12v power straight from your starter solenoid, add an in line fuse, and pull your hot water side off the block down stream from the engine thermostat so it always feeds hot water to your mixing valve.

 

 

[WIRiverRat]

Discount inboard marine offers a full kit. I've had it in my SN 196 for years and works great.

[nam1975]

I use a big kahuna portable shower. A lot of surfers use them.

I fill it with hot water at the house and it stays warm.

I also use it camping too.

[BraceMaker]

@mwetskier that's a neat pump - I'm going to have to pick one up - 5 piston diaphragm instead of some vane motor type thing. Should be very self priming right?

[mwetskier]

@BraceMaker -it is self priming. it uses the same eccentric bearing drive plate system as the heatercraft pump but with 5 diaphragms instead of 2.

 

[ErikBerghiller]

Thanks! I will check out the heatercraft, is there any big no no when it comes to where to take the water from the engine?

[DavidN]

I retrofitted our last Malibu Response with a hot water shower.

I used RV parts mainly. Used the engine drain plug as source for the hot water. No issues as long as we owned the boat. Just don't forget to include the shower in your winterizing procedure.

[ErikBerghiller]

@DavidN Ok, thanks!

[Jmoski]

Here is where my heater is connected on my 196 with the Excalibur engine. Red hoses.

 

The first picture with my finger in it is where it takes the hot water, the second is the return behind the belt.

 

If you winterize the boat don't forget to blow out the new shower line & components.

 

 

[DW]

@mwetskier : I assume you actually mean upstream of the thermostat if you are connecting the hot water hose to the engine block, thermostat is at the exit point for water as it leaves the engine. downstream would be in the exhaust manifolds.

[mwetskier]

@DW -i always thought it was the other way around -i guess you learn something new every day if you're not careful. in any event, the goal is to scavenge water from the block that is always engine temp regardless of thermostat action.

[Keith_Menard]

@mwetskier My theory on anything taking water from the engine is to only take it after the engine is done using it.

[mwetskier]

@"Keith Menard" -i agree. used engine water is *always* better for the shower, cuz its already broken in.