Domestic Water Systems for Your Boat

Life on a boat comes with its own set of challenges and conveniences, and having a reliable domestic water system is one of the most important for onboard comfort. 

From providing fresh water for drinking and cooking to supplying showers, taps, and toilets, a properly designed water system ensures that daily life at sea runs smoothly. Unlike on land, water on a boat must be stored, pumped, and treated carefully to maintain hygiene and efficiency in a confined environment. 

How a Hotpot Calorifier Works

Calorifiers are suitable for engines with closed, pressurised cooling systems where the coolant water exceeds 74°C. 

Hot water from the engine’s internal closed cooling system is circulated around the inner coils of the calorifier. These coils feature drop coil technology and have a finned surface which provides unrivalled heat recovery. 

As the engine coolant water flows through the coils, the heat transfers to the stored water and the coolant water is returned to the engine at a lower temperature. In addition to being able to heat the stored water by means of the engine you can also use a 240 volt immersion, ideal for when a shore power connection is available. 

When mounting horizontally, due to the nature of heat rising, the hot water outlet is at the top of the tank and the cold water feed in is always at the bottom.

How long does water take to heat up to a usable temperature?

Lots of factors will determine the actual heat up time of the water in your calorifier, however as a rule of thumb a 1KW immersion will take 30 minutes to heat up 10 litres of water to a usable temperature. When using the engine or diesel heaters the entire tank will generally heat up in approximately 30 minutes.

Do I need a twin or single coil calorifier?

If you only have one heat source (i.e. one engine) then a single coil should be used. If you have more than one heat source (i.e. an engine and a diesel heater, or 2 engines) then you could use a twin coil.

Why Copper?

Hotpot calorifiers are made from 100% copper, resulting in the best heat transfer performance and health benefits, as Copper has excellent anti-bacterial qualities. 

On test after seven days of immersion in water, 80% of stainless steel and plastics were coated in a biofilm, while copper showed little to no biofilm at all. 

Biofilms are harbingers of E-coli 0157 and other micro biological bugs and post a significant threat to human health.