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WATER HEATERS
duoetto

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FACTS

DUOETTO WATER HEATER

    The Australian made Duoetto water heater is dual 12volt and 240 volt unit with 10 litre storage capacity. There has been some confusion about the Duoetto water heater in regard to the amount of amps it draws. Before we get into that, ask yourself one question..... How long do you have a shower for when camping? The 10 litre system works on 240 volts at 1000 watts with a current draw of 4.6 amps. On 12 volts the load is 300 watts with a current draw of 25 amps.

    You can wire it into your ignition so when you drive it will heat up on the travel so that it doesn’t work your battery super hard. When you get to your destination you will have instant hot water. When you are staying for long periods of time you can work the Dueotto off a toggle switch for showering. The unit needs a 12 volt pump or mains pressure.

    The unit if wired correctly by gauging the distance in wiring will use around 22 amps per hour. Remembering this is only a 10 litre unit, and your heating in general is only enough for a shower for a couple of people. Which will take around 25 – 30 minutes in that time it will drag around 9 to 10 amps out of the battery.

    If you were to have solar panels running on your camper/vehicle you would maintain that quite easily. For people who don’t have solar installed and would want to use this Duoetto water heater all year round. You would think quite hard about getting solar installed to run this water heater. If you were a camper and always stopping at caravan parks then the idea would be to use it off 240 volt. Remembering that you can also use a generator. On the generator it will take around 15 minutes to get hot enough to have a shower.

    When you have the 10 litre Duoetto water heater you would mix the hot water with cold water to have a shower making plenty of water to go round when you’re away your water supply is limited.

INSTALLING A DUOETTO
with Neil & Margaret

    In February 2009 I installed a Duoetto 10 litre hot water system in our Jayco Eagle Camper Trailer and we have had several trips using it in both 12volt DC and 240volt AC.

    I installed the unit under the front lounge just inside the side access hatch near the front door. This location has proved itself by being able to access the power switches without having to lift the cushions. The inlet plumbing may seem to be a bit technical, but is really simple. I wanted to be able to use the water tanks or from an external source, which could be from reticulated supply or out of a bucket using a bilge pump when remote camping using clean river/dam water.

    The tank water pipe comes from the right, through the grey ball valve. I wanted to make sure there was a safety device to stop water going back into the water tank, so I installed a brass non-return valve. The white valve is where the external water supply is connected, which goes into a tee and then to the pressure relief valve supplied with the Duoetto. It is most important to connect the overflow pipe to ensure no water goes into the trailer if the pressure valve activates. The cigarette socket and switch is used when using the bilge pump. The quarter turn brass tap is used for the hot water outlet (partly blocked by the hose).

    The 240 volt proved very efficient with piping hot water, and controlled by an internal thermostat. The location of the outlet beside the door made it very accessible to get water for washing up. Another tip for when the Duoetto is connected to the reticulated supply is to install a pressure reducer in line. The one I use is a garden irrigation fitting by Neta and this can be found in the local hardware store.

    Our 12 volt system comprises of two 125 Watt BP solar panels, a PL20 regulator and two 120Ah AGM deep cycle batteries. The 12 volt power for the Duoetto is controlled by a switch (black) which turns the unit on and off when required. This have proved successful when stopped for morning tea or lunch turning the hot water on for 20 minutes. This meant the water was hot enough when we camped, eg to have a shower but not enough for washing the dishes. We used a portable shower and a bucket. We do not turn the unit on after 2pm while we were camping to conserve battery power for the evening.

    The only times we were unable to use the Duoetto on 12 volt was when it was raining or very overcast days. We also have a Yamaha EF1000iS generator which heats the water in the Duoetto on 240 volt. This works extremely well and after 30 minutes the water is too hot to place your hand in the water. We are able to wash the dishes and then have showers in the one heating. We are very happy with the Duoetto Hot Water System.
The caravans and motor homes that use 240 volt most of the time, this unit would be ideal and compact.