Looks like our front Dometic AC may have wore itself out - not cooling at all anymore. In looking for replacements, I've been contemplating the value of one with a heat strip/pump. Our rear AC has one which has been nice on occasion however, the Aquahot, on electric is less noisy and warms more evenly.
Why would the heat pump/strip be needed when we have the Aquahot? Backup?
Different folks have different ideas about the heat strips. We have them in both of our roof A/C units, and we have never used them. (I do turn them on once a year to see if they still work, but that's it.) I don't want to listen to the noise of the fan in the roof unit just to get a little heat. We much prefer using a few (2 or 3) small electric ceramic heaters with thermostatic controls. They are inexpensive, cut on and off as necessary, make only a little "background" noise, and use less electricity. For serious heat needs, we use our propane heaters.
But that's just us...
Bill,
There is a big difference in a heat pump A/C unit and one that has a heat strip. Do your research on which one you really want/need. We have A/C units with heat strips not heat pumps, we never use our heat strips.
Pamela & Mike
Yes for the extra couple of hundred bucks, a good back up to the aquahot and about double the output of a heat strip. If not too cold, [high 40's] I run the front ac in heat pump mode and close fwd ducts and open bedroom ones when sleeping. I stay warm and it is not too noisy.
Roof air is poor place to have heat sources. There are many ways to heat, but only one way to cool, so why wear out roof air for heating. Heat also likes to rise, not drop, while cooling likes to drop, not rise. Save money and maintenance issues and buy roof air without heating.
I would recommend having someone look at it first to see if it can repaired. Your thermostat is set up for heat pump on your brand of ac. Changing types, or models of air conditioners will probably necessitate changing thermostats, or unit boards or more.
My present coach has newer style ac/heat pump units and new thermostat wiring etc was an extra $450 on top of cost of new units. Have had some coaches with 20+ year old units, Normally just a component wears out and need replacing, like a capacitor or valve. Much cheaper repairing that replacing.
I installed a Atwood 15K heatpump up front, The A/C works great and I love it so far. It also blows nice warm air on heat pump and should work just fine for the small amount of time we actually have to use the darn thing!My reason was, I can heat the bus with the campground electric if I'm paying and plugged in. Otherwise we use the propane furnaces.
. Yup, well aware of the difference - guess I should have not used the "/" between 'em in defining the question... point was why add either when the aquahot is available.
.
Have been thinking about that and what a change in unit would require in terms of the thermostat AND with our travels taking us to Tucson in a couple weeks, not sure who'd know Foretravel & how it's all wired (Lazy Days, Camping World... ::) ). Certainly will have it checked out before replacing it, Jim. ... that extra $450 makes this about a $1700 fix...
We used a couple ceramic heaters in our Airstream (34' with slide), which did the job very well in keeping us warm... better job than a heat strip and a whole lot less noise!
While we've been here in Silver City, there's been a couple of nights of 40 & maybe a couple degrees under where the heat pump stayed on a lot pushing cool air... so I turned on the Aquahot (elec.), and it performed flawlessly. And
quietly. Thinking that my replacement (if needed), will be sans heat strip/pump.
Now, providing I go with a replacement Dometic, hopefully I'll be able to keep the same thermostat...
...what Jim C said, if you have two identical units swap parts between the two until you isolate what is wrong, don't buy one of these new R410a units except as a last resort, you're not gonna like it as much as your old R22 unit so you should fix it if possible
I do not see the value of heat strips.
IF, repeat IF you camp where ambient temperatures are above 40 degrees F and you want heating, a heat pump is a reasonable alternative. Below that, they do not work.
So, determine where/how you will be using the coach and then decide on whether a heat pump is a worthwhile upgrade.
Why use the heat pump when the Aquahot on electric is available, Brett? Lot less noisy and more even heat...
If you are not paying for electricity, no reason at all.
But, a heat pump operating between 40 and 60 degrees F is more efficient than a resistance heating element (aquahot or heat strips).
"Have been thinking about that and what a change in unit would require in terms of the thermostat AND with our travels taking us to Tucson in a couple weeks, not sure who'd know Foretravel & how it's all wired (Lazy Days, Camping World... ::) ). Certainly will have it checked out before replacing it, Jim. ... that extra $450 makes this about a $1700 fix..."
There is only 2 or 3 companies that make roof airs, so any fairly competent rv shops can look at your unit. thermostats are a little bit different because of the aqua-hot. Many shops do not understand how the aqua-hot interfaces, which is different than a furnace. If you have the 5 button thermostat, it may not be compatible with a newer ac whether it has a heat pump or heat strip or nothing at all. A common problem on our units is the reversing valve coil, have tech check this first, coil is only about $15 [plus labor]
Brett makes a good point, if you are paying for electricity, warming with heat pump far cheaper than aqua-hot resistance heating.
And that 5 button (Duo-therm), Jim, is indeed what we have. Thanks for the heads up advice.
.
The Fore's were dry campers originally and maybe old time preppers. Long ago most rv's and their systems were unreliable and service areas and expertise and parts were hardly available.
ALL the old motorcades had a foretravel coach with two mechanics and a pull vehicle with various parts and tools on it.
In 1984 we borrowed a 1978 35' dodge chassis ftx.
Driving through Portland at night the alternator died. Long ways from home.
Started gen. Turned on the intermittent boost switch and jammed a toothpick into the on portion of the switch to hold it on.
Now what? Driving along the river I spotted Foretravel labeled signs with an arrow on the bottom attached to trees. ?
Followed the signs to a camping area and it turns out there was a motorcade there for the night.
Mechanics waved high to me as I knew them.
Long story short the service trailer had a alternator on it and the fixed it for me on the spot.
Foretravel luck.
Old time rvers ALWAYS had backup systems
Our 97 is probably near the end of that line of reasoning.
Propane stove top and a microwave. Inverter and generator. Aqua hot with 110 volt and diesel. Heat strips that work at sub zero temps.
Availability of Diesel engine heat to supplement the aqua hot. Aqua hot to heat the motor for serious winter.
Ether start to fire motor if everything else fails. Separate batteries for backup.
Disk brakes and a retarder.
Top insulation. Laminated walls. Low center of gravity for better wind control.
Sealed heated tank bays, large fuel tanks.
Higher ground clearance.
33 years ago removing backup systems was not something to be done lightly.
No cell phones. No internet. Scattered service places.
I marvel at our 97 u320 as it's probably the culmination old style Rv.
Especially with a mid door.
19 models year later 1978 35' ftx.
No oven. Do miss that and the trash compactor.
I have been at minus 30 in old ftx and early gv.
"Why do you need backups good for extreme hot or cold conditions?
The real advantage to our coaches was the safe four season use. Most rvs were not made for hot or cold weather.
Aqua hot dies at below freezing weather the heat strips are it.
Plus the much shorter ac life running them in reverse according to my guru old buddy.
It's not the idea I intend to go into serious winter but the idea I can safely.
We like remove dry camping which most here are not into.
This Unicoach is the best dry camp weather insensitive RV I have seen
Worth more to us versus newer shinier more tender pretty coaches.
Old Foretravel manager and river talk.
Used to build coaches with tank heaters.
It was an adventure back then. Had a few dicey things happen then.
No way I am going to lessen any of the multiple backups in our coach.
AquaHot will heat the domestic water side of things just fine on electric, but it will not keep up if you need it to provide "furnace" heat. You'll need to run the diesel burner for any significant coach heating.
Yep, the electric side does a great job with temps in the 40's and up and much quieter than the heat pump. Diesel gets fired up when temps drop below mid to late 30's.
I sure do love the aquahot... ;)
I guess everyone has different demands for heat. In our 2001 for us the Aquahot on electric only is fine when overnight lows get to even the high 30s. But if it were averaging high 30s or lower then the diesel side of things would be on. Some like more warm than others.
I use the heat pumps on my coach on cool nights. If we are sleeping I use the front unit, during the day we use the rear unit. On very cold days we use the Aqua Hot with the Diesel and electric running. If the demand doesn't require it, the Diesel burner will not fire unless needed. In my Winnebago Itasca Suncruiser if my heat pump on the AC could not keep up my furnace would automatically kick in. Will our Aqua Hot do the same? I've never tested it.
John M.
I think the thermostat can only choose one or the other
The Aqua Hot fan coils react to a call for heat from your manufacture installed thermostats. If they automatically switch from heatpump to Aqua Hot, the answer is yes. You might consult the operating instructions for your thermostats for the answer.
Thanks Rudy, will do!
John M.
On our coach, the furnace (aqua hot), will not automatically go on if the heat pump can't keep up even if the AH is turned on. I have to manually turn the furnace on at the thermostat for the AH to engage and start heating.
And man, when it does, it's great! :dance:
Been in the Sierra's since Oct. 5th. the lows have not reached the 30's yet. All teens and 20's The Aqua Hot is getting a lot of use and it is nice and cozy in the coach. Not so when fishing. DW refuses to leave the coach except for a few hours in the afternoon when it reaches 50's. We are dry camping and heat strips or a heat pump would be almost useless.
A) A SOB coach was kicked out of here for running 24/7 heat pump; very noisy! B) Friends of ours with a Blue Bird that had Aqua Hot dumped 10CBs after it failed. Moral? Service, service service! ^.^d I'll take what I got, but wish we had heat strips.
I have the Atwood 15,000 unit and find the heat pump well worth the additional cost.
Never can have too many heat options.
We have heat strips in both of our roof air units and have never used them (actually I ran them once to see if they worked, and they did...) Too noisy and the draft from the fans makes it feel colder. We don't have Aquahot, but we use a couple of electric floor heaters when we're plugged in to shore power - a cube heater and a stand heater, and I have a couple of plug-in thermostats that make the plug-in heater temperature control much better.
Lux WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat - Programmable... (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7NYY8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
When we're boondocking, we mostly use two Olympian catalytic heaters which use very little propane and no electricity, but they're a pain to light and don't have thermostat controls, so one of the Mister Heater style units is on the list.
Mike I think you may be able to add heat strips....l
A few weeks ago we removed our roof air electric heat strips.
Clean roof air conditioner evaporator coil (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=32248.msg287852#msg287852)
Guess I am some sort of "prepper". Spent 45 years at sea, where if something broke, you could not go to your local dd or cat or cummins dealer, to fix it, or buy a new one at walmart. So I like redundancy. Sure my aqua-hot will probably not break, and my heat pumps/strips will probably work, and If it doesn't I can always get a hotel. So I have aqua-hot, heatpumps, and cube heaters, and a mr heater, just in case. Spent Hurricane Ike on Galveston Island. Guess who supplied power from his bus generator to all his neighbours for their refrigerators, cell phone chargers and tv's? Just look at the news lately, a whole bunch of "it can't happen to me" people wandering around with stunned looks on their faces.
Jcus your too old school, probably have wisdom, a savings account, and obviously know how to weather a storm you damn well know is coming. And don't build a house six feet above tide level in a hurricane zone.. What you lack is the whining ability.