Just inquiring, is it safe to run my aqua hot on deisel and electric while driving?
Also what about the fridge on propane...safe to run while driving?
Don't know about Aqua hot, but I would assume you would want to to. It on diesel when on the road. Fridge is fine been running mine on propane going down the road for many years no issues. There are some folks that turn off he propane when traveling. As always do what makes you happy.
My Aqua Hot has been on diesel since 4/26 parked and driving. I turn it on when I leave home and turn it off when I return.
Doesn't the engine put heat into the AH system while underway? Or is it the AH system can put heat into the engine before starting for warm-up? Or both?
I could swear the engine will put heat into the AH system....
If your driving the engine heats the AH and diesel use if any would be very low. Get where you are going with the AH off and forgetting to turn it on can't happen with it already on.
Does AH system put heat into the engine before starting for warm-up?
Yes, if AH is up to temperature on either electric (if plugged in) or on diesel burner and IF engine preheat switch is turned on. That circulates the hot coolant through the engine loop.
There is a switch under your kitchen cabinet with all the other switches that if you turn on the night before, will circulate hot water through the engine, making it easier to start in the morning and warm up quicker! There are three switches together; diesel, 115 electric and engine heat, all used for running the AH. Flip the engine heat on the night before travel.
There is also a switch under the bed at the base , but I don't use this one, as it normally is cold when leaving and the circulating of hot water through the engine seems to work the best for us. We also run the Aqua Hot down the road and leave the electric side off when doing this, unless you are running the generator too. Hope this helps. When we were heading up here to Yellowstone, the temps in Pocatello, ID got down in the single digits and I ran the circulating pump for the AH engine heat the night before and engine did not struggle, started right up and we were good to go!
I find running using the Aqua-hot to heat the engine a couple of hours is enough to heat the engine so it fires right
up a 0 F.
Peter, we run the AH on Diesel while driving when it is cold outside (for us that is usually below freezing). The AH on electric only will keep our coach in the barn at 40° and the basements warm enough even if it is zero outside. A few days before we leave temps get turned up a bit while we are loading. The night before we leave the diesel come on (exhaust routed outside of the barn) temps get set to 70 or so and engine preheat gets turned on. In the morning the coach is warm, engine is warm, preheat off, starts easily, coolant is at 90 something.
Electric AH only works when landline or generator is running. No need to turn it on while driving. Use the diesel burner for heat. Set the thermostat in the front to 75 or so, heat from the dash air will make it think the LR is warm enough and it will shut the AH heat exchangers off.
While driving the engine alone will heat the AH coolant to about 145°.
If we have been somewhere for a while an it is cold out (less than 40) then a couple hours of preheat in the morning makes starting easier on everything. Use diesel, electric won't keep up with heating the engine.
I added a an AH tank temperature sensor behind the AH tank thermostats and a gauge (red) in the kitchen next to the AH switches. It helps know what the AH is doing and managing it much easier. The blue gauge is hot water temperature at the water manifold.
Gauges look OEM. Nice.
Pierce
Roger, do you have a source for the gauges?
Aqua Hot Temperature Guage
Source is Summit Racing.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G2984-1B
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G2984-1S
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G2984-1
You need brass fittings for the temp sensors for the water manifold. The one behind the AH thermostats will just fit in there snuggly. The sensors need to be grounded.
Power to my kitchen gauges comes from the indicator light on the water pump switch. Water pump latching relay is on an adjustable timer so that it shuts off automatically.
Roger, great project. Something I've been wanting to do. Can you say a little more about installing the temp sensor behind the t'stat?
Larry, the temp sensor screws into a 1/2" brass fitting that comes with it. I used just the sensor with the plus wire attached to the threaded stud on the end. The ground wire was attached to a screw holding one of the thermostats in place under the AH Thermostat cover plate. The sensor was inserted between the plate that holds the AH thermostats and the AH tank. It is a snug fit. The wire is a duplex pair of 18ga tinned wires with a white cover. It fits under the cover plate and is routed back through the bay, through the floor into the kitchen cabinet and up to the gauge.
I don't have a picture of the sensor in place.
This is Ancor wire, probably the best you can get. There are other similar duplex cables.
Amazon.com : Ancor 18 Awg, Flat Duplex Marine Grade Duplex Cables, Black/Red,... (https://www.amazon.com/Ancor-Marine-Grade-Duplex-Cables/dp/B000NUYC3S/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1EFJTZOIFZ3QO&dchild=1&keywords=18ga%2Bduplex%2Bwire&qid=1621556839&sprefix=18%2Bga%2Bduplex%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-5&th=1&psc=1)