supplemental thermostat in bathroom

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supplemental thermostat in bathroom

March 25, 2011, 11:38:23 am

The thermostat in my bathroom has stopped doing what it has done before. I have turned this thermostat on, in the past, to increase the temperature in the bathroom above what the zone 2 setting on the Duo-Therm calls for. That is to warm up the bathroom early in the morning without resetting zone 2 and warming he bedroom, as well. Now this thermostat does nothing when turned on and set at a higher temperature than present in the room.
How do I troubleshoot this problem?

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #1 – March 25, 2011, 12:37:40 pm

Horace,
Have you checked the on / off switch on the bottom of the thermostat? Might it have inadvertently gotten moved to off?

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #2 – March 25, 2011, 12:51:47 pm

Paul, yes, my on/off switch is on top (it is ON) and the temperature adjuster is on the bottom (an Atwood device). I have remover the cover, blown all the dust off and scraped the contacts. All connections look good. The spring and levers all move as they should. Is there a fuse or circuit breaker protecting this device?

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #3 – March 27, 2011, 09:13:24 am

Quote from: Horace B. Cupp Jr. – March 25, 2011, 11:38:23 am

The thermostat in my bathroom has stopped doing what it has done before. I have turned this thermostat on, in the past, to increase the temperature in the bathroom above what the zone 2 setting on the Duo-Therm calls for. That is to warm up the bathroom early in the morning without resetting zone 2 and warming he bedroom, as well. Now this thermostat does nothing when turned on and set at a higher temperature than present in the room.
How do I troubleshoot this problem?

OK! The thermostat seems to be working. I have turned on the diesel burner and increased the zone 2 setting high enough to get the registers in the bed room blowing hot air. NO heat from the bathroom register. NO heat in toilet room. The bathroom register is UNDER the cabinet with the washer/dryer. Is there a circuit breaker in the main panel in the basement or is there one in the Aqua-Hot cabinet, or is there a fuse on the motor on the register? Can I get to any repairs thru the grill opening?
Still a bit cool at night here in Chattanooga.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #4 – March 27, 2011, 09:40:44 am

Quote from: Horace B. Cupp Jr. – March 27, 2011, 09:13:24 am

OK! The thermostat seems to be working. I have turned on the diesel burner and increased the zone 2 setting high enough to get the registers in the bed room blowing hot air. NO heat from the bathroom register. NO heat in toilet room.

That bathroom zone does only get heat with the Aquahot on, I believe. It's not tied to the DuoTherm zone 2 (at least in our 40' coach), it's a separate Aquahot zone. Do you hear a "click" or "twing" kind of noise as you move the temperature selector higher (which means the thermostat is calling for heat)?

Do you get any air blowing at all from the bath vents? If you do and it's cold yet the AH is all warmed up, the zone valve could be stuck (we've had that twice). Sometimes just a tap of the zone valve will free it up.

Michelle

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #5 – March 27, 2011, 10:53:45 am

Quote from: Steve & Michelle – March 27, 2011, 09:40:44 am

Quote from: Horace B. Cupp Jr. – March 27, 2011, 09:13:24 am
OK! The thermostat seems to be working. I have turned on the diesel burner and increased the zone 2 setting high enough to get the registers in the bed room blowing hot air. NO heat from the bathroom register. NO heat in toilet room.

That bathroom zone does only get heat with the Aquahot on, I believe. It's not tied to the DuoTherm zone 2 (at least in our 40' coach), it's a separate Aquahot zone. Do you hear a "click" or "twing" kind of noise as you move the temperature selector higher (which means the thermostat is calling for heat)?

Do you get any air blowing at all from the bath vents? If you do and it's cold yet the AH is all warmed up, the zone valve could be stuck (we've had that twice). Sometimes just a tap of the zone valve will free it up.

Michelle

Michelle. I do hear a "twing" when I move the temp selector higher, thats the contact in the thermostat. I do not get any heat from the bathroom vents from either the bathroom thermostat OR the main Duo-therm when set high. I'm not sure about fan blowing cold air, don't think so. Where is the zone valve?

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #6 – March 27, 2011, 12:45:49 pm

Horace,

In the Aqua Hot unit, mounted above each zone pump is a brass check valve (zone valve). These sometimes become stuck closed after sitting for a while. If the Aqua Hot is at temp and all zone pumps are running, the tubes above the check valves should be very warm. If one is not the check valve is stuck.

A sharp wrap with a wrench or small hammer will usually free the valve. Be sure the pump is running when you wrap the valve. When it frees up the tube will warm right away indicating success.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #7 – March 27, 2011, 12:55:07 pm

Quote from: Horace B. Cupp Jr. – March 27, 2011, 10:53:45 am

Michelle. I do hear a "twing" when I move the temp selector higher, thats the contact in the thermostat. I do not get any heat from the bathroom vents from either the bathroom thermostat OR the main Duo-therm when set high. I'm not sure about fan blowing cold air, don't think so.

In our coach, the bathroom vents have their own source of blown air (not sure if it's a separate blower or just a separate plenum). So even with the main Duo-therm (bedroom zone) we don't get air out of them, it's only when the bathroom zone is on with that separate thermostat.

Since you hear it calling for heat, but you still don't get blower action, I'd defer to Rudy or Roger on this one. Even if our AH isn't on, if that thermostat is on and calling for heat our blower will run (and blow cold air).

Quote from: Rudy – March 27, 2011, 12:45:49 pm

In the Aqua Hot unit, mounted above each zone pump is a brass check valve (zone valve). These sometimes become stuck closed after sitting for a while. If the Aqua Hot is at temp and all zone pumps are running, the tubes above the check valves should be very warm. If one is not the check valve is stuck.

Thanks, Rudy - I was hoping you'd chime in. My Aquahot knowledge is only very basic (and limited to personal experience), but I try to help where I can

Michelle

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #8 – March 27, 2011, 02:26:46 pm

I will chime in here too. My aquahot in the bathroom did not run unless the bedroom was running. It was the same way on my 2000 too. When I replaced the aquahot FT made it work independently. I noticed I had the same issue on my current coach. It is the way they receive it in from Aquahot and how they wire it. You might have them check the wiring. It works so the valve and the heat exchanger is working but the electronics were not letting it turn on until the bedroom turned on. I had MOT fix my unit last visit and it works as each zone should. He had to rewire the underneath...

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #9 – March 27, 2011, 02:58:19 pm

Michelle,

Your hired, you can help me anytime. Thanks for the kind comment.

As John S has shared, the coach builder can wire it any way they wish. Independent thermostats for each zone seems to be foolproof.

Wait till you get a Prevost conversion with handheld remote control. Took one owner I helped three tries to turn on the living room heat.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #10 – March 27, 2011, 04:57:56 pm

John,
I guess that is a place where our "twins" actually were different. Our 2000 has the bathroom zone wired completely independently of the bedroom zone. In fact, the dual zone thermostat can be turned off and I can still turn on the heat in the bathroom.
Paul

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #11 – March 27, 2011, 05:14:41 pm

Quote from: Paul Wildenstein – March 27, 2011, 04:57:56 pm

John,
I guess that is a place where our "twins" actually were different. Our 2000 has the bathroom zone wired completely independently of the bedroom zone. In fact, the dual zone thermostat can be turned off and I can still turn on the heat in the bathroom.
Paul

That is exactly how ours works and the way we use it when we are dry camping as that zone does not draw much power.
We close the bedroom door to keep just the bedroom warm until the am.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #12 – March 27, 2011, 10:37:55 pm

My U270 has two separate thermostats. One for the rear air and furnace in the bathroom and one for the front of the coach. How common is that? Seems like they should all be that way...Humm.

Mark

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #13 – March 28, 2011, 09:16:48 am

Quote from: Mark Zettek – March 27, 2011, 10:37:55 pm

My U270 has two separate thermostats. One for the rear air and furnace in the bathroom and one for the front of the coach. How common is that? Seems like they should all be that way...Humm.

Mark

Mark, unless you have one of those rare coaches that have only one furnace, I think your setup is normal if you have gas furnaces and not an AquaHot.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #14 – March 28, 2011, 09:55:34 am

Quote from: Rudy – March 27, 2011, 12:45:49 pm

Horace,

In the Aqua Hot unit, mounted above each zone pump is a brass check valve (zone valve). These sometimes become stuck closed after sitting for a while. If the Aqua Hot is at temp and all zone pumps are running, the tubes above the check valves should be very warm. If one is not the check valve is stuck.

A sharp wrap with a wrench or small hammer will usually free the valve. Be sure the pump is running when you wrap the valve. When it frees up the tube will warm right away indicating success.

Thanks, Rudy! As soon as the rain stops, I'll go open the Aqua-Hot unit and check the "valves". I appreciate your advice.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #15 – March 28, 2011, 03:32:59 pm

Well! The valves are all open, at least the pipes are all hot. The register in the bathroom is warm, I took the grills off and vacuumed. I have the cover off of the Aqua-Hot and the fuses are all OK. I do not know how to check the relays. Just no power to the heater unit in the bathroom. I tried shorting out the thermostat in the bathroom and that did not start the bathroom unit fan, either. I suspect the problem exceeds my capacity for resolution.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #16 – March 28, 2011, 03:44:47 pm

Hi, can you jump a hot wire to the fan to see if you have a wiring problem or a fan problem??

Ben 1999 u320

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #17 – March 28, 2011, 06:15:19 pm

Quote from: Kent Speers – March 28, 2011, 09:16:48 am

Quote from: Mark Zettek – March 27, 2011, 10:37:55 pm
My U270 has two separate thermostats. One for the rear air and furnace in the bathroom and one for the front of the coach. How common is that? Seems like they should all be that way...Humm.

Mark

Mark, unless you have one of those rare coaches that have only one furnace, I think your setup is normal if you have gas furnaces and not an AquaHot.

Kent, my 99 had no aquahot and only one furnace. Worked just fine that way too.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #18 – March 28, 2011, 06:35:53 pm

Quote from: Ben and Bonnie – March 28, 2011, 03:44:47 pm

Hi, can you jump a hot wire to the fan to see if you have a wiring problem or a fan problem??

Ben 1999 u320

Ben. This is the radiator/fan unit under the Splendide. No way to get to the unit without pulling the washer/dryer. I am not up to that task.

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #19 – March 29, 2011, 09:47:39 am

Horse, mine is under the closet ,easy to get too. I have pulled the w/d and it was not a happy time, this was on our last coach 1996. I also have installed one on this one that we have now.
Good luck
Ben 1999 u320

Re: supplemental thermostat in bathroom

Reply #20 – March 30, 2011, 08:39:38 pm

Thank goodness, I am on the edge between heat and air conditioning in Valdosta, Georgia, heading toward air conditioning. Believe that I will defer further action until I have occasion to visit a Foretravel service facility, most likely Tennessee RV in a couple of months.
Thanks, everyone and thanks, J. Triana.

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