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Topic: Heating zone question. Long read (Read 832 times) previous topic - next topic

Heating zone question. Long read

For my first post I'll try to keep this someone short and try not to ramble too much but it's going to be hard. My girlfriend owns a 2011 Foretravel Phenix she has owned it since new. It has just over 28,000 miles on it. It has been sitting for over 2 years and has only been driven up and down the highway about once a month or so by a gentleman that works for her. In November we decided it was time to put that thing to use instead of having it just sit there and go to waste. So I started reading all the manuals that came in the file box and tried to get up to speed with everything in this coach. Also downloaded and printed off the Aqua Hot service manual. We live in Deep South Texas and over the Christmas holidays and 8 new Firestone's later we drove it to north Texas. It was in the upper 20s  most mornings we were gone. What I'm trying to figure out is the different zones of heating with the aqua hot and the electric floor heating system. There are four climate zones on the Silverleaf 1 and 3 are the only ones that have the heat option. I'm not sure which is zone is the front of the coach in which zone is the back. No matter what zone I look at  they all read current temperature 0. The two heat exchangers in the front came on one evening for a few hours and then turned back off and never could get them to come back on. The two in the back only one of them works. The other one is hot but the fans don't come on. Also trying to figure out what zone on the Aqua Hot control board corresponds to what zone in the coach. The floor heat from the behind the front seats to the bedroom door always worked but from the bedroom door to the back of the coach the floor was always cold. I know the Silverleaf has a floor control in it but I'm not sure where the actual electronics are that tell what part of the floor to come on. Again sorry for the long post and rambling. Thanks for your time.
2011 Foretravel Phenix

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #1 –
I am afraid I cannot help with the zone heating question as I am unfamiliar with the heated tile floor.  I did wanted to at least respond to say welcome to the forum.  I hope you ask easier questions in the future that more of us will have had experience with. 

Again, Welcome

Richard
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #2 –
I am the same.. Cant help as Mine is a bit older system.. Welcome to the Forum ..Dont worry about rambling we are pretty patient to a point lol :))  ^.^d

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #3 –
I'm no expert on these things but I would guess that if the lady friend bought the motorhome new, and you are just trying to figure out the (complicated) readings on the controls, that's something Foretravel would probably help with if you called them up.
James
w/ DW Erin, sons Gideon and Tobias, cats Oscar & Oliver
Fulltime 1999 U270 34' #5508

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #4 –
Aqua Hots that I know have three zones.  Zone 1 and 2 are on my front thermostat.  Zone 1 is the Living Room, Zone 2 (on the thermostat) is the Bed Room.  The third AH Zone is controlled by two thermostats, one in the bathroom and one in the basement wet bay.  Both thermostats turn on the AH pump for that fluid circuit. The bathroom thermostat also turns on the heat exchanger fan in the bathroom.  The basement wet bay thermostat turns on two (usually) heat exchanger fans in the wet bay.  You have to have the AH on electric and/or diesel as a heat source to get heat out of it. 

Rudy Legett can probably give you more detail about your exact AH system.  He is in Houston.
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=profile;u=482

Electric floor heat is generally more than one zone, usually each controlled by a thermostat but not always.  You need to find the user manual for your floor heating system. 
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #5 –
Welcome ! It also wouldn't hurt to give Silverleaf a call. They might have some ideas.
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #6 –
The floor heat controls in our 2012 are in the closet. We have three, one controls the floor in the bath, the next in the bedroom and the third on the kitchen/living room area. In your pile of manuals should be at least one booklet that will assist you with instructions. But they are easy to use thermastats . If they are there in the closet, turn on one at a time and then note the area it warms.  Label it for later use.  Do not have any rubber backed rugs on the floor. If I use the floor heat, I pick my rugs up,so they don't have a hot spot develop.  Hope this helps.
Lynn and Linda Day and Harry the pug
RIP: Tank 01-2008 to 03-2020
2012 Nimbus 42' build 6555
ISX12-500hp
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
MC# 17723

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #7 –
You don't say what service records you have for the 6+ years of ownership.  Many systems, including the Aqua Hot system require annual service.  Rudy is an excellent source in your area for A-H work.  He would be able to teach you how to use your various heating systems.
Regards,
Brett

'99 42' Foretravel Xtreme
'14 Brown Motorsports Stacker
'05 Chevy SSR
'02 BMW R1150R

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #8 –
Quote from: pugmom –
The floor heat controls in our 2012 are in the closet. We have three, one controls the floor in the bath, the next in the bedroom and the third on the kitchen/living room area. In your pile of manuals should be at least one booklet that will assist you with instructions. But they are easy to use thermastats . If they are there in the closet, turn on one at a time and then note the area it warms.  Label it for later use.  Do not have any rubber backed rugs on the floor. If I use the floor heat, I pick my rugs up,so they don't have a hot spot develop.  Hope this helps.
Appears he has the silverleaf control system, so will not have analog controls. Best to call Art, he knows these systems well. SilverLeaf Electronics, Inc. | Knowledge is Horsepower
Jim C.
coachfree, previous 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2003 Foretravels.
 

Re: Heating zone question. Long read

Reply #9 –
First off I want to thank everyone for their warm welcome.

I did find the second thermostat for the electric floor in the back. It is hidden in the back closet around the corner. As for figuring out the Aqua Hot Heat zones I went Zone by Zone on the circuit board and used a jumper wire to jump the thermostat. Zone 1 is the heat exchanger underneath the bed. Zone 2 is the heat exchanger in the bedroom underneath the sink. Zone 3 is the two heat exchangers in the wet Bay Zone 4 is not used and zone 5 is the two heat exchangers in the living room plus the heat exchanger in the dash I didn't even know it had. I could not get any of the zones to come on using the Silverleaf turning it all the way up to 90°. Outside temperature was in the upper 60s. Obviously Zone 3 in the wet bays has its own thermostat so that's easy enough. They did at one time all come on when we were in north Texas over the Christmas holidays but they did not want to cooperate yesterday.
2011 Foretravel Phenix