aqua hot not getting hot

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aqua hot not getting hot

December 18, 2019, 12:23:59 am

I heated my engine a couple of days ago with the aqua hot. i didnt realize the antifreeze in the
aqua hot system went down.
in any case its not heating like it usually does.
i don't have any of the type of antifreeze you are supposed to put in it.
i have it on heat strip now.
can i put regular 50-50 antifreeze in it now till i can get the other later.
It's 22 degrees.
The aqua hot is running. Should i turn it off? The fluid level is about an inch above the bottom of the holding container.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #1 – December 18, 2019, 01:41:33 am

If it is an inch above the bottom of the plastic reservoir, you still have the AH tank full. If it were me I would put in distilled water and add the concentrate of equal amount when you can get some. It shouldn't be affecting the heat with what you describe. When the AH cycles off does the level in the bottle go down? If it doesn't you need to check the tank itself and see if it has fluid. That would require shutting it down long enough to cool to get the cap off. The hose between the tank and the reservoir has to be able to transfer the coolant.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #2 – December 18, 2019, 01:44:54 am

From what I just read, you would be best off adding just distilled water, until you can have a service with the correct fluid and 50/50 mix

Coolant type -- ISM11 and PowerTech Kubota engines and AquaHot?

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #3 – December 18, 2019, 02:30:57 am

I have had the electric 120 volt on for about 1 &1/2 hrs since the diesel wasn't working.
Nothing is hot down in the bay except the 3 pumps.
I put some distilled water in and it brought it up to the cold fill line which is what it is now (cold),
but it's still not producing heat.
I was reading the manual and it may be i have to reset a thermostat.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #4 – December 18, 2019, 07:07:33 am

Rick,
Here is the service manual. Go through the trouble shooting procedure.
John M.
http://www.aquahot.com/files/service_manual/AHE-100-02S%20Service%20Manual%20Rev.%20B%209-27-2011.pdf

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #5 – December 18, 2019, 07:53:38 am

Thanks, I do have a service manual. But I will check out what you sent.
I went out there today ready to pull the cover on the aqua hot and then the little cover for the thermostat reset button.
I did try to start it one more time before i did it.
So when i was ready to pull the cover it fired up. I could feel the hot exhaust outside. I could here the pumps working last night but the burner never fired up.
What would cause it all of a sudden to fire up.
I hope it is ok now.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #6 – December 18, 2019, 08:37:58 am

We may be in the same boat... I have a similar situation. Fires and works great for a day or days. Then it stops firing. I can hear as soon as it fires so I know it has not fired and then went out. Won't fire after several tries and each time light goes out and the blower cycles and shuts off. Drive it 200 miles to a spot, figure I'll try it one more time and it fires. Lots of white smoke and then it clears up. Works great for a couple of days and then stops firing. I have no time so I took it a service center. They did a "diagnostic" on it and could not find anything wrong except the fuel line clamps were under sized and allowed to to suck air and leak a bit of fuel, radiator cap was replaced and tempering valve was replaced. They claimed it fired and worked the whole time there. Brought it home last night. Got up this morning. Mashed the button. Won't fire.... So after going through the service manual I think it's either the ignition coil or control box. I don't think it's anything to do with the sight window. So I am watching what you find out or maybe my fix will help you as well...

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #7 – December 18, 2019, 08:42:43 am

Well it did fire up ok. But it won't automatically start again once the temp drops.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #8 – December 18, 2019, 09:24:47 am

CoastalBuilder, Since you find that on restart there is lots of white smoke (unburned diesel cooking off), I vote for a coil, no ignition of the spraying diesel fuel. Coils are certainly suspect in intermittant firing issues.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #9 – December 18, 2019, 09:28:52 am

Not sure this is your case but the way I understand the AquaHot is if you have AH 120v switch on with the Diesel burner switch on also, the Diesel burner won't come on until it is needed. It will use the 120v heating element until it can't keep up.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #10 – December 18, 2019, 09:39:36 am

TommyD,

You are correct, the electric will keep the heater hot till the demand is more than 5000 btus. Then the diesel burner picks up the load.

In temps below 50 to 45 degress F, the electric element can not keep up if one wants the interior temp to be 70+. And the electric element can not provide unlimited hot showers at anytime.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #11 – December 18, 2019, 10:29:51 am

Quote from: Rudy – December 18, 2019, 09:24:47 am

CoastalBuilder, Since you find that on restart there is lots of white smoke (unburned diesel cooking off), I vote for a coil, no ignition of the spraying diesel fuel. Coils are certainly suspect in intermittant firing issues.

Thanks Rudy. That is my gut as well. Tried to fire it once this morning and no go. Waited. Backed into my spot next to my garage and hit it again. It fired, blew white smoke and now is working. I just PM'd you about the coil. As always...thank you Rudy.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #12 – December 18, 2019, 10:37:06 am

My intermittent was the coil

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #13 – December 18, 2019, 10:48:31 am

Rudy is the man! Good luck with your issues! We are sitting here in TN right now with temps going in the low 20's tonight. Nice and warm inside and I have both the diesel side and the electric side of the AH switched on.
Rudy answered a question I posed to him yesterday; how much diesel fuel does the AH consume with temps in the 20's-30's? Rudy's answer, 2 to 3 gallons a day, so make sure you have plenty of diesel fuel in your tanks, as the AH will run till you have no more, not like the generator and shutting off at about 1/4 of a tank. Just an FYI and thank you again Rudy!

Update: per Rudy, the Aqua Hot won't run the diesel tank dry. It has a tube like the generator and will run out at about a 1/4 of a tank! Also had to give Rudy another shout last night and again this morning. When the AH does not fire when calling for more heat, it gets cold in this here coach! Temps last night in the teens and trying to sleep with temps in the 40's in the coach. Brrrrr! Found a loose wire going to the thermostat that calls for the AH to fire up again. Thank you again Rudy!

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #14 – December 18, 2019, 11:22:18 am

Maybe different coaches have the AH tube longer than others. On mine when I pulled the tank, the generator and the AH tubes were the same length. Reply #15

Fuel lines

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #15 – December 18, 2019, 11:31:02 am

Is it OK to chain the antifreeze to engine antifreeze in a 99 coach aquahot.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #16 – December 18, 2019, 12:04:23 pm

Quote from: oldguy – December 18, 2019, 11:31:02 am

Is it OK to chain the antifreeze to engine antifreeze in a 99 coach aquahot.

If you meant change, then yes. My coach came from the factory with the same Texaco ELC in the engine, Aqua Hot and generator.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #17 – December 18, 2019, 01:03:49 pm

It would be a lot simpler that way.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #18 – December 19, 2019, 10:25:28 am

Rudy helped me diagnosis what my problem is. I think its the burner control unit.
Anyway i have to take it to the place that installed it, and they have to diagnose it since its under warranty.
They are about an hour away and the high temp is 30 degrees.
Can i run the coach in this weather without the aqua hot.
It went down to 8 degrees last night with only the heat strip running and a portable heater next to the aqua hot and
two light bulbs on either side of the water areas.
Everything is ok. So can i just run that heat strip while im going to the dealer.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #19 – December 19, 2019, 10:48:26 am

Keep in mind that the burner control unit only affects the diesel burner. Once your engine warms up the hot coolant flowing through the aquahot can help keep the coach warm, and the electric element if running on generator or shore power will help also.
Good luck!

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #20 – December 21, 2019, 06:31:54 am

The shop diagnosed it as the burner control unit.
They have it on order.
The coach will be in a nice heated garage till after Christmas.
I'm glad i decided not to store it as the aqua hot has been running for a couple of months now.
So any problems were bound to come out; but of course not if it was in storage somewhere.

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #21 – December 21, 2019, 07:16:15 am

Quote from: 18360 – December 21, 2019, 06:31:54 am

The shop diagnosed it as the burner control unit.

Rick,

Make sure you get the old control box back and have it rebuilt so you will have a spare.

Mike

Re: aqua hot not getting hot

Reply #22 – December 21, 2019, 07:23:40 am

Thanks,

I will.

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