Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 13, 2025 ...

AquaHot Winter Protection

December 23, 2012, 01:14:38 pm

With colder temps on the way here in Missouri, I am questioning my wisdom not to winterize my coach.  My fresh water tanks are 3/4 full, grey and black tanks are empty.  I am relying on the electric side only of the AH to keep every thing safe.  The coach is in an unheated garage with 50 amp service pugged in.  Any suggestions or comments would be welcomed.  Interior and bay thermostats are set at 50.  I am not sure about the fresh water tank being adequately heated.

Mike 

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #1 – December 23, 2012, 01:42:18 pm

I sure hope that works as that is the same set up I have here in Ohio. David

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #2 – December 23, 2012, 03:10:24 pm

I have my U320 water system winterized and the coach is in the barn for a while here in Minnesota.  It has a 50 amp connection.  Can I run the Aquahot on AC to provide minimal heat inside the coach or to preheat the engine?  We will be leaving for TX in late February.

Thanks.

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #3 – December 23, 2012, 05:18:22 pm

Go get a 80 dollar oil filled radiator and plug it in the garage.  It will keep it warm or it does mine. I have three of them and usually have one plugged in unless it gets colder where I plug in two and if I am going to work in there I will plug in the third but you can stay above freezing with just one or two of them if the garage is enclosed.

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #4 – December 23, 2012, 05:44:35 pm

Thanks, John.  I have one of those oil filled radiators.  What I am more interested in is warming the coach up and the engine preheat using the AquaHot for a day or two before we leave Minnesota for points South.  I am not going to try to heat the coach all winter or the barn.

Thanks

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #5 – December 23, 2012, 05:48:25 pm

By leaving the electric turned on, you will protect your Aqua-Hot from freezing.  Just monitor it to verify that the circuit breaker has not tripped or some other malfunction.  If the Aqua-Hot is allowed to freeze, then the copper water line that is inside of the unit will burst.  This will require a very expensive re-manufacturing by Aqua-Hot.  The safest way to store unit is to completely fill the water system with RV water line antifreeze. 

The unit should provide enough heat to keep utility bays warm.  Of course this depends on how cold it is outside.  You need to monitor it closely to verify that it is providing enough heat energy.

You an operate your Aqua-Hot on either diesel or electric with no limitations with unit winterized.

- Roger Berke -
www.Forum.RVHYD.com

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #6 – December 23, 2012, 06:10:26 pm

Yetch:
What about the thermostat in the water pump bay? It should be set to 50 degrees or so, also. I store my coach outside in East Tennessee, (occasional temps in the single digits) with just the electric element turned on and all thermostats set to 52 degrees. I do put a light bulb under the solenoid for the ice maker but no other efforts at "winterizing".

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #7 – December 23, 2012, 06:32:05 pm

Hey Paul, I don't think we will make it this year but it is on the Bucket List. 
We can get extended stretches of sub zero low temps here so we drain all the tanks and water lines, remove the water filter and put in the diverter, blow out the lines with compressed air (30 psi or so) and pump in at least 5 gallons of RV antifreeze back into all of the cold and hot water lines and drain lines  and add RV antifreeze to all of the traps and drains.  So far this has been an effective winterizing process.

East TX, Gulf Coast, San Antonio and Big Bend NP for this run South.

Roger

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #8 – December 23, 2012, 06:44:06 pm

Yes, the thermo in that bay is set and I check it daily by feel  I guess it is a heat exchanger.  Im also checking the fluid level for the AH.  I was thinking of putting a small 200 watt output personal heater under the coach just forward of the rear axle.  Do you know if the fresh water tank is heated in some way?
Mike

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #9 – December 23, 2012, 07:00:49 pm

The AquaHot supplies heated coolant (antifreeze+water) to a heat exchanger and small fan behind the panel just above the water pump.  It adds some heat to the water and waste tank compartment.

Quote Selected

Re: AquaHot Winter Protection

Reply #10 – December 23, 2012, 07:43:15 pm

You can easily test the Aquahot register or registers in the bay area. In our '03 the bay registers work without having any of the interior zones ON.
To test, squeeze the copper thermostat bulb located it the bay between two ice cubes. You should hear the bay register fan(s) come on. The middle zone circulation pump should also start.
We have the bay thermostat set to 40 degrees and monitor it with a remote digital thermometer. The coldest it has been in the bay is 47, but our temps have only been in the mid to upper 30's.
Dick

Quote Selected