Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Topic: Rebuilding Aqua Hot (Read 6004 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #75 – March 23, 2020, 06:22:29 pm

Larry, can you post photos of your progress? Please!!!! We have the 431/12 unit as well. I think that all U320's from '95 to around '05 have this unit as well. Knock on wood, ours is purring like a kitten right now, thanks to Rudy and his expertise!

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #76 – March 23, 2020, 07:48:07 pm

Joe, I will try to, but truthfully I am more adept at machinery than that magical, technical , post pictures thingy. I have several things going on right now, so I haven't been able to spend the time the last couple of days I wanted to, but I have been documenting this with my camera and I will try to get a few of the better pictures up and running. It might take a day or two. I think that so far I've taken around 100 pictures, many to document where electric and liquid lines went to.

Larry

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #77 – March 23, 2020, 11:48:18 pm

I would also very much so appreciate the photos. Rebuilding the aquahot is something I would take on if it ever came to it. For now, it is good.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #78 – March 24, 2020, 08:56:32 am

MY A-H fuel filter is mounted 90 degrees to Witt's, thru-bolted. My propane tank is on the other side of that wall but I could reach the fasteners just fine.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #79 – March 24, 2020, 05:30:12 pm

Things have come along well today. Once I got more propane (ran out on Sat. It was the same tank I have had since 1985) I was able to finish soldering the copper joints into place. I used a combination of black and brass piping to make the connections from the engine preheat circuit to extend outside the sheet metal box for connections. I got the 4 pumps reattached in their respective places.

I did cut the wires to the engine preheat pump in order to make reassembly easier. I plan on splicing in longer wires and rerouting them for better convenience.

I changed out the lower old valve for a new 1/4 turn ball valve for isolating the boiler. It is smaller and as long as the burner is removed, it will be easy to access. The old one was nearly impossible to get to. I have moved the engine preheat lines to hook up outside the box and have added 1/4 turn ball valves so that I can isolate the engine coolant instead of having to drain it all should the need arise. It will still loose what is in the lines within the AH, but it won't drain the engine.

For the fresh water lines, I am adding valves to isolate the AH also. I plan on adding a quick connect air line so that I can blow out the coils for winterization. I had always ran RV anitfreeze through the system till it came out of the various faucets, but apparently I didn't do something correct a couple of years ago. I believe the coils ruptured because I had improperly winterized. There fore once I have run the pink stuff through the system, I will shut off the valves and use air to blow it out. I don't want to chance ruptured coils again. This isn't a job that I want to do again.

Tomorrow I plan on air pressure testing the pipes and rehooking the wiring. It might be a banner day and I get the burner back in place. Assuming that not to many things come up to take me away.

Larry

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #80 – March 24, 2020, 05:50:48 pm

Larry, If you can blow all the water from the AH fresh water loops, you will be the first to do so that I know of. You might post on AH forum to get Roger Berke's opinion on blowing out the lines.

Water lingering in the bottom of any one of the many loops could negate all your hard work if allow to freeze.

Super job

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #81 – March 24, 2020, 08:48:41 pm

Thanks Rudy, I'll give Roger a call.

Larry

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #82 – March 25, 2020, 07:22:57 pm

For those still following along, today the air pressure test for the engine preheat went excellent. No leaks. I couldn't test the different zone furnace sections. The fittings are a different thread than the pipe threads used on the pipe. With the stay at home orders, I couldn't go get some. It would have taken 6 fittings minimum. I only changed one place on it. I guess I'll see if it leaks when it fires up.

I reconnected the zone pumps electrically, put the swirl tube in, made a new insulation blanket for the boiler tank and got the outer casing on and secured with rivets. This is the first time since I've owned the coach that it is completely put together. It had been opened up by a previous owner.

I need to put the burner assembly back in and it will be ready to reinstall the unit. I'm going to do some minor things to the coach bay which it is in, so it may be a couple of days. I'm still waiting for the new filter assembly. Once I have it mounted, I will be able to get new fuel lines and hook to the burner. I'm also working on adding LED light assemblies and a switch to this area. I've got to locate where I can pick up the 12 volt lines to run them.

I'm also going to add some checker plate to the floor for the AH to set on. When removing the unit, the floor felt very flimsy so I want to give it something to help carry the weight better, especially while sliding it into position. I need to fabricate it and make the holes necessary for the drain, exhaust and the bolt holes for it to mount to the floor.

The weather is finally getting to where I can work outside on the coach, so I'll concentrate more on it while waiting for the fuel filter. After that, I had to mow the grass at the house and fertilize the yard. It was a full day, thankfully most spent on the coach.

Larry

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #83 – March 25, 2020, 10:44:08 pm

Larry,

When you reconnect your fuel lines what type of connection are you using? The fuel lines to my burner are connected via a standard hose clamp around the rubber fuel line attached to the flared metal feed & return tubes. Needlessly to say there is a never ending seapage and it is annoying. Not sure if someone changed out something on this unit or not this cannot be correct?

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #84 – March 25, 2020, 10:55:52 pm

If your coach is like mine I got 12 volts with in a foot from the Aqua-hot opening from the inverter wiring.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #85 – March 25, 2020, 10:59:07 pm

Yes, and I would like a little piece of mind. I have cut the hoses back 2 inches and replaced clamps but it just starts to weep again.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #86 – March 25, 2020, 11:12:08 pm

Quote from: muskyman475 – March 25, 2020, 10:44:08 pm

Larry,

When you reconnect your fuel lines what type of connection are you using? The fuel lines to my burner are connected via a standard hose clamp around the rubber fuel line attached to the flared metal feed & return tubes. Needlessly to say there is a never ending seapage and it is annoying. Not sure if someone changed out something on this unit or not this cannot be correct?

I used 2 mini clamps 180 deg. apart on each hose. No leakage since then.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #87 – March 26, 2020, 12:01:26 am

Constant tension clamps would help

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #88 – March 26, 2020, 12:04:43 am

I just googled constant tension clamps. I will give them a try tomorrow. Ty.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #89 – March 26, 2020, 08:00:08 am

Muskyman, this is a test to see if I can figure out the photo thing. If it came through you will see what setup I currently have. I just cut the hoses off since I planned on rebuilding them anyway. On mine, one line has an "S" stamped into it and the other an "R". I didn't see this till after I had removed the burner. Like you, there has been a leak of some sort of diesel fuel. Not a lot, but there was always some fuel on the pan. I can't say for certain if this was the hoses leaking or the crack I found in the fuel filter. Hope this helps.

Larry

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #90 – March 26, 2020, 08:03:04 am

Now you all are in trouble since I found out how to post pictures

. We are supposed to get storms tonight so you are safe for the day. I'm going to try to get enough done that I can clear out my garage to park my car inside before the hail comes. I wish that I could do the same for the coach, but alas I can't. Once I get more time though, the pictures will come.

Larry

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #91 – March 26, 2020, 08:05:30 am

Oldguy, that is where I was considering running a wire through. In the battery compartment I there is an area with some items that I think I can get 12 volts from.

Larry.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #92 – March 26, 2020, 08:21:02 am

When I replaced my fuel lines last year I re-used all the Parker Push-Lok fittings. I have no leaks to date and I didn't use any hose clamps.

When I cut the old hoses off the fittings in a few cases the utility knife blade slightly scored the barbs, but a little filing and sanding made them like new.

From Parker concerning their Push-Lok fittings;
"Sealing integrity may be damaged by using exterior clamps."

Check those two banjo bolts at the burner as they can be a source of leakage.
Make sure the sealing washers are new and the nut is tight. One of mine was seeping but I was able to tighten it an almost indecernable amount which solved the problem.

Also the fittings pictured in Reply #89 are not pushed on far enough. When properly
installed the hose should bottom out on the yellow plastic cap.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #93 – March 26, 2020, 08:59:55 am

I'm pretty sure that when I replace my fuel lines on the aqua high that I did not have push lock fittings on it. It was just pipe with a little bunk in it if I remember correctly. Think I put two hose clamps on it and I've used it multiple times since then without any leaks that I've detected. It was kind of annoys me when I look at the blow up drawings of what the aqua hot is supposed to look like with neat and tidy lines coming out the end of a self-contained unit, and in my unit, and probably yours, where everything came out the back and into the top of the unit and just jumbled up inside. Fuel lines, water lines, etc. But I'm sure they made that decision for a good reason. The other side of that bulkhead is the battery compartment I think on a lot of people's coaches and I guess they didn't want the lines running through there. If they had reversed the unit they could have done it but then aqua hot would have had the design it 180° and maybe they only had one type of unit at the time. Don't know. But it really would have been better that way with all of the lines running down the middle of the coach.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #94 – March 26, 2020, 09:02:47 am

The picture in Reply #83 looks like someone cut the hose fitting off the end of the tube and then just slid the hose over it with a clamp added.

I understand that they sell replacement banjo fuel pipes that have no fitting and 1/2 of a double flare on the end to allow for sliding the hose over the end with a clamp,
but my originals have fittings for attaching Push-Loks.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #95 – March 26, 2020, 09:35:42 am

Chuck,

Go to Roger Berke's Aqua Hot parts website ( parts.rvhydronicheaterrepair.com ), type fuel hoses in search window and look for fuel line upgrade. The fuel line with banjo connectors that fit the Webasto burner will be there.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #96 – March 26, 2020, 09:44:16 am

Link: RV Hydronic Heater Parts

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #97 – March 26, 2020, 10:58:10 am

Thank you all I now have some direction to follow. Rudy/Brett I found exactly what is needed on that site.

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #98 – March 26, 2020, 11:44:39 am

Muskyman, those clamps are too big for that diameter of hose and is most probably distorting the hose hence your leak. As mentioned by Tman use the narrow smaller one and reverse 2 on each hose. Do not overtighten.
JohnH

Re: Rebuilding Aqua Hot

Reply #99 – March 26, 2020, 11:53:57 am

And, use this style clamp of course in the proper size: HPS SAE #17 Stainless Steel Fuel Injection Hose Clamp - 5/8" - 45/64" (16mm...

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