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What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Yahoo Message Number: 81542
I have a 2002 Intrigue #11430 with a Hurricane Hydronic Heater. I've only had this RV a few months, but have had good results with the Hurricane. I've been told the Hurricane coolant loop only goes to the four raditors, for heating. 1. Front of Coach 2. Kitchen Area
3. Bath & Bedroom 4. Water bay.

I've also been told the engine coolant loops trough the Atwood waterheater heat exchanger, to heat the domestice water while the engine is runnning.
All this said, the Hurricane Manual says "Never use automtive type coolant to heat domestic water."

What are your thoughts on this?
Don

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81543
Propylene glycol should be fine. Unlike ethylene glycol, propylene glycol is of very low toxicity. I've been using Fleetguard propylene glycol for ten years with no problems.

Rob

2002 Intrigue #11480

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81545
On the '02 Intrigues with a Hurricane heater, it is the engine coolant that loops through the heater and the radiators. By doing this, it is possible to get heat throughout the entire coach while running down the road and not have to run the Hurricane.
The water heater is also serviced by the engine coolant. It is a misconception that the heated coolant runs "through" the water tank. In fact, the tank is surrounded by a couple of coils of pipe on the outside of the tank. There is no way that coolant can get into the fresh water system.
The way our coaches were built, there is no way to get around not having the hot water tank heated by engine coolant other than to disconnect it.

Don

'02 Intrigue #11427
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81549
Okay, I'm a little confused at this point. My understanding was; on the 2002 Intrigues the Engine coolant only goes to the engine, engine side radiator and the Atwood water heater heat exchanger. And the Hurricane loops to the four radiators for heating. Two separate systems. Now I hear the engine coolant goes to the heat radiators in the coach also. Is this true? I have not had this coach long enough to try the furnace while driving.

Thanks for the info

Don Intrigue #11430

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81567
Both my engine and Hurricane furnace/HW heater have propylene gycol from the factory. They are separate/independent systems with their own resevoirs. There is an engine coolant loop that runs through a Hurricane heat exchanger for OTR house heat and hot water. I have heard of some coaches that used the engine coolant exclusively for both engine and Hurricane/Aqua-Hot furnace and HW. Not the preferred design IMO.

Larry, 03 Allure, 30856

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81572
Larry,

Just as a point of information, the 2003 Allure was the first in the CC lineup to get continuous domestic hot water via the Hurricane unit. Your Hurricane is your hot water heater. That model of Hurricane produces hot water continuously via an exchanger coil immersed in its coolant. There is no storage tank and the exchanger coil only holds about a quart of water For that reason it does not share the coolant with any other systems and requires that the coolant be propylene glycol in case a leak developed in the hot water exchanger loop. As you mention, the Over The Road (OTR) heat is also accomplished with a heat exchanger inside the Hurricane coolant tank. Not all vehicles where the Hurricane might be used have Propylene Glycol as a coolant. Many still use ethylene glycol.
Although Hydronic heat was introduced into the CC line up sometime prior to 2000, none of them directly heated the domestic hot water on a continuous basis. Rather some used Heater Assist by wrapping a coil from the coach heater around the hot water heater that was usually propane/electric operated.
So prior to 2003 none of the CC coaches had continuous hot water. Of course there may be retro-fits done. The first was the 2003 Allure followed by all the rest of the models over the next couple of years The big clue is that if you have a separate 6 or 10 gal hot water heater then you need to investigate on a year by year basis exactly how OTA was accomplished with your coach. If you have no separate hot water heater then your domestic hot water is coming directly from the hydronic heater ether Hurricane or the more common HydroHot/AquaHot units. Here you must use a propylene glycol mixture when adding coolant to the tank. If fact Aquahot will null the warrantee if you do not use a propylene that has anticorrosive additives. The most common is Camco Boiler -100 antifreeze. Not easy to find and expensive when you do. The Hydronic Heat Repair Forum owned by Roger Burke is a good source of additional information. He is a registered AquaHot Tech and a very good one at that.

That is my history 101 for today.

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81575
Interesting info. Thanks Don!

Larry

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81594
Allow me to add one additional point.
If using the HH for over the road heating, the HH unit must be on (at least the interior switch)for the circulation pumps to function and feed the domestic radiators with engine coolant. If the burner switch is on, the HH burner will run until the engine coolant temperature reaches (I think)180F. If the burner is off then no heat will be present.
Note: the above is from memory... I'm not near my coach... If not accurate, someone please correct me.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81596
Dick

My OTR HH will run without turning on the burner switch. All I have to do is set the thermostat to furnace.

Larry

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81597
On my 2004 Allure with a HH that supplies domestic hot water that is incorrect. The engine coolant is circulated through the loop in the HH tank by the engine coolant pump. It heats the HH coolant anytime the engine is running. If you want to heat the coach while on the road all you have to do is set the zone thermostat to the desired temp. It no different than if the burner was heating the coolant. No switches have to on.
I am not saying that you are not correct as far as a 2002 Intrigue is concerned but it is an example of how differently coaches vary from year to year and model for model.

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046

dickmay_2000 wrote:

Allow me to add one additional point.
If using the HH for over the road heating, the HH unit must be on (at least the interior switch)for the circulation pumps to function and feed the domestic radiators with engine coolant. If the burner switch is on, the HH burner will run until the engine coolant temperature reaches (I think)180F. If the burner is off then no heat will be present.
Note: the above is from memory... I'm not near my coach... If not accurate, someone please correct me.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81616
You could be correct, Larry and Don. I am under the impression that the Central Heat Control switch (which provides power to the HH control board in the HH bay) had to be on in order for the circulation pumps in the coolant loop to pump the coolant.
I reserve the right to be wrong any time I want! :)
Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81617
Dick,

Our HWH does get heated by the engine coolant. As you said, we can also get heat inside the coach from the Hurricane system without running the heater if we are running down the road and yes the central heat control has to be in the "on" postiion.

Don

'02 Intrigue #11427
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81618
Dick

You may be right with your coach. I don't have a Central Heat Control switch. You need input from a 2002 Intrigue owner.

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81622
How much more input from '02 Intrigue owners is needed? Geeez

Don

'02 Intrigue #11427
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81625
I don't have a "Central Heat Control" switch either. Setting the thermostat to "furnace" may be the equivalent.

Larry, 03 Allure, 30856

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81626
It was the act of sending out my reply that brought in the message containing the needed information from a 02 Intrigue owner. I saw it but it was too late as I had just sent mine. I will try to be more careful next time if I can think of a way to prevent that. Sorry,

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046
 

Re: What Coolant goes through the domestic waterheater?

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81636
Not on mine Dick. No need to turn on any Hydro Hot switch when driving down the road. Just turn on the thermostat and set the temp. It was the same way on my '04 Allure also.

George in Birmingham(still in Santa Fe) '03 Magna 6298
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298