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More on Hydro-Hot antifreeze

Yahoo Message Number: 13509
Our 04 Allure #31011 (manufactured 9/03) was delivered with the "pink" antifreeze in the Hydro Hot system. According to the manufacturer's specs, any antifreeze added to the system should be replenished with a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) propeylene glycol antifreeze. I assume the GRAS spec is applicable because the Hydro Hot water heating system interfaces with the coach fresh water system and there is some conceivable (but improbable) way in the event of a heating system component failure, contamination of the fresh water system could occur.
I found this antifreeze product readily available through local plumbing supply and HVAC distributors. Ours is labeled CAMCO boiler antifreeze, product #30027. It seems to be widely used in residential and commercial hyrdronic or hot water water heating systems.
As I recall, I paid about $5.00 a gallon for it. It is mixed 50/50 with fresh water. In over a year, I have needed to add less than a quart of the mixture to my Hyrdo Hot system.
We're in the mountains in Asheville NC at the moment... it 34 outside and toasty warm in the coach. The Hydro system does a great job... and it's certainly easier to find diesel fuel than LP gas.
Ralph Newman

Re: More on Hydro-Hot antifreeze

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13535
Quote from: pncgent
Our 04 Allure #31011 (manufactured 9/03) was delivered with the
"pink" antifreeze in the

Quote
Hydro Hot system. According to the manufacturer's specs, any
antifreeze added to the

Quote
system should be replenished with a GRAS (generally recognized as
safe) propeylene

Quote
glycol antifreeze. I assume the GRAS spec is applicable because the
Hydro Hot water

Quote
heating system interfaces with the coach fresh water system and
there is some conceivable

Quote
(but improbable) way in the event of a heating system component
failure, contamination

Quote
of the fresh water system could occur.
I found this antifreeze product readily available through local
plumbing supply and HVAC

Quote
distributors. Ours is labeled CAMCO boiler antifreeze, product
#30027. It seems to be

Quote
widely used in residential and commercial hyrdronic or hot water
water heating systems.

Quote
As I recall, I paid about $5.00 a gallon for it. It is mixed 50/50
with fresh water. In over a

Quote
year, I have needed to add less than a quart of the mixture to my
Hyrdo Hot system.

Quote
We're in the mountains in Asheville NC at the moment... it 34
outside and toasty warm in

Quote
the coach. The Hydro system does a great job... and it's certainly
easier to find diesel fuel

Quote
than LP gas.
Ralph Newman

Hey Ralph --

Jim Mercer here in Albuquerque, with '04 Allure 31070. You're a bit smarter that I was. I ordered a gallon of the exact same anti-freeze (CAMCO #30027)that you did from Vehicle Systems, the folks that make Hydro Hot. It cost me a bit more because of shipping, not to mention the fact that about a day after I received it, I found out there's a Grainger outlet about 2 miles from my house.
When my Hydo-Hot quit working in Flagstaff due to low coolant level, Country Coach tech support told me I could buy the stuff at True Value or Grainger. However, it appears True Value never keeps it in stock, so it takes a week or so to special order.

Michael of Vehicle Systems said you should always keep the system completely full. To do that, fill it up when the system is cold, cap it, then start it up so the boiler heats up. Then, add enough anti-freeze to the overflow tank so that it comes up the the "full when hot" level. Michael says it sometimes takes quite awhile for the air to get worked out of all the nooks and crannies of the system once it is assembled and working.

NOTE: Michael says in a pinch, you can just add tap water if you must to get it working to save you from freezing to death! Chances are you won't dilute the concentration enough to impact the temperature at which the unit becomes unuseable. I think he said they plan on a 60/40 mix, but I forget which is water and which is anti-freeze.
Anyway, hope this helps.

Re: More on Hydro-Hot antifreeze

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13548
.. My 2004 Allure 31028 has written on the over flow tank, use propylene Glycol antifreeze and it was filled with the "pink" stuff when I purchased it. Bought a gallon at Walmart for a couple of bucks (it is the type used to winterize the fresh water system) and mixed it 50/50 as indicated in the instructions. Have been using it to keep the system topped off for about a year with no proplems.
Works for me. Terry P.

Quote
Our 04 Allure #31011 (manufactured 9/03) was delivered with the > "pink" antifreeze in the

> Hydro Hot system. According to the manufacturer's specs, any > antifreeze added to the

> system should be replenished with a GRAS (generally recognized as > safe) propeylene

> glycol antifreeze. I assume the GRAS spec is applicable because

the

Quote
Hydro Hot water

> heating system interfaces with the coach fresh water system and > there is some conceivable

> (but improbable) way in the event of a heating system component > failure, contamination

> of the fresh water system could occur.
> I found this antifreeze product readily available through local > plumbing supply and HVAC

> distributors. Ours is labeled CAMCO boiler antifreeze, product > #30027. It seems to be

> widely used in residential and commercial hyrdronic or hot water > water heating systems.

> As I recall, I paid about $5.00 a gallon for it. It is mixed

50/50

Quote
with fresh water. In over a > > year, I have needed to add less than a quart of the mixture to my > Hyrdo Hot system.

> We're in the mountains in Asheville NC at the moment... it 34 > outside and toasty warm in

> the coach. The Hydro system does a great job... and it's

certainly

Quote
easier to find diesel fuel > > than LP gas.
> Ralph Newman

Hey Ralph --

Jim Mercer here in Albuquerque, with '04 Allure 31070. You're a

bit

Quote
smarter that I was. I ordered a gallon of the exact same anti-

freeze

Quote
(CAMCO #30027)that you did from Vehicle Systems, the folks that

make

Quote
Hydro Hot. It cost me a bit more because of shipping, not to

mention

Quote
the fact that about a day after I received it, I found out there's

a

Quote
Grainger outlet about 2 miles from my house.

When my Hydo-Hot quit working in Flagstaff due to low coolant

level,

Quote
Country Coach tech support told me I could buy the stuff at True

Value

Quote
or Grainger. However, it appears True Value never keeps it in

stock,

Quote
so it takes a week or so to special order.

Michael of Vehicle Systems said you should always keep the system > completely full. To do that, fill it up when the system is cold,

cap

Quote
it, then start it up so the boiler heats up. Then, add enough > anti-freeze to the overflow tank so that it comes up the the "full > when hot" level. Michael says it sometimes takes quite awhile for

the

Quote
air to get worked out of all the nooks and crannies of the system

once

Quote
it is assembled and working.

NOTE: Michael says in a pinch, you can just add tap water if you

must

Quote
to get it working to save you from freezing to death! Chances are

you

Re: More on Hydro-Hot antifreeze

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13551
Terry,

You probably voided your warranty, the pink stuff at Walmart is NOT boiler anti-freeze. I wouldn't make that comment to Hydro-Hot if you ever have to talk to them.
Tom

04 Allure 30979

Quote
>

.. My 2004 Allure 31028 has written on the over flow tank, use > propylene Glycol antifreeze and it was filled with the "pink"

stuff

Quote
when I purchased it. Bought a gallon at Walmart for a couple of > bucks (it is the type used to winterize the fresh water system)

and

Quote
mixed it 50/50 as indicated in the instructions. Have been using

it
 

Re: More on Hydro-Hot antifreeze

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13553
I agree. After talking to Vehicle Systems directly, they made it very clear to me that they did not want anything other than the approved solution put in their system. And they seemed to have a pretty good idea what negative affects would result if that happened. Keep your fingers crossed.
Jim Mercer