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Hydro Hot

Yahoo Message Number: 35598
Happy Thanksgiving!

Need help! The Hydro Hot Low tank level red led is on, and has shut down the system. The fluid level is full. I have disconnected the power in hopes of resetting the system, no luck. Any ideas?

Joe 2006 Intrigue 12054

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35601

Joe,
The following was copied from the HydroHot forum and may help if your float switch is malfunctioning.. Hope this helps:


Please check the coolant level INSIDE of the tank to verify that the Aqua-Hot tank is full. The overflow tank is usually a pretty good indicator of tank coolant level, however it would not be impossible for the tank to be low even if the overflow bottle shows full.

-------------------

CAUTION: The following directions outline how to defeat the low water safety feature of your Aqua-Hot / Hydro Hot. This is intended to be a temporary repair so that your Aqua-Hot will run until proper repair has been completed. If you defeat this safety feature and your Aqua-Hot runs low on water, you will probably do serious damage to your Aqua-Hot.

With this safety feature by-passed you should check the water level (water overflow reservoir) DAILY.

If you have verified that the supply tank on the Aqua-Hot is full by removing the `radiator cap' and checking the coolant level.
CAUTION: Make sure that the coolant is cool enough to remove the cap by touching the cap. If the coolant is HOT you will burn yourself and make quite a mess.

You will need to locate the electronic control board in your coach.
It is usually placed in the bay adjacent to the Aqua-Hot unit. You will find a drawing in the Yahoo Hydronic Heating Photos section " How To Jumper Float Switch" showing what it looks like here:
http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/HydronicRVHeating/photos/view/ 3ffc?b=1> The light next to Emergency Cutoff / Low Tank Level Cut Off should be illuminated indicating low coolant.
Remove the cover on the electronic control by removing 4 screws, one in each corner.

Disconnect 12v power to board by removing the wire from the 12 VDC+ connection from the circuit board. Caution: This wire has 12 VDC+ and will short out if grounded.

You will need to install a `jumper' wire as shown on the drawing in the Yahoo Hydronic Photos section " How To Jumper Float Switch " - Here:
http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/HydronicRVHeating/photos/view/ 3ffc?b=2> Upper right hand corner on JP3, wire # 15 to #16, (LWCO SW- to LWCO SW+ ). A paper clip works great!

Reconnect 12v power to board.

The light next to Emergency Cutoff / Low Tank Level Cut Off should not be illuminated and the Aqua-Hot should now operate.

The float switch is a mechanical switch. On the older style Hydro- Hot units with the VERY LARGE radiator cap, you can feel the switch by reaching through the filler neck. On the new style Hydro-Hot with the `standard' size cap, there is not enough room to get your hand inside.

Changing the float switch is not too bad of a `Do-It-Yourself' project. You would remove some of the coolant from the tank, remove the switch (screws into a port on the tank on upper left), 2 wires, replace switch, and replace coolant. You can purchase the switch from Aqua-Hot.

Kevin

05 Intrigue
11886


Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35604
Kevin,

Thank you very much for the information. It was a defective float switch. Jumped out terminal #15 and #16. Everything is working fine. Thank you very much for your assistance. Without your assistance your rig would have frozen tonight.

Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.

Joe 2006 Intrigue 12054

Hydro Hot

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35608
The same thing happened to me last May. I had a bad float switch. I understand this is fairly common. A new float switch and all is well.

John Pratt

'06 Allure 31308
'06 Jeep Commander

Hydro Hot

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41763
We are in Stanley ID and the Hydro Hot system has shut down with the help of CC tech service we feel the circuit board is shorted out. I have power to the board but if I hook it up it immediatly trips the 30 amp fuse in the passenger rear compartment. Has anyone had their system worked on in the Twin Falls area (our next stop tomorrow) or in Utah any help would be appreciated. I am not at a park where I can be on the internet but I will check later today and tommorrow before I leave Thanks to all and again I have to say CC tech service is well and good I talked to then at least 4 times yesterday. Lee Ramage 11784 Intrigue 2004

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41764
Quote from: raygrr"
I am helping a friend buy a coach(Ilike spending when it's not my > money) currently looking at a new Allure & intrigue both 04.What has > been the experience with Hydro-hot, good or bad,I know some of the > 03's had the Hurricane, and CC switched. My coach has the hurricane > plus a water heater and the Hydro-hot is all in one. Comments would > be appreciated.

Thanks
Ray G

01 Magna 5940
I don't have a hydro/aqua-hot yet but I'm planning on installing one.
My take on them is they are really nice from a convenience perspective but they add significant complexity and associated maintenance costs to the coach. The biggest issue I see with them is if a hydro/aqua-hot is allowed to freeze without having drained the water out of it will be irreparably and must be sent to Aqua-Hot for a $4100 rebuild. The technician I recently spoke with at Aqua-Hot said their number one problem is that people allow them to freeze. He also said they will not sell just the heat-exchanger (the part damaged if allowed to freeze) and they require you to ship them the entire unit for "reconditioning" at $4100.

I'll also point out that you can buy 10 new AC/gas water heaters plus 3 or 4 gas furnaces for the price of one Aqua-hot and, all you need is one freezing incident and your investment nearly doubles.

I'm planning to install one in my '02 Allure because I got one at a very good price and I'm doing all the work myself and they really are nice to have but anyone buying a new coach should know all the downsides of this system before deciding to get a coach with it.

Regards,
Ron

'02 Allure 30803

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41765
Lee,

The control board is a very complex board with many components and it can't simply "short out". If anything on that board was drawing the 30+ amps necessary to blow the ciruit breaker it would be thoroughly burnt and you could identify that simply by smelling the board.

I think it is much more likely that a pump motor, fan motor, the electric heating element, or the motor internal to the Hydro-hot has shorted. This could be determined by disconnecting them one at a time until the breaker no longer trips.

Regards,

Ron Curry

'02 Allure 30803

Quote from: leecarmelitaramage

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41767
Ray, we have had our 03 Intrigue for 5 years and have had great performance from the hydro hot. No operational problems, just need to do annual maintence.

Phil Baker 03 Intrigue 11667

Quote from: Ron Curry

> -

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41778
Ron Thanks for your reply I have disconnec the JP 1,2,3&4 Thus nothing is connected to the circuit board and when I try to conect the hot wire to the circuit board the circuit breaker trips. I alos checked the hot wire to ground and it shows a dead short thus I feel the circuit board has a short in it. Have you used any one in the Twin Falls area or Utah area (Salt Lake area our next stop) I will call Hyro Hot tomorrow. If anyone has other ideas please let me know thanks again Lee Ramage Intrigue 11784

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41784
We've had our '06 Allure for 2 1/2 yrs and love the hydrohot. Has never been a problem. We do the annual maintenance and during the initial usage there is some coolant "usage" while all of the air is bled out of the system.

Unless it's going to be below about 35 F outside we usually just use electric for heat and turn on the diesel when it's real cold or we want a faster warm-up then the electric alone will provide.

Also, sinc ethe engine coolant is also used when its temp is up you get "free" all coach heat whiel travelling down the road rather than just dash heat -- makes a big differnece if you travel when its cold outside.

Other positives are that its much quieter than propane, you don't go through propane for heating & hot water, with the diesel running it really is endless hot water.

Only downside we've experienced is that we have the hydro (not the aqua) hot and so if you run hot water it will give that priority and your interior heating is turned off until the hot water flow is stopped. Minor but something to be aware of.

Quote from: philbaker47
Ray, we have had our 03 Intrigue for 5 years and have had great > performance from the hydro hot. No operational problems, just need > to do annual maintence.

Phil Baker 03 Intrigue 11667

[quote author=Ron Curry"

>
>

[quote author=raygrr"

> >

> > I am helping a friend buy a coach(Ilike spending when it's not

my

Quote
> money) currently looking at a new Allure & intrigue both

04.What

Quote
has

> > been the experience with Hydro-hot, good or bad,I know some of

the

Quote
> 03's had the Hurricane, and CC switched. My coach has the

hurricane

Quote
> plus a water heater and the Hydro-hot is all in one. Comments > would

> > be appreciated.
> >

> > Thanks
> > Ray G

> > 01 Magna 5940
> >
>

> I don't have a hydro/aqua-hot yet but I'm planning on installing > one.

> My take on them is they are really nice from a convenience > perspective

> but they add significant complexity and associated maintenance

costs

Quote
to the coach. The biggest issue I see with them is if a

hydro/aqua-

Quote
hot

> is allowed to freeze without having drained the water out of it

will

Quote
be irreparably and must be sent to Aqua-Hot for a $4100 rebuild.

The

Quote
technician I recently spoke with at Aqua-Hot said their number one > > problem is that people allow them to freeze. He also said they

will

Quote
not sell just the heat-exchanger (the part damaged if allowed to > > freeze) and they require you to ship them the entire unit for > > "reconditioning" at $4100.
>

> I'll also point out that you can buy 10 new AC/gas water heaters > plus

> 3 or 4 gas furnaces for the price of one Aqua-hot and, all you

need

Quote
is

> one freezing incident and your investment nearly doubles.
>

> I'm planning to install one in my '02 Allure because I got one at

a

Hydro Hot

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 41854
To follow up on the post I made last week. On Monday Hydo Hot Techs agreed that the circuit board had failed and air shipped a circuit board to me in Twin Falls ID. I installed the new circuit board on Tuesday and all has worked well and we will be testing the system the next few days in Park City Ut low temps will be at 17 degrees. Lee Ramage 2004 Intrigue 11784

Hydro Hot

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 44509
I have just returned form a weekend outing. My Hydro Hot worked when we arrived and then stop. I could get it on by shutting the system off and waiting about 30 seconds and then turning it own. Then in the last day it would just not cycle. I have also used a large amount of coolant ever since the unit was new, and for four days I used almost one gallon again. Any thoughts and where to go for the repair?

Oh, I just had it serviced at the Rally in July and had not used it much since then.

Jim Spivey Allure 2006 31432

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 44510
Jim,

Without knowing if there was an error light on the Hydro-Hot control board I will list some possible causes of your problem.
1 Fuel level, The system is designed so that the Hydro-Hot and Generator will not operate if the fuel level is less then approximately one quarter of the tank.

2 Coolant level sensor, this would show up as a error on the control board.

3 Over temp sensor, this should show up on the control board. The over temp can also be caused by the stir pump not working properly.
For service, there are many RV service centers that can service the unit and also a number of marinas can service Hydro-Hot heaters. They are used on a lot of large boats.

The coolant loss has a number of possibilities, if there are no apparent leeks inside of the coach I would check the bay the Hydro-Hot is in some of these heaters had a plastic low point drain inside of the service cover where the circulating pumps are that cracks from extended exposure to heat. If this is the problem the coolant can drain out of the air intake hole in the bottom of the bay and not be visible inside of the bay.

When a coach is new it is not unusual to loose coolant for a period of time, you are not actually loosing the coolant but filling in the air bubbles in the systems coolant lines.
The coolant lines have dips and peeks that form air bubbles and can not be purged, over time the coolant displaces the air in the system. Your coolant usage sounds excessive for this to be the problem and I would be looking for leeks.

Regards
Ron Foster

Quote from: reeljr65

> I have just returned form a weekend outing. My Hydro Hot worked when > we arrived and then stop. I could get it on by shutting the system

off

Quote
and waiting about 30 seconds and then turning it own. Then in the

last

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 44516
Ron thanks for getting back. Yes I did check the board and see no warning indicators.

1. I added fuel, it was low, but no correction.
2. I did find a wet spot inside the coach, next to the electrical panel. At first I thought the water came from the shower, but now I think there is a pink cast so I am going to take out electircal panel and inspect.
3. I will call Aqua Hot and report results, thanks again for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim Spivey Allure 2006 31432 (have Ice now, but no hot water)

Re: Hydro Hot

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 44519
Don I am always up for do it yourself, but I always plan for my failure also. I live in Irvine CA. Will go to unit and get back to you directly. Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim Spivey Allure 2006 31432

Hydro Hot

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 44595
Herb many thanks for your input. I took out the inside panel under the sink and sure enough the area is wet, and the wood is stained on the inside oposite the rug on the bedroom side. The carpet seems to be glued down, so I could not get the floor up. The Hydro Hot came on, but I could not see any water. So I must need water pressure to cause the leak. What I don't understand is how the hoses get into this area. The small bedroom slide in immedieately next to the water, within 8 inches, and in fact I can see more water stains when I extend the slide. All leaks run from that wall. The water is sticky so I am sure it has boiler solution in it.

Any suggestions anyone?
Sincerely,

Jim Spivey Allure 2006 31432