Aqua Hot performance

[Wayne Kotila]

Hi Eric, I have discovered several issues that reduced the output of the Aqua Hot. The first was the fuel pump pressure was 20 psi to low, John at parliament coach tested it and adjusted it to the proper pressure. This greatly improved the output of the diesel burner, before, when multiple zones were running the burner could not keep up so it ran constant and the coach got colder. Now with all zones running the burner will bring the boiler fluid to the max temp and shut off.I also had a heavy antifreeze to water ratio,I thinned it out to try to get back to a 50/50 mix, this ratio is supposed to be much more efficient at transferring heat.

On my system the kitchen and living room are one zone using 3 -10,000 BTU heat exchangers, I question weather the size of the piping and the volume of the pump are adequate to supply30,000BTU from this one zone. The front of the coach is definitelythe highest heat demandarea with the windshield and all the windows on both sides it's almost allglass up front. On top of all that heat loss from all the single pane windows, the door is also up front and the door gasketing on my coach is bad. I picked up a door seal kit from Parliament and am going to replace that and try to bend the bottom of the door in because it is bowed out slightly preventing a good seal. The last issueI discovered is that one of the fans on the Aqua Hot heat exchanger below the dash isn't working so one half of that exchanger has little or no air moving across it, this would reduce the output in the highest heat demand area of the
coach. I am going to try to access the fan and replace it. In reality a 50,000BTU system should be adequate to heat our coach's if everything is running properly and the system is properly designed to the deliver those BTU's to the coach and in the required amounts to meet the demands of each area. I live in Minnesota and do most of my heating with a 45,000 BTU geo thermal heat pump, It's a 23 year old house with over 3000 sq ft and alot of windows and I use the heat pump down to -10 F, if it's gets colder than that I switch to the gas furnace. The point is that the 45,000 Btu heat pump heats way more sq ft with alot more windows and doors and keeps the house at 70 deg F so the 50,000 BTU Aqua Hot should be able to keep our coach's warm, I will post weather or not mine can after Ireplace my bad fan.

Wayne kotila

96PT42

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From: Eric To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, March 4, 2011 7:29:28 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Aqua Hot performance

Wayne,

In the nearly 7 years I have been full timing I have read nearly every post on most of the BB web sites. I don't remember any discussions about the inadequacies of the heating in the front of our coaches, particularily the mid-90's coaches. Many of us are reluctant to mention anything that suggests that our rigs are less than perfect. This is one area that my rig falls short of being "just great".

My point is: maybe it is just my coach that has inadequate heating in the forward portion of the coach. Both the AquaHot heating system is inadequate and the electric heat is inadequate. I've been very statisfied with the confort of the bus if I suppliment the heating with one (sometimes even two) electric heaters in temperatures below 40 degrees.

I would be very interested to read posts from mid-90's coach owners who say "my BB installed heating system works just fine and is fully adequate." I would then inquire what I am
doing wrong.

Eric Perplies
96' PT-42