A very warm welcome to Darrell Snell

[Darrell Snell]

(02-27-2013 12:31)pgchin Wrote:  

(02-27-2013 10:01)Darrell Snell Wrote:  Thanks Pete
I'm having a look see tomorrow. Bought a new nozzle and igniter gage and I'll fire it up once I have it uncovered.
Thanks for the tips and I will report more when I know.
Look forward to seeing you guys during your walkabout!
D

Good deal and good luck! We're here if you run into any questions. Yes we are "stoked" to see you two again as well. We'll firm up as soon as I know when we will "actually roll" You know how "chassis items" go all too well!!!!!!! Sometimes great as planned, sometimes not so good!

Hey Pete
Fired up the Aqua Hot this AM and it smoked like crazy. I did this to confirm the problem. Followed your instructions, replaced the jet, checked the spark gap and
within a half hour it was smoke free and driving us out of the coach with heat.
What doesn't sound right is a whining sound from the blower. It isn't too objectionable when the insulated shroud is in place.
Any thoughts?
I'm also posting a problem with my generator load switch in the generator section.
Thanks Pete.

---

(02-23-2013 13:38)davidmbrady Wrote:  Darrell, Hope everything is well and thanks for joining us. Looking forward to lots of LXi wrenching and traveling conversation! Post some pics of BlueBerry Farm! Looking forward to some blueberry jam! Welcome!

Thanks David
WaGu already been helpful.
Just great
D

[pgchin]

Darrell,
Glad the Auqahot burner service went well! Good deal! Yeah, the blower whine...... or wine. It develops over time as a result of the blower motor clutch pack absorbing excess diesel fuel from using the burner with old or dirty fuel nozzles. That's why they recommend annual service irrespective of use. Me I do it every two years. My suggestion, use it until you cannot stand the noise any more, then you can rebuild the blower motor clutch pack. The parts you will need to do that as well as the step by step procedure is in that service manual I sent you on the other thread. I believe the wine cause I mentioned above is also in there or the installation manual under the troubleshooting sections!!!!!!!
Don't forget to set the basement thermostat to 50 this weekend when you're in the bus so Jen and Pirate Snell have heated floors! When you get back home you can lower it or turn it off so the system does not call for heat when you are not in the bus....... I ALWAYS forget!!!!!!! I have a dear old friend that use to say happy wife, happy life!!!!!! off to your other thread...... and yes David, if you are keeping count I'm breaking my own rules again!!!!!!!

[Ms. Bee]

(02-25-2013 15:33)pgchin Wrote:  Did I tell you I LOVE blueberries? When I was a kid and my grandfather was still alive he had several bushes and my mom would take me over there to pick'em! YUMMMMMM!

[u]Bluebird's Blueberry Farm Update[/u].


I've got some kind of sad news. Of course this isn't the end of the earth, not going to pretend it is, nor is a matter of life and death, and while we were not counting on the blueberries for income, we have worked hard the last three months for this crop, for us and our friends. We got up here Wednesday night, prepared for this next long freeze of 5-6 days, only to find out the last freeze did the majority in.

The early varieties, in an attempt to beat to market, are supposed to bloom in Feb, but we got such a warm Jan in the mid to high 80's that they prematurely blossomed. Not nice to fool Mother Nature! A week later, green berries, then freezing temps and they survived. Started turning blue, and getting big, restaurant quality as our neighbor likes to say, but the last one, the freeze after that got them even though we stayed over that Sunday night, were up irrigating at 1am, when Dee wanted to be at work the next morning. All for naught.

Before the last freeze, the fields were either in a snow of white flowers, and young green leaves, or already in a sea of blue. Beautiful!

We pulled in this Wednesday night just as the sun was setting, and the field is brown. Dead looking. All the green leave, the white flowers, the blue berries gone.

Darrell as he walked through them that night as the sun had just set, was devastated! The next morning I found some, a few, later varieties, while somewhat frost damaged, that are still blooming and have yet to set fruit, but Darrell says "why bother?"

I say, because a few are better than none.

How disappointing though. We fast had to get over it, as our daughter and her boyfriend pulled in the next day, all the way from the West Coast and it's so wonderful to have them here with us.

Prime Rib, roast potatoes, fresh beans, broccoli, and mushrooms in the Big Easy, tonight while the wine flows. Smells great...but it's getting cold.

And I think we should still irrigate, if even for a few.

Ms. Bee

[pgchin]

Jenny,
So sorry to hear about your crop. Yeah, the weather sure has been freaky this year! Keep your spirits up. I'm sure it will all work out. Sorry for the short speak. One hand typing on my phone with me new stylus! :-)
Update: on the puter now, the stylus is better with the phone and I'm 5-6 times faster on it than ole fat fingers here! :=-) Enjoy your family while you are all in town........ always good times!

[Darrell Snell]

(02-28-2013 17:08)pgchin Wrote:  Darrell,
Glad the Auqahot burner service went well! Good deal! Yeah, the blower whine...... or wine. It develops over time as a result of the blower motor clutch pack absorbing excess diesel fuel from using the burner with old or dirty fuel nozzles. That's why they recommend annual service irrespective of use. Me I do it every two years. My suggestion, use it until you cannot stand the noise any more, then you can rebuild the blower motor clutch pack. The parts you will need to do that as well as the step by step procedure is in that service manual I sent you on the other thread. I believe the wine cause I mentioned above is also in there or the installation manual under the troubleshooting sections!!!!!!!
Don't forget to set the basement thermostat to 50 this weekend when you're in the bus so Jen and Pirate Snell have heated floors! When you get back home you can lower it or turn it off so the system does not call for heat when you are not in the bus....... I ALWAYS forget!!!!!!! I have a dear old friend that use to say happy wife, happy life!!!!!! off to your other thread...... and yes David, if you are keeping count I'm breaking my own rules again!!!!!!!

Thanks Pete
Good stuff again.
I fired it up last night with the basement set at 50. A little smoke and fumes but quickly settled down to no smoke or fumes.
Warm Foors=Happy Wife
Happy Wife=Happy Life
Therefore
Warm Floors=Happy Life
D

---

(03-02-2013 11:16)Darrell Snell Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 17:08)pgchin Wrote:  Darrell,
Glad the Auqahot burner service went well! Good deal! Yeah, the blower whine...... or wine. It develops over time as a result of the blower motor clutch pack absorbing excess diesel fuel from using the burner with old or dirty fuel nozzles. That's why they recommend annual service irrespective of use. Me I do it every two years. My suggestion, use it until you cannot stand the noise any more, then you can rebuild the blower motor clutch pack. The parts you will need to do that as well as the step by step procedure is in that service manual I sent you on the other thread. I believe the wine cause I mentioned above is also in there or the installation manual under the troubleshooting sections!!!!!!!
Don't forget to set the basement thermostat to 50 this weekend when you're in the bus so Jen and Pirate Snell have heated floors! When you get back home you can lower it or turn it off so the system does not call for heat when you are not in the bus....... I ALWAYS forget!!!!!!! I have a dear old friend that use to say happy wife, happy life!!!!!! off to your other thread...... and yes David, if you are keeping count I'm breaking my own rules again!!!!!!!

Thanks Pete
Good stuff again.
I fired it up last night with the basement set at 50. A little smoke and fumes but quickly settled down to no smoke or fumes.
Warm Foors=Happy Wife
Happy Wife=Happy Life
Therefore
Warm Floors=Happy Life
D

Pete
May have spoken to soon re AquaHot
Started up this AM smoking and dripping like crazy
Couldn't have plugged the nozzle this soon?
D

[pgchin]

Pete
May have spoken to soon re AquaHot
Started up this AM smoking and dripping like crazy
Couldn't have plugged the nozzle this soon?
D


UMMM , I was afraid you were going to say that, the screaming clutches gave me a hint.... I had the EXACT thing happen to me, more than likely the oring in the fuel pump let go or the fuel pump is bad..... That's how my clutches wound up as toast from all the diesel. Check around the fuel pump when you pull the burner head again and see if you can see it leaking. Be careful. You can try a prime cycle with the head out of the chamber by holding and getting Jenn or someone to turn the switch on, then off in 2 SECONDS and if the fuel pump or o ring is leaking, it will spit diesel everywhere including on you! Don,t ask how I know this!!!! I still smell of diesel! Parts are available at Aquahot if you need a fuel pump, oring, you can get locally as long as it is the correct one for oil's, etc. I've been told if you can find a WEBASCO dealer, the parts are cheaper, same parts just a lower markup then aquahot.......your call, but I bet you have that going on....... These burners really need to be rebuilt in about 10 years, that's just my opinion but they seem to fail around that timeframe............... very pricey to rebuild if you have it done, me I just bought a new one but that was 7 years ago and it was much cheaper then. 1800 bucks My original failed in year 10. I'm was going to rebuild the original one and carry it as a spare. as you can see, 7 years later it is still low on the punch BUT it is moving up in a hurry!!!!!! :-)

PS Before you pull the head, pull the cover and look at the fuel supply and return lines. Maybe they are leaking? Quick easy fix........ I had to replace mine as they were rotting from the inside out....looked good on the outside, breaking down and falling apart on the inside.......

PSS step by step how twos in the shop and installation manual if you feel want to / have the time to rebuild the burner yourself.

[davidbrady]

Excellent info Pete. I agree, faulty fuel pump. I had to replace mine.

[Darrell Snell]

(03-02-2013 12:34)pgchin Wrote:  Pete
May have spoken to soon re AquaHot
Started up this AM smoking and dripping like crazy
Couldn't have plugged the nozzle this soon?
D


UMMM , I was afraid you were going to say that, the screaming clutches gave me a hint.... I had the EXACT thing happen to me, more than likely the oring in the fuel pump let go or the fuel pump is bad..... That's how my clutches wound up as toast from all the diesel. Check around the fuel pump when you pull the burner head again and see if you can see it leaking. Be careful. You can try a prime cycle with the head out of the chamber by holding and getting Jenn or someone to turn the switch on, then off in 2 SECONDS and if the fuel pump or o ring is leaking, it will spit diesel everywhere including on you! Don,t ask how I know this!!!! I still smell of diesel! Parts are available at Aquahot if you need a fuel pump, oring, you can get locally as long as it is the correct one for oil's, etc. I've been told if you can find a WEBASCO dealer, the parts are cheaper, same parts just a lower markup then aquahot.......your call, but I bet you have that going on....... These burners really need to be rebuilt in about 10 years, that's just my opinion but they seem to fail around that timeframe............... very pricey to rebuild if you have it done, me I just bought a new one but that was 7 years ago and it was much cheaper then. 1800 bucks My original failed in year 10. I'm was going to rebuild the original one and carry it as a spare. as you can see, 7 years later it is still low on the punch BUT it is moving up in a hurry!!!!!! :-)

PS Before you pull the head, pull the cover and look at the fuel supply and return lines. Maybe they are leaking? Quick easy fix........ I had to replace mine as they were rotting from the inside out....looked good on the outside, breaking down and falling apart on the inside.......

PSS step by step how twos in the shop and installation manual if you feel want to / have the time to rebuild the burner yourself.

Thanks Pete
Sounds like we were on borrowed time anyway.
Have to add a couple of more dogs on the bed tonight!
D

[JD33]

The fuel pump in my AH failed last spring, we removed the burner assembly and sent it to Roger Berke in Oregon for complete rebuild including new pump, I think that the cost was right around $600 or $700 bucks, had it back in a week good as new.

[davidbrady]

Jim,

Do you have Roger's website or other contact info. I can't seem to locate him. Thanks.