Hydrohot not working

[CountryFit]

That sounds bad.
Can you open it up and check it out yourself?

Take a look at this
https://heatmyrv.com/product/coil-ig...g-wpx-101-838/

[IASM]

you could check rv salvage yards.

[Windward]

Been servicing mine as well. Has 2214 hrs on it and I don't know if prior owners ever did anything with it?? Got a new burner tip in, slimey filter cleaned and replaced. Unit fired up with a smokey start then cleared up. Couldn't get the combustion chamber out the first try. Modified the cover and shortened the 10' wiring harnesses up to eliminate clutter in the unit. Found the 120VAC high limit was bad (melted) but the element was good. Got the combustion chamber out (with some room to work) the second try. It was a mess! Heat exchanger looks good but will need a good cleaning. New parts are on order including a fuel solenoid. Units are pretty basic oil burners but they are pretty proud of the parts needed to maintain them.

[birdhunter]

Originally Posted by efstewart

I SENT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO THE AQUA-HOT COMPANY TODAY;

I live in Colorado, and I have a 2006 Country Coach Intrigue with a hydro hot model HHE-200-09E. It was working fine (except that it occasionally would run low on antifreeze, unknown why) until I left the house for a week with the heater on and plugged in, to protect the water system. While I was gone, the fluid went low and it turned off the heat. I ended up with a busted water cartridge filter and a busted water pump, because they froze over. I replaced those items, and have been trying to fire up the Hydro-Hot. The control board looks fine with the necessary green lights on, and I can hear the ignitor trying to light, but it does not.
I recently put some water in my fresh water tank, and left it on city water serve. And then I noticed that water was coming out of the plastic hydro hot antifreeze overflow tank. Is this something that I can fix? Or do I need to take it to a Aqua-Hot specialist?

AQUA-HOT'S RESPONSE WAS;

It sounds like the coil in the Aqua Hot has froze and ruptured.

We have 2 options for this unit.

We can reman that unit. The reman process would take 15 business days from the time that the unit reaches our facility to go through the process. This would come with a 1 year warranty.
The cost is $6,000 plus $400 freight. The freight charge would cover getting the unit to us and then back to you as long as it is in the lower 48 states.

The new unit would be AHE-450-DE5. There is a 10 business day lead time plus transit time. This unit would come with a 2 year warranty.
The cost on this unit is $8,446.99 plus freight. We would not know the cost of freight until the unit ships



Thanks,


Megan Honstien
Customer Service Technical Representative
7501 Miller Drive
Frederick, CO 80504
P: 303-651-5500 EXT 128
P: 800-685-4298
www.Airxcel.com
Aqua-Hot Heating Systems for RV, UTV, RTV

If it comes to that suggest you get an ITR Oasis. I own an ITR Hurricane and as I stated earlier I was forced to work on a Hydro Hot. In my opinion, the ITR units are superior in many ways and much simpler to work on especially given the level of self diagnostics and engineering. I believe if you look around you can get an Oasis for less than AH wants to charge you.

Rich 2002 Magna

[efstewart]

How is an ITR Oasis better than a Hydrohot (AquaHot)? Before I blew out the coil in the boiler tank, I was pretty happy with it. If I got an ITR Oasis, would it be compatible with the hoses, blowers and computer board that is in place now?

I made contact with a Aqauhot specialist who has his own repair business. He said that another option for me would be to take out the boiler tank (which contains the copper coils that circulates the water), and that can be replaced for about $3000. Since everything else was working on the system prior to the freeze, I might do that.

Has anyone replaced the boiler tank on their Aquahot or Hydrohot?

[mchero]

Originally Posted by IASM

you could check rv salvage yards.

Salvaged Aqua Hot,,, really?

Better off working with what you have.

Please keep us posted good reading!

[birdhunter]

How are they superior? In a number of ways: The Hurricane and the Oasis have extensive self diagnostics, far more than on an HH. The Hurricane was designed for boats at sea to be owner serviceable and those diagnostics make it much more doable without special equipment. The Oasis is very similar. I found Hydrohot to be much more difficult to work on and to diagnose. The AH/HH use a high pressure Webasto type burner, which is much more complicated, more difficult to remove and work on. You can have the simple Oasis burner out in a few minutes and change the igniter which needs no gapping in a matter of a minute or two and they last for many years. AH's go through nozzles much more quickly as a result of the high pressure fuel system which erodes the nozzle. At least on my Hurricane, the burn chamber and most of the parts and case are stainless steel. I have over 3,000 hours on mine. I'm not sure the case on the Oasis is stainless, but I'm pretty sure the burn chamber and related parts are. I found the wiring and many of the components to be higher quality in the Hurricane. The Oasis and even my Old Hurricane circa 2002, have remote panels with all the diagnostics right there upstairs. I think the new ones even have touch screen controls. At least my friends HH in his Newmar Essex did not have a remote with diagnostics. I had to go outside and look at the unit itself and the diagnostics are very limited. Someone told me Newmar has moved away from AH to the Oasis. I don't know if that's true. I suggest you try to repair both an AH and an Oasis yourself and then judge. I'm not sure, but I think that it wouldn't take much to install an Oasis in place of a HH. I would imagine most of the stuff upstairs would work. Anyway I was only suggesting this for your consideration if you're looking at a $6 to $8 k expense to repair your old HH.

Rich 2002 Magna

[efstewart]

Thanks for the info about the Oasis. I will keep that in mine as I ponder what step to take next. I made contact with a former Aquahot technician who now has his own business selling and repairing Hydronic heat systems. He may have a less expensive solution for me. At least it will cost less than a complete rebuild (which I don't need) or a new unit.

As for me, I don't like testing units that have electrical and computer components around them. I prefer to stay in the (mechanical only) zone of working on my motorhome.

I must add that hydronic radiant heating is my favorite method of heating. I have a great system that was already installed in my large home many years before I bought it. I also prefer it in my motorhome as well. I have no desire to go back to forced air for heating.

[BigALBigRig]

The probelems with my hydrohot caused me to replace the photocell and the nozzle. The problem no is that I have a crack in the hydrohot holding tank. I've been operating on electric back up for hot water and heat.

The cost for to replace the holding tank is absolutely rediculous.

BEWARE OF THIS ISSUE: If you remove your Webasto heater to service it you are in GRAVE DANGER of cracking the cast iron casing when you reinstall the unit. ONLY reinstall your Webasto to with a PROPERLY CALIBRATED torque wrench to the manufacturer's specs.

[CountryFit]

Good to learn all of this. Our Hurricane is very easy to operate and service, of course it does not provide hot water but standalone Atwood water heater does. Assume they are different animals. Best luck to you all!!

[Smitty77]

I've never had a Hurricane, but have seen them, and lots less to go wrong or to service the AH/HH's!

I also think that HH's that had the plastic/nylon like components in say the threaded sleeve bushings that for components going thru into the tank, or plastic vs brass float levels, etc. - will over the years require at least one major service to replace those suspect parts with brass/metal parts. After that, at least for my HH500-xxx series - it's as close as you can with many (If not most!) common components between it and the AH450-x series.

And I also have an opinion, that many owner's of coaches with AH/HH's do not maintain them as they should. So when someone buys a used coach, I believe it is not uncommon to have one major service (possible removal required) - to have a qualified/good Tech go thru everything and bring things back to where they belong. If no new tank, or controller, or blower (These are some of the big one's!) are required - a good $2 to maybe $3.5K combo of labor and parts. (That large of a range, due to where the AH/HH is mounted, and ease of access to remove the unit for bench top work.)

But, after that initial pain, a yearly maintenance regimen is to keep the chamber cleaned, nozzle & filters replaced, radiator cap at each service, and test boiler fluid for proper mix. Will go along way to keep these units running properly.

After you get the units back up to good operating condition - regular exercise of at least the Diesel Burner portion of the AH/HH. And also running each of he heating zones within your coach (Engine Preheat too, if it's on the system.). Will go along way of keeping you happy, with hot water and heat within your coach...

Like many things on these coaches, especially used coaches - get any neglected caught up, and maintain whatever it is well - and 'use it or lose it' practices...

Best to all,
Smitty