AquaHot Hose failure - be WARNED !!

[RV Wanderers]

Originally Posted by Steve 716

There is another Aqua Hot leak source to be aware of. There are two large hoses that connect to the top rear of the case on each side. It is entirely possible that either or both will become a leak source. Just filling the overflow bottle adds enough pressure for the hose on the left side to leak onto the top and sides of the case, even with the AH off. You can fill your bottle and watch the level fall off until it's empty. The factory installed connector is poorly designed and you probably won't be able to find an identical one.

I was in AZ and parked at a campground when my first leak happened. It was pretty obvious where the leak was because I half filled my bottle and watched it come back out. I spent two days looking for a replacement without success, so I modified my connector. It held for a few months, then started leaking again. Searching the forums I found a combination of AH end connector, hose connector attached above it, and constant pressure clamps that all fit together and it has held for two years and counting. I replaced both sides.

I strongly that you carry at least one of these connector systems in your bag of spare parts or, even better, go ahead and replace them now.

Any chance you have pictures of the connectors you are taking about?

[guitarguy]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

I've got 10 bucks that says AquaHot did not supply that hose to Entegra and it was installed by Entegra....

My 10 bucks is sitting there awaiting proof (or your preference in the standard "Coin of the Realm" (liquor of your choice).)

Gary

FWIW, my 2019 Tiffin Bus with 450 AH system came with 5/8" radiator hoses connected to the overflow bottle so you likely are correct.

[cwotbg]

I have a 2019 Entegra Emblem. Can someone tell me where to look for this hose? Thanks in advance.

[philnail]

Do you have an aquahot? If so open the bay where the aquahot is and you will see a bottle above it with a hose below the bottle that goes into the top of the aquahot. If that is a clear hose it needs to be replaced

[bevandtomH]

This problem is not just ‘19’s. My ‘14 and guessing everyone in between have had or still has the clear hose.
I took Chucks’ advice last year and changed that hose out.
Phill shows hose clamps but I went with the shark bite style.
No drips, no runs…..

[cwotbg]

I have a 2019 Entegra Emblem. Can someone tell me where to look for these hoses? I would like to change mine before my next trip in Sep. Thanks in advance

[brobox]

Originally Posted by cwotbg

I have a 2019 Entegra Emblem. Can someone tell me where to look for these hoses? I would like to change mine before my next trip in Sep. Thanks in advance

It's the 5/8" hose at the bottom of the fluid tank that goes to the top of the Aqua Hot. It is about 18-24" inches long. If it's clear plastic, or now brown in color it needs to be changed. If Entegra installed a rubber hose on your 19, your good. See photo in post #22

[RV Wanderers]

Originally Posted by Steve 716

There is another Aqua Hot leak source to be aware of. There are two large hoses that connect to the top rear of the case on each side. It is entirely possible that either or both will become a leak source. Just filling the overflow bottle adds enough pressure for the hose on the left side to leak onto the top and sides of the case, even with the AH off. You can fill your bottle and watch the level fall off until it's empty. The factory installed connector is poorly designed and you probably won't be able to find an identical one.

I was in AZ and parked at a campground when my first leak happened. It was pretty obvious where the leak was because I half filled my bottle and watched it come back out. I spent two days looking for a replacement without success, so I modified my connector. It held for a few months, then started leaking again. Searching the forums I found a combination of AH end connector, hose connector attached above it, and constant pressure clamps that all fit together and it has held for two years and counting. I replaced both sides.

I strongly that you carry at least one of these connector systems in your bag of spare parts or, even better, go ahead and replace them now.

Does anyone have a pic of where Steve is referring to in this post?

Thank you in advance!

[GuyFawkes]

I don't have an Entegra but stumbled upon this post. I checked my coach (2018 Renegade Verona LE 40 LRB) and I had a clear hose running from the bottom of my tank to the top of the AH. Well at one point it was clear, but now it is a brownish.

I drove to the local Autozone, purchased 5' of 5/8" ID hose ($10.54) and replaced the original hose on the AH. Total time to make the change (once I finally got organized) less than five minutes.

After the change I started the generator, turned on the AH and water pump. Checked for leaks-none, hot water-indeed, checked AH control panel and none of the warning lights were on. Start to finish, maybe 40 minutes. Much easier and more convenient to take care of at home when you don't really need it as opposed to on the road when you need the AH.

Gary I really appreciate that you took the time to share (and reshare) this info.

Also for what it worth. Every other hose coming from my AH (except the overflow tube) is black in color and looks like a radiator hose. My overflow container is secured to the side of the AH. What this all means to me is the clear hose that is causing the problem was put on by AH.

My preferred coin of the realm is Buffalo Trace

[Gary.Jones]

Guy...

The overflow canister on my coach has two tubes connected to it. The tube connected at the top of the reservoir is a tube that simply carries any fluid that is too much when the system is hot and carries that fluid down through the basement floor and dumped onto the ground. Under normal operation (the fluids at the proper levels), very little boiler fluid would ever find its way out that top tube. On my coach, that tube was clear plastic tubing.

In contrast, the tubing at the bottom of the overflow reservoir carries hot or cold fluid all the time. That bottom tube runs from the bottom of the overflow tank to the top center of the AH-450 DE4. That tube carries hot boiler fluid which enters the overflow or exits depending on how much the boiler fluid expands and contracts with the temperature of the boiler fluid. Thus, it is filled with very hot boiler fluid when the diesel or electric burners/elements are on and the system is producing hot water, or cold fluid when both heaters are off. But it always should have either very hot or cold boiler fluid in it, and that is the pipe I have been talking about. And the effect of that heating and cooling is to make that hose brittle and likely to fracture or develop hoes. My system had non heat-rated tubing making that bottom run.... tubing NOT designed to handle hot liquids, and that is the tube that needs to be radiator rated rubber tubing, not clear plastic tubing. I bought 30" of 5/8"ID radiator hose and that is more than enough to make that run.

So clear plastic on the top overflow, probably no problem. Clear plastic tubing on the bottom connection, a problem waiting to happen in Phil Nail' terminology.

Oh, do I owe you coin of the realm, or do you owe me?

Gary

[LimoKing]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

About a week ago, I noticed that the overflow tank on my AquaHot (AH) was more empty than it should be but the system was cold and I assumed that I just needed to add more Century boiler fluid. Well, I'm now in Colorado and nights are in low 50s and so heat more of an issue along with showers. I fired up the diesel burner and low and behold, looked at the AH and there was brownish stain all over the top of the container. Looked like dried liquid. On closer inspection, it became immediately clear what the problem was. What looked like a black rubber hose had completely separated from the pressure relief valve on top, center of the AH box. So cut off the bad hose from the fitting and pushed the hose back onto the pressure relief valve and filled the reservoir half full of Century Transfer fluid (1/2 gallon), and fired up the diesel burner again only to watch the half gallon of the Century fluid run out of two additional holes in the plastic hose further back (it's actually crappy clear plastic hose not designed for high temp liquids !!!!!!!! installed at factory). DAMN !!!

I remembered Brobox and PhilNail posting a thread (thread actually started by Phil) and searched for it, and sure enough Phil reported a sage warning that all of us should replace the plastic hose from the expansion reservoir to the AH lid with real hot water radiator hose (5/8" ID) designed for hot water use and Phil clearly stated that this was a problem waiting to happen and I put that on a list of needed repairs, but like many of us, never got around to replacing it. Now, I have no idea about current coaches, but on my 2019, the factory only used plain old clear general use plastic pipe which is NOT rated for high temperature use, and mine turned black, and got very brittle and apparently cracked two holes on opposite sides of the hose as well as shearing off completely first), and all the fluid ran out over some period of time. At this time it gushed out and may have been bad for a fairly long period of time before.

So, I am going to repeat Phil's advise.... THIS IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM THAT IS WAITING TO HAPPEN AT LEAST FOR COACHES MADE IN THE '14-'20 VINTAGES AS THE FACTORY USED CRUMMY, cheap, INAPPROPRUATE HOSE NOT DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH HOT FLUID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. About $10 bucks at an Autozone and 30 minutes of your time will resolve this problem if you buy radiator hose designed for this application or carry several gallons of spare Century Boiler Fluid in the basement as you are going to need it. Real radiator hose is black and it says it is 5/8" ID radiator hose... the crap on my unit is/was clear plastic which had turned black and so looked like black rubber hose, but wasn't.

The worst part of this is that it appears that the low fluid might have led to a burned out electric heating element as my electric element will not now make hot water. I'm going to do a separate thread on that issue as it has me scratching my head currently.

Here is Phil's earlier thread. EDIT:
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/aqu...ed-439984.html

Gary

i am a bit confused. I have the 2019 Cornerstone and it has 2 small rubber hoses on the top and a clear garden hose loking hose on the left of the AH for drainage. Are you referring to the clear hose on left side of AH running under the coach for drainage? please elaborate..

[seeg]

You need to be looking at the overflow tank. As Chuck suggested, look at post #22. You want a rubberized hose from both the top and bottom of the overflow tank. The hose from the top exits through the floor and acts as an overflow. The bottom hose routes to the top of the aqua hot unit. It might be helpful to read the entire thread. That should clear things up for you.

[GuyFawkes]

We are on the same page. AH using the clear tube in both areas seems silly. I only wish all the issues/fixes related to my coach were that easy, quick, and cheap to remedy.

I am not sure who owes who, but you saved me grief so I will “bend the knee.” Should our paths cross, I owe you. Hopefully I still have some Buffalo Trace on hand, I tend to go through it rather quickly

[Gary.Jones]

Chuck

It is actually one tank and two hoses... thus, the complexity.

Gary