Cold weather

[photraveller]

Originally Posted by lp5151

The registers are blowing air constantly...but the front register under dash has very week air flow. So is the frig line a common problem for these coaches when frig is in the slide?

Yes unfortunately on the frig water line. I read about it on this forum, then PJ openly talks about during his Entegra tech talks. I haven't chased the line, but my understanding is it is basically on the underside of the slide out. So there is no way to get a heat source under it.

If zone #1 is running all the time, and you have 140F on two of the radiators that the fan is blowing fine on, I'm beginning to think you have an insulation problem up front somewhere.

No more than ours run, I could see where the front register by itself could keep it cooler up by the front seats, but the other two registers should be running you out of the kitchen/living area running all the time.

At first, I would say you have a partial blockage or other performance issue with the Aqua Hot, but if the radiators that have good functioning fans are still staying at 140F it just seems like you are pumping a ton of heat into the living area without warming up.

Question: with all the shades down at night, are you getting any other frost build up around any other windows? Usually if you have an air leak I would expect to see a large amount of frost in your temperatures.

Oh, BTW, you might want to crank the floor heat more. We usually run floor heat on 78 or even 80 at times.

Steve

[lp5151]

Originally Posted by photraveller

Yes unfortunately on the frig water line. I read about it on this forum, then PJ openly talks about during his Entegra tech talks. I haven't chased the line, but my understanding is it is basically on the underside of the slide out. So there is no way to get a heat source under it.

If zone #1 is running all the time, and you have 140F on two of the radiators that the fan is blowing fine on, I'm beginning to think you have an insulation problem up front somewhere.

No more than ours run, I could see where the front register by itself could keep it cooler up by the front seats, but the other two registers should be running you out of the kitchen/living area running all the time.

At first, I would say you have a partial blockage or other performance issue with the Aqua Hot, but if the radiators that have good functioning fans are still staying at 140F it just seems like you are pumping a ton of heat into the living area without warming up.

Question: with all the shades down at night, are you getting any other frost build up around any other windows? Usually if you have an air leak I would expect to see a large amount of frost in your temperatures.

Oh, BTW, you might want to crank the floor heat more. We usually run floor heat on 78 or even 80 at times.

Steve

No other frosting other than the windshield.

The front radiator does not have the same air volume as the others. And since it is the only heat vent for the front, it just isn't blowing enough air to adequately heat the front of the coach.
Also figured out that the front loop for the floor is not producing heat, very cold floor from the fireplace forward. According to the plans sent to me by CS there should be a floor loop in the front part of the coach. Another possible reason that the coach is hard to heat in the front.

[photraveller]

Originally Posted by lp5151

No other frosting other than the windshield.

The front radiator does not have the same air volume as the others. And since it is the only heat vent for the front, it just isn't blowing enough air to adequately heat the front of the coach.
Also figured out that the front loop for the floor is not producing heat, very cold floor from the fireplace forward. According to the plans sent to me by CS there should be a floor loop in the front part of the coach. Another possible reason that the coach is hard to heat in the front.

Yeah if you have a kink or blockage in the floor loop that would cause a problem. I thought the floor heat was on the same loop as the registers. So if I'm correct, and if you have 140F on that front register I would think you're getting flow to it. Maybe the installer didn't loop the lines properly up front?

Steve

[Gary.Jones]

5151

The electric element of your AquaHot was not designed to heat your coach in the winter. It is designed to give you ~ 5 gallons of hot water after several hours of your generator running when you are boondocking. There is no way that one 1800 watt electric element is going to provide enough hot water to your coach to keep the coach warm. End of story. It is not sufficient or possible.

Soooooo, you have four other options.

1.) If the temp is above ~ 43 degrees, you can use the heat pumps. If below that, forget the heat pumps.

2.) Turn on the diesel fired system and burn diesel. If you want burn rates, PM me and I will give you data on how much diesel you will burn at various temps (but not down into the teens)

3.) Decide you dont want to burn diesel ( you can use a 5 gallon can to refill your diesel tank as you use up your tank).... then go to #4

4.) go out and buy supplemental electric heaters to help warm the coach or do all the warming for the coach. Your problem is that there is a limit to how much current you can draw through your duplex sockets in a coach.... if you try to draw too much, you will blow circuit breakers. Make sure that the heaters are on separate circuits and that will help. But while I dont understand this fully, if you put too much demand anywhere in the system, you will then pop the "bypass" circuit breaker contained in one of the Magnum inverters.... So I have avoided problems with my coach by running two or three heaters on the 900 watt range. That has worked.

I'm not aware of any other options.

Gary

[saddlesore]

Hmmmm...I think that there may be 2 issues..
1st is an air flow blockage whether bad fan control or ducting.. The other (due to lower temps measured) is that there "May" be an air bubble in the water line near (or within) the front "heater core/radiator".
Fought the air bubble with our coach, bled the circuit at the AH end and it seemed to cure the low heat issue in that zone....

[Butte64]

Originally Posted by lp5151

No other frosting other than the windshield.



The front radiator does not have the same air volume as the others. And since it is the only heat vent for the front, it just isn't blowing enough air to adequately heat the front of the coach.

Also figured out that the front loop for the floor is not producing heat, very cold floor from the fireplace forward. According to the plans sent to me by CS there should be a floor loop in the front part of the coach. Another possible reason that the coach is hard to heat in the front.

Only heat vent for the front? How about the vent coming from the kitchen sink area?

As someone else said, the floor thermostat needs to be set higher. What temp is the warmest spot on the floor?

[lp5151]

Originally Posted by Butte64

Only heat vent for the front? How about the vent coming from the kitchen sink area?

As someone else said, the floor thermostat needs to be set higher. What temp is the warmest spot on the floor?

The kitchen register is to far back in the coach to effectively help heat the front of the coach.
One thing I found when doing a laser temp scan of the floor in the area in the very front of the coach is that the entry carpet is not allowing the floor heat into that area of the coach. The floor temps from the bedroom forward to the fireplace was running 75 to 80 degrees. The area in front of the fireplace was running 65 to 70 degrees. Then I lifted the front carpet and got temps of 90 degrees. So during freezing temps I will need to remove the front entry carpet so that part of the floor heat can get into the front of the coach, carpet is keeping heat from the floor from getting into the front air space.

[Excursion04]

I sure can relate!! We spent last winter in St Louis which was one of the coldest winter with few nights getting below zero. We have 2013 winnebago Tour with Aqua hot system and ceramic tile floor. Heated basement just to the lines from freezing. Trying to conserve on fuel used an electric radiator heater in living room and small electric heater in bathroom used it just when taking shower. I think AH did it job, we were comfortable. Even with using electric heater to help keep us warm I still had to make a couple trips to fill the tank. I did call AH customer service which were very helpful, suggested to check the antifreeze to make sure it is not low and right mix.

[Excursion04]

Another issue we were experiencing at start of cold weather the registers in the kitchen and living room were blowing cold air. Were able to correct the problem removed the AH cover gently tap on the lines feeding the registers. Since it had been several months running the heaters the antifreeze crystallizes blocking the flow tapping opens the.

[RayJo]

All responders are advising correctly; your Aqua Hot should be delivering heat far better than you are experiencing. Check your boiler fluid levels to assure it is at adequate levels. Call an authorized Aqua Hot Rep. as your experience is not close to norm.

[Mwoodofd]

I removed my center drawer over the weekend just to check my front register for items that may have fallen out of the drawer because I tend to cram too much stuff in there. Actually found $2

Like someone mentioned earlier, I found my register leaking warm air out under the drawer keeping my dash very warm. I would say about 25% of the air was not making it though the register and out into the coach. Did not have time to see where the leak was coming from, but will look at in a few weeks when traveling for Thanksgiving.

May be part of the low volume you see passing through yours.

[oneknight]

Did not read most of this, but....

'17Aspire, aquahot 400d.

Typical nightime settings 64 on zones 1 and 3, 66 on zone 2.

Totally comfy, burner runs 4 times an hour for 3 minutes.

Any zone 2 setting over 66 will roast us out of the coach, regardless of outside temp or zone 1 & 3 settings