Floor heating on 16 Anthem

[The Driver]

Originally Posted by swberry

One question I have; you stated that the heat pumps are inefficient when powered from the generator. Why is that?

That big generator uses a lot more diesel than the Aqua-Hot diesel burner!

[brobox]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

I do the same and it works well. If A/C is needed at bedtime, then heat is usually not needed until rising in the AM. If A/C not needed at bedtime, set heat at 68 or 69 and it will come on when required.

I tried that....that's when I discovered the second set of AH motors are not working Thankfully the fireplace is an excellent score of backup heat.

Again, thank you for your instructions, I have printed copies all over the MH. I forget one season to the next what the settings are, your list brings it all back.

[swberry]

Originally Posted by The Driver

That big generator uses a lot more diesel than the Aqua-Hot diesel burner!

Oh gotcha. As in fuel burn yes I see what he is getting at now.

Sid

[Gary.Jones]

Here is a cautionary tale....

My fireplace really did catch on fire !!! Turned it on while I happened to be commenting on something late at night on iRV2 after the DW went to bed, and what do you know, all of a sudden lots of smoke started to pour out of the center third of the fire place...... what was burning was the heating element which self-destructed. Scared the heck out of me for a while while I realized that I was not going to have an abandon ship blaze on our hands. Talked to Dimplex and they assured me that they thought it was not the wiring and nothing was likely to have caught fire (wiring etc), but after it happened that night, I stayed up another couple of hours to make sure that nothing was ignited and slowly burning. Could not see anything unless I removed the fireplace and disassembled. Had the burner replaced at Entegra couple of weeks ago. They did not tell me, and I did not ask, if they had to replace the whole fireplace or simply install the replacement heater element I got from Dimplex.

However, I doubt that I will ever leave the furnace on all night while I am asleep ever again. As Gene says, JMHO

Gary

[Gary.Jones]

Sid

Under full load, your 12.5 KW Onan burns a hair more than 1 gallon of diesel per hour (that would be all three heat pumps running at night plus). The AquaHot nozzle burns ~ 1/3 gallons per hour when running continuously. However, it doesn't run continuously until the ambient is much lower than 32 degrees. I actually recorded the minutes on at 40 degrees ambient and 32 degrees ambient a few weeks ago and posted it in another thread. However, the point is simply what you have been told. If you have to do some more serious heating, you want to be using the AquaHot diesel burner and not your generator. The converse, is that if you are tied to 50A RV park service and have already paid the fee, then if you don't mind the extra noise (racket) of the heat pumps running, then by all means use the heat pumps unless the ambient is going to go down below ~ 40 degrees, and then they will not be able to heat you.

Gary

[hawgguy]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

Ceiling fan does wonders in that situation. It makes us comfortable even when bedroom is slightly warm.

Agree, and it works for me. My wife is "of a certain age" and will occasionally request cooler temperatures.

[hogdriver]

Originally Posted by hawgguy

Agree, and it works for me. My wife is "of a certain age" and will occasionally request cooler temperatures.

Been there, done that. Keep a supply of dark chocolate on board at all times as well as a good Merlot. I tell her the temperature is "fine wherever you want to set it", then I have another glass of Merlot.

[johnnyreno]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

People have referred to this obliquely, but let me talk about it more directly. One disadvantage of the boiler fluid heated floors is that it takes a fairly long time to get them to heat up. Most people on this web site report that it takes several days to get the floors warm, and then when running the AquaHot full time. That has been my experience in this current 3 month trip up north (in Fall conditions). If I am in one location, and have the AquaHot on with the diesel burner providing the lion share of the heat, then the floor heat is quite spotty for the first day or two and then begins to feel more even. However, I have not found that the AC heater is able to do much alone when it comes to heating the coach, basement, and the floor. When the temps have dropped into the low 30s, the AC element is overwhelmed as a heat source and is not able to keep up with basement, floor, and cabin heat. Now, in those same circumstances, the diesel-fired burner is able to help the AC element and do a nice job, but you do begin to burn through diesel at a pretty good clip, and again, it takes a while.

If you are moving from park to park, or traveling down the interstate, don't expect that your floors are going to be warm and toasty in my experience ( unless you have the diesel burner in-line all the time). if you are spending a week or a month in chilly temps and running the diesel burner on the AquaHot most of the time, then the warm floors becomes more realistic. Compared to electrically heated floors, lets say in your bricks and mortar house, which a timer switches on an hour before your morning shower, these are nowhere near as good. However, still nice in the right circumstances. As Gene says, this is JMHO and experience with my coach.

Gary

ummm if you turn on zone 2 and gas setting while driving your floors heat from the engine and costs nothing my floors seem a lot warmer in less than 1 hour. may just be our coach but its the way ours is.

[MRUSA14]

JohnnyReno is correct. On diesel-fired Aquahots turn on zone 2 and gas heat while travelling and you will get free heat from the engine while traveling. You do not have to turn on the diesel boiler or the electric switch to get this free heat. This will keep your floors from cooling down while traveling.

As noted, the Aquahot electric heating element provides only a small amount of heat and will suffice only down to 50 or 55 degrees. In colder temperatures I use the heat pumps (electric heat setting on zones 1 through 3) to heat the coach if plugged in and the outside temps are above 40F. This avoids the use of diesel fuel. If not plugged in or temps below 40F use the diesel burner. It will keep you comfy regardless of the outside temperature.

In mildly cold temperatures when plugged in, I use heat pumps on zone 1 and 3 and use gas heat setting on zone 2 with just the electric switch on, not the burner. The zone 2 setting takes the chill off the floor using electricity not diesel.