Aquahot tubing broken

[Carl Michael]

I have an Aquahot 431/12 with broken copper outside my heater. Can it be replaced with pex tubing?

[DavidL]

Post a picture of where the break is.

Is it the cold Input or the Hot Output?  Pex should be fine for either.

Are you sure the break is external of the Aquahot?

How did it break?  Something hit it?  Freeze damage?

Worse case, it can be soldered with copper fittings (I like that better than PEX).

[Frank McElroy]

2 hours ago, Carl Michael said:

I have an Aquahot 431/12 with broken copper outside my heater. Can it be replaced with pex tubing?

If you are talking about the domestic hot water copper heating loop that, on the older aquahot, is wrapped around the outside of the boiler, no you need to replace it with copper.  Copper will allow heat transfer between the boiler and the water.  Pex would act as an insulator and not work.

[Guest Ray Davis]

Come back to us Carl.  You have sparked our interest and we want to help.    

By the way welcome to the group.

[Carl Michael]

2 hours ago, Frank McElroy said:

If you are talking about the domestic hot water copper heating loop that, on the older aquahot, is wrapped around the outside of the boiler, no you need to replace it with copper.  Copper will allow heat transfer between the boiler and the water.  Pex would act as an insulator and not work.

How much heat loss do you think I will realize knowing that it is not as efficient?  

[Guest Ray Davis]

Carl, are you talking about making a patch with pex or taking the boiler out and replacing the copper coil with pex?

[Carl Michael]

I have it out and going to rebuild it. New to this type of fix and always looking for a simple solution to my problem. It would be easier to wrap it in pex and not as expensive. I just bought this Monaco and it has a lot of issues. Taking them one at a time. 

[Ivan K]

If you going to do that, it will certainly melt the pex at the exhaust port, I would not and not just for that reason. I would at least just replace the bad section if the rest is salvageable, with a soft copper line,  like the one used for HVAC 

[Carl Michael]

I never gave the exhaust port a thought. Most of the copper was frozen and broke at some time. It sat for 2 years in a storage lot. I haven’t found a rebuilt one for a affordable price so I’ll try to rebuild this one. Is there a supply house that you would recommend for parts? Thanks 

[Ivan K]

For the line I would look up AC supply outfit. All other parts I ever needed were available on the net. I just google the part. There are specialized places that are very proud of them so take your pick. 

[Carl Michael]

Thanks for the info on the line. This is my first time doing a forum and I am going to use this Monaco as a retirement challenge. Lots wrong but fixable. I will be back. Thanks 

[Guest Ray Davis]

The old guru of Aqua- Hot is Roger Berke, there are others but I have dealt with Roger.  Take a look at his site, you can learn a lot there and buy parts if you want.

http://rvhydronicheaterrepair.com/

Anything with the term RV is automatically over priced but some things are used outside of RVs too.  I bought a tempering valve at a plumbing supply and used the guts  to rebuild mine.  I didn't need to do any soldering that way.

[Tom Cherry]

11 minutes ago, Ray Davis said:

The old guru of Aqua- Hot is Roger Berke, there are others but I have dealt with Roger.  Take a look at his site, you can learn a lot there and buy parts if you want.

http://rvhydronicheaterrepair.com/

Anything with the term RV is automatically over priced but some things are used outside of RVs too.  I bought a tempering valve at a plumbing supply and used the guts  to rebuild mine.  I didn't need to do any soldering that way.

No doubt Roger started his services and used the internet to expand and is a top notch resource.  I was able to talk to him a few times to get info for a member on the old website.  He only, I think, takes questions and consults via email.

The second “Top Gun” is John Carillo in ABQ.  John worked on mine in 2013 at the balloon rally.  I have been able to call and actually talk.  Read his background.  He was a tech support for AH, as assembler and a “developer” or experimental tech for new products and has years of hands on experience.  I have met folks at CG that bought new systems or rebuilt systems and had to make extensive mods to make them work, mechanically and electronically.  They say he worked with them every step and was a gem.

So, now, another resource.

https://www.heatmyrv.com/services/

 

[Carl Michael]

Thanks to all for your input  looking for some copper to start the rebuild 

[Guest Ray Davis]

Carl, here is an old thread on another forum.  This guy is doing just what you are going to do, so you may be able to pick up some ideas.                                                      I remember another thread or two but this is all I could find.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/aquahot-431-domestic-loop-rebuild-529494.html

[Grampy OG]

4 hours ago, Ray Davis said:

Carl, here is an old thread on another forum.  This guy is doing just what you are going to do, so you may be able to pick up some ideas.                                                      I remember another thread or two but this is all I could find.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/aquahot-431-domestic-loop-rebuild-529494.html

OMG, my eyes were bleeding by then of his writeup. I feel like I can fix a whole lot of things but that is one daunting task. 

 

9 hours ago, Ray Davis said:

The old guru of Aqua- Hot is Roger Berke, there are others but I have dealt with Roger.  Take a look at his site, you can learn a lot there and buy parts if you want.

http://rvhydronicheaterrepair.com/

Anything with the term RV is automatically over priced but some things are used outside of RVs too.  I bought a tempering valve at a plumbing supply and used the guts  to rebuild mine.  I didn't need to do any soldering that way.

Any idea if this chap runs a shop that one could travel to or is he strictly "sell you the parts and offer advice". 

 

[Guest Ray Davis]

17 minutes ago, Grampy OG said:

Any idea if this chap runs a shop that one could travel to or is he strictly "sell you the parts and offer advice". 

 

Roger is like so many of us,  he is not so young anymore.   I believe he was a mobil aqua hot tech but he gradually shifted to advising & selling.   As far as I know he still   rebuilds burners, send it in and he will rebuild it, that's what I did.  Don't take my word ,  contact him.

[Carl Michael]

I am back. Carl Michael here. I ordered anew hot water tank from John corrillo to replace the old aquahot. Thanks for the information. I now am into other issues. When I run the Generator with the coach engine it runs with a load no problem. But when I shut down the coach engine the generator shuts down and gives me a overheating code. Any ideas. 

[Bill C]

On 7/7/2022 at 9:22 AM, Ray Davis said:

The old guru of Aqua- Hot is Roger Berke, there are others but I have dealt with Roger.  Take a look at his site, you can learn a lot there and buy parts if you want.

http://rvhydronicheaterrepair.com/

Anything with the term RV is automatically over priced but some things are used outside of RVs too.  I bought a tempering valve at a plumbing supply and used the guts  to rebuild mine.  I didn't need to do any soldering that way.

Good Day Ray,  I need to replace my tempering valve, do you have a part number or anything I can reference to purchase one?

 

[Guest Ray Davis]

Bill, sorry I don't have a part number that was yrs ago.   However I bought my valve a https://www.tetersfaucetparts.com/   in Dallas.    I took the guts in and they recognized exactly what i wanted to do.   They are known around here as the place that can find it.    Anyway,  on the website they ask you to send a pict so if you do that and also explain what your doing I bet they will be able to match yours.  On the other hand there may be a similar store near you, ask around.                                            This is a case where you need a sales person with grey hair. LOL

[gjh2916]

I replaced my AquaHot tank with one from John Carillo, and it works better than it ever did. John was very helpful in the whole process.

[Bruce S]

If anyone is interested, we replaced the hot water coil on our old Aquahot many years ago with 3/8" soft copper from Lowes.  It took about 75ft of material.  Cost in those days was about $100 CAD.

[Viper04]

Carl

Mine broke about the same location you discussed. I fixed my break /leak, with "Shark bite" copper and brass inline couplers, available at both the orange and blue hardware stores. Mine also required a length of copper line as well. 
(No soldering required)
 

Total cost is if my memory is close to accurate was approx 

$25 bucks counting my gas to and from the Home store. 
 

If your like me,where I needed to do the repairs was a tight spot as always!  I got a friend who has long skinny arms and also very slim and fit easily into the coach compartment to do the dirty work at my direction lol. 
 

Total time for the repair counting getting the materials was about an hour. 
 

Be sure to service your unit at least annually along with a combustion chamber / sensor eye pick up cleaning and you'll thank yourself you've got an Aquahot  

 

2000 Dynasty 

Ralph Lauren edition 

 

Carl

jumped the gun on my reply. If you have breaks in the heating coil around your tank my suggestion is not the way to go 

The other members replied a rerap with copper and repaste with heat transfer paste as recommended by several of our members. That's the correct repair in a lot of cases. 
 

Visone salvage in London Ky has a supply of Aquahot units they are good to work with, ask for TREY sometimes they have parts available at decent prices and they will ship. 

[Guest Ray Davis]

On 7/9/2022 at 10:14 AM, Carl Michael said:

I am back. Carl Michael here. I ordered anew hot water tank from John corrillo to replace the old aquahot. Thanks for the information. I now am into other issues. When I run the Generator with the coach engine it runs with a load no problem. But when I shut down the coach engine the generator shuts down and gives me a overheating code. Any ideas. 

Carl, I have heard of engines shutting down because of low voltage.    How are your batteries?   Do you think the overheating code is somehow associated or could it be from sometime in the past?   Anyway, shutting down may be associated with dead batteries or someting else causing a large drop in 12v to the gen.