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Aqua Hot Overflowing


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Good Afternoon First to all Veterans thank you for your service !!

Hoping that someone might have some insight to my Aqua-Hot.. We have a 2005 Dynasty with Aqua-Hot and it been great until we pulled into a campsite today.  Turned the diesel side on and the furnace seemed to run for a long time.  While it was running I noticed that the overflow tank was overflowing all over the ground.  It seems like the furnace was not shutting off and over heating the antifreeze.. I was hoping that cycling the heat on would get rid of any air that might be in the system.  I heard a little gurgling but that cleared up quickly.  I turned on the diesel side again and the same thing happened. Any suggestions would be appreciated.. thank you !!

Mike 

2005 Dynasty with 2019 Wrangler 

 

 

 

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When my Aqua hot is off and cold the overflow clear jug is low, when it is hot the jug is full but never over flows,when I serviced it last fall I just filled the aqua hot to the top ,put the rad cap on and that's it.I had a zone relay RE placed by Rudy Legett in Livingston TX, he is a great guy and gives great advise - 713 818 3234

Hope this helps

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If the overflow jug keeps overflowing fluid, either the hot water loop or engine coolant loop that would be under pressure could be leaking fluid into the aquahot boiler.  I'm not sure if those loops are internal or external to the boiler on your aquahot.  On mine, both coils are internal to the boiler.

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Are you hooked up to city water or using the water pump? If yes to either, turn the water source(s) off for a bit and see if the overflow stops. If it does, you likely have a failed hot water loop inside the furnace itself. In a 2005 Dynasty, you likely have an AHE-100-03S model furnace, which has the domestic hot water loop inside the boiler tank. If it fails, cold water will escape into the boiler, eventually filling it and causing the overflow. This could also cause excess run time. 

Do you know exactly what model Aqua-Hot you have? Depending on build date, it could be -03S or maybe -04S. If very early in the model year build, I suppose it could be -02S. Unless the furnace has already been replaced once. Point being, next steps could vary by model.

Please get back to us after turning off the incoming water, as next steps might vary.

George C, 2005 Exec, had same issue several years ago

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It is a silly question but sometimes we miss the obvious, sure someone did not fill the main tank of the aqua hot and fill the overflow tank as well when it was cold?!?heating it up will boil it out somewhere!

Let us know the verdict so we can share

Thanks

 

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I will check that when I get back to the motorhome   I know that it was not overfilled as I’m the only service guy   I’m thinking and hoping that it’s a high limit thermostat reset   I will report back hopefully after I just hit the reset.  Thank you for all the help 

Mike

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1 hour ago, Mike Rizzo said:

I will check that when I get back to the motorhome   I know that it was not overfilled as I’m the only service guy   I’m thinking and hoping that it’s a high limit thermostat reset   I will report back hopefully after I just hit the reset.  Thank you for all the help 

Mike

Mike,

Just curious. What is a high limit thermostat reset? The only physical reset I’m aware of on my original 03S (and my current 600D) is the low voltage cut-out, which is reset by pressing a thin probe into the control panel hole next to the warning light. But I’m not aware of any other reset function, so would love to know for future reference.

Thanks,

George C

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I have a 2007 Dynasty with the AHE-100-04S Aqua-Hot system. There are two high limit thermostats on the unit, one each for diesel and electric.  If the high limit (220F) for the unit has been reached the thermostat triggers and cuts the heat source. There is a reset button that can be pushed in to reset the circuit but it usually is for restoring service because the high limit has been reached. If the thermostat has failed "on" I don't think a reset will help.  On my unit the high limit thermostats are the same part number (ELE-HLT-322) and are available on Roger Berke's site.

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Thank you to everyone for your help. I have reached out to Roger Berke.  I’m thinking’s or let’s say hoping that it’s the high thermostat.  I run it on electric and everything is fine.  We don’t get that much hot water but we never did.  I just drove home about three hours. Plenty of hot water from the engine heating if up.  And the overflow thank is dead in the middle of cold and hot. The only time it “over heats” is on diesel.. I’m going to wait until tomorrow when it cools off check the antifreeze then see how to change out the thermostat.   I did get in there when it was still hot and the resets where both intact. 
Mike 

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13 hours ago, Mike Rizzo said:

Thank you to everyone for your help. I have reached out to Roger Berke.  I’m thinking’s or let’s say hoping that it’s the high thermostat.  I run it on electric and everything is fine.  We don’t get that much hot water but we never did.  I just drove home about three hours. Plenty of hot water from the engine heating if up.  And the overflow thank is dead in the middle of cold and hot. The only time it “over heats” is on diesel.. I’m going to wait until tomorrow when it cools off check the antifreeze then see how to change out the thermostat.   I did get in there when it was still hot and the resets where both intact. 
Mike 

Roger Berke is the best in the country! When I first purchased my coach in California where I was living at the time Roger was the ONLY one I would trust working on my Aqua-Hot. Now when we are here in Florida for the winter I only go to the Hitching Post of Ocala to have their AH tech, Butch, work on my Aqua-Hot.

Hopefully you have signed up on his Aqua-Hot forum also.

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Just a follow up ...  After doing some recon....  I believe that it is the high temp thermostats....  I attempted to "swap" them over but that did not  work ...  The unit would not fire after I did that ..  So after the diesel side high thermostat fell apart in my hand, I'm going to purchase two and replace both as the electric side seems as if its going to let go too...  Has anyone changes these ??  do you know if or how much antifreeze you have to drain our of the system ??  Is it as easy (I say easy but nothing is easy sideways in the middle of the bay leaning on the furnace motor) unscrewing the current thermostat and putting in the new one ...  Looks like a socket might be the best way to tackle the removal ...  Any thought would be great .. Thank you 

Mike

 

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4 hours ago, Mike Rizzo said:

I did check with hos forum ...  I had asked him some questions and he pointed me in the High Temp Thermostat direction ...  I didn't see any procedures ....

Mike

On my unit ( AHE-100-04S) the limit thermostats (ELE-HLT-322) unscrew from a mount on the boiler sidewall. No fluid needs to be drained from the boiler.  A normal socket works fine for removal  as you can cut the wires to get the socket in place. Installation requires a socket and ratchet will a center hole or a modified deep socket with a slot in the sidewall to pass the leads through when installing. Replacing the limit thermostats is not difficult once you get to them.

The main control thermostat and low fluid float valve do require draining fluid from the boiler. On my unit that was about 2/3 or approximately 10 gallons.  Removing and replacing the fluid with a drill pump via the main drain works fine.

I'm wondering if you don't have two issues. The high limit switch for sure as it crumbled in your hand (like mine did as well). But the limit switch only comes into play when you have a problem, like perhaps the main control  thermostat.  My unit started acting up and I replaced the limit switches after resetting the diesel side too many times and it failed. I didn't have the overflowing problem but once the high limit thermostat triggered I would have to reset it. This eventually lead me to the main control thermostat.   

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Hi Jim

Thank you for the information ...  that is a big help !!  I think the best thing to do is probably replace all three at once...  The most difficult thing is to get in there and work on the unit..  I love that its in the middle of the motorhome when it cold out but not when you have to work on it ....  I think I will get a socket and ratchet with a center hole for the install ...  Right now I'm using the electric side and then firing up the diesel when we need the hot water for showers then shut it back down ...  I think that the your right and its all of the above..  The main control thermostat should be shutting it down, it isn't then the high limit should be the fail safe...  that's not working either ...    I should be ordering them this week and I will report back.. Thank you again !!

Mike

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You're welcome Mike. 

The drain on the AquaHot is likely a 1/2" PEX push fitting.  If you can get a short length of pex pipe and adapt that to a length of garden hose that should allow you to connect the AquaHot and the drill pump.  Pump out the glycol to service and reverse the pump connections to fill the boiler via the drain.  That worked well for me.  Make sure  the cap is off before starting to pump the glycol out, it works much better that way.  🙂 DAMHIK 

An if the drain valve is the plastic PEX fitting you may want to change that out while the fluid is gone.  The valve and the pieces between the valve and the tank were leaking. The way I read it was it's already leaking or about to. Mine was leaking. The drain valve assembly is available on Roger's site or you can make one up with plumbing parts for about 1/4 of the cost. 

On my unit the float on the low level switch was broken off and the leads wired together on the inside of the boiler. Looked good but was a hazard at best. You could test the low limit switch while you're emptying the boiler or remove for inspection. They're a bit expensive to order on spec.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just wanted to give an update on my overflow problem. First a big thank you to everyone for your input and help.  Tonight I finally replaced the two high limit thermostats and the control thermostat.  It was pretty straight forward with the help of a socket that I purchased from Roger Berke along with the thermostats... And draining out about five gallons of antifreeze.....All filled up and back together and no more overflowing The furnace now shuts down when it gets up to temperature... so a happy ending !!!  Thanks again

Mike

2005 Dynasty w/ 2019 Wrangler 

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