Dr4Film Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 When the Control Thermostat closes the motor will start up first. A few seconds later the Webasto should fire up and you should be able to hear that fire. Then the burner should continue to burn until the Control Thermostat reaches its set point and then it will open up. That will turn off the burner but the motor/blower should continue to run until the burner is allowed to cool off which is generally a couple of minutes. Once it cools off the blower will turn off. If that sequence is not happening then you need some service to the unit. The cause could be a variety of things. It's just a matter of finding the right component that is causing the failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Pratt Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 Disconnect the connectors going to the Control Thermostat and connect the ones from Aqua hot together, not the connectors going to the the control thermostat, leave those disconnected. When you restart the unit and if it does not shut off and continues to run past the 4 minutes, then YES you have a bad control thermostat.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted August 15, 2023 Author Share Posted August 15, 2023 1 hour ago, David Pratt said: Disconnect the connectors going to the Control Thermostat and connect the ones from Aqua hot together, not the connectors going to the the control thermostat, leave those disconnected. When you restart the unit and if it does not shut off and continues to run past the 4 minutes, then YES you have a bad control thermostat.. If I jump these wires and it keeps running, will it shut off by the other thermostats or how long do I want to make sure that it does NOT run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 12 minutes ago, IEMan 1 said: If I jump these wires and it keeps running, will it shut off by the other thermostats or how long do I want to make sure that it does NOT run? Yes, there is a High Limit Thermostat that will shut it down once the boiler fluid reaches 230F. However, I would not let it run that long. The High Limit Thermostat is just to prevent the diesel or electric assist from running out of control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted August 16, 2023 Author Share Posted August 16, 2023 3 hours ago, David Pratt said: Disconnect the connectors going to the Control Thermostat and connect the ones from Aqua hot together, not the connectors going to the the control thermostat, leave those disconnected. When you restart the unit and if it does not shut off and continues to run past the 4 minutes, then YES you have a bad control thermostat.. If I jump these wires and it keeps running, will it shut off by the other thermostats or how long do I want to make sure that it does NOT run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted August 16, 2023 Author Share Posted August 16, 2023 Ok, I jumped the leads and the burner fired up. After about 4-5 minutes it started steaming/smoking quite a bit. Not sure if the video will show on here. The steam I believe is coming from the yellow tube in the bottom back and smells very strongly of boiler fluid. I shut off the burner after about 6 minutes but I'm sure the steam shouldn't be there and the smell also. Any thoughts? AquaHot.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 You have a much bigger problem than just a thermostat. Appears that you are cooking the boiler fluid which means you have a leak somewhere. Time for some major troubleshooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdw12345 Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 Cracked boiler chamber……..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Bergamo Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 Check around the filler neck and the cap itself for leaks. The hose to your overflow tank is also connected under the cap. Make sure it is dry in this area before any other drastic measures are performed. If it is leaking in this area, it will run down into the insulation around the boiler tank and drip around combustion area and cause what you are describing. Hope this helps, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted August 16, 2023 Author Share Posted August 16, 2023 I do not see any leaks at filler neck/cap area or lines. Just wondering, when I filled the boiler fluid 3 weeks ago via the filler neck, about 3-4 ounces spilled out as there is a very tight spot to fill from. Is it possible that the spillage could have created the steam/smoke I am now seeing? It "looks" like the steam/smoke is coming from that yellow tube on the back bottom area. Is that an overflow tube? Could I have overfilled also? I'm grasping at different things here. I did not notice any smoke/steam before I started troubleshooting. The Burner did stay on longer after jumping the control thermostat wires which would indicate the control thermostat is bad, correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Bergamo Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 The overflow tube is connected to the filler neck under the cap. It should have a clamp securing it. I suppose any fluid that was spilled will drip out and dry up eventually. I would check for leaks when boiler burner is operating and under pressure. This is when any leaks will reveal themselves. As far as the control thermostat, it sounds like it is bad if it runs when jumpered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 To answer your question on the control thermostat, yes, by all means replace that thermostat. Also, I guess it's possible that whatever amount of boiler fluid that was spilled could be cooking off causing the steam and smell. The only way to tell is to run the Webasto long enough to remove all of the spillage. I use a small clear plastic bottle to add any boiler fluid to the tank. I stick my finger down into the tank to gauge how full it is. Once I know that it is fairly full and not over filled I reset the radiator cap and start the Webasto. Then I let the surge tank equalize the boiler fluid level in the main tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted August 16, 2023 Author Share Posted August 16, 2023 Thank you, I will order a new control thermostat. Do you know if there are any good videos on best way to drain/replace the boiler fluid? Thank you all so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 3 hours ago, IEMan 1 said: Do you know if there are any good videos on best way to drain/replace the boiler fluid? Search the YouTube listing for any videos. Here is a PDF file write-up by Roger Berke who is the Aqua-Hot Guru. This is copy-writed and protected. Drain and Replace Coolant.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted August 26, 2023 Author Share Posted August 26, 2023 Hello all, I wanted to give an update on my Aqua-Hot issue. I replaced the Control Thermostat, started to add boiler fluid into the tank and it started coming out the yellow tube on the bottom. It looks like that is the "drain tube". It was very lose and just comes straight out easily when pulled. It looks like it has a PEX sharkbite fitting that has gone bad. On Roger Berke's website it states that the drain fitting needs replaced and is a common problem. He had more info as a link to it on his website, but looks like the website is down. None of the links on the website work. https://rvhydronicheaterrepair.com/AHE-100-04S.htm Does anyone have any info on replacing the drain valve fitting? Thank you all so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96 EVO Posted August 26, 2023 Share Posted August 26, 2023 Yeah, I mentioned that at the end of July, but got no response! You will need to take what you have to a plumbing shop and have them make you a copper pipe with shut-off valve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted August 26, 2023 Share Posted August 26, 2023 (edited) It appears that Roger Berke has retired from the Aqua-Hot business. He has very few parts left for sale and his discussion forum website has been shut down. He was once the countries leading Aqua-Hot guru. There are other places t get parts and service now. One in particular is from John Carrillo's web site. https://www.heatmyrv.com/ https://www.heatmyrv.com/product/90-degree-brass-elbow-valve-w-barb-5-8-in-x-3-8-in-m-npt-plx-a52-600/ Edited August 26, 2023 by Dr4Film Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted September 7, 2023 Author Share Posted September 7, 2023 Here's my update. This is a project that is so crazy. I do greatly appreciate everyone's help on this though. I replaced the drain tube with brass and added a valve with barbed fitting so I can drain/fill the boiler. It took about 15 gallons total so I'm guessing it was pretty much empty. I had to replace the radiator cap also as it was leaking. When I put power back on, the Heating Status light is on, Diesel Burner Status Light is on, and Pump #2 light is on and the pump is running. I unplugged the pump itself so it isn't running constantly. I have no hot water at all after the electric heating button is turned on for a couple of hours. When I turn on the Diesel Heat button Not even the motor runs much less the burner firing up. I have correct voltage at the relays in the thermostat cover just fine. When I checked for voltage on the power line to the Electronic Controller it jumps all over with no rhyme or reason not getting an actual reading. The water is not hot at all other than being in 110 degrees in Texas. I have continuity on what I believe is the VDC High-Limit Thermostat and the Control Thermostat. No continuity at the VAC High-Limit Thermostat other than a slight beep every 2-3 seconds. I have not checked the Heating Element at all as the Electronic Heating Element Status light comes on when I turn it on. Does this make sense to any of you what I should check next? Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96 EVO Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 (edited) Your pump #2 is probably the stir pump. You want that running! Mixes the freshly heated boiler fluid with the unheated boiler fluid in the boiler tank 😉! Boiler fluid no longer leaking out around your drain pipe? Edited September 7, 2023 by 96 EVO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdw12345 Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 You should be able to check the amp draw on your Alladin to check the electric element I believe. If the electric element doesn’t work it should still fire on diesel and run as normal, have you tested the main controller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEMan 1 Posted September 7, 2023 Author Share Posted September 7, 2023 96 EVO - That pump's hose goes up right next to the other on for the registers. How would I know if it's the stir pump? And no leaking anywhere now. WooHoo! Jdw12345 - How do I check the AMP draw for the Aqua-Hot on the Alladin? I also figured that the diesel should at least fire up even if the heating element went bad by running with no boiler fluid. How do I test the main controller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdw12345 Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 Go to “Coach Electrical Info” on the screen, turn everything off, look at your amperage draw, turn on the electrical side of your Aqua Hot and look at your electrical draw. That’s how I tested mine last winter when it quit. Do you have one of these? https://library.aquahot.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AHE-100-04S_AHE-120-04X_AHE-130-04X_Shop_Manual_REV_C_05-2014.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 If the Electric Assist was active without any boiler fluid in the tank, that would destroy the element. It would need to be replaced. Use a DVOM to measure 120 VAC at the wires going to the element into the side of the Aqua-Hot. Trouble shooting steps in the Service Manual for your model. The only way to test the control box is to install a manual Test Box or try a new one. Just Google Aqua-Hot Test Box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Pratt Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 If the Boiler fluid is cold and the temperature is below the "cut off" temperature of the Control Thermostat and below the AC and DC High Limit Thermostats they all should be all closed. The AquaHot will not start if any of the thermostats are open when the system is cold. Install a jumper wire between the connectors on the AC high limit switch like you did on the control thermostat and it should operate if that is the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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