FunTripsUSA Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Good day, I have replaced the fuel filter, jet nozzle and reflective thermal plate (not sure the name of that part). Before I replaced those parts my AquaHot was not igniting or when it did ignite it would blow tons of white smoke. The white smoke would get less and less as it run. Over the past several weeks it has been running ok to fair. Some white smoke and sometimes lots of white smoke. Today, Monday January 22, it was not igniting and was oozing fuel out of the tailpipe. Need some advice. Should I just buy a new burner assembly and swap it out with the old one or should I rebuild the current burner? I have no experience with AquaHot rebuilds. This would be my first rebuild. Your thoughts are much appreciated. 20240122_082132.mp4 received_1087426532412403.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Powell Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Look up Mike and Crystal Zuech.. He put on this group how to rebuild the fuel pump.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunTripsUSA Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 5 minutes ago, Michael Powell said: Look up Mike and Crystal Zuech.. He put on this group how to rebuild the fuel pump.. This is the only post from Zuech I can find on this site 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinhy Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Yikes......I just helped rebuild a 102s burner and the costs of rebuild vs a new unit are vastly different. I think he spent around 250 to rebuild. Of course everyone's situation will be different but I'd open it up and make sure all my specs were right in the manual first. Testing electrodes , fuel pump pressure etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) The white smoke is excess diesel fuel that did not get used or burned. There are a multitude of possible reasons for the Webasto burner not to fire up and default. Some are not even associated with the burner itself. So just replacing the burner may not fix your problem. I would find a GOOD reputable Aqua-Hot technician to do service on the unit to find out exactly what the problem(s) may be. Where are you located? Edited January 22 by Dr4Film 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Also. A good place to start is to go to the Aquahot website and get the service manual for your particular model and follow the steps for diagnosing your issue. Once on their site, scroll down to “RV Owners”, then scroll down to where it says “service” and click on “documentation library” and find your model and related information. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunTripsUSA Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 $250 sounds better than the $2,500 I've seen so far. However, I have never tested for specs before. I'm not sure I would be able to do it correctly. I wouldn't mind taking it somewhere. I am in Tallahassee, FL. AquaHot recommends my local Camping World. I did call them last year when I knew I was having a problem. The tech there had 20 years experience with AquaHot. Sounds like I should take it to Camping World. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 That’s the last place I would go. Go one the Aquahot site and search for qualified service near you. If you take it Camping World this time of year in Fl you’ll won’t see your rig for months 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 @FunTripsUSA Ian, call up Hitching Post of Ocala FL and make an appointment with them for service/repair. They are right down the i-75 Freeway about a 3 hour drive from you. They have power to hookup overnight so they can start on your Aqua-Hot first thing in the am. The AH service tech is Butch and he is excellent. It took me years to find a good AH service tech until I found this one. I drive 160 miles round trip to have my AH service there. I wont take it anywhere else, other than possibly a mobile tech in Melbourne FL. But with then I have to pay for a mobile service call in addition to the actual service. 352-629-0756 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96 EVO Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Agree! Unlikely your going to find a top AH tech working at a Camping World! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunTripsUSA Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 Thank you. I have an appointment set up for February. They are 3 weeks out. I couldn't believe their labor rate was $100 an hour. WOW, Thank you for the reference. 14 minutes ago, Dr4Film said: @FunTripsUSA Ian, call up Hitching Post of Ocala FL and make an appointment with them for service/repair. They are right down the i-75 Freeway about a 3 hour drive from you. They have power to hookup overnight so they can start on your Aqua-Hot first thing in the am. The AH service tech is Butch and he is excellent. It took me years to find a good AH service tech until I found this one. I drive 160 miles round trip to have my AH service there. I wont take it anywhere else, other than possibly a mobile tech in Melbourne FL. But with then I have to pay for a mobile service call in addition to the actual service. 352-629-0756 Thank you. Appointment set for Feb 19. There hourly rate is awesome, $100. I appreciate your time to answer my post. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdw12345 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) Please let us all know what the issues are once it’s resolved. This is a good document to have with you, even if you are not comfortable working on the unit, assuming you don’t have it. https://library.aquahot.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AHE-100-02S-Service-Manual-Rev.-B-9-27-2011.pdf Edited January 22 by Jdw12345 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunTripsUSA Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 16 minutes ago, Jdw12345 said: Please let us all know what the issues are once it’s resolved. This is a good document to have with you, even if you are not comfortable working on the unit, assuming you don’t have it. https://library.aquahot.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AHE-100-02S-Service-Manual-Rev.-B-9-27-2011.pdf Thank you. I do have that document. I'm a video and hands on kind of learner. I've looked that document over and it leaves me scratching my head. I'll keep everyone posted. Since our Florida weather is a short cycle of cold I may not get it fixed right now and wait. Since the quote was it could cost up to $2,000 to fix. I'm thinking for $2,000 im willing to figure out how to fix it myself. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinhy Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Just now, FunTripsUSA said: thinking for $2,000 im willing to figure out how to fix it myself. You can do it. The only issue I can see you having is testing for pump pressure. I know there is a hydraulic supply in Tallahassee where you can get a fitting to test that. It's a lot easier to work on than you think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstickbill Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Give a call to Lloyd DeGerald at 501-258-8426. Lloyd and his son have been my "go to" Aqua-Hot techs for a number of years. Bill B 07 Dynasty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vito.a Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) Usually, black smoke is too much diesel. Are you sure you have the burner re-installed correctly? I think you need to check the fuel pump pressure, the electrode tip alignment, and the igniter coil. I had John Carrillo rebuild my Aqua Hot diesel burner last year. He rebuilt it and sent it back the same day. And his price was less than half the other guys. https://www.heatmyrv.com/ You can make a pressure gauge out of an old spray nozzle. I bought a 0-160psi pressure gauge on Amazon. I then drilled and tapped an old Aqua Hot spray nozzle and installed the gauge. Just a caution, there is a hardened steel insert inside the brass spray nozzle that you'll need to knock out with a hammer and punch. From the manual: If The Heater Smokes During The Burn Cycle. a. Electrodes out of adjustment b. Air in the fuel system c. Bad nozzle d. Fuel pressure e. Fuel Pump f. Intermittent Ignition Coil - If the coil doesn’t turn on, the fuel sprays for 20 seconds, before the photo eye shuts the fuel off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZHJYDN2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Edited January 22 by vito.a 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 @vito.a Yes, black smoke is too much diesel and not enough air in diesel engines that are running and consuming diesel. That's why you see OTR truckers with black smoke coming out of their exhaust stacks when they are laying heavy onto their throttle. Or when these four wheel diesel trucks think they are "smokey and the bandits" by peeling out from a stop light. When your Aqua-Hot fails to fire up multiple times it deposits raw diesel into the combustion chamber that has not burnt. Once the Aqua-Hot does fire up it will blow out white smoke until all of the raw diesel has been consumed. The only way to get black smoke from an Aqua-Hot is to first have it running and someone having messed with the adjustment of the air intake chamber which is generally set at the factory, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96 EVO Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 It would be easy to get one of the cables pinched behind the burner when re-installing, allowing excess air. I always run a finger around the perimeter before tightening the nuts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hancoman Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I am having the exact same problem, lights when it wants to then puts on a smoke show for a time. I have an appointment with Oregon Motor Coach Center tomorrow. I will let you know what I find out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunTripsUSA Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 6 hours ago, vito.a said: Usually, black smoke is too much diesel. Are you sure you have the burner re-installed correctly? I think you need to check the fuel pump pressure, the electrode tip alignment, and the igniter coil. I had John Carrillo rebuild my Aqua Hot diesel burner last year. He rebuilt it and sent it back the same day. And his price was less than half the other guys. https://www.heatmyrv.com/ You can make a pressure gauge out of an old spray nozzle. I bought a 0-160psi pressure gauge on Amazon. I then drilled and tapped an old Aqua Hot spray nozzle and installed the gauge. Just a caution, there is a hardened steel insert inside the brass spray nozzle that you'll need to knock out with a hammer and punch. From the manual: If The Heater Smokes During The Burn Cycle. a. Electrodes out of adjustment b. Air in the fuel system c. Bad nozzle d. Fuel pressure e. Fuel Pump f. Intermittent Ignition Coil - If the coil doesn’t turn on, the fuel sprays for 20 seconds, before the photo eye shuts the fuel off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZHJYDN2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Can you mail me that pressure gauge? lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike H Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 All it takes to be a 'certified' Aqua-Hot service technician is $100 and 8 hours in their classroom ....... THAT'S ALL! I had one of those so called certified service techs out of Titusville, Fla come to work on mine and about destroyed it. I had to take it up to the Hitching Post to get it repaired. When all said and done I was out $3,000 for what should have been a $165 mobile service charge. The owner of the Hitching Post is a jerk, and they are Pricey, but the technician there is more down to earth. The only other place I would go to is Lazydays in The Villages. They still have some of the old Monaco Service Technicians still there from when it was a Monaco Service Center. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 6 hours ago, Mike H said: The owner of the Hitching Post is a jerk, and they are Pricey, but the technician there is more down to earth. I agree with Mikes assessment of the owner, Jay, being a jerk. He thinks he knows more about the Aqua-Hot than the service tech, Butch. However, I have learned how to deal with Jay over the last few years I have been going there. If I want to get into more detail with regards to the Aqua-Hot I always discuss it with Butch. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmotorsports Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 8 hours ago, Mike H said: All it takes to be a 'certified' Aqua-Hot service technician is $100 and 8 hours in their classroom ....... THAT'S ALL! I had one of those so called certified service techs out of Titusville, Fla come to work on mine and about destroyed it. I had to take it up to the Hitching Post to get it repaired. When all said and done I was out $3,000 for what should have been a $165 mobile service charge. The owner of the Hitching Post is a jerk, and they are Pricey, but the technician there is more down to earth. The only other place I would go to is Lazydays in The Villages. They still have some of the old Monaco Service Technicians still there from when it was a Monaco Service Center. If you're not going to work on these commercially I personally don't think a certification is worth the paper it's printed on. Some of the worst advice I have seen given on RV forums has come from those who claim to be "certified" Aqua-Hot technicians. As for the OP's issues, it sounds like either he has a failed fuel pump which is leaking OR a fuel line. Either of which will dump fuel out the tailpipe and cause excessive smoking. As someone already mentioned, I had done a video of how to diagnose and replace a fuel pump about 10 years ago but recently linked it to the YouTube video section to the Monacoers.org site. Here is a link. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I have only had one outfit help me diagnose a problem I had some years ago when we first got the coach. I did find him by looking on the Aquahot site and had a good experience but I have to agree with Mike and others who mention that the certification in many cases isn’t assurance that they know what they are doing and I was in error by steering you in that direction. Good luck with your repair and keep us posted on how it works out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 1 minute ago, Chargerman said: I have to agree with Mike and others who mention that the certification in many cases isn’t assurance that they know what they are doing. I had a certified Aqua-Hot mobile service technician work on my Aqua-Hot twice in Flagler Beach. He is local to the area. After the second service call, I determined that he had no clue how to fix my Aqua-Hot. That's when I started searching for someone who I could trust. I eventually found the Hitching Post of Ocala and have been going to them ever since. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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