Aqua- Hot hot water heater not performing properly

[MWSHAWJR]

2004 Featherlite triple slide

Hello all! Need advice please! Finally after 21/2 years with my coach, I am getting pretty comfortable and able to solve most of the small stuff. Once I got my slides working properly by traveling from Montana to Central Florida and spending $6k on repairs, things have gone pretty well and I love my coach. However, I cannot master the hot water system. Showers have been pretty short even with the Aqua-hot on and operating for 20 minutes or so before showering. Water is good and hot at first but then cools to luke warm in a few minutes. I recently discovered that if I turn water off mid shower and wait a minute or 2, it is hot again, then cools off, so off again for a minute and hot again. Does anyone know what the problem could be. I have read many posts of members saying they enjoyed unlimited hot water. I have tried it using Aqua-hot and electric water heater on at same time and with only Aqua-hot with same results. It is tolerable, but I really wish it ran hot longer without interruption. Appreciate any advice on a solution. Thanks, Mike Shaw

[dale farley]

Mike,

I tried to get my diesel Aqua-hot to run after having my 110 v turned on for a while. After testing it, we found that the Aqua-hot was sensing that the water was already warm from the 110v setting and would come on and go off as soon as it sensed the heated water. If I left the 110 v setting off until the water cooled down, the Aqua-hot would then come on and run as normal. Have you tried the Aqua-hot when you knew the 110 v had not been on or the engine had not heated the water while traveling?

[MWSHAWJR]

Thank you, Dale. Don't know if I have had the the 110v off long enough for it to cool down enough. 10:20 pm here in Las Vegas and i just pushed the off button on the 110v heater. Really hope it does the job. Will let you know. Once again, thanks for the advise.

[DickB]

Do you have access to the Aquahot display panel? If so there are several lights. It would help to know which ones are lit.

One light is:

Heating Status Indicator Light:
This indicator light will illuminate GREEN whenever the Aqua-Hot’s VDC / VACControl Thermostat is calling for heat, allowing the water and antifreezesolution in the Aqua-Hot’s Boiler Tank to be heated by either the Diesel-Burnerand/or the Electric Heating Element(s). When this indicator light is off, noheat is being supplied to the Aqua-Hot’s Boiler Tank.

Another light is:


Electric Heating Element Status Indicator Light:
This indicator light will illuminate GREEN whenever the Aqua-Hot’s ElectricHeating Element(s) is operating and providing heat to the Aqua-Hot’s BoilerTank. Please note that this light will only be active if the Electric switch is inthe ON position. If this indicator light illuminates RED, it indicates an electricaloverload condition (i.e., short) has occurred in the Electric Heating Element’sVDC powered circuitry.

When you run the hot water continuously, are these lights on? That would tell us if the problem is in the Aquahot or somewhere else.

[BenC]

The older, stainless enclosure Aqua Hot units had the domestic hot water line looped around the outside of the boiler tank. It was not as efficient, and was very suseptible to issues if the flow inhibitor in the shower head was removed by any previous or current owner, or if the mixing valve was adjusted to allow hotter water. It is all about the heat transfer and water rise expected per gallon per minute of water flowing through the unit. ALSO, if you are using city water where the ground water temperature is very cold, try filling your tank and using the water out of your fresh tank to shower as well. This gives the unit a helping hand by giving warmer water at the inlet to the Aqua Hot.

The newer white powder-coated units have the fresh water coil inside the boiler tank, resulting in better heat transfer and a greater temperature rise to the domestic water flowing through the unit. Still, if ground water is very cold, or the mixing valve or flow restrictor in the shower has been altered, the continuous hot water supply balance may be out of proportion.

[Todd]

There is also a mixing valve that keeps the temp down so it doesnt scald you I had to replace mind parts were availible plumping store.

[MWSHAWJR]

Thanks all! I had been turning the shower on wide open and had the hot water issue. Backed off on volume and it is all working really well. Thanks, Mike