I hate my AquaHot

[richard5933]

Sorry - I made the mistake of using 'Webasto' in a generic way.

At the FMCA rally in Gillette we saw the Aqua Hot unit that runs from LP. Seemed like it could do everything that the Diesel units can do but with fewer issues. LP burns cleaner, has less odorous exhaust, and I assume that the unit is quieter than the Diesel units.

Still have the ability to heat domestic hot water, perform space heating, and pre-heat the engine.

[lostagain]

The problem with propane when travelling in unfamiliar rural areas away from the FlyingJs  of the interstates, is finding it. Sure you can look up locations, but we have found that quite often it is closed, or the place is so small you have to unhook the toad to get the bus close enough to the dispenser. Portable cylinders would be more convenient, but more of a PIA.
Diesel is so much easier, and available everywhere.
I still think the ideal coach is diesel/electric. One fuel only.

JC

[luvrbus]

I am paying $1.69 for propane and diesel is $3.08, the average AquaHot will use 5 + gals per day of diesel depending on how many people were taking a shower  mine did

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I just called Lloyd DeGerald and he said Aqua-Hot does make a unit that runs on Propane and they are quieter (as noted above) and require less maintenance. The igniter needs to be cleaned each year but that is about all.  However propane burns about 4x more fuel then the Diesel unit does so beware of that.  The propane unit was designed for high end 5th-wheels but most have gone back to the Diesel unit. The LP unit is cheaper.  The model 450 is the most popular unit.

However if you have a diesel engine then it makes more sense (to me) to have a diesel Aqua-Hot unit.  Especially in my case where I have an all-electric bus.

For more info on your needs give Lloyd a call at (501) 588-8426 and he is very helpful over the phone.

[luvrbus]

137,381 btu's in 1 gal of diesel and 91,502 btu's in a gal of propane how can be 4 times as much ?

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

137,381 btu's in 1 gal of diesel and 91,502 btu's in a gal of propane how can be 4 times as much ?

Dunno Cliff, that is the figure Lloyd gave me over the phone this morning, but maybe he hadn't had his first cup of coffee yet.  Maybe less efficient in other ways or something.  I encourage you to order one of each and do a comparison and send us an article to run in BCM so everyone will know.    Then give me the Diesel unit  and I will replace the one in my bus which seemed to have developed a bit of a coolant leak which I plan to dig into tomorrow. Hopefully it is a small leak around the thermostat I installed last summer while in Thayne, WY.   I will call Lloyd now and have him send you one of each COD to start your testing. 

[luvrbus]

LOL I have both types wise @$#,and AquaHot did the test already according to AquaHot the model 400 -65,000 BTU propane unit uses 1-3 gals per day ,then the  model 450-65,000 BTU diesel uses 1 -4 gals per day how about those apples  8)or peanuts 

[sledhead]

I hate my aquahot as well . when it is time to through it out this type of boiler is the replacement I would install . propane unit not nat. gas
https://www.ecomfort.com/Rinnai-E75CN/p25143.html

95 % efficient and the exhaust is 2" pvc so it could be installed in the basement and the temperature at the end of the exhaust is low enough you can put your hand near it with out burning the skin off like a diesel boiler . and it is very quiet with no stink

yes it would take a bit of head scratching but very doable

dave 

[buswarrior]

Sledhead, I like this...

Perhaps Gary would fund a proper cold weather test of this product by us qualified Canadians?

Way more fuel dollars staying inside the coach, and not blowing out the exhaust pipe is good in anyone's book

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

LOL I have both types wise @$#,and AquaHot did the test already according to AquaHot the model 400 -65,000 BTU propane unit uses 1-3 gals per day ,then the  model 450-65,000 BTU diesel uses 1 -4 gals per day how about those apples  8)or peanuts

WOW!  I like them peanuts. 

[somewhereinusa]

I can't speak about Aquahot I don't have one. Years ago I had a Webasto hot air unit and it was quite troublesome. My DIY hot water system uses an Espar Hydronic 10 diesel fired heater. It will heat the bus from below 0° to 65° in about an hour. It keeps me quite comfy at well below 0°. I've been using it for 5 years now with no problems.
It isn't particularly cheap to run. On a recent trip I had the opportunity to fill up just before my stay and again just after. In 8 days, running mostly at night, maybe two days all day I used $75 worth of fuel. I also have nothing to compare noise to, I haven't heard an Aquahot. I can't hear mine inside the bus, often on start up I have to go outside to make sure it's running. I really don't think it's much louder than the exhaust from a standard RV forced air unit. My exhaust goes out the roof. The boiler is only about 6 feet from my bed, sometimes in the dead quiet of the night I will hear it cycling from low to high but, not often.

[Oonrahnjay]

I hate my aquahot as well . when it is time to through it out this type of boiler is the replacement I would install . propane unit not nat. gas
https://www.ecomfort.com/Rinnai-E75CN/p25143.html  ... 

       I don't know anything about this boiler or how it would work in a bus or what the issues might be re: installation or service life in a high-vibration setting like a vehicle, but I can tell you that I installed a plain Rennai water heater in my house about 7 years ago.  It is marvelous -- all the hot water you can want, no problems (or maintenance - I guess I should look into that), perfect service, very low propane costs -- if my experience with the home unit is anything to go by, I recommend Rennai products highly.

      (Living in a high-hurricane area, I've looked at the issues of a propane water heater that requires 120V for starting and control functions.  My unit pulls less than 100watts (or less than an amp at 120V) at highest current draw conditions so the power requirement is very low.  You DO have to have a reliable source of 120V for it, but it's certainly not an energy hog on the electrical control side.)

[richard5933]

If that Rinnai unit is used to provide on-demand hot water, the problem would be the water flow. There is a minimum flow required to trigger that type of unit to fire the burners, and that minimum flow would run counter efforts to minimize water use.

Unless you only plan to use it when connected to city water, you might find that you empty your fresh water tank much more quickly. For example, I can wash dishes in the galley of our coach with the water on a very slow flow. So slow, that it would not trigger the unit to heat the water. I'd have to use considerably more water to get it to run hot.

Two of us can shower on a 6-gal hot water heater using a low-flow shower head and by using the shut-off valve in the shower head. With an on-demand unit, I've read reports that taking showers like that doesn't trigger the burner to fire.

When I was exploring ways to have an LP fired hot water heater without venting through the side of the bus, I found an on-demand heater with an exhaust out the bottom. It would have been perfect, but when I read the details I found that the minimum flow to fire the burner was high enough that we would be filling fresh water and dumping the waste tank much more often.

Not saying that on-demand is a bad idea in general, just that it has its negatives as well.

[chessie4905]

$2500?? How much is a 10 gallon electric water heater? How much for one with a coolant loop. I wonder how it holds up with a few months of non use? The older you get, the more you will appreciate appliances, components that are dead reliable.
There are so many things in a coach conversion to have to deal with maintaing,diagnosing, repairing already.

[luvrbus]

Back to the programing the Pro/Heat unit seems a lot more reliable than the Webasto,the Pro/Heat uses a low pressure fuel supply and fuel leaks are very seldom a issue with the Pro/Heat