Factory Setra Webasto or Aqua Hot?

[wayne]

I currently have a 80,000 BTU Webasto that came stock in my 1990 Setra 215, I plan on using it for preheating and also for bus heat when parked since it is already plumbed into the 4 factory heaters. One Webasto dealer told me that 80k is too big, I should only need a 40k unit. When I called Setra for a new replacement I was told $1700.00 which I thought was resonable if I ever needed  a new unit, and no modifications needed. The Aqua Hot sounds fantastic but is very expensive, more than double, and I would have to fab everything in. Does anyone have experience using Webasto's for heat when parked and is 80k BTU too big.

[gumpy]

I believe 80K is too big. I have an Aquahot which has the 45K BTU head in it, and I have stayed in temps down to 10 below and it was sufficient.

Now, I was told by someone I trust who has considerable experience in buses that you can put a 45K BTU jet into the 80K unit and it will work just like
a 45K BTU heater. I have not tried it. I have an 80K unit that I was installing as a backup for the Aquahot, but have changed my mind on that plan.

[buswarrior]

Yup, just throttle that back by putting the smaller nozzle in it.

And go to your local heating contractor for the nozzle, Webasto soaks you for the same item as goes in a regular oil furnace.

45 000 BTU will be great for an enclosed coach, even smaller, depending on your intended operational environment.

Mine was plumbed to run the stock HVAC stationary with outside power source for the blowers, so it is a DBW 300 at 100 000 BTU, but it has to deal with a lot of outside air being pulled in by the stock air intakes.

At the -13 F/-25C point, it only takes minutes to get good heat out of the HVAC and defroster, and the engine starts like a summer's day after a 10 minute burn.

This set-up will have short cycling problems if re-worked to only heat the interior without the outside air make-up, but I'm happy to pay to be able to warm it up quickly for now.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[John316]

I don't think that I would ever get a new aqua hot. That said, 80K doesn't sound that outlandish. You want heat. You don't have to run it all the time...Just thoughts.

When we were looking in to options, we were seriously looking at Aqua hot. We talked with one of the "upper" levels there, and we asked why their prices were so high. The guy said that they had just gotten a new CFO and he came in and said that they weren't making enough profit. Viola, double the prices .

We went with an Oasis. http://www.oasisheater.com/ They were well under half the price. They seemed to have a good product (some of our local SS manufactures use them). They burn cleaner than the Aqua does, and we liked their product much better. They also have the preheat option. We purchased the 60K setup. I would suggest them, unless you want to support Aqua and have a lot of extra cash sitting around .

YMMV.

God bless,

John

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Wayne,

I have lots of the Webasto DBW2020's "80,000btus" and the DBW2010's "45,000btu's" that we rebuild and sell. The only

difference between the units is the nozzle and the air mixture. You can easily throttle the 80's down with a new nozzle.

If you need help with the set-up, just give me an e-mail.

Good Luck
Nick-

[John316]

Nick,

I think that is the best option, to stay with what he has. That is great that you can help.

God bless,

John

[luvrbus]

Nick, is the circulation pump the same on both units I was told by Shure Marine the dealer in Washington you had to change that also     good luck

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Nick, is the circulation pump the same on both units I was told by Shure Marine the dealer in Washington you had to change that also     good luck

Hi Clifford,

He can keep the same pump. He is still circulating through the same coils, just heating them at a slower rate.
If he were going the other way, I would say change the pump..

Nick-

[wayne]

Hey Nick

Do you have a dbw 2010 ready to go?

[edroelle]

45,000 is plenty if you have reasonable insulation.  80,000 will short cycle.

At our Back to the Bricks Rally last year, we had a seminar from Webasto.  I had thought they indicated that you would not want to, or could not (?) change an 80,000 to a 45,000.  It might be the difference between what CAN be done and what is RECOMMENDED ??  Or, it might be my memory. 

Webasto tech line is very helpful so you might ask more detailed questions.  Webasto number is 1-800-555-4518.

You might consider a rebuild from Nick.

BTW, Webasto recommends running the unit every month, and changing the nozzle every year.    Poor spray pattern and significant damage could result if not done.   The diesel fuel actually damages the nozzle, if not used.   A fellow had the Webasto part of his Aquahot worked-on at the FMCA rally in Bolling Green.  He had about $1300. in the repair.

Ed Roelle
Flint, MI


Ed Roelle
Flint, MI

[buswarrior]

Re: nozzle replacement.

For those who don't know, the proper maintenance on an oil furnace in a home is to put a fresh nozzle every year as part of the annual service. ( with the nozzle, filters - oil and air, burner temp, chimney clear, and CO check for cracked heat exchanger)

As noted, this is important for these diesel fired coolant furnaces in our coaches as well, the nozzles age out.

Be sure to check the burner cavity for accumulated junk. On acquiring the coach, mine was heavily filled with rust flakes and burner soot, blocking good air flow and heat transfer.

A fresh nozzle annually is a small price to pay for a proper burn, remembering that a poor burn makes lots of carbon monoxide, and poor heat... again, source the nozzles locally, not from Webasto.

Carbon Monoxide is NOT the friend of folks who live in enclosed boxes...

Or it will put us in another enclosed box.

happy coaching!
buswarrior