Winterizing Aqua Hot System

[Tikitom1]

Just wondering how coach owners with Aqua Hot Systems winterize their systems? We pumped 4 1/2 gallons of anti-freeze into ours last November. In the process of purging the system now. Do you prefer this method or do you do the air blowout method? Dealing with a terrible after taste in the water. But it is getting better after running bleach water thru the lines.

[Ivylog]

I'm with Doug that you need to leave the electric element turn on. I'd replace a weak circuit breaker with a good one and leave the diesel turned on.

[dougrainer]

Blaster Man wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

Blaster Man wrote:
If you have AC power, put a couple of trouble lights with 60 watt bulbs in the AH compartment. Been doing it for years, works great, no "dewinterizing" required.

UNTIL you have a severe storm that cuts your 120 power, then what do you do? You do NOT need the 60 watt bulbs. Just leave the AH on 120 and THAT keeps the boiler fluid hot and the hot water coil hot and protected(until you have that storm). Doug

Haven't lost power in 10 years. I use the bulbs rather than leaving the electric element on due to a weak circuit breaker in my rented space that flips off if anything other than bulbs are put on it.

Just because you have NOT lost power does not mean you will not in the future. Those bulbs do NOTHING to heat the copper coil in the Immersion tank of the AH. The copper coil is IN the tank reservoir, not outside. FYI, IF those coils freeze, there is NO REPAIR. Just complete AH replacement. That runs into $6k to $12K depending on the unit, plus about 8 hours labor at $125 per hour. Doug

[Blaster_Man]

dougrainer wrote:

Blaster Man wrote:
If you have AC power, put a couple of trouble lights with 60 watt bulbs in the AH compartment. Been doing it for years, works great, no "dewinterizing" required.

UNTIL you have a severe storm that cuts your 120 power, then what do you do? You do NOT need the 60 watt bulbs. Just leave the AH on 120 and THAT keeps the boiler fluid hot and the hot water coil hot and protected(until you have that storm). Doug

Haven't lost power in 10 years. I use the bulbs rather than leaving the electric element on due to a weak circuit breaker in my rented space that flips off if anything other than bulbs are put on it.

[Ivylog]

Before storing indoors I left mine on electric and the diesel boiler turned on with the Tstat at 40 degrees. If the power went out I had enough battery amp hours for several days of operation although it was parked at my house where the power never went out long enough to worry. By leaving the heat on I've never winterized this MH and we can have single digit temps.
OP, if you have power when stored I'd be tempted to do the above if I lived close by. Using and tasting the pink stuff in a previous RV once was enough for me. Florida is only two days from Delaware.

[dougrainer]

Blaster Man wrote:
If you have AC power, put a couple of trouble lights with 60 watt bulbs in the AH compartment. Been doing it for years, works great, no "dewinterizing" required.

UNTIL you have a severe storm that cuts your 120 power, then what do you do? You do NOT need the 60 watt bulbs. Just leave the AH on 120 and THAT keeps the boiler fluid hot and the hot water coil hot and protected(until you have that storm). Doug

[Blaster_Man]

If you have AC power, put a couple of trouble lights with 60 watt bulbs in the AH compartment. Been doing it for years, works great, no "dewinterizing" required.

[Ivylog]

Unlike my other RVs where I just use air, I would not rely on air getting all the water out of the 21' of copper tubing wrapped around the burner of a AquaHot. I agree the taste is an issue and on some of the older units you could replace the copper tubing, but not on newer ones...$$$$
I've found the BEST way is to take it to south Florida in the winter.:W

[dougrainer]

1. Blow out will not render an Aqua Hot system free from freezing
2. What you do, is blow out the complete water system. Once that is done, You Close the cold water low point drain, leave the Hot Water low point OPEN. Connect a short hose to the INPUT side of the water pump with the hose in a gallon of RV antifreeze. Run the pump until pink antifreeze comes out of the Hot Water low point drain. Your Aqua Hot is now freeze proofed. I have never had it take more than 1.5 gallons of RV antifreeze to do this procedure regardless of the Brand/model motorhome. Doug

[Mike_and_Trish]

I believe Aqua-Hot (and others) will tell you to use the pink stuff, because the blow-out method won't guarantee that the fresh water coils inside the AH are totally free of water. I'm not sure I buy that, but the price of being wrong would be very high if the unit froze up.

To me, the pink stuff is cheap insurance. I've never had a problem with after-taste -- just open the low point drains, then flush and flush and flush. If you leave any pink hiding in the system (like in stub lines to washer, etc.), it will keep mixing in and showing up.