Newell Gurus

and a few other gurus.
The other morning I had a warm shower. Should have been piping hot but wasn't. As it usually happens we were heading in the truck to Salt Lake City that morning for a couple days. I called Rudy and he gave me a few things to check but since we were leaving I didn't have time.
Just got back and first thing checked the coolant level. It was low, could just feel it when I stuck my index finger in the tank, and the overflow tank was almost empty. Called Rudy in a panic thinking I had a busted tank. Rudy assured me that is a fairly common problem and to fill the tank with coolant or distilled water and turn it on. Tomorrow I'll replace the radiator cap and hose and clamps.
This is the kind of help that makes this forum so valuable!

Also check for leaking around the filler neck as Rudy discussed in his session at Table Rock Lake. The Roger Burke solution seems to be a viable answer if that is the culprit.

rudy is "the man"

and he is always willing and eagar to help

thanks rudy!

tom

You all are welcome. Thanks for the kind coments.

Followup: got it all working while we were at Heaton Bay with a new clear hose and radiator cap. Did you know that Napa can't find a 13# cap unless you give the "clerk" what kind of car it goes on? Never mind, I'll go to Oreilly!
Anyway it's worked great since then, even adjusted the air shutter for the altitude and burns clean now.
BUT: this morning had cold water out of all the taps. So I pulled the Webasto out and changed out the mixing valve guts. I was able to turn it with the burner installed but when I did I got water spitting through the hot water line to the coach. The old guts were calciumed. So I installed a new set of guts from a new valve I had. But is there anyway to change the valve itself without changing out the entire body? This is the valve that is pushed open by the thermostatic valve.

forest. do you mean the watts mixing valve body? not sure i follow you

tom

Yes the watts. When you unscrew the guts (on a new valve body) and pull them out and then look into the body there is a valve that moves up or down to open and close. This is what the thermostatic part pushes down to allow cold water to enter. It doesn't look like there is any way to remove that part. I'm just wondering if that part has calcium on it also. There is no way to look into the watts body while it is soldered in place.

Forest,

You might try removing the burner, removing the mixing valve guts and then using a clear tube of proper size to seal aganist the valve body, fill the body with CLR and let sit for a while.

The tube would bend up enough to allow the body to fill up.

Have not done this just thinking on your request.

http://shop.solardirect.com/pdf/water-he...is-70a.pdf

for those that want to see the inside of the valve

when i replaced what came out of a new valve and put it in the old valve body, it fixed it.

maybe spray something in there to loosen up the calcium?

tom

I recall being advised to clean this valve when the annual is done on AquaHot.