Has anyone added a valve to regulate the engine coolant entering the rariton heat exchanger? After a drive, the water is scalding hot. Now that I have the coolant out of the bus I was contemplating adding a couple of shut off valves. Heater is Tee-d off a branch that continues towards the front of the coach. I was going to put the valves next to the water heater in-line with the coolant hoses.
Simon,
Seems like our Aqua-Hot temp gets around 170-172 just off the engine.
You can put a bypass valve between the inlet and the outlet and regulated that way plus shut off valves is a great idea. I need to purchase some brass fittings and replace the plastic ones I used when I installed the flat plate heat exchanger.
I didn’t think about doing a bypass type valve. When I look online most seem to be made of nylon impregnated plastic or thin soldered metal. I have trust issues with those. I will just put in two globe valves ($90 each at Grainger) so I can leave them partially open. If the water heater fails, I’ll just leave the valves in the off position and put in a standard 120v residential type heater if the Rariton ends up costing an arm or a leg. I need both my arms and legs unscathed.
Yes these old coaches eat hundreds like popcorn in a movie theater.
I had installed a 20gal residential 120v in prior coach rather than messing with propane and it worked great. Had thought about doing the same thing in the Newell but Richard and Jack have all but convinced me to do the triple walled double plated heat exchanger on top of the Aquahot which seems aquacool (for electric showers anyways)
Also considered this one as I've seen it on many Prevosts and marine applications
https://www.ebay.com/itm/392521540633?mk...media=COPY
Wow that is a good price Arch. The flat plate heat exchanger is a big plus for long showers, people who have hair can enjoy washing it without worry of getting a wake up call. This is not my problem.
That is an excellent price! Thanks for the link! I saved it in my list for future reference. Mine doesn't use propane. It's 120v with an engine coolant loop as a heat exchanger. I like having engine supplied heat so when I get to a destination, I can take a shower. (1-2 shower a day kind of person) The engine supplied heat makes the water scalding and pretty much unusable right away. It also causes the T&P valve to dribble from the increased pressure created. The valves came in and I am waiting on the non barbed hose fittings. I do not like using those multiple barbed fittings as they chew the hose but instead the kind that have a lip on the end to keep the hose from blowing off when clamped. Unfortunately like anything these days it is a waiting game to get parts.
(08-09-2023, 05:33 AM)Jack Houpe Wrote: [ -> ]Wow that is a good price Arch. The flat plate heat exchanger is a big plus for long showers, people who have hair can enjoy washing it without worry of getting a wake up call. This is not my problem.
Jack,
Not my problem either! However, if our wives run out of hot water it will become our problem very quickly....just sayin:-)