[Pluto]

I stuffed a paper towel around the filler neck the best I could and there was nothing on it when I removed it. I wasn't really able to get it all the way around the neck though because of clearance issues.

I raised the coach so I could get a good look of the exhaust outlet. It appears to be dripping from the tray that the unit sits in and not from the exhaust itself. I squeezed back behind the AH and could see coolant pooling between it and the water tanks.

I'm thinking that we were sitting slightly out of level which was causing the coolant to pool up on the side towards the front of the coach. There is no fluid in the tray on the burner side of the unit.

The coolant level wasn't as low as I thought, but I did top it off with some fresh antifreeze.

I'm not sure what to do next in order to locate the leak. It's starting to drop below freezing here at night and we have to have the heat going. I guess we will continue to monitor the coolant level and top it off as needed.

[Richard]

Glad it’s not the exhaust. And glad you can stay warm out there in the desert.

[Pluto]

Thanks Richard. I don't want to leave it leaking, I just don't know what to do. It makes me nervous working on critical systems when we depend on them working properly.

Is there an image of what's inside of the box, like the tank and coils? I don't really understand how the system functions and would like to have a better idea of what's going on inside the unit.

[Richard]

https://newellgurus.com/showthread.php?tid=8174

https://www.monacoers.org/topic/668-aqua-hot-rebuild/ Scroll down until you see the tank with copper coil wrapped around it.

[Pluto]

Those are both great resources, thank you.

I just saw a quote that said "the first step in any project is to grossly underestimate its complexity and difficulty"

Reading through those posts, I'm not sure that I have the mental fortitude to complete a complete rebuild of the aquahot system.

Living in the coach and not having a shop to work in significantly increases my anxiety and stress when it comes to tackling such a large project. I may not have an option if it gets worse, but at the moment I'm going to have to hope we make it to warmer weather

I will contact heatmyrv.com about the price of a rebuild unit. Again, we might not have a choice, but just replacing one part of the system while everything else is still 27 years old doesn't seem like the right call to me.

I appreciate all of the information and hope that I don't come across as ungrateful. Communication isn't my strongest trait and when I get stressed I have even more difficulty communicating appropriately.

Thanks again,
Tyler

[Trainer]

Tyler, please call me. I can give a more detailed explanation of what to expect. Rudy Legett 713/818-3234

[RussWhite]

Tyler,

Your coach and my previous coach ( #530 ) are very likely much the same in the AquaHot department.
I will attached a couple pics of what I went through.  Not suggesting this is your issue.
Mine started leaking out the bottom at the pipe fitting for the exhaust.  When I took things apart I discovered a leak in the copper coil.  I had it brazed and soon a leak appeared in another location.  My copper had somehow corroded and was too thin to repair.  Since it was going to have to be replaced I took a long look at the tank and decided it was on the way to corrosion failure too.  Purchased a used tank from the Wanderlodge guru and ordered copper and mastic and took on the job of rebuilding.   That was several years ago and at this point I might just shell out the big bucks.   But, it was very satisfying to DIY it and never had a leak again.

Should you ever want to rebuild I have many more pics and would be happy to answer any questions.
Russ
   
   
   
   
   

[arcticdude]

Often a leak shows up at the upper solder joint on the neck- where the cap flange is soldered on. It’s a common enough leak, they used to sell a kit (hose, clamps and new flange) to fix it.

You just drill the rivets to remove that top.

It’s easy to swap out the unit, but it is heavy and bulky. I chose to change mine when the fresh water coil (the outer loop in the pictures) sprung a leak. That was probably 12 years ago. I had about $8000 in a refurbished unit and small parts to complete the job.

Rudy can give you a good estimate of current costs.

[Pluto]

Thank you for the information and pictures, Russ. I think they will come in really helpful if we decide to rebuild the unit ourselves.

After talking to Rudy on the phone I'm leaning towards replacing the original unit with a remanufactured unit from heatmyrv. It's going to be more expensive, but I think we can tackle that project a lot easier than trying to replace just the tank. Plus being that we live in the coach I want to have as little down time as possible.

I am quite envious of you guys that can complete a complicated project like replacing the tank and building your own coils, not to mention all the other projects. I like to think of myself as somewhat competent mechanically, but there's a lot of folks on here that are way more capable than I am.

It's invaluable to have so many smart people willing to share their knowledge, so thank you.

[Richard]

I think your logic is sound and your communication is just fine.

All of us who went down the rebuild path had the luxury of time, space, and tooling. We weren't living in the coach facing winter in the desert.

I agree with your assessment that a rebuilt unit may be the way to go for quickest install.

I want to emphasize again that there is a huge difference in the decision tree between a fresh water leak in the coil and a coolant leak from the tank. If you have a coolant leak from the tank, you do not have many good options other than tank/unit replacement.

There are less expensive alternatives that involve replacing the tank with flat plate heat exchangers so that the hot water and heat are more ON DEMAND. It would take some time and plumbing skill to accomplish. You would lose the 220V heat if you go this route.

My first thought in this process is How bad is the leak? Is it something I can catch and live with until warm weather? Of course that is weighed against the potential of the leak developing into a catastrophic leak leaving you with no heat.

Reach out to Rudy. He is a great dude and willing to help you.