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Aqua Hot issue
New item to check on older coaches.
The fluid over flow tube at the top of the Aqua Hot unit, next to the radiator cap.
Mine was brittle and cracked due to age and heat. The last time I ran the Aqua Hot I had anti-freeze all over the top of the unit from the cracks in the hose. Easy to replace.
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19 Replies
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Question for all the brains out there: What is the general opinion/knowledge about Aqua-Hot vs Wabasto ? I’ve heard(and I don’t remember where) that Aqua-Hots can be problematic and expensive to repair/replace in older (10yrs plus) coaches. I never hear anyone having trouble with Wabasto if they are serviced regularly. Any thoughts ?
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This is not a slam on Aquahot, but a recognition of fact.
The Webasto on my coaches is tied directly into the engine coolant system. I have the option through valving to heat the engine, the house, or both. The Webasto supplies heated coolant through heat exchangers in the coach for heating as well as through the HW tank to provide hot water.
Every Aquahot has a Webasto as its heat source. So in terms of mechanical the Webasto is a device that must be maintained regardless of which system is used.
But in addition to the Webasto, the Aquahot system uses its own coolant so an Aquahot has its ownpumps for the various zones plus controls for the Aquahot functions. There is a little more to service with the Aquahot.
I don’t think either one can do anything more or less than the other one, and the difference is apparently how heat is transferred.
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I guess my main question remains: Does a 10 or more yr. old Aqua-Hot present problems down the road(I know they’re very expensive to replace) ? Should it be a consideration when looking at older coaches ?
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The single biggest advantage to the Aqua Hot over just the Webasto is that you no longer have or need hot water heaters. Another advantage, in my opinion, is the closed coolant system that does not tie into the engine’s system. Even the Webasto system has circulator pumps, mine and yours has 3 pumps. The engine coolant can be ran through the Aqua Hot, if you get the right model, for pre heating the engine. Personally, if the engine needs to be preheated I need to head south. Aqua Hot systems do need service, most of which as Webasto focused. A leading cause of Aqua Hot failure is improper winterization that damages the heat exchanger; often beyond ecomical repair. Another Aqua Hot plus is that the noise is lower than a Webasto given the Webasto in the Aqua Hot is enclosed.
If zi had a chose, I’d go with the Aqua Hot without engine preheat feature.
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Gil, I can heat my hot water with my Webasto, but why use my diesel fuel when I can use the electric I pay for?
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Jon,
You may not realize this, but Aqua Hots are diesel and electric. So, no need to turn on the fuel burner if not needed. One cool feature is you can set them for both electric and diesel and it will only go to diesel when electric can’t provide enough heat. I liked this feature on cool evenings where the hot water heat exchangers could get by on electric only.
The one on my last coach was only two years old and had to be replaced because of improper winterization. A new unit was $4,500. I don’t know how that compares to just a Webasto, but though $4,500 to be expensive. Not my expense, but the selling dealer’s.
Biggest plus, lower noise.
Cory, I would allow for replacement cost or having it serviced by a certified Aqua Hot service center.
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Corey,
I’ve had both and really liked the Aqua-Hot, mainly the ability to have it set on electric and the bus can set inside my garage with the furnace on and keep the interior warm in the winter when needed.
Given a choice though, Webasto would be the winner for me. Mainly because there are a lot less items that can fail with the Webasto. My Royale had 5 pumps along with electric manifolds and all the other parts and pieces including the Webasto burner to go wrong. If you get a leak in the coils, you’re screwed, it’s going to be expensive.
Here’s what the coils look like:
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Tom, you kind of verified what I had heard. Being that our coach is normally always in a warm climate, I think I’d be leary of a 10 yr or older coach with Aqua-Hot. We like the Wabasto in ours and see no reason for anything more complex.
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We have 30 wabastos and 1 aqua hot they all need service and aqua hots fail a lot to bearing failures because of improper service and failures do to improper winterizing
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Gil:
I was not aware that my Aqua Hot would go to diesel when the electric could not supply enough heat. Is there a special setting that I need to turn on? Or do I just have the electric and diesel switches both on when I am plugged in?
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My answer to the orginal question about older coaches and Aqua-Hot vs Webasto.
My coach is now 14 years old and 204,000 miles. I bought it 8 years ago with 145,000 miles on it.
In the last 8 years I have done a LOT of parts replacements and fixes. Any coach as it ages will require parts and pieces to be fixed and or replaced. The good side of that is it can be done at whatever pace your time, budget and priorities allow. I still work for a living and the bus is an expensive hobby for me. But I have enjoyed every minute I have used it. The cost of the Aqua-Hot repair or replacement is rather small in comparison to the overall cost of owing and using a bus. I would not base a decsion on what bus to buy on such a small item in comparsion to all the other things that need to be considered. I do as much of the work myself to save money and to learn as much as possible.
To give new members an overall view I will try to list the major issues I have dealt with in the last 8 years. The list may seem long and expensive and it is, BUT spread over 8 years it has been managable. If you have the bank account to handle it, doing a lot of up front preventive maintaintence will pay off. But there will always be unexpected issues to deal with.
orginal purchase price.
Monthly note, yearly insurance, yearly state fee’s
replaced 5 each 8D AGM batteries, twice
60,000 miles of fuel cost.
Campgrounds and rally cost.
On my second set of tires
All air bags and shocks
3 roof airs, replacing another 1 today. One new one failed after 3.5 years.
new aux air compressor
engine fan clutch
replaced TV’s and sound system several times
New wall paper in front half of bus, new wood floor in salon and bedroom
New shades in bedroom
rebuilt Webasto part of Aqua-Hot
New sensors on holding tanks
8 years of oil, filters, grease jobs, light bulbs, fuzes, relays, air leaks, misc, etc.
Lost count of hours spent washing, waxing, cleaning, etc.
3 or 4 windshields.
New HID headlights
Several projects to clean and remove rust in and around the engine area.
replaced most halgen bulbs with LED’s
Starting to look at microwave and fridge as next on the list for replacement
Untold hours of pleasure riding down the road to new destanations and meeting new friends.
No matter what year or type of bus you buy, things will go wrong and need fixing and replacing. It is the nature of the beast.
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I agree with you the cost of repairing aqua hot is a small price compared to some of the other things
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Dean,
Yes just turn on diesel and electric switches. I looked at the operating directions, which seem to contridict the way mine and others operate. I think mine was a 450 and its operating manual states that diesel is the primary heating source. I’m sure mine used electric over diesel. What I’m not sure of is whether it was electric over diesel only after it was at operating temperature. The water was always hot when arriving at a CG as mine did have the engine circulation system.
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Dean,
I had to replace my Aqua Hot because a leak in the coils. The damage was $96000 for a rebuilt and upgraded unit installed.
John
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Both the electric heating element and the Diesel burner, have thermostats. The electric IMO is only good for keeping warm while stored in cold weather, or when not much hot water needed.
If you are plugged into a campground, the electric will use 15 amps of your power.
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