Author Topic: HydroHot top-off  (Read 12486 times)

Lee Ashley

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #30 on: October 18, 2020, 11:27:05 PM »
My search into your suggestion indicated no one inch oxygen sensor sockets, Richard, just 7/8”.

I think I can get a 1” half-inch deep socket to take in all the wire and still get over the switch’s bolt head.  Hope to get one today during errands.  No rush, now anyway... the best-price replacement switch won’t arrive for 10 days.  Spendy bugger.  George, 8-10 replacements would be a tidy sum!

Joel
2006 green 37’ Monty Rae
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Joel Ashley

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #31 on: October 21, 2020, 01:41:01 AM »
Got the switch out.  Once I nursed the socket over it, the doggone thing was loose!  I probably could've turned it out with my fingers to start with. 

Looks like the float broke off!  Don't know how that could happen.  The unit isn't brass either.  It's all plastic, and says "Advanced Control Tech" on the remaining float stem/mount.  I tried looking down the fill neck, but don't see any part floating.  But then it's a broader tank than I can see from that limited position.  Now I'm concerned that float could block a pump port or something.  A person would have to drain the tank (assuming the float didn't plug off the drain) and use one of those flex remote cameras to see if the float could be coaxed out somehow.  Aarrggghhh.

The inside of the filler neck looks pretty ratty too;  grunge and particles all over it.  Hard to see in the photo, but there's a greenish scum coating the device I removed.  Note the crack in the stem.  The gallon of fluid I drained off wasn't exactly pristine clear pink, either.

The new part won't be here for 10 days, yet. 

Joel
« Last Edit: October 21, 2020, 01:46:55 AM by Joel Ashley »
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Eric Maclean

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #32 on: October 21, 2020, 01:53:30 PM »
Joel
With the switch out you have a pretty good sized hole to look into assuming the float still floats you should be able to see it with a light.
To get it out you could try a coat hanger with a hook fashioned on the end.
Or drain the tank and run water into the tank until it spills out the switch hole and see if it won't float over to the hole use long needle nose pliers or the coat hanger to extract it .
Good luck
Eric
1997 Patriot Yorktown
3126-B
2009 Chevy HHR
Roadmaster falcon tow bar
Demco Air Force one tow brake.

Joel Ashley

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #33 on: November 08, 2020, 12:55:07 AM »
Update for those interested:
I ordered the switch Oct. 17th from getrvparts via eBay as they were the best price, and there were hardly any other sources anyway.  It was to arrive Oct. 29th.

10 days later on Oct. 27th they emailed to say they wouldn’t even have it in stock until later that week, and gave me the choice to get a refund or let the order ride.  I didn’t cancel it.  A week or so later I emailed them asking if they’d shipped it.  No reply.

Yesterday I got notice from eBay that they refunded my money.   Gahhhhh!

Meanwhile the weather here has become cold and rainy, and I didn’t get the unit fixed beforehand.  So today I ordered the part from John Carillo and there was no estimate of delivery.  I can only hope it’s before Thanksgiving and we get a dry spell (yeah, right, it’s Nov. in Portland...).  I’m not smiley working bundled up head to toe, with cold fingers, and on my knees on a wet surface.

One bright note is that Carillo’s price was now less than eBay’s vendor’s, I think because he had a free shipping option.  Yeah, it may take longer than 2 days or something, but now with the weather crashed that’s not particularly important.

Joel

Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Eric Maclean

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #34 on: November 08, 2020, 01:51:27 AM »
Joel
Hang in there the parts will come.
I here ya on the cold and wet on your knees thing I've spent many a day working on heavy equipment in the snow up here in Canada and I'll let you in on a little secret when working on the ground on your knees or back for that matter one of the your best friends is a piece of styrofoam SM or any other hard construction grade foam insulation board .
It's tough enough that you can kneel on it and it won't hurt your knees and it will keep you off the ground and dry, comfy and warm.
Eric
1997 Patriot Yorktown
3126-B
2009 Chevy HHR
Roadmaster falcon tow bar
Demco Air Force one tow brake.
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Joel Ashley

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #35 on: November 08, 2020, 02:44:59 AM »
Yeah Eric, I have a lightly padded 3’X4’ fold up neoprene thing for that, plus an 8”X15”X1” garden kneeling pad I can use.  But the wife reminded my dim brain that I could always extend the awning a few feet (before it hits the house) to help with any rain.  I haven’t used that (the awning that is 🤪) since 2012 when it opened on Canada 1 in the Rockies;  I forget its there - even tho BCS fixed it, I’m gun shy towards it.

Joel
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Eric Maclean

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #36 on: November 08, 2020, 04:02:25 PM »
Yeah  Joel I read about your awning adventure.
I know what you mean my wife loves to point out the obvious too of course she would just tell me I'm retired now and can wait for the rain to stop .but what fun is that lol.
You'd be surprised how warm the styrofoam is when you kneel or lay on it ,it's almost too comfortable when you get down under something you don't want to get back out or maybe that's just me.
Eric
1997 Patriot Yorktown
3126-B
2009 Chevy HHR
Roadmaster falcon tow bar
Demco Air Force one tow brake.

Joel Ashley

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #37 on: November 23, 2020, 08:36:09 AM »
Got a break in the weather that coincided with an hour of “spare” time, if there is such a thing.  As previously noted, the original float switch was all plastic and the float part broke off at its pivot.  Heat My RV (John Carillo) said that was a common failure, and the newer versions are brass.  So for those with hydronics of the mid-2000’s era that have never had new float switches, beware.

I tried viewing the lost float in the tank with poor hope of fishing it out, but AquaHot deemed it inconsequential if left there, so the notion was abandoned.  Of course I tried at first using the large 1” deep socket to install the new switch, because it “easily” held the wires tucked inside it.  It slipped on the bolthead.  Aha.  Recall I had to go buy a larger and deeper socket (twice) to get the old one out after determining it was not the 7/8” touted in the service instructions.  Now weeks later, I totally forgot the new switch had a smaller head!  The threaded shaft is the same, but not the bolthead.  My spare and dry hour unfortunately occurred near sunset and my flashlight was being cantankerous, so I reckon I was hurrying too fast for my old memory capacity to keep up.

New switch was installed and properly aligned so the float was right side up.  I stuffed wires in and inserted the switch head in the 7/8” deep socket.  Fred’s suggestion to wrap the wires around a screwdriver so they’d coil up easier in the socket was a helpful idea;  I used a pencil.  Being that the thing is buried an inch deep into a hole through insulation surrounding the tank, I couldn’t see what side of the bolthead was up, and once the wires were stuffed into the socket I didn’t want to pull the socket off to check.  So before starting, I put a black hash mark on the socket so I knew when the switch was screwed in with the float properly positioned in the tank.

I mention this otherwise mundane stuff (to experienced mechanics) for anyone else that might benefit if ever replacing their switch, and running into similar roadblocks along the way.  And to that end, I went to replace the burner control box on the side of the burner... roadblock.  It slid off easy enough, but Guys, am I correct to insert a flat screwdriver blade along the inside of the bracket to depress the tab?  I just wanted to close the unit up to finish later, as dinner called, and thought I’d simply slide the box into place.  Not.  I tried the small screwdriver I had handy, but struggled to get the spring-tab out of the way so the brackets would align.

When I get around to it again, is there some trick to getting the box started back onto the side of the burner?  The edge of the tab catches in a shallow cut in the burner, and has to be depressed to clear it;  but its spring steel is darned resistant to that.  Maybe when I’m not rushed and have a bigger screwdriver...

Joel
« Last Edit: November 23, 2020, 08:42:22 AM by Joel Ashley »
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Joel Ashley

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Re: HydroHot top-off
« Reply #38 on: January 19, 2021, 09:26:46 AM »
Update:
No one replied about the burner control box issue, so having gotten past the Holiday chaos and motored to Camping World for fresh boiler antifreeze, yesterday I finally cleaned up the unfinished HydroHot issue.  The gallon of old antifreeze I’d drained to get the float port clear of fluid looked brownish and unpristine.  I didn’t drain the entire tank, but just added back a gallon of fresh, clean and clear fluid, diluted down to about 55% water per my test.  The old fluid was a tad strong due to water “evaporation”, and it’s not recommended to go over 50% propylene glycol or its too viscous for the pump systems.  Right to the top lip touching the cap, then 45/55 fluid/water in the expansion tank to just above the cold mark.

The control box took a deftly placed, properly sized screwdriver blade to get the confounded prong out of the way, but it finally slid by the notch and into place.  Clumsy to do on a dark day and poor light.  Couldn’t get a good flashlight position to see the prong and slide edges.

She fired right up and ran just fine.  So I reckon that task is finally completed.  Still got house bats to change out.  They’re almost 15 yrs. old, but still charge to 13.4v.  They just boil down relatively quick and don’t hold long after unplugging.  U.S. Battery or Fullriver AGM’s will likely be my choice.

Joel
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat