Hydro Hot Not getting heat to zone

[Dennis Crawford]

Folks,
We are in Rehoboth Beach, DE and have survived Sandy.  It is rather chilly here and I started my Hydro Hot system.  The system is working because I get hot water.  But I am not getting any to the heat exchangers.  The fans are running, but blowing cold air.  Thermostat is set correctly

Any ideas?

[Joel Ashley]

Check the lamps on the control box in the bay for a fault indication, Dennis.  Zone pumps may need a reset.  You may just need to turn your burner switch (inside the coach) off for a minute, and back on to reset the system.

Joel

[Keith Duner]

Had a similar occurrence while at the Gillette FMCA rally a couple of months ago.  Unit ran fine before (produced heat).  I had a very knowledgeable technician make a service call to our coach and watched him remove the Aquahot cover and proceed to whack (actually pummel is more accurate) the two check valves connected to the two lines exiting the top of the Aquahot system.  Within 5 minutes we had heat to both zones and all was well.  It's been working fine ever since.   He said they can stick and may eventually need replacing.  I was amazed at a "factory trained" technician beating on the thing, but the proof is in the pudding.  I was happy with the learned lesson.  Just FYI.

[Roy Warren Co-Admin]

Mike Flowerday told me to just knock on the check valves with a wrench or hammer until I could feel them getting hot.  I would check before knocking on them as I have 3 valves and only one seems to stick.  After a couple of good taps, it starts getting hot.  We have changed this valve twice and it continues to stick so I think it just doesn't get enough liquid through it to make it open.  Don't beat them, but give them a couple of hard taps.

[Craig Rollins]

  He said they can stick and may eventually need replacing.  I was amazed at a "factory trained" technician beating on the thing, but the proof is in the pudding.  I was happy with the learned lesson.  Just FYI.

About 25 years ago one New England winter, I watched an aircraft mechanic beat the living daylights out of a starter motor on DC-8 jet engine while the crew repeatedly tried to get it to spool up. He eventually persuaded the engine to start and the plane only departed a few minutes late. Today that same mechanic is the VP of Aircraft Maintenance for the Eastern Region for a major air cargo airline.  

Just goes to show you, technique means nothing, it's results that count. LOL

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Beating on something till it works may sound good but if you break it or something else in the process you may be SOL. The problem could be a number of things. If you take the front cover off, the first thing to check would be that the antifreeze recirc pumps are running.
Steve

[Robert Mathis]

Since I am basically a Redneck, our motto has always been "if it doesn't fit get a bigger hammer, if it moves and isn't supposed to, duct tape it. If it doesn't move and is supposed to, spray it with WD 40 and hit it with the hammer" This has always worked for me so far. :X

[Dick Simonis]

Since I am basically a Redneck, our motto has always been "if it doesn't fit get a bigger hammer, if it moves and isn't supposed to, duct tape it. If it doesn't move and is supposed to, spray it with WD 40 and hit it with the hammer" This has always worked for me so far. :X

He he, field engineering at it's finest....works to free a sticking reactor control rod also. ??)

[Joel Ashley]

So Dennis, did you get it working?

[Gerald Burns]

According to the factory the values stick because the formula for the boiler antifreeze has been changed and now has less lubricate in it so the value sticks when allowed to set over the summer.  Once you tap on it the value will release and then will work fine for the season.  I have one that sticks every year and most of the time it takes a light tap to free it up.  The factory told me replacing the value would not solve the problem.

[Ron Langdon]

Ditto the Flowerday comment. He performed the "technique" and within minutes hot air was flowing through the lines.