Hydro Hot Antifreeze ??????

[Jay Savelle]

Greetings All,

Trying to get familiar with our new to us ... 2006 Beaver Monterey.
While looking at the "Hydro Hot" I noticed the antifreeze was low.

I took a picture of the "Notice" which is printed on the antifreeze container.

What type of antifreeze is the Notice referring too? Exactly which brand should I use, and where can I purchase some?

Thanks so much for your help!!!

[Dale Walker]

Hello Jay, I ordered some from Grangers, but happened to stop in to Menards and they had it in stock! So I bought theirs and it was cheaper than the stuff from Grangers. I had found my burp bottle, was stained on the inside, to the point you couldn't tell how much was in it, so I drained it and changed it. I made our annual trip to AZ, and it seemed to work perfectly.

[Orman Claxton]

PLEASE NOTICE
Use CAMCO Boiler Antifreeze -100 degree ONLY Mix 50/50 with Distilled water

[Jay Savelle]

Where can I buy Camco Boiler Antifreeze?

[Stan Simpson]

To answer your question, you can by propylene glycol at almost any Class A coach dealership; also at Camping World; and some auto supply stores.

[Joel Ashley]

A lot of RV dealers that have an RV accessory store will have it, but many True Value hardware stores can get it from their warehouse, if they don't have it in stock already.  Other hardware stores may have it if they are located where there is some local or transient RV market.  Camping Worlds should have it, but I've run into some that didn't. 

Some units use propylene glycol, but the original fluid in our '06 Monterey's HydroHot was boiler fluid, Jay, and likely yours is also.  Be sure you get what Orman specified.

Joel

[Bob Stone]

One thing to consider: the water which you add to the antifreeze evaporates much faster than than the antifreeze. Over time, continuing to add a 50:50 solution will slowly increase the concentration of antifreeze. Some might think this could be a good thing except the efficiency of heat transfer to the domestic water in the Hydrohot is detrimentally affected. If you have never had a leak you may be able to just add distilled water or at least a weaker solution.I defer to anyone who may know more about this but this is what was explained to me by someone who should know.

[Orman Claxton]

Please be advised ....There is a BIG difference in the propylene glycol
There is propylene glycol Antifreeze used for winterizing, Then there is propylene glycol -100 Degree Boiler  fluid used in the Aqua-Hot systems

[Dale Walker]

Not to be contrary, or to claim to be an expert. But I think if you want to check my choice, I wish you would. I had read threads here and on irv2, so I thought I was informed enough to know what I should be looking for. So please, go to a Minards and check it out, I'd like to know if I got it wrong. I would never want to steer somebody wrong.

[Orman Claxton]

Dale, That is my answer... from Aqua-Hot. No if, ands, or but. That is what Aqua-Hot recommends. Use anything else . you will pay dearly.

[Dale Walker]

This is what I used, Orman. Looks like the same stuff? http://www.menards.com/main/heating-cooling/hydronic-radiant-heat/system-components/cryo-tek-100-non-toxic-anti-freeze-70-virgin-propylene-glycol/p-1444449933130.htm?cm_vc=PDPZ1

[Orman Claxton]

As I said, I use what Aqua-Hot says to use. Nothing else!
But you are free to use whatever you choose.

[Joel Ashley]

I agree with Orman here, and as such would refer Jay and others to this:
http://www.aquahot.com/FAQs.aspx

This also reinforces Bob's comments about water evaporation and not exceeding a 50% solution of propylene glycol.  If your expansion tank is only moderately low, it likely would not hurt to add distilled water, from what the above linked site talks about.  But at some point one would be advised to obtain and use a device for measuring the system's concentration, as many of us do for our cars' coolant.  (Note that ball-style testers commonly used for ethylene automotive coolant won't properly read boiler propylene; reference types all over the map price-wise similar to this one at Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/Antifreeze-Battery-Propylene-Refractometer-Rha-100atc/dp/B00KHN3C8C/ref=pd_sim_sbs_328_20?ie=UTF8&dpID=41fE1V9SAZL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1SZZHB79SW8S9H2P1DR6   ).

-Joel

[Bill Sprague]

One thing to consider: the water which you add to the antifreeze evaporates much faster than than the antifreeze. Over time, continuing to add a 50:50 solution will slowly increase the concentration of antifreeze. Some might think this could be a good thing except the efficiency of heat transfer to the domestic water in the Hydrohot is detrimentally affected. If you have never had a leak you may be able to just add distilled water or at least a weaker solution.I defer to anyone who may know more about this but this is what was explained to me by someone who should know.

Aqua Hot does not say that ALL their models need polypropylene glycol "boiler" antifreeze.  Our '04, built in '03 was delivered with and used ethylene glycol, like green and cheap Prestone.   Some models were designed where leaks would drip outside the system.  Other designs were such that leaks could get into the drinking water.   If you have a HydroHot prior to about '05, you do not want to add "boiler" antifreeze because the system my have auto antifreeze in it.  Mixing them may not be the best idea.

When John Carrillo did our last service and trouble shooting for the two year problem with inconsistent hot water, he used a sight glass to measure the mix. It was the first thing he did explaining further trouble shooting was pointless without the right ratio.  He had to add a lot of distilled water to compensate for the 50/50 mix I had been topping off with for 12 years. 

On edit:  After I wrote this, I tried to find my old list of which models used which version of antifreeze.  I failed.  But, I did find a note at AquaHot that says the change occurred in 2002.  Apparently, our '04 Monterery built in '03 used a HydroHot built in '02, or before.  There is no question that it used the green ethylene automotive antifreeze that you can't drink.

Check the model number and look it up!  Inventory systems at AquaHot, Monaco and Beaver could easily provide two or three year old units into coaches with '05, maybe '06 model years.

http://www.aquahot.com/FAQs.aspx

[David T. Richelderfer]

The manual for my AquaHot, model #AHE-100-02S, says on page 8, "Antifreeze Type Used..........Ethylene Glycol."  On page 6 the manual says, "The basis for the Aqua-Hot heating system’s functionality is the antifreeze and water heating solution, which is comprised of water that is distilled, de-ionized, or soft, as well as antifreeze."  A quick look through the manual did not reveal the antifreeze to water mixture ratio, but I assume it's supposed to be 50%-50%.