Comfort Hot system performance

[Pat Long]

Anybody know the number of pumps for the Comfort Hot system.  I have one and it operates when any of my zones call for heat but it just doesn't seam to move enough coolant to heat any zone??  Jim Rexin said it would take a little time to heat up but it never does??

[Gerald Farris]

Pat,
The Comfort Hot system does not have any pumps. It uses the Hurricane system to circulate the heated coolant, and since the Hurricane does not have separate coolant zones, it only has one pump for that purpose. The other pump next to your Hurricane is for engine preheat.

If your Comfort Hot system is not keeping you warm enough, you may have a malfunctioning heating element (it has two 17 amp 120 volt elements), a faulty switch or breaker, a bad connection, or you are expecting more heat than it can produce. The Hurricane system produces about four to five times more heat than the Comfort Hot does, so if there is nothing wrong with your Comfort Hot, and you need more heat, fire up the diesel burner.

Gerald   

[Pat Long]

Gerald

     I have used my IR gun and both my tank and expansion tank show 100 degrees.   My system according to my schematics, from Jim Rixen enterprises Comfort Hot, show a 3 way valve in the engine compartment, I see that valve.  My Beaver owners manual show, in regards to the Hurricane, I have 2 brass valves in engine compartment for summer, and winter switching.  I don't see those, just the 3 way valve. 

     My Hurricane has been problematic and I am hoping to just use the Comfort Hot, not that cold here in Southern Ca.  When it did operate it did heat the coach fine with the 3 way valve switched in line with the manifold.  Just thought the same valve would be the same for comfort hot. Maybe somewhere I have a blockage and will have to find it.       

[Gerald Farris]

Pat,
You are right about the valve position. In the circulation loop, it does not matter if the coolant is heated by the Comfort Hot or the Hurricane. Are you sure that your Comfort Hot has power, and is it heating the coolant? If the Comfort Hot is heating, you are probably low on coolant or there is a problem with the Hurricane circulation pump. A blockage in the circulation loop is rare if the coolant is in fair to good condition.

Gerald

[Pat Long]

Pat,
You are right about the valve position. In the circulation loop, it does not matter if the coolant is heated by the Comfort Hot or the Hurricane. Are you sure that your Comfort Hot has power, and is it heating the coolant? If the Comfort Hot is heating, you are probably low on coolant or there is a problem with the Hurricane circulation pump. A blockage in the circulation loop is rare if the coolant is in fair to good condition.

Gerald

Gerald

     Yes I am sure it has power my IR gun shows 100 degrees on both the tank and expansion tank.  When I start the system I can remove the cap on expansion tank and see the coolant moving in the tank.  Depending on the valve position will speed up or slow down the flow.  According to Jim Rixen, the faster the coolant flows is the short loop.  The slower it flow is the longer loop, I have 6 registers, 3 in living room, one in bath, and one in bedroom and one in storage.     ( summer and winter valve position )

     My coolant level is good because I can see the level in expansion tank, and the overflow is 1/2 full.  I have never serviced the coolant since I purchased the coach so there may be a time to do this?  I have been under the coach several times and have done All my own servicing and try to look at All items when under there.  I do not see any lines terminated or valving that looks out of place.  Must be a valve in engine compartment that I don't see Yet that is hidden still in summer loop position. 

     When you first gave me the contact information for Jim Rixen, I have talked to him at length several times even sent pics of the system and had him coach me through several problems.  I had thought I had the system working and am now using my coach for the month of November and the heater works but Very little, as if something is not allowing full flow in winter position.   Thank You for your time, and hope not to bother you for your opinion 

[Steve Huber]

Pat,
On our 2000 the valves were located on the drivers side of the engine compartment. To access them we removed the engine cover in the bedroom and then looked up under the floor a bit forward of the engine. Also, the labeling on the valves was reversed, i.e. Winter was Summer and vise versa.
Steve

[Pat Long]

     Well a little update, my system uses 2 yes 2 pumps.  1 dedicated to the Comfort hot, and 1 for the Hurricane.  I also only have one 3 way valve, and have found under the engine bedroom door a rubber flex hose that seams to be kinked 1/2 closed.  That seams to be the problem with the ability to keep up with the heating at the registers.  Will have to replace some fittings to eliminate the kink and it should have the adequate flow of the coolant so the registers will be able to heat up correctly.   

[Pat Long]

     Well after using the Comfort Hot system here in So Cal for the month of November off and on I have come to the conclusion that the system is Not what the Manufacture said it would do.  I have repaired the kinked hose, system pump moves the water as it should, temperatures are up to 100 degrees on both storage tank and expansion tank according to my IR gun, valving is only one 3 way valve and will only heat Very So Slightly.  I can trace the routing of the hoses to the first register so I know the routing is correct of the 3 way valve and IR gun temps of the hoses.  Temps never got below 50 outside, inside the temperature would not rise with system on over 65 and ran all night long.

     I have to rely on portable electric space heater to heat up the coach for the mean time and will look into another system to replace this Hurricane system.  My friend has the Aqua Hot system in his Monaco and both electric and diesel work perfect so maybe I can replace with that will have to do my homework.   All I know is that the Hurricane system has given me problems since I have owned the coach and am Not At All Impressed with the system At All.

[Gerald Farris]

Pat,
If your Comfort Hot only gets to 100 degrees F, you have an electrical problem that can be fairly easily repaired. Either you have a bad connection or bad heating elements in the Comfort Hot. My 2000 Marquis has a Comfort Hot system and it keeps the coach comfortable inside with the outside temperatures down to the 30s. However if it gets colder than that or when I am dry camping, I fire up the Hurricane.

What is the voltage at the system heating elements, and what is the resistance across each element?

If you are thinking of going to an Aqua Hot in place of the Hurricane, first it will not fit the same location, second it will cost in excess of $10,000, and last an Aqua Hot has much higher maintenance cost than the Hurricane. 

Hurricane systems are very simple, and easy to repair if you understand the system. I drove a 2000 Marquis for 13 years and spent less on the Hurricane system in that coach than I did on the Aqua Hot in the coach I am driving now in the first six months, and it just quit again.

Gerald

[Pat Long]

Thanks for the reply Gerald,    Do you by chance know the heating element part numbers?   I did check the power supply at the heating element connectors and it was 120 on both.  The coach is in my spot up in the mountains now and I will be back up on Thursday and I can check resistance between the two.  I can just replace the two elements just to start over as if were new again. 

[Gerald Farris]

Pat,
No I do not know the part numbers, but Jim Rixen will. However, it is always best to thoroughly diagnose any problem before you start throwing parts at it. That is the most expensive and problematic repair method know to man.   

Gerald

[Pat Long]

Gerald,    checked today have 120v at the element and the resistance is 8 ohm's.   From what I have found in my research is that the reading should be between 10 and 16 ohm's.   I believe mine is going out

[Gerald Farris]

Pat,
A heating element with 8 ohms of resistance should be heating. Are you sure that the Comfort Hot tank is full and the system is circulating?

Gerald

[Pat Long]

Gerald,       Talked to Mike at Rixen enterprises today and found out my tank has 2 heating elements, thought it had just one.  Its way in the back of the tank next to the wall.  Looked at it with my inspection mirror and Guess What.  There is a hole cut into the top of the junction box, which should not be there, and after looking into that hole I see the electrical connection ALL Burnt Up.  The wire nut plastic insulators had Burned UP, ALL Gone. Lucky my coach did not catch fire. Only thing left was the metal inserts and crusty wires. 

After half the day draining the coolant out and removing the tank I will have to replace most of the limit switches and I will replace both heating elements.  The front element is Bad by the way it looks after removal.  Coolant tank Was Full of Coolant so that was good.  I was only heating on 1 element thats why I had the reading of 100 degrees on IR gun.  According to Mike at Rixens the tank should be reading 175 degrees.  Limit switches show on them 175-25F so I will be ordering parts tomorrow and reinstall and refill with new coolant and then get back to the forum for the end results.   

Thank You again Gerald for all you information and help with this, by the time I am done I should know what I am doing.    Now thats funny there!    I try my best to Laugh at myself, and still learn too.

[Pat Long]

Follow up on the Comfort Hot.  I purchased a New updated tank from Rixen Enterprises that allows both heating elements to be on the front of the tank for easy service, plus they are larger heating elements and heat up faster.  My second pump is a booster pump for the system.  Used the system this weekend and It NOW works and heated the coach just fine.  Very Happy with the system Now.