Basement temp is too high

[Jim Simonet]

I've searched high and low and I can't seem to find a way to control my basement temperature which pretty much stays around 80 degrees and sometimes higher...

Others talk about a small dial that controls the temp so that it doesn't fall below 45, but I can't find anything.  I see the heat exchanger in the bay that contains the gray/black tanks, but there is no dial.  I'm not finding anything on the AH unit itself, I don't see anything in the deep storage next to my wet bay, and I've looked all around the fresh water tank underneath.

Does anyone have any clues?  80 degrees seems way too high and it causes my AH to run throughout the night when temps are in the 40's and 50's - causing either high electric bills or chew through the diesel or both depending on how I'm heating the AH.

Rig is an 04 Patriot Thunder Lexington w/ C12 motor.  The AH is AHE-100-02S

[Fred Brooks]

   Jim, Not real sure but the place they put the thermostat is in the enclosed area that houses the holding tanks. I think on your model the compartment door just forward of your passenger duals has latches under it to open the panel. The t-stat will have a cappilary tube attached to it. Blessings, Fred

[Jim Simonet]

Any hints on locating it - should I try to follow the wires that go to the heater itself?  I've looked around in this area for almost an hour and I just don't see anything that looks like it is adjustable?

[Stan Simpson]

Jim,

Where are you getting a basement temp reading of 80 degrees? From the Aladdin display? In our coach, the basement temp usually reflects the ambient air temp if the Aqua Hot diesel burner is not running. For example, right now the outside temp on my indoor/outdoor thermometer hanging on the wall inside is 77 outside and 80 inside. The Aladdin display show outside as 77 and basement as 76.5 (the bay is in the shade at the moment)

I don't think the electric affects the operation of the thermostat in the basement, only the diesel burner does.

There is a thermostat under a black wooden frame sitting on the floor of the bay, in front of the gray and black tanks. That thermostat is set to 43 degrees (or so I have been told) and only comes on in cold weather (when you have the diesel burner ON) to warm the basement when the ambient temp gets to 43 or below. It is automatic. The temp it will rise to is either 43 degrees, or higher IF you have the thermostat inside set higher.

For example, before leaving for Florida, it was 32 degrees outside. I had the diesel burner on, and set at 45 degrees. Each time I checked it, the bay temp was 45 and so was the inside of the coach.

I don't know of any dial.

[Jim Simonet]

Hi Stan - yes, I'm getting the temp from the Aladdin system.  Often times it will report outside air at ~40, but the basement temp will read around 80. 

There is an Aladdin module mounted under the wooden frame in front of my tanks - is that what I'm looking for?  There is no adjustments that can be made on that.  Is it possible that the module I'm looking at is not working correctly if it is supposed to be preset at 43?

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
The basement thermostat on your coach is not adjustable. The heat exchanger in you holding tank area is controlled by a small disc type thermostat that cuts the heat exchanger on at about 45 degrees. That thermostat is usually clipped to a water line with a saddle type clip and it has two small wires connected to it.

Gerald

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Jim,
It will look somewhat similar to this. https://www.amazon.com/Thermostat-Switch-Circuit-Large-Flange/dp/B0026S6WGK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=snap+disk+thermostat+40+degree&qid=1575835843&sr=8-1
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

Here is an image of the thermostat installed.

[Jim Simonet]

Gerald/Steve/Joel - thank you for your help...

I don't seem to be able to locate a thermostat like the one pictured/listed.  Is it possible that it was removed by the PO?

I have turned off the diesel burner and I'm running on electric only, yet my basement temp as reported by the Aladdin system is still around 70 (about the same as indoor temp) and outside temp is at 50 and falling.

If I look at the heater unit in the bay - I see 2 small gauge wires spliced into 2 larger gauge wires with some crimp connections.  I have followed these wires as far as I can, but I don't see anything else. 

Would the thermostat be connected somehow to these connections?  If the thermostat were removed - would the behavior I reported make sense? 

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Jim,
Prior to burning any more calories on trying to find the t'stat, take the temperature of the water bay. Harbor Freight and the hardware stores have economical IR units that are real handy around the coach. Water bay temp should be above outdoor ambient by ~5 -10 degrees unless the temp in the bay hits 42F, which should turn on the AH heat exchanger in the bay. From what you are describing, I strongly suspect the problem is with the Aladdin, probably the bay sensor. The snap disk t'stats are pretty reliable so I doubt that is your problem. If a wire to the T'stat is broken, the bay would never call for heat.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

What I believe is the thermostat on ours looks a bit different;  see photo #1.  It’s on the wall to the left of the heat exchanger.

The Aladdin thermo sensor is a probe as noted in the other photo.

Joel

[Jim Simonet]

This morning I was able to confirm the temperatures were indeed high in the bay containing the black/gray tanks with my IR gun.  80's and even 90's toward the back of the bay and 70's closer to the entrance with an outdoor temp of 50.   Aladdin was reporting outside at 50 and basement temp at 75 when I checked.

Also - if I pull my fresh water hose out more - it is warmish to the touch.

I have located the thermostat as it is exactly the same as Joel has in his picture.

Would replacing the thermostat with the one in this thread be a good course of action?  Its only $13 or should I try something else first?

[William Jordan]

Is the heater running ? Is it hot ? I have found the inverter which is in the same bay puts a large amount of heat into the bay all by itself.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Jim,
You can buy a new one (be sure it is the right temp) or test the old one. It's basically a switch that triggers at the set temp so cool it down and see if it closes at  40-45F with an ohm meter.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

I’d guess his thermostat is stuck closed already.  Removing it from the coach and checking for continuity as Steve suggests is the right first move.  But shouldn’t he cool it down, in a freezer for a few minutes say, then warm it and see if it’s circuit opens when his IR temp gun on it hits around 45F?  To me that’s what’s wrong... it’s staying closed and not reopening at or after 45F.  It should close and activate the heat exchanger at 35F, then open and turn off the heat at 45F, as per Steve’s link to the one at Amazon.

That said, the one in my coach (see my Dec. 9th post/photo above) looks different and clamps to a wall mount.  So Jim may find stamped info on his after he removes it, and if testing as we suggest implies it’s indeed stuck closed, I’d look online for the same model.

Joel

Also Larry Shirk had a similar issue awhile back, and it was a dirty filter for air circulating through his inverter, making the inverter overheat, including his bay(s).  http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,599.15.html