BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Paulhowell on April 23, 2018, 01:39:04 AM
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I’m planning on changing the antifreeze in my hurricane heater and I know there is a post detailing this procedure but I can’t locate it. I also have a comfort hot system and I think the capacity is right around four gallons for both systems. I was planning on using Prestone automotive antifreeze. I have a portable liquid pump with various adapters so I think all I will need is distilled water and new antifreeze. If anyone can send me the link or instructions I would appreciate it. I downloaded the ITR manual for the hurricane heater but it did not cover changing the antifreeze. Thanks.
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From the manual, in a boxed paragraph:
PRECAUTION: Where there is any chance of contamination of your domestic water when using a heating system, use antifreeze specifically intended for hydronic heating systems. Inhibited propylene glycol is recommended. Do not use automotive, ethylene glycol, or any undiluted or petroleum based antifreeze as they can cause severe personal injury.
Hydronic antifreeze is readily available at Camping World and other sources.
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Paul,
Have you checked the ph level in your system antifreeze? If not, I would recommend that before you go to the work and expense of replacing what could be perfectly good coolant. You want a ph between 8.0 and 9.0 if you are running the recommended 50/50 mix. If your ph is between 7.0 and 8.0, you can add inhibitors to bring up the ph, but if it is below 7.0, you should replace it because it is too acidic.
I think that your 4 gallon estimate for the whole system with a Comfort Hot is too low because the Comfort Hot holds about 3 gallons itself.
As for what type of coolant to use, since your system is all double wall construction and cross contamination with your fresh water system is virtually impossible, ethylene glycol is the recommended coolant for all Hurricane heating systems in Beaver coaches.
However, in Beaver coaches with Aqua Hot/Hydra Hot systems the choice gets a little harder to determine. The earlier Aqua Hot manufactured systems all had double wall construction, and therefore they used ethylene glycol, but the latter models do not have double wall construction and therefore require propylene glycol (non toxic boiler fluid). Aqua Hot changed their system design in 2002, so if your coach is in the 2002 to 2003 range, you should check you system owners manual before adding any coolant, but normally 2002 coaches use ethylene glycol and 2003 coaches use propylene glycol, but if you are in doubt, always error on the side of caution and use propylene glycol.
Gerald
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Thanks Gerald. The antifreeze in the system hasn’t been changed in a while so I think I’ll change it. That being said that it is impossible to cross contaminate due to the double walled system, is it acceptable to use automotive type antifreeze?
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Gerald, I’m going to order some ethylene glycol. Does that go in at full strength or is it mixed 50/50?
Thanks.
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Paul,
Yes ethylene glycol is regular automotive antifreeze, and that is what your Hurricane system uses at a 50/50 mixture. You can either buy premixed or full strength and blend it with distilled water.
Gerald
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Thanks again Gerald!
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Just a sidebar. Gerald do uou recall the disk on the Hurricane system you used to have? I believe you gave me your last copy. I think I still have it if you need it back. Perhaps some new members can use it too?
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Keith,
I do not need the video back, because thanks to Steve Huber, all of the necessary information for Hurricane service including repair videos is now posted in the Beaver Library on the Private Members Only section of this forum.
Gerald