Aqua hot

[Yachts]

For the next few nights it's suppose to get below freezing and I am not where I can plug in and don't want to run the generator the whole time.. Newell said you can keep the coach warm by running the diesel aqua hot .. Any idea how much fuel it burns per hour? Since I'll need to do it 2 nights in a row I want to make sure it's not some large amount..

[Ron Skeen]

Do you have any outside electric source? You will still need to keep the battery charged. I never let my batt get below 12v so my gen start about every 12 hrs and run for a couple hrs.

[afrench45]

I cant give you a specific amount, but I know mine doesn't use much. My generator uses about a gallon an hour, but the diesel aquahot only runs when it needs to so doesnt constantly use fuel.

[Yachts]

My plan is to turn the aqua hot on at night around 9 and let it run till morn about 9 then kick the genset on for an hour and repeat the next night.. My power should be in before the next cold snap:). Batteries should be good for just overnight? I'm turning off everything including the fridge and microwave and tv's.. While the aqua hot is running

[Yachts]

Did some research and it's .4 gallons per hour.. But the diesel doesn't run the whole time correct? So it's probably mini sulk amount.. I'm more worried about the batteries powering the fans and aqua hot..

[Chester B. Stone, Jr.]

Yachts, you want to be sure your merge switch in off. Otherwise you may also run down your engine batteries and be unable to start the generator. My 8D starter house batteries would not even carry the refrigerator and freezer, plus compressor, for 7 hours. This is without the AquaHot and heater fans. If your house batteries go down during the night and the inverter shuts down, you should hear clicking noises from several appliances and then you can start the generator using the merge switch. To have adequate power in the future, I recently replaced my house batteries with twelve 6V deep cycle golf cart batteries, and I have yet to test how long they will last, but am hopeful I have solved the problem.

[Ron Skeen]

If you are confronted with this type situation I would consider going to an auto gen start. I have added this to all of my Newells and it really protect the battery. Some time your neighbors might not like the gen starting at 5 am but this is good insurance for all electric items on the coach and you don't have to worry about anything not having the proper power

[Dmatz]

If your voltage gets low the aqua hot will shut itself down. Learned this the hard way, but hey it saves the electrical components on the aquahot. Your batteries should carry the load overnight if they are good and everything else is off.

[Yachts]

Auto gen start.. Where can one find this wonderful invention? Newell do them?

[sherikoska]

So this is a little late in the day to ask, but we are on our first long trip and were not expecting freezing temps in Nashville. Obviously we don't want to freeze anything so we were going to leave our generator running all night along with the aqua hot. We are boon docking too. The temp is supposed to drop to 19· tonight. Do you think it's fine to turn off the generator then and just run the aqua hot? And then just turn off the battery merge switch? We do have the fridge needing to run also.

[afrench45]

Auto gen start.. Where can one find this wonderful invention? Newell do them?

No, Newell will not install them. They said they have had issues with them starting while in customers storages and smoked the coach out (mine actually malfunctioned and did so, luckily I was working in my shop that day). I had a local rv dealer here install one on my coach (he knows prevost though, does Featherlite warranty work). It has been a hassle getting it hooked up properly.. I had to use the generic model because I had a prosine inverter and they did not make one for it. However my new inverter is a magnum and they make an auto gen start specifically for magnum inverters.
Mine auto gen start unit is a Magnum ME-AGS-S. They mounted it in my kitchen cabinet next to the microwave and wired it into the switch in the galley.
The problems I have experienced with mine, is that it was mounted to high in the cabinet, so It was getting heat from the roof and engaging the generator to start. I lowered it in my cabinet and seems to work now.
The main reason I got a auto gen start was for my dog inside. I didnt want to lose power like I have before and she be stuck in there with no air.
Magnum Inverters - Magnum Energy ME-AGS-S, Auto Generator Start Module, Automatic Generator Start (http://thesolarstore.com/inverters-grid-inverters-magnum-inverters-magnum-energy-auto-generator-start-module-automatic-generator-start-controller-p-152.html?utm_medium=cse&utm_source=google&k=152&gclid=CNfug-Pt4LoCFQ3hQgodnzYA-Q)

[Yachts]

You and I are doing the same thing tonight.. Question for everyone ... Batteries I had house batteries fully charged turned on diesl aqua hot made sure everything was running.. Voltage went from 12.75 to 12.5 in 30 mins... I assume batteries don't continue to drop volts that quickly but start to level out?

[Yachts]

Well went back to coach this morn and everything worked awesome on diesel aqua hot.. Batteries dipped to 11.9 volts started generator to charge them back up..so thank you everyone here for your help..