[encantotom]

hi all,

after my aquahot gets up to temp, and i take a long hot shower with fairly cold incoming water, what temp should the aquahot gauge say/.

tom

[folivier]

On electric or diesel? On ours starting at about 210 on electric it would get down to about 198 and get back up fairly quickly. If heaters were also running it might get down to 180.
If it's not then let it cool down and check the level in the unit itself (not the overflow tank).

[Trainer]

Tom,

The tank temp is going to always vary as it gives up heat and then recovers. What is important is that the hot water temp at the shower stays at 115 to 120 on full hot all the time, regardless of tank temp. Electric elements may not always by themselves have the capacity to hold temp. But the diesel will.

Hot water heating spec is 55 degree temp rise at 1.5 gal flow rate. Incoming water that is below 50 degrees may be a challenge to heat up to your satisfaction. Should that be the case, use water from the main tank the AH has kept warm over night. Keep AH basement thermostat turned to the max.

The coolant tank in the heater needs to stay full the the radiator cap neck. The over flow tube and the radiator cap must be air tight. The plastic tube can become brittle and crack. Remove from radiator neck barb, cut off an inch and reinstall. A hose clamp is needed on each end of the tube. Over flow tank should be topped up to the hot line after the burner has cycled off at temp.

The radiator cap needs to be air tight too. No cracks in its gaskets. It is a terminal item and needs to be replaced every several years. I like the kind with a pressure relief lever to make it easier to remove and install.