Dealer Tech Discusses Balance Of Hybrid Technology To Create Endless Hot Water Regardless Of Water Flow
Part of many people’s normal morning routines begins with a stumble out of bed with just enough energy conjured up to start a pot of coffee. After that, it’s a B-line into a nice warm shower to begin the day feeling clean, refreshed and awake. For RVers, it’s a bit of a different story that too often involves lingering around for water tanks to heat and crossing fingers that it’s not scalding. Although most RVers have learned to deal with minimal hot water and fluctuating temperatures, this is a feat that the RV industry hasn’t quite yet mastered.
In 2012, Germany based company Truma Inc., completed a market research study by interviewing different manufacturers, dealers and 830 different end users in an effort to pinpoint the needs of the North American RV industry compared to the European industry. “What we learned was that the biggest concern among end users is their hot water capabilities,” divulged Billy DiDonato, a Dealer Technical Sales Representative for Truma. From there, the company focused in “to develop a hot water heater that would provide truly endless hot water at consistent hot water temperatures [for an RV].”
After much research and development, the end product became the Truma AquaGo®, a hot water heating system that provides limitless 120-degree water on-demand through hybrid technology that combines the concept of a tank less water heater with the tried and true boiler tank that’s been used for decades. The Truma AquaGo water heater is connected between the RV’s fresh water supply and the hot water plumbing system. As soon as a hot water facet is turned on, the burner is initiated and the system recognizes the water flow starting at around a sensitive 0.4 gallons per minute.
Key components to the AquaGo system are the temperature stabilizing mixing vessel made from a high-grade plastic coupled with a 60,000 Btu burner and microprocessor control system which efficiently regulates the burner according to factors such as incoming water temperature and flow rate. After recognizing these factors, the system allows the burner to adjust between 20,000 Btu and 60,000 Btu to achieve the minimum burner rate needed to attain the 120-degree water temperature and to prevent water fluctuations. Cold water is then mixed with the hot water inside the temperature stabilizing mixing vessel to achieve a comfortable outlet temperature at the facet or showerhead.
Because instant hot water technology requires a significant amount of power to heat water as it passes through the heat exchanger, the system runs off of propane gas and has no electrical heating component. As soon as the water facet is closed, the burner automatically switches off to conserve gas.
To run the AquaGo off electricity, an RV would need, “70-amp service and to beef up [the] wire sizing so it’s just not realistic,” explained DiDonato. But what Truma has found is that, because the burner adjusts to satisfy only what’s demanded by the user, RVers could potentially use “a 20-pound cylinder like the one used for a grill and [be able to] take a 20 minute shower every day for just about a month before needing to refill it.”
The AquaGo comes in three different models: Basic, Comfort and Comfort Plus. The Basic model functions as described with hot water on demand while the Comfort model has an Eco mode, similar to the Basic model, in combination with a Comfort mode that holds readily available hot water at 113 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has a freeze protection mode that sustains water at 41 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of the mode. The Comfort Plus model includes all of the features in the Comfort model but is only offered at a manufacturing level as special plumbing is required to constantly circulate hot water throughout the RV’s plumbing system.
The AquaGo system also uses the same 12.5” x 12.5” cut out as a standard hot water heater for aftermarket modifications and can be retrofitted with an adaptor ring to any RV with an existing 6, 10, or 12-gallon water heater. As part of the mixing vessel, Truma has also developed an “Easy Drain Lever” that acts as a trough when folded down so the water can easily drain out of the vehicle as part of the winterization process.
After completing an end user field test, Truma received an overwhelmingly positive response to the AquaGo with one participant summing up the unit by saying, “You just flip the switch and it’s ready to go” and another affirming they no longer worry about running out of hot water or remember to turn it on ten minutes ahead of time. Based on his experience in the field and having watched manufacturers steadily adapt the new system, DiDonato says that he optimistically believes Truma has raise the bar for RV water heaters and that AquaGo will become the new industry standard.
Jannie Schaffer
A graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York City with a degree in Interactive Marketing, Jannie has worked both in media and the mobile electronics industry. She enjoys traveling and spending time in nature.
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Truma AquaGo, an efficient instant water heater optimizing hybrid technology with constant temperature ensuring no scalding and endless hot water regardless of flow rate. Approved for all-season use with optional anti-freeze function.