Helton Hot Water System

ZUKEYPR

ZUKEYPR

Registered User
Location
651.78 miles East of the Rubicon
I know there are a few on here with Hilton Hot Water or shower systems and I'm hoping someone could help me out resolve this issue.


Purchased the Helton Hotwater Kitit's suppose to have an output temp of approx 160 degrees that can be regualted down by use of the Tempature regulator valve. I get cool temps, to brief moments (5 seconds or less) of very hot temps, then to cooler than cool. So either I have something hooked up wrong, it isn't as hot (excuse the pun) as it is cracked up to be, or I have issues with my rig.

The vehicle: 05 Rubcion, cooling system operates at 210 degrees, it is a continual circulating system. Translation: As the heater supply line pumps the coolant from the WP to the heater core it continually circulates through and out of the core, unlike some other makes.

The install: Mounted the heat exchanger vertically. Mounted the water lines from the exchanger to the "bumper mount" in a hose length of only 30" each. I used fuel line if that matters. Installed the "T" in the main heater supply line, ran that to the temperature control valve then to the "hot" fitting identified with the red band around it on the heat exchanger. It would be the fitting that is closest to center. Installed the "T" on the main heater return line and ran that to the cold fitting on the heat exchanger identified with the blue band around it which is the fitting closest to the outside peremeter. So did I scre something up?

Other than that I have a decent leak where the brass fittings screw into the temperature control valve which I presume can be fixed with some water sealer tape. The pump works great, maybe to great, we emptied a 5 gal container in no ti,e testing it out which in my best estimate wasn't near enough time to wet down, turn off, soap up, turn on and rinse off.

Any help would be appreciated, I've heard nothing but good about these things. Thanks
 
Interesting, on my Helton I get a very hot burst initially (you have to be careful when you turn on the shower!), then the temps come down and stabilize. I've gotten in the habit of recirculating my warm water into the container with my supply water, until the supply water is warm. Then I use the shower and have a very stabilized water temp.

So the lines going into your Helton heat exchanger... are you using the coolant lines that go to the heater core? One input line (to the heater core) should tie into one side of the Helton heat exchanger. Then the output line (from the heater core) should tie into the other side of the Helton heat exchanger. That should provide a recirculating flow of hot coolant running thru the exchanger. Sounds like that's what you did.

Sounds like everything else it right... crazy that you're going thru that much water. Perhaps some kind of restriction plate is needed in the base of the shower handle?

Do you have any pics of your lines?

Here's how I had it setup on my old FJ80 -

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DId you get the blue shower heat exchanger or the red hot water heat exchanger? I had similar issues with mine at first. Once I bled the system all was fixed. I had air bubbles trapped in the lines so it didn't recirculate the water. I'd try that.
 
sixstringsteve said:
DId you get the blue shower heat exchanger or the red hot water heat exchanger? I had similar issues with mine at first. Once I bled the system all was fixed. I had air bubbles trapped in the lines so it didn't recirculate the water. I'd try that.
Click to expand...

I have the red exchanger. I bought it as opposed to the blue because I didn't want to have to recirculate the water like many of the blue owners go through. How did you get the air bubbles out? The exchanger by feel only gets hotter than heck. I thought maybe I placed the valve on the wrong line or something. The diagram that comes with it isn't the greatest but it almost looks like the supply line goes to the post near the outside of the exchanger but that post had the blue band around it. I can't see what the difference would be to be honest if it curculating it's still conducting heat. I got to get this straight because I have the wife and a 2.5 year old Granddaughter that will be using it.

Will the teflon water tape hold up to the temps so that I cna stop the leak on the valve?

Thanks
 
Posting from the road, so pardon the errors. So you can confirm the heat exchanger is getting hot, ie ~200 degrees (preferably not measured by your hand). The pump volume flow could be suspect if its flowing that fast but I have customer running up to 2 gpm pumps with good results, your pump should be under 1 gpm.

I'm not up to speed on the Jeep cooling system, are you running it parallel to the heater core? Can you confirm the TJ uses a traditional heater control valve that limits coolant flow to the heater core? I would personally plump it in series either with or without the temp valve.
Teflon tape is 100% fine on all your threaded fittings, I'm not near their instructions but they should mention using tape on fittings, if it doesn't I'll add them as in planning to update and refine the Aussie instructions.
 
cruiseroutfit said:
Posting from the road, so pardon the errors. So you can confirm the heat exchanger is getting hot, ie ~200 degrees (preferably not measured by your hand). The pump volume flow could be suspect if its flowing that fast but I have customer running up to 2 gpm pumps with good results, your pump should be under 1 gpm.

I'm not up to speed on the Jeep cooling system, are you running it parallel to the heater core? Can you confirm the TJ uses a traditional heater control valve that limits coolant flow to the heater core? I would personally plump it in series either with or without the temp valve.
Teflon tape is 100% fine on all your threaded fittings, I'm not near their instructions but they should mention using tape on fittings, if it doesn't I'll add them as in planning to update and refine the Aussie instructions.
Click to expand...

They do not use a traditional heater core valve, it is a continues flow throughout the system.
 
ZUKEYPR said:
How did you get the air bubbles out?
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Google "radiator bleeding" for your make and model. Or maybe "heater system bleeding."

For my truck. I run the truck for a while until the thermostat opens up. Then I park on an incline so the radiator cap is the highest point of the cooling system. Then the air bubbles flow up to the radiator, and work their way free. I turn the heater on high and leave it running until the radiator is done burping. Worked for me.
 
sixstringsteve said:
Google "radiator bleeding" for your make and model. Or maybe "heater system bleeding."

For my truck. I run the truck for a while until the thermostat opens up. Then I park on an incline so the radiator cap is the highest point of the cooling system. Then the air bubbles flow up to the radiator, and work their way free. I turn the heater on high and leave it running until the radiator is done burping. Worked for me.
Click to expand...


Sounds like a plan, I'll try that, thanks
 
If your heater valve doesn't limit the flow, then you will likely need to run in in series with the heater core and utilize the temp valve as the heater core route presents the path of least resistance thus coolant isn't adiquately moving through the Helton. I actually prefer to plump them in series as its easier to plumb. Keep me posted, I'll reply as I can.
 
I put the diverter valve in after my connection to the "In" heater core line on mine and was able to control the flow rather accurately that way (I had one line connected to the "In" and one line connected to the "Out" heater core line just an FYI). The less I let through to the heater core the more flow that went to the Helton and the hotter the water (It was almost always searing hot until if flowed through for a bit)... I was tempted to find a temperature control valve/ mixer that was receiving hot and cold (like a home shower valve) and using that to control the end result temps but never got around to it.
 
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OK Helton got back with me and said if you have a continous flow system such as mine that it should be plumbed in series, only problem is they really didn't explain how that would be so would I be correct in running the exchanger on both the coolant connections to my my main 11/16" "in" heater Core lines? Then run the ball valve between that splice and the water pump?
 
cruiseroutfit said:
If your heater valve doesn't limit the flow, then you will likely need to run in in series with the heater core and utilize the temp valve as the heater core route presents the path of least resistance thus coolant isn't adiquately moving through the Helton. I actually prefer to plump them in series as its easier to plumb. Keep me posted, I'll reply as I can.
Click to expand...

This...

Series is far easier to plumb. You have a line leaving your motor (hot) that heads through your firewall and into the heater core. It then leave the heater core and comes right back to the motor (cold). You simply make a cut in the hot line, connect the engine side to the hot coolant side of your Helton and the cold coolant side to the firewall side. The temp control valve will go between the engine and the heat exchanger.
 
cruiseroutfit said:
This...

Series is far easier to plumb. You have a line leaving your motor (hot) that heads through your firewall and into the heater core. It then leave the heater core and comes right back to the motor (cold). You simply make a cut in the hot line, connect the engine side to the hot coolant side of your Helton and the cold coolant side to the firewall side. The temp control valve will go between the engine and the heat exchanger.
Click to expand...


Sounds exactly as I described it only worded different or am I all screwed up?
 
ZUKEYPR said:
Sounds exactly as I described it only worded different or am I all screwed up?
Click to expand...

Looks right to me... just spelling it a different direction. This is exactly how it is plumbed on my Tacoma we looked at when you stopped by, super clean install and less connections.
 
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