Alde Flow (1 Viewer)

[stewartwebr]

Does any fellow Funster have any experience of the new Alde Flow. My new van has it installed and Alde claim when fitted with the Alde 3020 Compact it provides a continues supply of hot water with only limitations being your fresh water tank limits or your gas supply.

I had it up and running yesterday on electric (3Kw) and seems to be operating well with both of us having showers lasting perhaps 5 minutes each. The water temperature of the 3020 remained at around the 54 Degrees mark. I was wondering if anyone else had experience of it, I don't think it will provide continues hot water if say a family of 4 wanted to shower one after the other. I may be wrong hence the question. My sister and her 2 children are borrowing the van for a week and I wanted to give them some guidance hence the question.

 

[Fletton]

One has to indulge in what is known as "submarine showering".. includes using a flannel...

1. Place flannel on shower floor... Stand on flannel in shower - point shower head at feet...

2. Turn on and adjust to temp... but be quick about it...

3. Wet everything... you that is!.. and not the walls etc...

4. Turn shower off...

5. If one has hair.. wash and leave..

6. Wash rest of carcass... using flannel...

7. Rinse...

8. Wipe down shower walls etc with flannel ..

8. Flannel dry one's self before exiting - saves soaking towels...

Job done....

Oh!.... and that method gives plenty of water - if set to 40... if you are a single occupant.... else 60 deg required..

Ps... buy two in one shampoo for any females that like to wash and condition...

 

[stewartwebr]

The method you suggest is what the Alde Flow is trying to prevent and should provide sufficient flow of CONTINUES hot water so you can shower in a more conventional manner. The manual which comes with the van makes the statement I quoted above, Only constraint to continues hot water will be your water tank supply and your gas supply" Therefore if you have enough water and enough gas you can stand under the shower for as long as you like. Getting technical I guess the grey waste tank limits would also constrain the time.
Having been showering like you describe for the last 20 years I wonder how effective it will be, seemed fine with 2 but not sure how it will cope with the "continues supply"
Was looking for info from anyone who may have more experience than me on the system.

http://www.alde.co.uk/itemdetails.php?itemId=54

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[Fletton]

The method you suggest is what the Alde Flow is trying to prevent and should provide sufficient flow of CONTINUES hot water so you can shower in a more conventional manner. The manual which comes with the van makes the statement I quoted above, Only constraint to continues hot water will be your water tank supply and your gas supply" Therefore if you have enough water and enough gas you can stand under the shower for as long as you like. Getting technical I guess the grey waste tank limits would also constrain the time.
Having been showering like you describe for the last 20 years I wonder how effective it will be, seemed fine with 2 but not sure how it will cope with the "continues supply"
Was looking for info from anyone who may have more experience than me on the system.

http://www.alde.co.uk/itemdetails.php?itemId=54

Ahh!.. I don't have that system... just the basic 22ltr Truma combi...

However, based on some "domestic" gas or leccy heaters/showers... that's a big ask ... i would have thought!...

 

[sallylillian]

I did think about adding one, the Alde standard is only 11 litres of heated water, and if you have a water pump rated at 11 litres per minute, allowing for a 50/50 hot cold mix you have a max 2 mins of continuous flow. Our Yankee had 30 litres of hot water, and at a hotter temp, so we had to learn to manage the process when we downsized. As I understand it the flow system is just a glorified immersion tank providing a much larger reservoir of heated water. The problem it provides is more waste water to store/ dispose of. Whilst we have 370 litres of fresh we only have 240 grey. The washing machine already delivers a management issue so I decided against the upgrade. But I will be interested in your experience over time. Hope the Morelo is still OK?

 

[stewartwebr]

I have been speaking to Alde around how the system operates and they do assure me I will have a continues flow of hot water at 50 Degrees C provided I have an internal fresh water tank to maintain a minimum water temperature.
The Alde flow basically works as a heat exchanger pumping the heating medium through the Alde Flow increasing a store of water from the fresh water tank temperature to a temperature of 25 Degrees C which is then pumped into the Alde 3020 boiler to be heated up to temperature. It appears to be a good addition to the Alde system.
With regard to the grey water storage I have 280 litre waste tank and the ability to transfer into the 210 litre black tank if need be. So no issues there.

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[CazPaul]

What a great system that is for a motorhome, how things have improved.

 

[peterc10]

For those thinking of buying this to fit to your existing system, it will only work as advertised on 2016 and later models of the 3020HE system. With earlier models it will just act as an additional storage facility for hot water, about 7litres or so more capacity.

All very well having continuous "never-ending" water flow but it means a lot of filling and emptying of tanks.

 

[Robert Clark]

Looking at the spec it appears that it only provides 3.5l per minute
Or did I miss read?

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[stewartwebr]

For those thinking of buying this to fit to your existing system, it will only work as advertised on 2016 and later models of the 3020HE system. With earlier models it will just act as an additional storage facility for hot water, about 7litres or so more capacity.

All very well having continuous "never-ending" water flow but it means a lot of filling and emptying of tanks.

Depends how big your tanks are or if you are connected to a service pitch where its not an issue

 

[Wissel]

Hadn't heard of the "Flow" - but really like the idea

My next van will have the the Alde system and I see the flow can be added aftermarket for about £650 (from a quick search). Def worth considering I think

 

[stewartwebr]

Okay, did a test run this morning with the Alde 3020 set on gas and the water supply within recording a temperature of 68 Degrees C (it had been on 30 minute boost) I had a full home type shower without switching off the water during the shower and the other half did the same with a 10 minute gap between us to allow drying etc.
A further full shower was taken, again without switching off the water. Once complete and the shower was switched off I ran the tap in the kitchen for a further 6 minutes (timed) and the water temperature was still very warm. I checked the temperature of the water in the 3020 and it was 49 Degrees C which confirms to me that the supply of how water with the Alde is almost continues.

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[stewartwebr]

Off to fill fresh water tank now....

 

[peterc10]

Okay, did a test run this morning with the Alde 3020 set on gas and the water supply within recording a temperature of 68 Degrees C (it had been on 30 minute boost) I had a full home type shower without switching off the water during the shower and the other half did the same with a 10 minute gap between us to allow drying etc.
A further full shower was taken, again without switching off the water. Once complete and the shower was switched off I ran the tap in the kitchen for a further 6 minutes (timed) and the water temperature was still very warm. I checked the temperature of the water in the 3020 and it was 49 Degrees C which confirms to me that the supply of how water with the Alde is almost continues.

Is that without the Flow? If so I think it is not needed. We both shower every morning and have never run out of hot water. But we do put it on boost beforehand.

 

[stewartwebr]

No, that was with the flow operational. Even with boost on and the water at max temp on the 3020 (max I think is 72 Degrees C) there is no way the 3020 could have sustained the flow at that temperature for the period of time.
I'm now a fan of the Alde Flow, would I pay to have it retro fitted, probably not. We have managed with the normal Alde system on the previous 3 vans without issue. However, a nice to have.

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