Alde heating fault. Any reccomendations for a trusted motorhome engineer in spain?

[Northernraider]

My alde heating/water heater has a fault.
It keeps tripping and the wee red light will come on and I can hear a fan running intermittently. Hard to describe

It used to only do it on the heating bit now does it with the water heater too and does it every time

I'm not sure if the water here has furred up the insides of the heater or if it needs the flue serviced or if something more like a sensor or fuse or something has gone.

At the minute it is heating the water enough for a shower before it trips but I'm getting tired of taking the plug out and resetting it.
So id like to get it looked at sooner rather than later as it will be cold when I'm heading back through France to Scotland in November time.
So anyone reccomend an engineer in spain or Portugal and I can visit them when passing

 

[Armytwowheels]

My alde heating/water heater has a fault.
It keeps tripping and the wee red light will come on and I can hear a fan running intermittently. Hard to describe

It used to only do it on the heating bit now does it with the water heater too and does it every time

I'm not sure if the water here has furred up the insides of the heater or if it needs the flue serviced or if something more like a sensor or fuse or something has gone.

At the minute it is heating the water enough for a shower before it trips but I'm getting tired of taking the plug out and resetting it.
So id like to get it looked at sooner rather than later as it will be cold when I'm heading back through France to Scotland in November time.
So anyone reccomend an engineer in spain or Portugal and I can visit them when passing

Where are you now?

 

[Burgo]

Why not descale the system anyway? - Mercado a sell a litre of extra strong vinegar for descaling for les than a Euro. If that sorts it out then you've got a result. If it doesn't, then that's one thing crossed off the process of elimination.

 

[funflair]

3:4 THE LPG BOILER STARTS AND SWITCHES OFF AT SHORT INTERVALS

Cause:

- Voltage to boiler too low (< 12 V).
- Poor contact point in the wiring (earth fault).
- Pressure switch damaged or incorrectly connected.- Ignition unstable.
- Flue blocked.

Action:

• - Measure incoming voltage. It must be no lower than 10.8 V.
  
  
• - Check the wiring connections, particularly the earth con-nections.
  
  
• - Check that both hoses between the pressure switch andthe fan housing are connected (see fig. 5).
  
  
• - Replace the pressure switch.
  
  
• - If the problem persists, please refer to ”Unstable or vio-
  
  lent ignition”.
  
  
• - Check that the exhaust cowl and the intake/exhaust
  
  hoses are free from objects that may obstruct the air supply.

Full version https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/files-814/alde_3000_service2028129.pdf

 

[Northernraider]

Where are you now?

I'm currently in malaga. .I'll be visiting cordoba next and then slowly heading back up towards murcia between now and mid July then accross and in to Portugal.

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[Northernraider]

Why not descale the system anyway? - Mercado a sell a litre of extra strong vinegar for descaling for les than a Euro. If that sorts it out then you've got a result. If it doesn't, then that's one thing crossed off the process of elimination.

Not sure how I'd get the descaler in to the boiler itself without doing my full fresh water system

 

[Northernraider]

3:4 THE LPG BOILER STARTS AND SWITCHES OFF AT SHORT INTERVALS

Cause:

- Voltage to boiler too low (< 12 V).
- Poor contact point in the wiring (earth fault).
- Pressure switch damaged or incorrectly connected.- Ignition unstable.
- Flue blocked.

Action:

• - Measure incoming voltage. It must be no lower than 10.8 V.
  
  
• - Check the wiring connections, particularly the earth con-nections.
  
  
• - Check that both hoses between the pressure switch andthe fan housing are connected (see fig. 5).
  
  
• - Replace the pressure switch.
  
  
• - If the problem persists, please refer to ”Unstable or vio-
  
  lent ignition”.
  
  
• - Check that the exhaust cowl and the intake/exhaust
  
  hoses are free from objects that may obstruct the air supply.

Full version https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/files-814/alde_3000_service2028129.pdf

Thanks ...i think that's an older system than mine I have the 3010 boiler. I've got the books etc for it and I've checked the obvious like voltage etc ....it starts up but trips within 10 mins or so and the red light goes on

Switching off the switches doesn't put the light out and sometimes a fan will come on and off and do that till I go disconnect the 12v supply cable to the boiler wait ten minutes and reconnect.

Can do this 3 or 4 times in a row sometimes begore it will stay on....then when I switch it off it will do the same thing.

 

[JJ]

Check out...

http://www.camperserv.com

On the N125 near Loule in the Algarve.

JJ

 

[stewartwebr]

What kind of control panel do you have? The digital control panels on the later 3010 boilers have fault finding screen

 

[Freespirit1]

@Northernraider - Best advice for you is Ring Alde and talk to their service department who will give you correct advice, talk you through diagnostics and give you the contact details if required for a local service centre to your location!

P.S. - yes my postings on here are time delayed again!!

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[Northernraider]

What kind of control panel do you have? The digital control panels on the later 3010 boilers have fault finding screen

It's not the digital control unfortunately it's the one with the 3 sliding controls and the temperature knob.

 

[stewartwebr]

It's not the digital control unfortunately it's the one with the 3 sliding controls and the temperature knob.

Oh okay, only other thing I can suggest is you give Alde a call. hey have been extremely helpful when I have called them in the past...good luck and let us all know how you get on please?

 

[Armytwowheels]

I'm currently in malaga. .I'll be visiting cordoba next and then slowly heading back up towards murcia between now and mid July then accross and in to Portugal.

The only place I know is in Murcia - http://www.caravanassangar.com
They speak excellent English and have an aire for emptying and filling, but not staying, unless you are having work done.

 

[Northernraider]

Oh okay, only other thing I can suggest is you give Alde a call. hey have been extremely helpful when I have called them in the past...good luck and let us all know how you get on please?

Yes I might have to do that ...ill take a few pics of my setup later and post them as it looks like there's been some sensor or something added which im not sure if its standard or not.

 

[Northernraider]

The only place I know is in Murcia - http://www.caravanassangar.com
They speak excellent English and have an aire for emptying and filling, but not staying, unless you are having work done.

Ah cool that might work out then as I'm heading back to Murcia for jades sterilisation.
I'm hoping it's something simple like a sensor or something as it does heat the water before it trips off ....but there's definately something a miss

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[Lenny HB]

Not sure how I'd get the descaler in to the boiler itself without doing my full fresh water system

That's what you do & you should do it once a year anyway.
Drain the fresh water tank down so there is only about 10-15 Lt in it then add 3-4 Lt of white wine vinegar. Run the hot taps until water comes out vinegary then try and get the boiler up to temp for a few hours. Then flush with clean water.

 

[rb62]

 

[funflair]

In your original post @Northernraider you say a fan runs intermittently, if this is the burner fan and I think that is the only one in there it needs to run continuously so if it goes off during gas operation the burner will cut out,

Martin

 

[funflair]

That's what you do & you should do it once a year anyway.
Drain the fresh water tank down so there is only about 10-15 Lt in it then add 3-4 Lt of white wine vinegar. Run the hot taps until water comes out vinegary then try and get the boiler up to temp for a few hours. Then flush with clean water.

My understanding of the Alde boiler is that the domestic water is heated indirectly as it surround the Heated Glycol so scaling not really a problem.

Martin

 

[Lenny HB]

My understanding of the Alde boiler is that the domestic water is heated indirectly as it surround the Heated Glycol so scaling not really a problem.

Martin

Any hard water when heated will create scale to some degree.

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[dpsuk999]

@Northernraider To get a descaling solution into your boiler without tainting your fresh water tank fit a ‘barb to make hose pipe connector’ onto the end of your pipe in the fresh water tank. When I unscrew my inspection cap the pipe in there visibly. I simply fitted the barb connection onto the end and when I want to descale the boiler I fill a 10 litre container with the descaling solution and one end of pipe in the container and the other (fitted with a female hose pipe connector) pushed onto the fitting and turn a hot tap on. When all the solution has gone I know the boiler is full. Then boiler on gas, heat the water and then leave for a few hours.

 

[Just smiffy]

I take it that you are getting a good supply of gas,? Your regulator isn’t playing up is it...? Maybe part blocked..?

 

[jezport]

I would check and clean the flue first

 

[Northernraider]

I take it that you are getting a good supply of gas,? Your regulator isn’t playing up is it...? Maybe part blocked..?

Again I'm not sure it certainly seems to light up fine and then it will run for 10 minutes or so then I hear it click off.
At that point there's like a fan that comes on and runs for a while then stops, othertimes the fan will go on and off continuously until I go unplug the 12v supply at the boiler the wee red light will not go off till I do this.
Also sometimes the boiler seems to drop some water out of the overflow at this time but not always.

Personally I think it's electrical as in a sensor or thermo switch or something but im not entirely sure.

 

[Northernraider]

I would check and clean the flue first

I'm going to do that today and reclean the one on the fridge too

I'm guessing the gas here isn't the cleanest as it fairly soots up my fridge flue

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[Northernraider]

This is photos of my alde control panel and of the boiler itself the connections to the circuit board and the thing I think has been added which seems to be connected to both the 12v pump and 230v pump and goes to a little flick switch where you can switch from one to the other ....when you do this it just seems to speed up the fan as it gets nosier.

 

[Northernraider]

Any hard water when heated will create scale to some degree.

My concern is that my aluminium kettle even using bottled water here in spain develops this white powdery film on the bottom that I have to keep cleaning off so I wondered if perhaps the same is happening inside the boiler.

Not sure if that would keep tripping it though

I wanted that cowboy that did my habitation service at Christmas to investigate and service the boiler but he was useless and instead of listening to me he simply changed the easiest thing he coukd think of which was the room stay sensor ....which needless to say made not a blind bit of difference.

But at that time it only tripped when the heating was on and you reset it and away it went again .....now it trips every single time I put water heater on and everytime I reset it give it 5 minutes and it does it again

I'm in and out the van like a fiddlers elbow


So id like it looked at and sorted once and for all before I'm dependant on the heating again.

I'm pretty sure the previous owner told me the boiler had had a new brain fitted recently ....but not sure what he meant by that

The 2 thermo fuses seem intact .....ive not stripped out the board to check it but I'm hoping that's okay as it's expensive to replace.

The little gold electrical thing which is wired in to the two pump terminals does not look original but not sure what it's for.

Ideally I'd like a trusted engineer to have a look at it ....but I don't know any so hoped someone could reccomend someone.

@Armytwowheels has mentioned someone in Murcia so if I've not got it looked at before then ill go visit them and see.

At the minute it isn't a major thing as it's so warm I often have cold showers and I won't need the heating for months yet ....but I like things to work properly and I plan to sell this van when back in UK so want it sorted out.

It may be something simple

 

[Lenny HB]

Worth rescaling if even if it doesn't help with the fault it is probably well over due. The brain probably means the electronic control board has been replaced so possibly only a sensor or thermocouple playing up.
With any luck maybe just a build up of calcium on the thermocouple.

 

[Northernraider]

Worth rescaling if even if it doesn't help with the fault it is probably well over due. The brain probably means the electronic control board has been replaced so possibly only a sensor or thermocouple playing up.
With any luck maybe just a build up of calcium on the thermocouple.

Yes id like to descale it so I'll pick up some white vinegar when shopping and I'll run it through it

 

[Lenny HB]

The gold thing is a 10 ohm 25 watt resistor probably just to limit the current.
At this time of year gas in Spain is 65% butane shouldn't cause any problems, sooting up the flue could mean a higher level of residual oils. Some Funsters have had there fridges sooting up after filling up in Spain.

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