Alde Heating Fluid Loss (1 Viewer)

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,819
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
It does seem odd as I don't think the taps could cope with 150psi and the heating header tank cap won't be anywhere near that pressure.
Maybe it more the overheat than the pressure.
The boiler has an overheat thermostat inbuilt which cuts the gas if it gets too hot but if that fails I guess it will get hotter and hotter until the boiler blows hence the safety valve.
 
Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,533
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
MH
Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
must admit im suprised its got a 10bar safety valve fitted thats a lot of pressure for a plastic and aluminium system the question isis the system over heating to open it of has it just failed to seal with age i would have thought you would get a lot of system noises if it was going to ten bar so probaly just needs a replacement how does it fit into to the system ?
It would be faulty if it achieved anywhere near 1 Bar. It's an open system so no pressure is involved in the primary (antifreeze) side. Pressure on the hot water side is determined by the pump attached to the main cold water tank.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,819
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
It would be faulty if it achieved anywhere near 1 Bar. It's an open system so no pressure is involved in the primary (antifreeze) side. Pressure on the hot water side is determined by the pump attached to the main cold water tank.
Yes, you're right. The header tank cap only has a breather tube.
Think that confirms its a thermal valve for if the internal stat fails.
Because the pipes on mine were so clogged with scale the boiler constantly overheated due to limited water flow.
Temporarily disconnect the stat for a minute or two and it would keep running beyond where it normally stopped.
 
OP
OP
Ian-n-Suzy
Feb 2, 2009
273
166
North West
Funster No
5,535
MH
Concorde
Exp
Quite a while.....though not long enough
I'm pretty sure that the valve is at fault here, or at least a contributory factor, as even this morning when the system has had overnight to cool down, it is still dripping Glycol.

I'm guessing that the valve plays a couple of roles (automatic bleed valve?), and if there are any pockets of air in the boiler this is to alleviate them.

Hopefully a replacement valve and maybe getting an Alde engineer to fill and bleed it via a pump, will solve it. I hope (fingers crossed).

THANKS again for all the input.
 

funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
19,199
29,888
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
When I changed the fluid on ours it bled very easily but I think that comes down to how well the system was installed in the first place.

Martin

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
19,199
29,888
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
When I changed the fluid on ours it bled very easily but I think that comes down to how well the system was installed in the first place.

Martin
 

canopus

LIFE MEMBER
Nov 27, 2010
6,112
10,189
rural Lincolnshire
Funster No
14,552
MH
Carado CV640 Pro
Exp
Since 2010
Graham Cutmore has retired from the service side, but he still sells Alde parts. If you give him a bell he will put you in touch with his colleague who does mobile servicing on the 3000.

Link Removed
 

IandJ

Free Member
Oct 6, 2017
48
22
Funster No
50,858
Had exactly the same problem on ours. As a temporary measure whilst we were away I pulled the bleed pipe into the van & put it to drain in a plastic bottle that I could then empty back into the header. If you can get the valve off (a wine cork makes a good plug for the pipe) the valve can be dismantled I found a bit of plastic in ours that was stopping it seating properly. 2 months of use since & no further problem. Hope you are as lucky.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
Ian-n-Suzy
Feb 2, 2009
273
166
North West
Funster No
5,535
MH
Concorde
Exp
Quite a while.....though not long enough
Thanks for all the replies, currently going through the testing stage having replaced the valve and had an Alde approved engineer come push the fluid through with his service pump.

I don't know if this should go in another thread. There is a master switch on the CBE Control Panel that sends power to the Alde Slider CP. This also starts the pump in the expansion bottle, should the pump switch off when it gets to temperature, as it seems to keep running (though the heat source switches off).

Regards
 

IandJ

Free Member
Oct 6, 2017
48
22
Funster No
50,858
If the slider switch is set to heating only then the pump will run all the time . If you put the slider switch to heating & hot water the pump cuts in & out giving priority to the hot water, (at least that's what mine does).
 
OP
OP
Ian-n-Suzy
Feb 2, 2009
273
166
North West
Funster No
5,535
MH
Concorde
Exp
Quite a while.....though not long enough
If the slider switch is set to heating only then the pump will run all the time . If you put the slider switch to heating & hot water the pump cuts in & out giving priority to the hot water, (at least that's what mine does).

I thought I had read that same thing elsewhere when I was researching upgrading the control panel or fitting the Danfoss Timer, but couldn't find it - THANKS

The water is currently drained down, will test it before the next outing.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,819
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
The header tank pump was controlled by the room thermostat on mine, the boiler was controlled by its own built in overheat thermostat in the heating water chamber.
Once the van was to the temp set by the room stat the pump stopped, van cooled slightly and the room stat sent power to the pump again until the van warmed back to temp and so on.
The hot water temp was also controlled by a pre-set thermostat built into the hot water chamber of the boiler.... There was no external hot water temp control.

They all appear to be configured differently
 

funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
19,199
29,888
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
If the pump slider switch is on the first click the pump will be controlled by the thermostat, if the pump slider is on the second/top position the pump will run all the time and the room thermostat will control the boiler temperature thereby giving a more even room temperature as it avoids the pump on/off cycle but the down side is that the hot water will not be very hot.

Martin
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,819
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
If the pump slider switch is on the first click the pump will be controlled by the thermostat, if the pump slider is on the second/top position the pump will run all the time and the room thermostat will control the boiler temperature thereby giving a more even room temperature as it avoids the pump on/off cycle but the down side is that the hot water will not be very hot.

Martin
Again, they are all different.
My controller had no sliders.. Just four on/off push buttons. (not digital)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
19,199
29,888
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
Again, they are all different.
My controller had no sliders.. Just four on/off push buttons. (not digital)
I am not familiar with that ALDE controller but in this instance I think we are discussing the 3000 system with the manual control which as far as I know has only ever been on three sliders and a thermostat.

Martin
 
OP
OP
Ian-n-Suzy
Feb 2, 2009
273
166
North West
Funster No
5,535
MH
Concorde
Exp
Quite a while.....though not long enough
If the pump slider switch is on the first click the pump will be controlled by the thermostat, if the pump slider is on the second/top position the pump will run all the time and the room thermostat will control the boiler temperature thereby giving a more even room temperature as it avoids the pump on/off cycle but the down side is that the hot water will not be very hot.

Martin

MANY THANKS

(I'm trying to talk myself into going out and filling with water to test it all out. As I would also like to fit one of these Danfoss Timers at some point and could do with a better understanding of the system, as I don't want to fit one if I have to leave the pump running continuously).
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,819
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
Yes Martin, this was a 3020 compact.
Suppose it doesn't follow the controller was Alde though
Any make would do if it has the basic functions for on and off.
Of course, the room stat is only a thermal switch and can be wired to turn anything on or off via a relay

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
19,199
29,888
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
MANY THANKS

(I'm trying to talk myself into going out and filling with water to test it all out. As I would also like to fit one of these Danfoss Timers at some point and could do with a better understanding of the system, as I don't want to fit one if I have to leave the pump running continuously).
There was a guy who went by the name Venwood and used to write a lot about mods on his Flair, one of then was fitting the Danfoss TP5000, I will see if I can find it.

Martin
 
OP
OP
Ian-n-Suzy
Feb 2, 2009
273
166
North West
Funster No
5,535
MH
Concorde
Exp
Quite a while.....though not long enough
There was a guy who went by the name Venwood and used to write a lot about mods on his Flair, one of then was fitting the Danfoss TP5000, I will see if I can find it.

Martin

Think I saw a post of his on "the other" forum from a few years back.
 
Apr 27, 2008
319
450
South Wales
Funster No
2,331
MH
a-classs
Exp
2005
Don't waste money buying expensive Alde branded antifreeze.
It's identical to VWs G12++ and G13 antifreeze... Even Alde have this info openly available.
Go to eurocarparts 5liters of g13 which is backward compatible with g12 fluid
£9.99 for 5 litres
Just drained my system and renewed the fluid it took 25 litres
You need to 50/50 mix with deionised water
 
Last edited:

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top