Alde fluid - my plan
Comments
-
How often does the system require bleeding. Can it just be topped up?
0 -
My last caravan we had for 6 years and 9 months. Bled it after the first few days away. At 21 months the system started to kettle as the original mix was way to weak - not my top up after bleeding. It was refilled at Alde - paid for by dealer who was reimbursed by manufacturer.
It did not need bleeding during the next 5 years and that was 600 nights usage.
0 -
You need a friendly garage as they have to deal with this type of toxic waste and they could dispose of it in the proper manner. It is important that it is disposed of properly.
0 -
My caravan is due to have its heating fluid change , I contacted Alde as I was told by my dealer that it was not necessary .Alde said that the caravan builders only put fluid in that should be change after 3 years for cheapness.You can take your caravan /motorhome to the Alde factory in Wellingborough they will drain off your system refill you system with the 5 year fluid then service the system,They also have a facility for an overnight stay with electric hook up all for £200 if required.
0 -
This gets more confusing by the day! I bought Aldes own anti freeze G13 and that states ready mixed onthe container!
So if the system is not empty and Im not totally refilling, what alternative do Alde provide other than G13, which states ready mixed!,
0 -
Not sure why the confusion. If you can guarantee that you have a completely empty system, them you can just use the ready mixed anti-freeze. If you can't, which is most likely the case for most, then all you can do, is drain and flush the system until it drains clear and then add half the volume of the system with concentrated anti-freeze and top up with clean water as required. If you're just topping up, then use concentrated anti-freeze ..... Just the same as if you were replacing anti-freeze in your car.
0 -
I successfully used a very simple method to changed the fluid in my Lunar Lexon 540 Alde heating system. I'm sure this approach can be used on similar lunar models and other makes. No extra pump is needed and there little chance of air entering the system, hence you should not need to bleed the system after replacing the antifreeze.
Remove the plastic cover around the fluid tank. Mine was situated in the wardrobe. Unscrew the tank lid and remove the pump, unclip it's electric connector and place pump safely out of the way. Now use a thin bore plastic pipe to syphon out the fluid in the tank to enable the tank to be removed without spilling fluid. Unscrew the screws holding the tank to the wall. Compress, and move down, the metal clips around the top of the rubber connectors, between the tank and the inlet and exit pipes. Remove the tank.
You now need to fix a large plastic funnel to one of the pipes to feed new fluid into the system. The connection between the funnel and the pipe will need to be water tight. I used a short length of plastic tube between the funnel and a short length of 22mm copper pipe, held together with tape and clips. The copper pipe should fit snuggly into the top of the rubber connector on one of the heating pipes.
You will also need to attach a further length of plastic pipe to the other heating pipe to feed the old fluid into a bowl or bucket. I used a 22mm right angle copper bend to connect the plastic pipe to the rubber connector on the central heating pipe. You need to ensure the outlet pipe is positioned lower than the funnel to give a head to force the liquid around the system. Making up the connectors is the hard part , the rest is easy!
My system holds approx. 13l of fluid. I poured 15l of deionised water (cheap at Tesco) into the funnel. Gravity forces the water around the system and into the waste bucket. I followed this with 6l of triple Q G13 concentrated antifreeze. The two will mix in time to give the right 60/40 mix. The whole process should take no more than half an hour. Remove the funnel etc and replace the tank. Fill it to the mark with de-ioned water. Replace the pump. Job done!
0 -
Except, the void in the boiler is just that so the fluid flow will take the easiest route thus no guaranty all or even most of its contents will be displaced. A reason why draining the boiler is the recommended practice.
Also Triple Q G13 I understand is not approved by VW to their VW TL 774 J , the definitive G13 spec fluid, recommended by Alde.
0 -
Also Triple Q G13 I understand is not approved by VW to their VW TL 774 J , the definitive G13 spec fluid, recommended by Alde.
There used to be a time when anti-freeze was just anti-freeze. 🤔 This is quite interesting https://www.ato24.de/en/blog/which-coolant-antifreeze
0 -
I think you'll find that because the piping between the boiler and the drain plug runs higher than the top of the boiler removing the drain plug will not drain the fluid in the boiler. You have to rely on the new fluid entering the system to drive the old fluid out.
0 -
Ok so as a pretty good DIY'r and an Electrician I decided to replace the fluid myself. I have the Compact 3020HE in an Elddis 2018 model Affinity 554. The drain is in the opposite corner to the boiler, and it only drains about 2-3 Litres. My pump is not on the tank but adjacent to the boiler. I then attempted to pump with an awning foot pump against the flow pipe under the expansion tank- no luck, tried the return and it worked but barely.
In the end it was easiest to follow the advice of an earlier commenter to fit a funnel to the outward flow pipe on the expansion tank and a 20litre bucket on the inward flow pipe. Make sure of a good seal, and it is only this that really takes the time, some jubilee clips and some hose i had in the shed.
Turn on the heating and let the pump do the work. I poured 13 litres of demineralised water (£9- in Asda for 15L) into the funnel as 13 litres was pumped out into my bucket. Do this with the pump on low speed and it takes about 10 mins. The water then flowing into the bucket was no longer blue but clear at 12.5L, i know this because I used 5x2.5litre de-min containers and one spare for a final slug and topping up in a minute- TIME TO STOP.
Empty the bucket then start the pump again, this time filling with 5L of neat Glycol (£20 Car parts online- Spec the same as Alde). When its all in - stop and re-connect up the expansion tank, top up to 1cm above the minimum line with de-min water and start up the heating.
All good- Remember to note the change date on your Alde service sheet- Mine was on the side of the boiler. Run it for a few hours on high pump speed to push out any air and bleed the two points (more in some vans)- Bathroom Rad and front offside corner in my van.
I reckon I saved about £200 for a couple of hours work- Very satisfying. And in case you are concerned over the mix strength my manual asks for 60/40 Water/Glycol for -25Deg protection, or 50/50 maximum mix. I ended up between these two limits so perfect for my use. Take your time and go for it.
0 -
Talked to my service engineer, he was shocked that people tried to drain the system before refilling as draining only gets rid of about 20% of fluid and introduces air.
Look on youtube where (
https://youtu.be/N7QA8Yutru0 ) where they use a small submersible pump about £9 on ebay. Use the pump to force 50/50 mix into the outflow pipe once the header tank is removed as per hulln000 post.Tried to get Commer gg40 as recommended by Alde but it looks like it is obsolete will have to use g40 or equivalent. The only worry is that a DIY change might affect trade in or resale value
0 -
Draining without a pump does not clear all the fluid granted but opening the bleed screws let's you get the majority out. As the fluids are compatible a little that remains would not do a lot of harm. Yes you introduce air but bleeding the system afterwards removes the air. I would rather bleed the system after changing the fluid rather than bleeding £200 out of my bank account to have it professionally done.
0
