Alde Heating Fluid Change

Razzab
Razzab Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited November 2020 in Caravans #1

Would appreciate your advice and experience on changing the fluid in an Alde system fitted to a Bailey Unicorn Vigo please. Our dealer wants £200 for the job on top of the servicing costs!

Ive tried to find the drain pipe and found a round hole underneath the floor in the vicinity of the header tank but no drain pipe, it just seems to be filled with black plastic of some kind.

I’ve located two bleed points, the bathroom radiator and behind one seat. Are there any more to find?

I would also appreciate hearing on how you did it and what antifreeze was used.

I don’t think there’s a warranty to worry about as our van is over three years old.

Thanks in anticipation, we’re new to caravans game so advice would be much appreciated.

Comments

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #2

    I won't offer advice, purely because I have never done it. The drain on my last two caravans have been coming out of the underside at the back of the 'van. The one beneath the header tank is an overflow and,, presumably, for any condensate 

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
    500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #3

    As a matter of interest what colour is the fluid?

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #4

    As the van is 3 years old I suspect that it has the initial fill of 2 or 3year life. Doubt it has the longer life one

  • MikeyA
    MikeyA Forum Participant Posts: 1,072
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #5

    Razzab,

    Last year we used an independent approved service engineer. He charged us £150 for a single axle service and £135 for the Alde change. He did a first class job and I have booked him for my next service in January.

  • Compo
    Compo Forum Participant Posts: 324
    100 Comments
    edited November 2020 #6

    This link may be useful.https://www.homecaravanservices.co.uk/aldeantifreezechange.html

     

  • markflip
    markflip Forum Participant Posts: 177
    edited November 2020 #7

    There are some posts on here from owners who have done their own Alde fluid change - a google search will find them and they report it as successful.  Use the 'pink' antifreeze that conforms with G13 specification eg Comma GG40 (from Halfords etc).  That should last 5 years in use.

  • GeordieBiker
    GeordieBiker Forum Participant Posts: 45
    edited November 2020 #8

    With regard to your question about your non-existent drain pipe, I had a similar problem when I changed the Alde fluid on Swift caravan that I owned a few years ago. The drain pipe was supposed to emerge through the floor under the cooker but, like you, all I could find was a hole and no drain pipe. Inside the caravan I removed a piece of false floor, found the drain pipe curled up on the floor below and pushed it down to appear outside before replacing the section of false floor. It may be worth checking inside the caravan above the location of the hole. Good luck.

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