Alde 3020HE advice please

IanTG
IanTG Forum Participant Posts: 419
100 Comments
edited May 2021 in Caravans #1

We have a 2020 Adria van with Alde 3020HE wet heating. Our previous couple of vans also had Alde so we’re not new to it.

The current van/system just doesn’t seem to be as good at warming up the van (no problem with hot water). We have never run it on gas, only mains as we use EHU, tending to simply switch on/off using the thermostat to control it. The pipes running from the bottom end of the boiler are (very) hot, and there is some warmth detectable emanating from odd spots around the van, but not consistently so. On consulting the instructions, these symptoms read as though there could be air in the system. So the obvious thing is to bleed the system. But where are the bleed valves? I can see one at the end of the low level ‘radiator’ in the bedroom, but the instructions are not specific in terms of where or how many.

I’m sure that the system must be pretty much the same across all brands of van, so......

1. does anyone agree or disagree with my guess it’s air related? If not what else?

2. where are bleed valves?

the van goes in for its first service in about a month, so I can get it checked then, but as we are away at present in the unseasonably cool May, I’d like to sort if possible.

thanks

Ian

Comments

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #2

    Does sound a lot like an airlock. The bleed valves will be very much van specific. Our Bailey supposedly had several. Although the only one we ever needed was on the bathroom towel rail, all the air ended up there and was easily expelled. Afterwards, everything heated up as it should. 

  • Tirril
    Tirril Forum Participant Posts: 439 ✭
    100 Comments
    edited May 2021 #3

    My Hymer has 4 bleed valves, generally you would expect to find one each either side of the front seats (behind the cushions) another down the side wall on the opposite side to the boiler and one in the rear. The general advice is to tilt the van by adjusting the jockey wheel to create either the front or back to be higher to encourage the air to run to the appropriate bleed valve. Turn the pump up to its max setting which is usually 5 and run the heating on max temperature setting until the van is thoroughly heated through. Then knock the heating off and open the bleed valves to expel any air. In stubborn cases it may need to be repeated.

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