Glycol

chris1

Hi everyone, finally picked up the 2015 320 outback and cannot seem to figure out the heating. Found the tank for the glycol after much searching and it is empty, the alde web site said to use a good quality glycol (the one they sell), do we need to order from them or have you used other brands. We've checked the fuses, replaced one, after replacing the glycol is there anything else I need to know or do before trying it again.

Sharon_is_SAM

You need Century glycol fluid available on Amazon.  Do not run the Alde until you can add more glycol.  Do you know if the glycol was ever drained and refilled?  It should be exchanged every 2 years.  If not, you should consider exchanging the glycol.

Is the Alde plugged in under the bench?  Do you have the digital or analog controls?  Which fuse did you replace?

pthomas745

This:

https://www.amazon.com/Century-Chemical-TF1-Transfer-Fluid/dp/B00JAB4YT8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3DWR1Z3LBGHU7&keywords=century+transfer+fluid+tf1&qid=1567540945&s=gateway&sprefix=century+tran,aps,178&sr=8-1

chris1

We changed one of the two fuses under the black cover, it is plugged in. We plan on draining what little glycol is in there before adding the new, not sure how to do that yet, any suggestions would be really appreciated. We have the older manual style control. Thanks 

Sharon_is_SAM

There is a hose that projects under the camper with a metal plug.  It should be in the rear driver’s side.  You pull that to drain the glycol.  Search glycol replacement here on the forum.  I believe Alde also has instructions.

chris1

Thanks Sharon for all the help

ChanW

@Chris1, be sure you understand what you're getting into before you drain the glycol out of the Alde... ie: read the various discussions here on the forum.
To change the glycol correctly requires a way to pump out the old and pump in the new.
Simply letting it drain out and refilling doesn't work - you'll only get about ⅓ of the total glycol out.
Also, before you go to all the effort of refilling, look to see if you can determine why there was glycol missing in the first place. A common problem with those earlier Little Guy Tabs is the glycol tank can develop a crack at one of the tank's hose nipples. Be sure those inlet and outlet ports are secure.

Sharon_is_SAM

Good point @ChanW.  I would add the factory does simple glycol draining and filling.  That is what everyone on the forum has been doing.  The thinking is that even though you can’t get all the old glycol out, you get enough out.  Adding new glycol to left over old glycol still leaves enough antifreeze and anticorrosion protection.  Alde has a pump rental program but not sure where they rent from - Elkhart?

@Chan, I don’t remember reading that only 1/3 actually drained.  Was that here on the forum?

ScottG

My estimate--based on published capacities and independent measurements--is that the system holds apprx. 2.5 gallons of glycol and a simple gravity drain leaves a little less than a gallon trapped in the convectors and associated tubing.

However, IIRC @ChanW's 2014 has an extra convector dropped in later models, so estimates may differ a bit from model to model.

ChanW

Yeah, that ⅓ quantity was a guesstimate, going by what I saw come out when I drained it. It was completely unscientific, except when I tested it at the end.
It tested as much less protection than I'd calculated. I had to drain more, and add more (I was using 100% glycol for just this reason!), and then I'd run it for a day or two to mix it all up and test it again.
I think I ended up adding more, two or three times, before it tested at  my goal, -20°F.
Oh well, so much for math...

ScottG

This detailed discussion includes information about testing and changing glycol.

There have been several older discussions about this topic over the years, with many questions that have ultimately been answered. In order to keep this common topic corralled, I suggest we try to keep new commentary in the discussion I linked to above.