Valves set for camping mode/ No hot water

Glider11

The valves under the bed by the hot water tank - 320s 2018 - I've been trying to work with Alde/nucamp through emails.  The valves in my TT don't turn/align with the ones in the back of the Alde manual.  4 of them turn / set differently.  I've tried various combinations, trying to get hot water flowing in sink and shower to no avail.  Anyone else have this issue, and how did you resolve it? 
The mixing valve is set as per instructive videos.  I've run 5+ gallons of water to purge any air in the system. The Alde panel is set per instructions, comments and videos on this forum.  There are no apparent leaks in the lines. 
Also, related to valves no doubt - how do i know if the hot water tank has water in it?
Thanks!    

pthomas745

Pictures of your valves would be useful.  (watch for proper sizing).  It is easy to get them scrambled around and just miss something easy. 

Glycol tank full? 

Sharon_is_SAM

To fill the hot water tank, make sure the Alde bypass valve is closed and the hot and cold water supply valves are open.  Hook up to city water with a pressure regulator.  Open a faucet set to hot water and let it run until it stops sputtering and flows smoothly.  Then the Alde hot water tank should be full.

Pictures of your valves will help us help you.

Glider11

Glider11

I don't have any calves @Sharon_is_SAM, but here are valves.  :-)   3 of these valves do not match the position as stated in the 320s manual.  In the above pics, esp. the drain valves, are turned so water won't drain out. The by pass valve is one I'm not sure about - when i turn it one way, water seems to gush to / from somewhere, but doesn't appear to flow outside the TT.  I turn it the other way, that stops.  So, does the gushing mean the water is flowing into the tank. (I'm simple minded sometimes).  It eventually quits gushing, so... that kind of unnerved me.   FYI I dismantled the outdoor shower, had the tubes removed, and it is sealed off with a cap.  

Glider11

@pthomas745 yes, glycol is full.  I've tried the various valves open/shut, turned in different positions, multiple times. But I'm not sure of the intake valve.  I hear water gush forward, but it doesn't seem to be draining out. I'm hoping that is the reason.  This system's 3 or sovalves do not match the diagram in the manual for camping ready. That is, they don't turn in the same direction as indicated in the manual.  So, example, in the manual, a valve may turn left away from tube, and parallel to it - but in my TT, that same valve will only turn parallel, and right.   

Sharon_is_SAM

@Glider11 - when you say your valves don’t align with the manual photos, are you saying your valve is closed when it is parallel with the pipe?  

What happens when you set the valves like the manual?  Close both hot and cold drain valves, open the hot and cold supply valves and leave the bypass closed.  

What valve are you referring to as the “intake” valve?

ScottG

@Glider11, don't get hung up trying to match your valves to the photos in the manual.

If the handle is parallel to the pipe it's open. If perpendicular it's closed. That's how all those valves work.

The plumbers aren't always consistent when they install them, so yours may appear different than those in the photos.

pthomas745

Below is a picture of my 2017, which is pretty close to yours, in the "Camping Season Mode."  There are really only five "valves" to deal with while winterizing, and two of them are drains.  (Not counting the "Yellow Flapper Valve."

In your photo:  The "Hot Water Drain", Number 5 in my photo, is open.  It needs to be closed.  Do you have any water draining from under the trailer?

In your photo, the "Cold Water Shutoff", Number 4 in my photo, is closed.  It needs to be open.

Your "Bypass Valve" is closed, which is correct. Compare to my photo.

Bayliss

@Glider11, I agree with the above comments.  I own a 2019 320 S with the same plumbing you have, although I see that your outside shower is not connected to the water lines.

Once you have the valves set as described by @pthomas745, you should be able to get water to your Alde hot water boiler/tank.  Here are some instructions that I previously posted for filling the Alde tank (to answer your question re how you know the tank is full):

To fill your Alde hot water tank (if empty) when connected to water service at a campsite, or at home, connect your hose (from the campground pedestal or house spigot) to the outside water inlet on the trailer (on the driver's side of the trailer at the front end.)  Turn on the water supply and then open the hot water valve at the kitchen sink to pull water into the hot water line and to fill the Alde tank.  You don't need to open the hot water faucet valve much.........in fact, you don't want to open it too far because, when first filled, there will be air in the water line and Alde tank that will "sputter" out of the hot water faucet until the tank is full.  You will know that the Alde tank is full when the sputtering stops and the water flows freely from the faucet.  After the sputtering stops at the kitchen sink faucet, close it to stop the water flow.  Then, you should also briefly open the hot and cold water valves at the indoor shower to pressurize/fill those water lines and remove any remaining air.  Do the same thing for the cold water lines, including cold water faucet in the kitchen and the toilet flush valve.

If instead using water from the fresh water tank (via the water pump), and assuming you have water in the fresh water supply tank, the process is the same once you turn on the pump.  However, remember that since the water will be pulled from the fresh water tank, the fresh water supply tank will be depleted by a little over two gallons to fill the Alde tank.  If you want a full fresh water supply tank, in addition to a full hot water tank, then you will need to top off the fresh water supply tank.

Glider11

@Sharon_is_SAM What I am saying is some of my valves do not turn like those in the manual.  I explained this in comment to pthomas.  I'll follow what pthomas says later this AM.  When I turn some of the valves as per the manual, they actually work the opposite.  For instance, instead of closing, they open, and water drains out under the trailer.  I'll try it again in a couple of hours. When I open the sink faucet on hot, no water comes out.  I hear a slight noise, maybe a gurgling, but only for a few seconds.... perhaps the tank is filling? I didn't keep the faucet turned to hot for long, thinking something was wrong.  Maybe this is the whole issue.   

Glider11

@Bayliss Thank you for these instructions.  I will soon be applying the valve info suggested above and your process.  As I said in another comment, I removed the outdoor shower tubing and capped it off as per the photo.  It had leaked into the indoor compartment where all this tubing is - and because I found the outdoor shower mechanism to be of poor quality, and so I only tried to use it once or twice, it was of no use to me.  All its tubing just cluttered up that small space more, creating what I described it to be a 'snake pit'.  

Glider11

@rthomas Ok, I'm now working on the system again with all the above suggestions from various people.  It's 9:45 AM PST here.  Part of the problem is communication. Your #5 valve - Are you saying your diagram shows the hot water drain valve as open or closed?  When you say open, does that mean it is draining or not? 

pthomas745

Sorry, I know things get scrambled up!  But the comparisons of the pictures help a lot.   In my photo. #5, the hot water drain valve is (and should be) closed.  In your photo, that drain is open. (It needs to be closed).  I would guess that you might have a puddle under the trailer under that drain? 

Glider11

@pthomas745 @Bayliss @Sharon_is_SAM   Thanks! I'll place all 3 of you on same message so I don't have to repeat myself so much.  OK, I positioned my #4 valve parallel as yours is indicated in your diagram.  Water ran out the drain onto the ground.  (I've checked these several times trying to work via email with nucamp Tech).  So, we now know that my #4 is contrary to yours and the manual. ~ I ran water through the system, using Bayliss's instructions. Hot and cold sputtered for some time, and both now are running smoothly. I still have no idea if the hot water heater is full.  I now have the alde panel (the little shower head icon) on the full solid bar, and the electric on #2. So will have to wait for it to heat up.  I'll now go out and try the #5 valve, as per pthomas's diagram.   

Glider11

@pthomas745 @Sharon_is_SAM  @Bayliss  My #5 valve does NOT turn in the direction yours does.  It either turns right, parallel, to the tube, or Down (opposite direction of the way yours is pointing). When I just now turned the #5 parallel to the tube, there was a few seconds of gurgling, then nothing.  Either way, NO water is pouring out onto the ground. Deduction: no hot water in the tank.  I'll now go check another valve. (I have to run back and forth from house to trailer as internet is not strong out there). NOTE: you said both of our by pass valves are the same - if you'll look again, yours is pointing "up" whereas mine is pointing 'down'. I'll turn it and see what happens. The tank is heating up so I'm concerned that if there is no water in there, bad news! 

Glider11

@pthomas745  @Sharon_is_SAM  @Bayliss  I checked for hot water at faucet. It ran! BUT only for a minute, then it drizzled out. So, some water got into the tank but I think it's empty now? The red hot water hoses are hot. Alde black hoses are getting warm.  What is the by pass valve for? (it'd help if nuCamp had explanations).  I can't tell if it's open or closed - tried both ways - it works in the positions in manual and as pthomas's.  So, I have it turned down, as per manual. But, given how the others are messed up, I wonder about it.  My cold water drain valve: closed as per manual camping mode; open when it is parallel to hose, NOT like manual.  

Verna

@pthomas745, can you describe which side of your photo is the front of the T@B, back https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/47/what-size-should-my-posted-forum-photos-be#latest and side of the T@B, please? Maybe that is part of the confusion. Thanks.

Glider11

@pthomas745 @Sharon_is_SAM @Bayliss By pass valve:  Just now, I turned it parallel to hose. Water had gathered in it, and it gushed 'somewhere', then drizzled out and stopped.  Hot water drain valve:  NOT like manual diagram. Just now, when I turned it parallel to hose, water gushed 'somewhere', then drizzled and stopped.  Does this make any sense? Where does the water in these two valves go to?  If you know of a GOOD video showing and explaining all of these valves, I'm happy to watch them instead of bug you three.  
  

Verna

@Glider11 , you are not “bugging” anyone. @Sharon_is_SAM
is traveling and may be in and out of cell service. @pthomas745 will be back. Those two are much more qualified than myself on the Alde valve positions. Be patient and they will answer. 

Glider11

 @pthomas745 @Sharon_is_SAM @Bayliss  Update:  no hot water again.  When I was turning various valves, some water must have been released into the tank. Now to figure out which one.  I'm still suspicious of the by pass valve's position.  I suppose it won't hurt anything if I turn it the other way for a while, to see if water will flow into the tank.  OTHER VALVES I just checked:  Hot water drain valve - turned parallel to hose (NOT like manual), a bit of water drained onto ground.  Hot water valve, pthomas' # 2:  (I'll use a clock face to describe direction) My #2 ~ points at 6:00, parallel to hose - NOT like the manual, which points up to 12:00. The other direction it turns is left (9:00) NOT like the manual, which turns right (3:00).  When I turn it either way there is no water sound, so I'm not sure which is open or closed. @pthomas745 in your diagram of #2, is it open (to allow water to flow) or closed? Our pictures are in the same direction, by the way.  I hope I've now covered all the valves (cold H20 drain valve is fine) - to clarify the positions of my valve system.  I'll now try a different direction for the bypass valve, see if that will allow water into tank.  If not, I'll then try changing the direction of the hot water valve. 

Sharon_is_SAM

@Glider11 - don’t worry about right or left, up or down-  just turn the valves parallel or perpendicular to the hose.  Parallel opens the valve and allows water to flow, perpendicular closes the valve.  

Turn the Alde bypass valve perpendicular (closed) and leave it there for camping.  If you winterize with antifreeze, you open the valve and antifreeze flows from the cold water plumbing to the hot water plumbing, bypassing the Alde water tank.  You also leave the bypass open when you sanitize to avoid getting bleach in the Alde water tank.

Glider11

@pthomas745 @Sharon_is_SAM @Bayliss I just turned the bypass valve - water gushed going to ??? fingers crossed, to the hot water tank.  I'll check it in a little while to see if I have hot water.  UPDATE - Success! Both the sink and shower now have warm/hot water!  The by pass valve position works to move water to the tank to be heated the OPPOSITE way it shows in the manual (and the valve turned in a different direction... anyway....) >>> unbelievable.  I'm going grocery shopping now - and will try it again upon return - just to make sure it was not a dream.  

Bayliss

@Glider11, using your photo (but with colored arrows added), what you need to do is turn the valve that is labeled with a blue arrow so that it is parallel to (i.e., inline with) the blue cold water line.  That will open up the cold water line and allow cold water to flow to the Alde tank.

Also, you need to turn the valve marked with the red arrow so that it is perpendicular to the hot water (red) pipe.  This valve is for the hot water drain, and should only be opened when you want to drain the hot water line (same is true for the cold water drain, which is the valve on the far right side of your photo.)

Your bypass valve is correctly set for using your water while camping (i.e., it is currently closed.)  As @Sharon_is_SAM noted, even if that valve handle is pointing upward (12:00 position), it should still be closed.  It just depends how the valve was originally installed.  That is what may be what is confusing you about that particular valve.

Bayliss

@Glider11, I am only posting the following information to answer your question regarding the "purpose" of the bypass valve, so it is information only for future reference.

The below photograph (not mine, but it has been posted in this forum several times and is accurate ) shows how your valves will be set when "winterizing", or sanitizing your trailer's water lines.  What the photo shows is that when you close the hot and cold water valves, you stop water from flowing into and out of the Alde tank.

By simultaneously opening the "bypass" valve, the cold water (that can no longer flow to the Alde tank, because you have closed the cold water valve) will make a hard left first through the short piece of blue PEX piping, through the open bypass valve, then into the short piece of red PEX piping, and then (because the hot water valve is closed) will continue through the red PEX leading down toward the bottom of the photo - - -  that pipe leads to the hot water side of your sink and shower.  Essentially, what you are doing is "bypassing" the Alde hot water tank, because you don't want to send bleach (for sanitizing the water lines) or anti-freeze (for winterizing the water lines) to the Alde hot water tank, because those chemicals can damage the interior of the Alde tank.  If you ever accidentally fail to bypass the Alde tank and those chemicals are allowed to flow into it, just do a good job of flushing out the Alde tank with water and you will be OK.

Good luck!

pthomas745

@Verna My photo has the "front" of the trailer at the bottom of the picture.  The white object is where the Alde electrical plug would go.  Roughly the same orientation as Glider's photo.

Glider11

@Bayliss yes, shore water, not freshwater tank. The issue wasn't if I had the water on or not - obviously I did since the cold water was running.  I appreciate the info about the purpose of the by pass valve.  I have read numerous comments on the forum, and with email with nucamp tech - as stated in previous comments several times. I hunted for and watched several videos, most to no avail, as the issue was very specific.   Did you read the comments I sent today? Most of my TT's valves don't align with the manual.  I also stated this several times. Whoever set up this TTs water system was not paying attention or - whatever. What is done is done. I took my TT in for some maintenance work to a new RV repair place, and I have a hunch that guy changed the valves, as the water was fine in June.   I've been working on this issue for days, as nucamp tech takes days to respond because of so many questions asked of them - we get in a queue. Thus, the reason I came here to the forum. I appreciate your willingness to help me out.  The problem was the by pass valve.   

Glider11

@Sharon_is_SAM Thanks for the added information.  I appreciate you for taking the time to help me out.  Not all of my TTs valves go by the parallel/perpendicular rule - that's been a big part of figuring this out.  One of the nucamp techs told me about this also last week, but of course it didn't work. And they are extremely busy to have a consistent conversation with the same Tech person. So, I appreciate the ability to have a consistent conversation here.  

Glider11

@pthomas745 Yes, as I mentioned, our pics are aligned similarly.  Thanks for working with the photos so well, your numbering and labeling system was very helpful!  Using it helped me to figure out it was the by pass valve that was the culprit.  I will go through everyone's notes scrupulously, leave notes to myself in my maintenance log of where to find these helpful comments, for the next time I set up the water system, and / or winterize.  Thanks for your systematic trouble shooting.  

Bayliss

@Glider11, I am not sure which specific "manual" you are referring to, but if it is nuCamp's 2017 version (see photo below), then it matches what we have been describing as far as how to set the valves.  BUT, are you possibly looking at a different photograph?  If so, maybe you can post it so we are all on the same page.  If you have configured your valves as depicted in the photo below, then you should be getting water at your sink/shower.

CORRECT VALVE SETTINGS FOR CAMPING MODE:

Glider11

@Bayliss most of your recent questions have been answered.  The issue is solved.