Help, Alde hot water not working..

CCC

On day 10 of a 30+ day Safari in NE Utah now, all systems working great since I set the Alde heating system on high altitude and turned the propane a few times to get flow for the stove, but I can not for the life of me get the Alde hot water working. I have been without cell or internet for the past 4 days, hoping one of you might offer quick hints, don’t have a good connection to search. Enjoying the hell out of the freedom to roam.

Sharon_is_SAM

If you have cabin heat, then you will have hot water if you filled the Alde water tank.  Is the Alde bypass set to Normal?  That will allow water to enter the tank.  

Sounds like you are running the Alde on battery and propane.  What are your Nautilus settings?  How long did you wait for the water to heat?

CCC

where where one mig/ht find the Alde bypass? I believe I filled the hot water tank per Alde instructions. How long should you wait?

bergger

Make sure the red lever is vertical on your nautilus. That will mean water is going into the Alde hot water tank. Turn on the hot water setting on the Alde panel. Put in in boost mode by pushing the “+” button twice on the hot water setting. It’ll put all power to the hot water for about 30 minutes then go back to normal setting automatically. If you’ve done that you should have hot water in 20-30 minutes. Just remember if you’re off grid and actually didn’t fill the Alde with water prior then you’ll have to turn on your 12v pump to fill it from your fresh water tank. If you’re in city water you’ll hear it filling when you turn the red lever vertical. 

Denny16

On the TaB320, the Alde bypass valve is in the left side of the Nautilus panel, set it to normal to allow,water,into,the A
de hot water tank.  

Cheers 

CCC

The last comments are opposite? Berger says to place the Alde lever vertical and Denny says place it normal which is horizontal.   ?

Sharon_is_SAM

The large Alde bypass valve should be horizontal to allow water to enter the Alde.  I believe @Berger is referring to the 400 Nautilus, not your 320.

CCC

thanks, will see if it works. I can not find anything in the Nucamp, Alde or Nautilus info that addresses how to use the hot water and the morons who sold me the camper were clueless. Thanks for this site.

bergger

Sorry, yes my info was for the 400 with the nautilus. On my phone it does not show me any signature info so I did not realize you had a 320. 

CCC

No problem Berger, thanks for the help.

CCC

Still not working, I have tha Alde lever set as Sharon says, have the Nautilous setting on dry camp mode, hit the contro for hotter and waited 30 minutes, turned the pump on, water on , ice cold.

bergger

Do you have heat?  If your glycol is hot and providing heat then the water in the Alde will be hot as the same burners, gas or electric, that heat the glycol also heat the water.  Have you drained the Alde to confirm you actually do have water in the Alde?  Try that, just be careful because if you do have water in the Alde it will be very hot when it drains out.  The only two possibilities I can think of is, you either don't have water going into the Adle, or the mixer valve is turned so far the wrong way that the water is cold and not hot.  

CCC

If no further suggestions, I wll try again to fill the Alde hot tank. I undertand it to fill the Alde hot tank, Run around three gallons worth while the pump is on through a hot water faucet, which I assume to the left side of the faucett. Then turn the Alde panel for hot water. I am boondocking on propane.

Denny16

Also make sure the hot water drain valve snd Alde (yellow) flipper valves are in horizontal/closed position, when filling the hot water tank.  I run the pump get water flowing out of cold water side, then switch the faucet to hot water to fill the tank.  You should get water sputtering out then a steady flow of water.  When this happens, the hot water tank is then full.  Set the Alde to max (shower) mode snd wait 20 minutes, then try the hot water.  It will take a minute or so for the hot water to come out of the faucet, pushing the fold water out.  

You could catch all this water in a pan or two, to use whilst you are camping, and keep it from going into the gray tank.  Normally, I use city water mode to fill the hot water tank and water lines in the TaB before hitting the road, so,I do not end up wasting water from the water tank.  This is also a good time to test the water system and Alde for hot water, and check for any leaks.
 Cheers 

pthomas745

New trailer.  Have you ever had hot water?  Have you ever adjusted the mixing valve? Find out which one you might have, and there are instructions in the group on how to adjust.  Look in the Alde compartment for this:

Or, one that looks like this.  If the valve has never been adjusted, it could also be the source of the issue.

Yoshi_TAB

Hi,  If you go under the cushion and feel the  red tubing  coming out of the Alde to your the mixing valve are any of the them hot. Circled in the picture.   Those would be the ones that supply hot water to the mixing valve.  If the red ones (especially at the mixing valve, are not hot, then it's a water supply issue to your Alde.  To confirm you have cabin heat..correct?

CCC

Yes have Alde cabin heat. I have top one, the Speedfit. And, no I have not had hot water. I don’t feel any heat in the tubes right now but I don’t have the hot engaged in the control panel right now.

marleecamps

I only had lukewarm water when I first got my 400.  As soon as I adjusted the mixing valve, I was all set with nice hot water.  Hope your solution is as simple.

Yoshi_TAB

CCC said:

Yes have Alde cabin heat. I have top one, the Speedfit. And, no I have not had hot water. I don’t feel any heat in the tubes right now but I don’t have the hot engaged in the control panel right now.

ok..once you set/engage the Alde for hot water, see if the red tubes to the mixing valve get hot.  If they don't then your alde tank is not filling up from your water source and that would seem to be your issue.   I did not see if you are using your on board water tanks or you have water at the camp site (city water).  

If the red tube is hot before the mixing valve how hot is the water after the mixing valve.  Trying to determine if it's a hot water fow issue or a heating issue.

If the red lines to the mixing valve are hot (and they should be pretty hot to the touch), then your mixing valve could be out of adjustment.  If your hot water has worked before this outing, I would not see how your mixing valve would "come out of the  adjustment" and now need adjusting.  It may need tweaking, but no hot water at all is usually not a mixing valve issue.  

Trying to walk down your system to determine if it's a water flow or alde heating issue.

pthomas745

if....the mixing valve has never been adjusted.....try this thread.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/159795#Comment_159795

Denny16

If he has cabin heat, and the water tank has water in it, the mixing valve is the next thing to check out.  The glycol from the cabin heat, heats the water in the two hot water tanks, one in the main boiler and the other in the Flo tank.  Going to max hot water shuts off the glycol circulation pump that heats the cabin, and circulates glycol just to the Flo tank to get additional hot water going.
 Cheers 

CCC

The mixing valve was near the counterclockwise stop, turned it clockwise a good bit, still not hot water. After adjusting does it take a while to work?

Yoshi_TAB

Hi, 

If you have hot water to the mixing valve, it should heat your water fairly quickly.  You may have to run a faucet a few minutes to get the hot water to travel from the mixing valve to your faucet.

Have you confirmed you have very hot water on the inlet side of the mixing valve?  This is done by checking the red tubing going from the alde to the mixing valve.

Once you adjust the mixing valve, you can run your faucet for a minute and check the outet side of the mixing valve to confirm the water is hot.

If you do not have hot water either going to your mixing valve and to outlet side of the mixing valve there is something else going on.

CCC

No heat to the mixing valve. When I moved the yellow lever up in the Alde I hear a gurgling sound. Think I think I should drain the Alde hot tank and retry? If I do so is it as simple as flipping the yellow lever up to drain it?

Yoshi_TAB

Hi, It sure seems like your alde hot water tank does not have hot water in it  supplying it  the mixing valve. 

When your sink faucet is in the  hot position, are you getting cold water or no water flow in the hot position?

So when you flipped the yellow lever up, no water came out?

You are dry camping right?  

Start at the water source and double check everything is hooked up right, your Nautalis is in the right configuration (the blue and green levers).  The red level horizontal and  not in bypass

Flip the yellow lever up and down just to make sure it is not stuck.

Your pump is working?  You get cold water?  Correct?

Sorry about the questions..but it helps to know the answers to get this going.

CCC

Heavy flow of cold water in the hot position, pump working, Nautilus in dry camp mode. Red lever on the Alde bypass horizontal. I just flipped the yellow. lever for a moment. I read somewhere that you should drain the Alde hot water tank after a while. To Do this it is just simple as flipping the yellow lever up?

Sharon_is_SAM

Yes, the Alde tank can be emptied via the yellow flapper valve.  It may help to open a hot tap to prevent a vacuum and allow for more complete emptying.  Pump off when you do this while boondocking.

I am not convinced that your Alde tank is full.  So, go ahead and open the yellow valve and put a bucket under it to measure the volume.  Be careful as it may be very hot.

CCC

Where does the Alde drain?

CCC

Well I just noticed that plug was not plugged in.

Denny16

Which plug was not plugged in?  Also the Alde yellow flipper drain comes out of a small (1/2-inch) tube under the trailer below the Alde valve location.
 Cheers 

CCC

Plug in the Alde compartment next the mixing valve.  looks like regular electical plug.Turned off Alde, refilled fresh tank with Alde lever on normal, restarted Alde, still no heat in the red hoses although I do feel heat on the heavy black hose which runs to the brass fitting which is also warm.