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Alde Hot Water Heater Questions

otr_320otr_320 Member Posts: 71
edited September 2023 in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
New '23 T@B320 owner here.  Just got around to trying out the Alde hot water heater. With the Alde in "max" hot water mode (triangle completely black; heater off), running on 120vac at 2kw, the heating elements cycle 2-3 min. on, then 2-3 min off.  As the water gets hotter the cycles appear to get shorter and shorter.  On gas, it cycles approx. 3 min. on, then 4-5 min. off.  Again, the cycles seem to get shorter as the water gets hotter.  Is this normal?

The water gets hot, not scalding, but pretty hot.  I can get almost 2 min of steady hot water from the main faucet with 50 psi of city water hooked up before the hot water runs out.  I believe the Compact 3020 only has a 2 gal hot water tank.  Are folks finding the 3020 has enough hot water capacity for one person to take a quick, navy-type shower? 

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    pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,678
    You are talking about the 320?  The tank is roughly 2.5 gallons.  A 400 has the "Alde Flow" which increases the tank capacity somewhat and supplies more hot water.
    Most owners do the "Navy shower" idea, so yes.
    The "Extra Hot Water" setting (that black triangle) increases the water temp (the manual says 149F) and shuts off the glycol pump, so that all the Alde heating "elements" are only heating water.  No glycol is being circulated for heat around the trailer.  
    Try your Alde on the 'normal" hot water setting and see how the cycles go.
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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    otr_320otr_320 Member Posts: 71
    edited September 2023
    Yes, '23 320.   Good to know we have 2.5 gal vs. 2.  Will try the normal mode, thanks.

    We would have never known it was cycling if we hadn't tested our Victron Multiplus power assist mode by powering the hot water heater in 2kw mode.  The Victron shunt's trending data clearly showed the heater elements cycling 2-3 min on, 2-3 off.

    Fingers crossed the cycling is normal.  Most hot water heaters simply stay-on constantly until the water is heated to the target temp then shut-off.

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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,509
    @otr_320 - did you adjust the mixing valve?  We adjusted ours so that the output was very hot, then we further adjust the temp at the faucet.  This allows plenty of volume with hot water for a shower.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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    otr_320otr_320 Member Posts: 71
    Called Alde tech support.  Apparently the 2-3 min on, 2-3 min off "cycling" of the heating elements is normal when the hot water heat is in max/super heat mode (triangle all black).  The cycling gets shorter and shorter as the water gets closer to its target temp.  This cycling also applies when in gas/propane mode, too.  Good to know our system is working properly. 

    When the regular heater is on (pump is recirculating) there is no cycling---the heating elements stay-on, pulling a steady 2kw until the trailer reaches its target temperature.

    Sharon_is_SAM, thanks for the suggestion to adjust the mixing valve.  Nice to know info.  
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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,509
    @otr_320 - thanks for sharing the cycling info.  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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