Service Departments, Montana's Early Winters, the Alde and Very Hot Antifreeze

Bert

When we bought our new Tab Outback MaxS a few days ago, we told the dealer that we wanted the trailer winterized so nothing would freeze but that we could use the Alde furnace the following day (Montana freezes early). I hadn't read the posts regarding Alde winterizing at that time. The posts say that Alde does not recommend having antifreeze in the system when using the furnace. I went to the dealer and asked whether they had blown the antifreeze out as recommended by Alde so I could use the furnace. The manager went back to the shop and returned, telling me it was safe to use my Alde furnace. I've been testing the Alde the last few days and noticed drops of antifreeze leaking onto the cutting board. I turned the water on without turning the water pump on. I had a full flow of extremely hot antifreeze for a couple of minutes or so. I turned on the water pump until the antifreeze quit coming out. I turned on the hot and cold taps in the shower. Nothing came out. So, I'm guessing that I haven't done any damage, but that I have cooked antifreeze into my system. I'm assuming that if I empty the gray water tank, that will remove most of the antifreeze in the lines and everything will be fine. Do I need to try to empty anything else (toilet)? Do I need to blow out the antifreeze with compressed air? Thanks for helping. 

jkjenn

Did you have your Alde control panel set to hot water? If not, it sounds like residual hot water. I don't believe the Alde would have taken in your antifreeze from the freshwater tank without the control panel set to hot water and if the pump was off. The antifreeze coming through the faucet would have been in the water lines from winterizing. Some people do not blow the air/water out, they simply add antifreeze. It sounds like, perhaps that is what your dealer did.  LG installs a bypass so you can use the furnace while it the T@b is winterized without antifreeze getting into your system.

ChanW

Alde says that heated antifreeze in the domestic hot water heater could damage the seals (I think).

It's possible your dealer doesn't know about that rule with the Alde.

I'd think you might want to rinse the Alde hot water tank/system with clean water, and then winterize it according to Alde. ie: Blow out the tank with air, turn off the isolation valves, and winterize the rest of the system, either with air or antifreeze.

Nomad

Also, once winterized, especially if the water lines have been flushed/filled with antifreeze, you shouldn't try to use your water/shower faucets.

ScottG

On my Alde control panel, you can have hot water only, or heat and HW, but not heat only. Both setting activate the heating elements; the heat and HW setting also activates the thermostat and circulator pump for the radiators. 

My guess is that your dealer did not drain or blow out the Alde HW tank. When you turned it on, the antifreeze/liquid in the tank expanded a bit, creating pressure in the HW lines that led to your drip and your temporary gusher from your faucet.

Probably no harm done, but I would completely drain and blow out the Alde tank and supply lines, set the bypass to "winterizing" mode, and refill the antifreeze in your supply lines (if you are not satified with just blowing them out). 

Bert

Great comments. Thanks so much, all. I don't like baking antifreeze into my water lines, but haven't seen evidence of any other damage.  I believe I got the gusher by opening the faucet to the right (facing the front of the trailer). Is that faucet hot or cold?

ScottG

Right side should be cold, just like other sinks. Not sure how anything coming out of it would be hot. Maybe the Alde bypass valve was open, allowing the HW tank to pressurize both lines?

sabel

Check the Alde by-pass valves on the cold and hot water lines. Cold and hot water valves are closed and by-pass valve is open causing water to by-passing the boiler. Bet the dealer forgot to set all three valves properly to by-pass the boiler before pumping in the rv antifreeze. Some where on the forum there's  a photo of how the valves are set for winterizing  and for summer use.

sabel

Refer to the T@B customer resources section.

Bert

Here's how our dealer set up the valves after winterizing our new Tab Outback MaxS so we would be able to use just the furnace (not the hot water heater) . Comparing this photo to the "winterizing mode" photo in the Tab instructions for winterizing 2016 models with Alde heaters: 1) The hot water drain valve is is the open (not closed) position; 2) The Alde bypass valve is in the closed (not open) position) 3) The cold water valve is in the open (not closed) position.  I'm not sure how this explains very hot antifreeze gushing out my cold water tap (water pump off), but I am going to let the dealer straighten things out so I won't have a warranty fight if something turns out to have been damaged. Thanks so much to everyone on the forum who helped me figure this out and to Donny at Little Guy who visited with us today.

ScottG

This looks like a normal "camping mode" set up--the bypass is closed, all three drains are closed, and the lines to and from the HW tank are open. This further suggests that your dealer simply filled the whole system (including the HW tank) with antifreeze.

I agree that it doesn't explain how scalding hot stuff came out of the cold tap.

Michigan_Mike

If the valve handle is running "parallel to the pipe it is mounted on" it is considered to be in the "open" position.  And if the valve handle is "perpendicular to the pipe it is mounted on" it is considered to be in the "closed" position.    Just some food for thought is all...