Alde panel

Tommy

Can someone point me to a simplified explanation of the Alde panel? I've searched but can't find anything... the user manual they sent with it is horrible and the panel is not intuitive.

Nomad

Which panel do you have - analog or digital?

Tommy

 ... we have the one that Aliens brought just to confuse us ... it is filled with strange symbols and inscriptions...

Analog

Nomad

Ok - My standard settings are...
Slider-1...Two bolts
Slider-2...Flame (uses propane + electric if hooked up)
Slider-3...Heat/Water or Water - Depends on what I need
Dial...This is for heat - Set to your comfort level

That Help?

ericnliz

Pxl, Helped me, thanks. I was with Tommy on that one, sent a signal to the aliens with NO response!

Tabaz

You must not be wearing any tinfoil on your head while communicating with the TAB Mothership - it blocks the signals.

Tommy

PXLated said:

Ok - My standard settings are...
Slider-1...Two bolts
Slider-2...Flame (uses propane + electric if hooked up)
Slider-3...Heat/Water or Water - Depends on what I need
Dial...This is for heat - Set to your comfort level

That Help?

Thanks @PXlated it is helpful.

I'm hoping that someone somewhere created an illustrated "Alde for Dummies" guide complete with colorful arrows etc. explaining the alien symbols. For instance what is the difference between one bolt and three bolts on the first slider. I want to be able to hook up to shore power and know how to quickly put the settings to "hot water only."

ericnliz

OutbackAz, Thanks, I'll try that next time!

ScottG

You can download the US/CAN Alde manual here: http://www.alde.se/media/110714/v-3010-60-rev-1487-us-can.pdf. I think this same document is also available from the "Customer Resources" zone on the T@B web site.

Page 17 gives specific instructions for the use of the analog panel. Same aspects can be a little confusing, but if you study it carefully it has all the info you need.

ericnliz

ScottG, Thanks! That actually worked better than OutbackAZ's suggestion. All I got was a shock wave!

Tommy

Thanks Scott - I've studied it a dozen times ... if I study it again I think I'm going to get put in a straight jacket. There are SO many dots that are not connected by this instruction sheet ... such as if all I want is hot water which electrical cartridge do I care about ... one? two? both of them? What happens if electrical cartridge is on 3 and LP is on?(edit: disregard)

OK lets simplify this along the lines of what @PXLated posted but using the "A, B, C..." guide below ... I pull into a camp site in the heat of summer with zero intentions of turning on the heater but I want hot water. Based on this guide what would my settings be?

Nomad

Could be the same as my standard - for no heat but water, third slider on water only - dial set to nothing.
There's also several discussions here somewhere on what the lightning bolt settings mean for us - As I recall, the top one is really for european electrical so two bolts or three are the same for us. All I know is my settings have worked great for me over 21 months :-)

Tommy

OK thanks everyone. I was sent an Alde for Dummies tutorial and it makes better sense now.

I am at peace with the aliens...

Nomad

It's all realy very simple actually.
I have a digital in a box but have never gotten around to replacing the trusty old analog - Slide a few switches and your good to go :-)

Photomom

I can understand most things but the Alde instructions are inscrutable.

What is needed are pictures:
1. This is how it should look completely off.
2. This is how it should look to heat water.
   a. on electric
   b. on propane
3. This is how it should look to heat both water and the cabin.
   a. on electric
   b. on propane

Who cares if the circulation pump is on and the electrical cartridge heats up first? What you want is hot water and/or a warm T@B.

ScottG

I'm not really sure why this little panel gives so many people fits--maybe it's the peculiar way the instructions are presented in the manual...

FWIW, here's how I approach operating the Alde (with help from Charlie Papazian):

SLIDER 1: If shore power is available, use this to turn on the electric heating elements. US and Canadian Aldes have two identical elements; you can turn on one (I), the other (II), or both (III). Turning on both heats things faster, but it will work no matter what you do. Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!

SLIDER 2: If shore power is not available, use this to turn on the propane burner. Relax, don't worry about the lightening bolts, have a homebrew!

SLIDER 3: Once you have selected your power source, use this to turn on the room heat and hot water, or just the hot water alone. Relax, don't worry about why there is not a "room heat only" setting, have a homebrew!

DIAL THINGY: If you've turned on the room heat, use this to adjust the temperature (just like the thermostat in your house). If you can still still find the homebrew, crack open another, kick back, and enjoy the warmth.

Now the digital panel, I think THAT would give me fits!  :-)

Photomom

Actually, I have the digital panel, and my very first trip I managed to get the heat on without reading the manual. The digital panel has a LOT more settings under the hood, haven't delved into those much yet.

I am going to create cheat sheets though, so DH can do it himself and so I can remember from trip to trip.

Tommy

ScottG said:

I'm not really sure why this little panel gives so many people fits--maybe it's the peculiar way the instructions are presented in the manual...

FWIW, here's how I approach operating the Alde (with help from Charlie Papazian):

SLIDER 1: If shore power is available, use this to turn on the electric heating elements. US and Canadian Aldes have two identical elements; you can turn on one (I), the other (II), or both (III). Turning on both heats things faster, but it will work no matter what you do. Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!

SLIDER 2: If shore power is not available, use this to turn on the propane burner. Relax, don't worry about the lightening bolts, have a homebrew!

SLIDER 3: Once you have selected your power source, use this to turn on the room heat and hot water, or just the hot water alone. Relax, don't worry about why there is not a "room heat only" setting, have a homebrew!

DIAL THINGY: If you've turned on the room heat, use this to adjust the temperature (just like the thermostat in your house). If you can still still find the homebrew, crack open another, kick back, and enjoy the warmth.

Now the digital panel, I think THAT would give me fits!  :-)

It's just not an intuitive design if you ask me and the instructions are worse. My wife read the German version of the instructions and understood it better than me but I think as Americans we are used to instructions that give the reasons behind the action ... ie: "Use heating element 1 when you need ..., use element 2 when you need ..., use both when you need ..." etc.

Yes I will have a homebrew please! I thought you'd never ask

ericnliz

At this point, or two Tommy? Ok, three?

Nomad

Good one Scott - I always found the analog one fairly intuitive.

ChanW

Tommy, you're right about the silly one, two, three lightning bolts. One and two are equivalent functionally, ie with either setting, you get 900Watts.

The reason there are three settings is because this control panel is a holdover from the European version which controls a 220V Alde, which actually provides three different wattages. 

The US version doesn't provide three wattages, only two, but they used the same controller.

That's why it's confusing re the silly lightning bolts...

Now, the little icons for heat and hot water, are impossible to see, for starters...

Nomad

Huh - impossible to see?
Sounds like bifocals or trifocals are in your future :-)

ScottG

Tommy said:

...I think as Americans we are used to instructions that give the reasons behind the action ... ie: "Use heating element 1 when you need ..., use element 2 when you need ..., use both when you need ..." etc.

Ok, that's a good question, albeit a tougher one to answer. When I use the Alde, it's usually for a short time. If I have electric, I'll turn on both heating elements (III) for fastest response . The only reason I can see to turn on only one element (I or II) is if power were limited--for example, having only a 15 amp supply, or trying to run some other high wattage 120 volt appliance (like air conditioning or a microwave) at the same time.

As Chan said above, if you are only using one element, the one you choose is immaterial--they are identical in the US and Canada. In European Aldes, the second element is larger than the first, providing three truly different power levels. Back to the question, why they need three levels is unclear. Maybe the power infrastructure varies more over there. Maybe they are control freaks. Maybe it's to give the people who don't drink homebrew something else to twiddle with...

ScottG

ChanW said:

...
Now, the little icons for heat and hot water, are impossible to see, for starters...

Oh, I hear that--but another advantage of the analog panel is that it can be operated entirely by feel!

Nomad

Here's a question - Since I rarely am hooked up, almost always run on propane, can I leave the first slider off?

ScottG

PXLated said:

Here's a question - Since I rarely am hooked up, almost always run on propane, can I leave the first slider off?

Might as well. It won't hurt anything to have it on, but if you're not hooked up to shore power, it isn't doing anything.

The Alde's brain does require a little 12 volt power from your battery or converter, but that's a completely separate circuit that controls itself.

ericnliz

PXL, have you tried it? Just curious because I seldom run on shore power also.

Tommy

PXLated said:

Here's a question - Since I rarely am hooked up, almost always run on propane, can I leave the first slider off?

Well what started all of this thread was the fact that we left the panel turned on when we got back from our trip three weeks ago and it drained our new battery down to 9.3 volts before I caught it. I'm still a little fuzzy which slider turns on the circulation pump but we left the first slider on 2 bolts, the second slider LP off, and the third slider on "water only" and the combination of those settings apparently drained us good.

ScottG

ericnliz said:

PXL, have you tried it? Just curious because I seldom run on shore power also.

Can't speak for PXL, but I've done it many times. In fact, it never even occurred to me to turn on the electrical heating elements when there was no electricity to run them.

ScottG

Tommy said:

Well what started all of this thread was the fact that we left the panel turned on when we got back from our trip three weeks ago and it drained our new battery down to 9.3 volts before I caught it. I'm still a little fuzzy which slider turns on the circulation pump but we left the first slider on 2 bolts, the second slider LP off, and the third slider on "water only" and the combination of those settings apparently drained us good.

If you weren't plugged into shore power, the electrical elements were not running. I can't say for sure, but it's possible those settings left something on the 12 volt circuitry of the Alde running, and that could contribute to a slow drain on the battery. Regardless, I'm skeptical that the Alde was the sole source of your problem.

Note that even with the Alde completely off, there are several other gizmos (bathroom nightlight, stereo display, smoke and LP detectors, etc.) that will run down your battery to nothing. Do that few times and you will be shopping for a new battery. (Don't ask me how I know--ha ha.) The only solution to preventing this phantom drain is to disconnect your battery when the trailer is not in use.

If your third slider was on "hot water only" the circulator would not run. The "heat and hot water" setting activates the the circulator, which will then cycle on and off as needed based on your thermostat (dial) setting.

Nomad

I formed a habit the first week I had the T@B and had a hookup - My figure it all out week. Just been doin what worked ever since on the "if it works, don't fix it" theory :-)