Alde 3010 Question

marknjudy

So I looked through the forum and didn't find this specifically addressed. Hopefully, one of you have seen this and can aim me the right direction. I feel confident that I understand how to use the Alde system with the 3010 digital control panel. The issue I'm having is that the hot water at normal (1) is practically non- existant. It seems to be lukewarm for about a minute. If I bump it to 2, which is supposed to be boost, I get plenty of hot water although not terribly hot (meaning I don't have to turn on ANY cold water to have it at a comfortable temperature).  According to the manual, 1 is supposed to be 122 degrees and 2 is supposed to be 144. I haven't put a thermometer under it, but I'd venture that it's not - especially on 1.

I haven't adjusted the mixing valve, but that might be my next step. Unless someone has a better idea.

Smullis7

You can also adjust the mixer which is located under the bench near the Aldi.  It controls the hot/cold mix of water going to the faucets.

marknjudy

Mixing valve it is then. I'll give that a go next weekend.

ColoradoJon

If simply adjusting the valve helps but doesn't cure the problem, you can actually adjust the adjusting valve!  It is what I had to do to get constant hot water with mine.  Check out this thread, post #12 by michigan_mike:
http://www.tab-rv.com/forum#/discussion/2676/little-hot-water/p1

marknjudy

Sweet! I could have found it if I'd looked for hot water rather than alde... Doh! Anyways, this looks like the likely fix. I think all of us are talking about the exact same knob/valve. And the thread shows how to increase/decrease it if it's still not enough.

ColoradoJon

I have to admit that I was skeptical at first, but the adjusting valve fix made sense so I gave it a try.  Now I have really hot water for more than 5 seconds

Here in Colorado it can be hot during the day during summer but cool at night, 50-55F.  I would get 'cool' hot water in the morning and 'hot' hot water in the evening.  This is because the water in the fresh water tank would cool down significantly at night and was so cold it would saturate the hot water at the mixing valve in the morning.  After warming up during the day it didn't cool down the hot water much at all.

Be careful, after adjusting the mixing valve the water is really, really hot!  I mean... it's really, really hot!

ScottG

marknjudy, what exactly do you mean by settings 1 and 2? Are you referring to the lightening bolts (first slider), or the heat and hot water vs. heat only setting (third slider)?

marknjudy

No. The 3010 is the digital version of the thermostat. The top is heat, the 2nd is hot water. The 3rd is the one I'm referring to. If you push the + sign, it goes to 2 kw (I should have mentioned that) for a turbo boost but reverts to 1 kw after 30 minutes. With it pressed to 2 kw, the water gets moderately hot. That's why I do believe it makes sense that the mixing valve is too low. Doubling the kilowatts at the furnace does increase the heat of the water for the length of the time that it's running at 2 KW.

ScottG

Right! 3010 is the model of the boiler itself. I was thinking of the 3010-214 analog panel. The digital panel is the 3010-614. Confusing...

Anyway, thanks for the clarification, and the info about the digital panel. It sounds like the boost feature is the functional equivalent to the "three lightening bolt" setting on the analog panel. I agree that your case sounds like a mixing valve issue.

marknjudy

Got it. I'm heading out to colder weather in it this weekend and will give this a try. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Tabaz

Now I'm confused.  I thought the lighting bold just engages the shore power.  My recollection is the "turbo boost" for the hot water is activated my using the "+" sign next to the triangle.  When pushed, the triangle is completely black.  Am I mistaken?

marknjudy

I think it's both, or I'm confused. And I also think that, sitting in front of a computer and not in the T@B, I confused buttons. So, as I understand it - and someone please correct me if I'm wrong because that could also be part of the problem - the lightning bolt increases the power of the generator much like the lightning bolts on the other style controller - 1 and 2 (and maybe off) with 2 being more power and generating more heat. The hot water (shower symbol) has a normal setting and a boost, which reverts to normal after 30 minutes. I currently have mine set on 2 and I hit the hot water boost about 15 minutes before I want to use hot water in order to achieve any hot water at all. If I do that, I have sufficient hot water for the two of us to shower (or whatever), however, it's not hot enough to require any cold water to be turned on.

I'm pretty much a newb, so if I've got it wrong, I'm not gonna argue.

ScottG

On the analog controller, the "lightening bolts" control which electric heating elements are activated. One or two bolts activates a single 950W (~1kW) element. Three lightening bolts activates both elements for a total of 1900W (~2kW). In that regard, what you are saying about the "lightening bolt" on the digital controller makes sense.

However, while more juice will heat the water more quickly, the actual temperature of the water is controlled by a thermostat, and should be the same regardless of how many elements are activated. I have not confirmed this personally (though I see an experiment in my future).

To further confound the matter, on the analog controller, the "hot water only" setting makes much hotter water than the "heat and hot water setting" (150F vs 130F). I have confirmed this personally. This feature sounds a bit like the hot water "boost" you describe with the digital panel.

marknjudy

That makes good sense, then. It means that the controls pretty much correspond. That helps for understanding total operation.

Photomom

The first setting is the temperature you want your T@B's cabin heated to.
The second with the shower icon selects hot water or extra hot water. This is the one that reverts to the default setting after a few minutes.
The third setting with the lightning bolt is for heating with electricity, off, one, or two electrical elements.
The fourth setting with the flame icon is for heating with propane, off or on.

Photomom

With the settings shown in your picture you should have hot water. You have both electrical elements switched on plus the propane burner.

marknjudy

Cool! For the record, that was a picture from the internets, but mine is set that way typically with the exception of having the propane turned off. As I understand it, even set up this way, electrical would take precedence. And this should produce adequate hot water, which it doesn't. So this is helpful knowing that I shouldn't mess with the settings on the controller, but just turn the mixing valve towards the + sign until the water gets hot. And from somewhere else, I understand it shoudl be 7 degrees per quarter turn. Thanks for the information!

Photomom

Someone told me that the mixing valve might be somewhat quirky. You might turn it and the water gets hotter and keep turning and it gets colder again. You apparently have to fiddle with it.

You have the digital Alde control, right? There is a "secret" menu that might be useful in troubleshooting. From the main screen touch the wrench icon, then press the down arrow till you get to the Service and Reset screen. If you press Service you will see a screen that says Activated Functions, then press the down arrow one time. Now you should see the Heater Temp and Sanitary Temp (which is apparently the Swedish translation of Water Temp.)

If your Alde is functioning correctly you should surprisingly high numbers for both.

marknjudy

Update: The mixing valve was the culprit. Turned it about half to three quarters of a turn and everything's perfect. Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestion.