Small drip under Alde

foxden

Just picked up my Tab yesterday and have been testing everything today to see how it all works.  I noticed a slow but steady drip of water coming from the large black drain under the Alde.  Is this a normal thing?  I really only noticed it after I turned the water heater on.

Rolltide82

Normal I believe.....Mine was doing it at the dealer on my walkthrough....They said it's normal.... Someone else with more knowledge will chime in

foxden

Thanks @Rolltide82 I would be happy with "normal"!

Rolltide82

Some kinda pressure release maybe.   That's what they told me anyhow..  lol

ChanW

If it's the large black hose (¾"dia. or so) with the brass plug in it, and the drip is glycol fluid, then it's not normal. That would be the drain point for replacing the glycol.
If it's the big black rubber plug with the three little clear hoses inserted into it from the top, they are overflow and over-pressure tubes, and they might drip now and then, glycol or clear water, depending on which tube. That's ok.
If it's a ½" dia. hose, coming from your hot or cold freshwater system, then that shouldn't be dripping either... Those are drains for winterizing the freshwater system.

ScottG

In addition to everything Chan said, there's a fifth hose (black, maybe 1/2", no plug). This attaches to the infamous "yellow handle valve" on the supply line to the Alde. I believe it acts as both a drain and a pressure relief. A drip from this hose only during Alde operation suggests pressure relief. If the valve was defective I would expect it to leak all the time.

foxden

Thanks for the help, everyone.  I checked this morning and it looks like it is the drain with the two clear hoses and one black hose inserted from the top.  It was definitely water that was dripping but don't see any drips this morning.  Hard to really tell because we had a little rain overnight but I will keep an eye on it.  And thanks again.  I am sure I will have other questions to post! Can't seem to get much in the way of hot water so I will be working on that today.

ChanW

Ah, I guess ours is an antique compared to yours. We don't have the extra valve that @ScottG mentioned in our ancient 2014 model  ...

Slight dripping from those little hoses should be no big deal because they're:

• overflow of the glycol expansion tank
• air-bleeder on the glycol system and
• pressure-relief on the fresh water system

You might want to be sure those hoses are secured in that big rubber plug though, so they don't pop out and thus drip inside the compartment. Ours tended to be loose and lift out of there, so I put a little silicone goop on the ends to glue them in.
The manufacturer may have remedied that on yours though.

Michigan_Mike

I've read about the Alde valve opening when pressure builds up in the boiler and experienced it about two weeks ago on a trip up to Northern Michigan.  My freshwater tank was about 3/4 full and after plugging into shore power I noticed some water below the Alde unit, put my hand in it and it was not Glycol.  The water dried up and have not noticed it again.  

When I was out west in February I hooked up to a buddies home out in Florence, AZ, opened up the faucet on the back of his house and immediately saw water coming from the bottom of the trailer, as if the trailer was relieving itself.  I shut the water off, installed my pressure reducing valve that I'd forgotten to install, turned the water back on and the issue was eliminated.  

Two different scenarios but the learning process continues!