Glycol bleeding question

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Alde Heater.

Tcandss

Hello.  I'm new to the forum - having just bought a used 2015 CS-S - and so my apologies if I have not asked the following questing in the correct location.  

My question is about filling the Glycol lines of the Alde.  When we bought our little T@b, we had a run-through from the previous owners and we quickly realized that the reason they were selling was that the husband was starting to forget things and so we would be on our own sorting out some technical details.  We've got everything sorted so far except for the heater - haven't yet turned it on.  At the time of the sale, when he opened the hatch at the back of the toilet, I recall him saying that he couldn't quite remember what that tank back there was for...  I now believe this tank is the overflow tank for the heating coolant.  This discovery would be great if I could also see that the coolant level was between the Min and Max lines, but the tank is empty. 

So finally to my question:  how can I fill the coolant lines and -- if possible -- test that there are no air pockets before turning on the heater?  I have photos if they would be helpful, but haven't yet figured out how to attach them here so will leave it at that for now. 

Thanks in advance for any support.  
TCansSS 

ChanW

There has been a discussion or two here about draining and refilling and bleeding the air of the glycol system. There's also talk about where to get the right kind of glycol.
Try a Google search of the forum. Copy and paste this next line into your search bar :
site:tab-rv.vanillaforums.com bleeding glycol

Tcandss

Hello again.  
Thanks ChanW for responding to my original post regarding tips on filling the Alde 3010 heater. I reviewed everything and then went to fill the system with Glycol and it ended up eventually leaking out - the entire gallon.  
The timing of the leak was odd -- I filled it slowly and continually checked for any leaks in the system.  I also watched the bleeder tube (top of the system frame) and no glycol appeared there.  
It all looked good until just after I emptied the gallon container, then it all started leaking out from under the heater frame.  I could not find a leak anywhere, and so I fear that I must now remove the frame of the system in order to determine where it leaked.  
Are there any suggestions or experiences out there that might help me troubleshoot this?
I would go to a dealer, but I do not have one nearby.  I purchased this second-hand from a private seller who did not have any information for me regarding the heater, other than it worked for him.
Thanks.
Sherri

Michigan_Mike

What year is your T@B and where is your glycol reservoir located?   If it is in the rear right corner like my 2015 T@B Max S I would unscrew the rear wood panel and look down beneath the reservoir and see if the hose hasn't come off the lower portion of the reservoir.  That for openers and from there we can troubleshoot things better with some additional information.  

Tcandss

Hello Michigan_Mike -- thanks so much for responding.  Here is the background info:
- It is a 2015 CS-S Maxx
- When we bought it (2nd-hand, private seller), we had a run-through from the previous owners and we quickly realized that the reason they were selling was that the husband was starting to forget things and so we would be on our own sorting out some technical details.  At the time of the sale, when he opened the hatch at the back of the toilet, I recall him saying that he couldn't quite remember what that tank back there was for... I now know that the tank in question is the reservoir.
- The reservoir tank was empty...  This worried me when i started reading the manual (should never let it go empty) and forum posts (no mention of anyone ever emptying it).
- After my initial post and reading the forum info about filling it, I felt that what must have happened was that the previous owner had someone winterize it, and that the someone must have thought they should also empty the boiler fluid.  I went to a local RV service centre - although unfamiliar with T@Bs, they do know about Alde heating systems, and had 50/50 premix containers of "boiler coolant" that they said was the type used in Alde systems.
- I then opened up the access flap behind the toilet in the trailer and used the reservoir tank to start filling the system. (Very tight space back there.)  I had my partner keep checking to make sure nothing was leaking.  But as per the post above... it wasn't until it had enough glycol in the system that it started to leak... and then it leaked what seems like the full gallon.  The location from which it leaked was the lowest point (a small hole actually) in the pan under the heater system -- so we believe that the leak is INSIDE the heater, not at a connection point along the way.

UPDATE:  I inspected the system again today and was able to pop off the plastic electrical access panel enough to reach my iphone in and capture a few videos of what it looks like inside.  It confirmed our suspicion... the only place that makes sense for it to have leaked is actually from the internal connections themselves -- the seams from the boiler to the inch-diameter hard tubing that later exits the system. (I have a video if there is some way to share it.)  
So... if anyone is still reading...  does this sound like our system is toast?  If so, how and where can I purchase a replacement?  Or is there a way to repair it?  If not... any other suggestions what this might be?

Thanks so much.
Sherri.

Verna

Your best option would be to call Austin in repair at nûCamp, or email him with the photos to repairs@nucamprv.com.  He would be able to tell you if he has seen this before and what can be done about it. or since you know a company who is familiar with the Alde boiler, make an appointment with them. And, if needed, the factory is located in Sugarcreek, Ohio and they can do repairs there. Good luck. 

Roamey

Don't know if you're interested, Alde has a list of RV dealers in the U.S. that service the system. 
http://www.alde.se/usa/support/alde-service-locations/