Alde system “How to”

webetabin

at a complete loss ... no hot water 
I have searched the internet for information, not much out there !
can’t even find the fill tank ... 2018 boondock edition 
im trying to drain   Refill.  And bleed the system without taking it to the shop for weeks. Just purchased our t@b and want to go camp soon ! 

Sharon_is_SAM

Unclear what you have succeeded in doing.  Have you hooked up to the city water and flushed the system?  Do you know how to fill the Alde?  The Fresg Water Tank is a separate supply from city water via hose.

webetabin

I do have it hooked up to water supply 
not sure how to flush the system or fill the Alde 
and ... the water tank you speak of. Not sure where that is either. At a complete loss. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

dragonsdofly

@webetabin, sorry you're having difficulty, but would like to say welcome to the forum, the t@b family and congratulations on your trailer! The white plastic fill port is on the driver's side near the front of the trailer. You can use a water jug or hose to fill it. Some people use a plastic tube attached to their water bottles/jugs to slip inside the filler tube, thus eliminating all the oversplash. When using water from the tank, you need to use the pump. It will run until the system builds up pressure and then it stops automatically. It turns back on when the system loses pressure due to use. The pump is not necessary when on water hookup, because the "city" water pressure pushes water through your trailer like it does at home. If hooked up to a water supply, make sure you have a pressure regulator attached with a max 50 psi rating. Excessive pressure from some municipalities or campgrounds can damage the t@b plumbing. Always use a water filter. Most people use the pressure regulator in tandem with the water filter. The alde heater/water heater combination is under the back sofa bench, drivers side. It uses glycol to radiant (convection] heat the t@b. It also houses an approx. 2 1/2 gallon tank to heat water. Flushing the system simply means pushing fresh water through it. Fill the fresh tank, turn on the pump, flush the toilet a few times, run water in the sink and the shower. Now if you are in the northern climes,  and your system has rv antifreeze in it, there is a bit more flushing to be done and drains to be closed, etc. To flush your fresh water tank itself, fill and open the tank valve located between the door step and the door side tire. That gives you  smattering of information. Others will fill in the gaps I have left. Resident experts please chime in.

pthomas745

Have an Alde manual:

https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/iz/x9ylh4kf7fz5.pdf

jkjenn

There are also Alde apps for both Android and iPhone.

webetabin

Awesome information ... I want to thank everyone @dragonsdofly  @jkjenn. @pthomas745 @SAM

Sharon_is_SAM

@webetabin, it looks like you have a brand new Tab.  Take a picture of your valves under the bench, please.  Is your Alde bypass valve open or closed?  Hot and cold water supply open or closed?

Flushing the system:  The factory typically winterizes by blowing out the lines and adding antifreeze to the sink / shower traps and to the toilet gray/black outlet valves.  After you turn on your taps and run the water, the antifreeze is flushed out.  

Some dealers add antifreeze to the fresh water tank, + / - Alde and throughout the piping system as well.  Open your Fresh Water Tank rain valve in front of the passenger tire and see if pink antifreeze comes out.  If there is antifreeze, close the fresh tank valve, disconnect the city water, fill your Fresh Water Tank, with the pump on, open your taps/shower and run water from the tank until it runs clear.  You may have to refill your tank until the taps run clear.  If the Alde bypass valve is closed, you will run antifreeze through the Alde which is okay, just flush it through by opening your hot water taps.  Then, turn off the pump, hook up to city water.  You may need to empty your gray tank or do this at a full hook up campsite.

Sanitizing:  After flushing, then you need to sanitize.  If you did not have antifreeze in the Fresh Water Tank, you may only want to sanitize the tank and not the remainder of the plumbing system, as some Tabbers choose to do.  In that case, add 1/4 cup of household bleach to a gallon of water and add it to the Fresh Water Tank, fill the tank with water.  Let the tank sit up to a few hours, then open the Fresh Water Tank drain (in front of the passenger tire) and drain the tank.  Fill and drain your Fresh Water Tank until there is no bleach smell.   Close your drain valve.  Keep in mind where that bleach water is going - can’t do this at a campsite.

If you want to sanitize all the plumbing except for the Alde (you do not want to add bleach to your Alde as it can damage the stainless steel tank over time) you will need to close the hot and cold water supply valves and open the Alde bypass valve.  That lets water flow around the Alde, but through the hot water lines.  Then, add the bleach solution to the Fresh Water Tank, add water to the fresh tank, turn on your pump, open your hot, cold and shower taps (maybe even pull the toilet flush valve) one at a time until a little bleach water runs out.  Let it sit as above.  Then, use your pump and open your taps to drain the Fresh Water Tank.  Fill and drain until no further bleach smell.  Don’t forget the shower hose.  

   
When you are all finished, return your valves to camping mode - see Alde manual fir pics.  Good luck and let us know if you get stuck.

Sharon

dsfdogs

You should have received a T@B manual on a USB drive (included in the nuCamp bag of goodies). 2017 is the latest version.
http://tabforum.nucamprv.com/#/discussion/6371/t-b-owners-manuals
In the manual, there are colored pictures of how the plumbing levers should look for winterization and camping modes.

After sanitizing per above posts, to fill the Alde hot water tank, turn on a hot water faucet. (Obviously you would also need to have water in your water tank with pump on, or be connected to fresh water hose).

Good luck!

webetabin

@SAM

webetabin

@SAM  let me know if you can tell anything from the pic 
I do know the two clear hoses were not hooked into the black drain ... the only way I knew 
i work at a State Park and another t@b came to check in 
i ask them about the Alde system and they were kind enough to let me come out and take pics of the way their valves were set !  Everything else looks the same as theirs 

Sharon_is_SAM

Your hot and cold water drain valves and Alde bypass valves are closed (silver valve between the red and blue lines), your hot and cold water supply valves are open.  You are in camping mode - hooray!  Not unusual for those 2 clear hoses to work their way out of that black drain plug.  The large clear hose I believe is an air intake hose that hooks up to the Alde to prevent a vacuum when you drain the Alde tank.  The small clear tubing is a glycol overflow and I do not remember what the large black tubing does.  

Have you checked to see if there is antifreeze in your fresh tank yet?  If no antifreeze, then they probably just blew out the lines and you can proceed to sanitize.  Remember to bypass the Alde.

webetabin

@SAM sorry... but how do I tell if any antifreeze is in the fresh tank... I don’t mean to sound so clueless but this is all new. My older t@b did not have the shower or an Alde system !  

Sharon_is_SAM

Oh!  You are a veteran Tabber.  Just find the Fresh Water Tank valve just under the edge of the Tab in front of the passenger tire.  Open it and see what comes out.  Make sure you are level.  If there is fluid in there it should come out.

webetabin

Will do @SAM !  I appreciate all the information !  Our older one was 2006 .... we loved it. The quality is unbeatable as far as campers go