Alde Glycol Exchange

mandt

Did the glycol exchange. It was really no big deal.

1. pull the plug and drain the old glycol
2. rinse out the system with distilled water
3. tip the tongue up and down to make sure the lines were empty
4. poor in the new glycol https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BDWQXM2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. tip the tongue down and open the bleed valve in the back under the shelf passenger side
6. tip the tongue up and bleed again
7. start the Alde to make sure it is working

Pretty easy

Sharon_is_SAM

Isn’t the Century glycol the same as what the factory uses?  I thought you only needed to rinse with distilled water if you changed the type of glycol used.  Also, did you measure how much drained out?

mandt

Yes I don't think I needed to necessarily rince, but if the old stuff was not up to spec why not drain it. Did not measure the drainage. To fill it was a tad over a gallon.

Sharon_is_SAM

I think the system holds at least 2 gallons.  How do you know it was completely drained of the old glycol or the water?  If you add new glycol to the system that retained water, you end up with diluted glycol.  

mandt

Tipped the tongue up and tipped the tongue down and shook it all around.

rajamar

According to page 18 of Alde 3010 manual the Alde contains 0.92 gallons of glycol/water and 2.2 gallons hot water.

ScottG

@rajamer is correct. However, I suspect that is the volume of the glycol contained within the Alde itself. They total system glycol is going to depend on the length of of the heat distribution system (pipes and convectors) and that is going to vary from one application to another.

That said, I have no idea what the total system volume is. I've also heard the two-gallon estimate but can't identify the original source of that info offhand.

Sharon_is_SAM

Oh, so only about 1 gallon in the Alde glycol cylinder PLUS maybe another gallon throughout the Alde glycol plumbing.  I think we need an answer from Austin.  I will email him.

N7SHG_Ham

I think there is a reason Alde has the pump method for changing the Glycol, I don't think gravity is going do drain anything except the Alde unit itself, so you end up NOT doing a 100% exchange.

ChanW

I thought the two gallon estimate came from Little Guy / Nu Camp.

There's one part of my system that won't drain by tipping it up and down and sideways and shaking it. That would be under the driver side bench below the AC unit. (I've been thinking of adding an extra drain port on that heating loop).

I realized  it might be a problem when I was only able to extract a gallon or so from the system.

Then when all finished refilling, and I tested the glycol for freeze protection, as @Sharon_is_SAM noted, it was quite diluted. That's why I had to add extra 100% glycol, to get it back down to good freeze protection.

But I thought I read that the newer Tabs don't have a heating loop underneath the driver side bench? if that's the case then the glycol capacity of the newer Tab would be different from the capacity of our Tab.

Then the only real answer would be to test the freeze protection. (Note that you can't use a standard ethylene glycol hydrometer to test. You need to test it with a refractometer)

mona

I had Austin change the glycol 2 years ago. I dug out the bill from then. Takes roughly 3 gallons to totally exchange the glycol in the system.

jeannie

mandt

Now you people are making me nervous...

Sharon_is_SAM

@ChanW, would checking the pH be just as effective as using the hydrometer?

ChanW

From my understanding, the pH only indicates the acidity of the coolant, not necessarily the freeze protection. I might be wrong, but I tested both, just to be sure.

Sharon_is_SAM said:

@ChanW, would checking the pH be just as effective as using the hydrometer?

Homebodyatheart

I think @Dalehelman has tested his recently. I checked my glycol level today and it hasn’t budged since delivery 01/2017, so two camping seasons.

Sharon_is_SAM

Edited to include TaB 400 info.

Per Creed at nuCamp:

Q:  When doing an Alde glycol exchange, how much volume is required to fill the system? 

A:  You will need about 3.5 - 4 Gallons for the Tab 320 and 4 gallons for the TaB 400.

 Q:  Will the system drain completely via gravity?  Is a device required for draining/filling/both? 

A:  The fluid will drain once you remove the Low Point Alde drain plug - it will have a red plug and an Alde hose clamp holding the plug in place.

lkc001

I am pretty sure that I have read here somewhere that people have tried to drain the glycol by just pulling the red plug and that they have NOT gotten anywhere near 3 gallons to drain out?  Also thought I read here somewhere that they had theirs done by nucamp and that either a pump and/or something had to be used to pump it all out?

Am I mistaken?

Sharon_is_SAM

Creed’s email said the pump to exchange the glycol is available through Alde.  

Dalehelman

mandt said:

Tipped the tongue up and tipped the tongue down and shook it all around.

And then you did the hokey pokey 😂😂😂😂

lkc001

So it DOES take a pump to get all the glycol drained, not just pulling the red cap off.

Thank you for finding out the clarification on this, Sharon

ChanW

Just gravity doesn't do it on our model (2014).

As I said, the newer models, I thought I heard, don't have the troublesome (for me) radiator under the driver side bench seat.

Maybe NuCamp figured out that it will fully drain with the different configuration. Admittedly, ours was one of the first with the Alde system.

Sharon_is_SAM

Creed did not say you needed a pump.  He said it drains via gravity and a pump is available through Alde.  I suspect the pump may make the exchange easier.  But Creed did not indicate that it was required.  I would call Spencer at Alde to clarify.

I included the 400 info in my post above.

ChanW

After working on draining the glycol from our system for a long while, I looked over the layout of the hoses and radiators, and realized that it would be impossible to get all the fluid out by gravity alone, without a second drain tee (or a pump). 

Maybe Creed is 'new' at NuCamp and hasn't seen the earlier Alde system that has the extra radiator under the driver's side bench? Or maybe the later Alde installation was done with draining in mind?

Or am I wrong that the newer 320 only has the right hand radiator and the rear radiator? (It's one of those 'I 'thought I read somewhere' things...  )

jgram2

@dsfdogs posted the uCamp 18 Q & A video which is full of information. Spencer from Alde starts talking about the glycol exchange around 12:07. The vid is under the uCamp 18, News and Information Category in the left hand column.

Sharon_is_SAM

So, I watched the video.  Spencer said that gravity drainage does not empty the glycol completely.  He said that Alde rents out a device to drain the system completely (essentially 2 Shurflow pumps hooked together).  If you drain by gravity, after you refill, you can check your pH and send a sample for analysis to make sure the glycol mix retains it’s anti- corrosive properties.  So, I guess we should expect only a gallon to drain afterall!  

ScottG

ChanW said:

...

Or am I wrong that the newer 320 only has the right hand radiator and the rear radiator? (It's one of those 'I 'thought I read somewhere' things...  )

That describes my 2015. I never even knew there was an additional fin-tube in earlier T@Bs. How does it fit? It must be small and stuffed in there pretty tightly along with the converter and associated electrical components.

ChanW

It fits fine, just like the one under the passenger side bench. We've never had that extra space, so we don't miss it.

So that's the Alde radiator loop I was unable to gravity-drain. I think I might have been able to get it all out if not for that one (though definitely a little tricky with all the tipping and tilting and shaking)... 

I have been tempted to extend that loop into the shower, and put in the radiator like the 400 has! Fancy schmancy!

ScottG said:

ChanW said:

...

Or am I wrong that the newer 320 only has the right hand radiator and the rear radiator? (It's one of those 'I 'thought I read somewhere' things...  )

That describes my 2015. I never even knew there was an additional fin-tube in earlier T@Bs. How does it fit? It must be small and stuffed in there pretty tightly along with the converter and associated electrical components.

mandt

I just drained it and filled it. I hope for the best. My life has always followed the KISS theory and I am still alive at 69. So far so good. 

Sharon_is_SAM

I followed up with Creed to get a better understanding regarding the use of the special pump for the Alde:

"Does Pleasant Valley Repair department use the special Alde pump when they do a requested glycol exchange for TaB owners?"

Answer:

"It depends a bit. If the glycol is not bad yet then we would just drain it and then refill. We have a special pump from Alde to aide in this process but it is not mandatory. If the glycol is bad we would remove the inlet & exit lines on the expansion tank rinse the lines out followed up with air to clear out the water.  But you can simply drain the glycol & refill it with the gallon containers as well with no issues."

Good to know nuCamp has the pump.  I see lots of Alde glycol exchange requests for uCamp 2019!

lkc001

Would really like a video actually showing the use of this special pump & which lines they hook up to & see how many gallons are pumped out & how many
required to refill— he states you can simply drain & refill, but again it has been stated in posts here that only 1 gallon will gravity drain.  Or am I still not understanding something??  Wouldn’t be the first time I have been confused 😐 

Sharon_is_SAM

It may be the case when the glycol has gone bad, they use the pump.  But, if the glycol is still good, it sounds like they simply gravity drain and refill.