no green light on Alde system button

gkillmaster

Hi, I'm trying to figure out why, when the boiler turns on, there is no green light on the power button on the Alde menu control panel. It says in the manual that the led comes on when the boiler is on, but the green light never turns on to indicate this.

Bayliss

Can you hear the boiler pump circulating glycol?  Does the information on the Alde screen appear when you press the display panel power button, and does it display the continuous circulation icon (circle with arrows in the top left corner of the display screen)?  If so, you have power and I am not sure what else to suggest, other than possibly a bad green power light. 

Sorry I cannot provide a better answer, but there are a lot of brilliant minds on this forum.  Presumably, your battery is charged, but when all else fails, often times it helps (like with computers) to cut off the power and "reboot".....shut off your battery cut-off switch, wait about 15 seconds, and then turn it back on.  See if that does any good.  

gkillmaster

Bayliss said:

Can you hear the boiler pump circulating glycol?  Does the information on the Alde screen appear when you press the display panel power button, and does it display the continuous circulation icon (circle with arrows in the top left corner of the display screen)?  If so, you have power and I am not sure what else to suggest, other than possibly a bad green power light. 

Sorry I cannot provide a better answer, but there are a lot of brilliant minds on this forum.  Presumably, your battery is charged, but when all else fails, often times it helps (like with computers) to cut off the power and "reboot".....shut off your battery cut-off switch, wait about 15 seconds, and then turn it back on.  See if that does any good.  

Thanks for the great ideas! Yes, I get the continuous circulation icon and I hear it circulating. So it *seems* to be working and I get hot water. But no green light.

I'm curious how often I should check the glycol level? I've checked it a few time in the last couple years and it seemed fine.

Bayliss

@gkillmaster, I do not think there is any hard and fast rule on how often to check the glycol level, but it sounds like you are doing fine at a few times a year.  Probably a good idea to do it before a big trip just for the reassurance.  Gives you a chance to top off the tank as needed.

P.S.  I should have clarified in my earlier "reboot" message...........if you have your camper plugged in to shore power (e.g., at your house), unplug that as well so you have cut off all power (AC or DC) before again powering-up.

gkillmaster

Bayliss said:

@gkillmaster, I do not think there is any hard and fast rule on how often to check the glycol level, but it sounds like you are doing fine at a few times a year.  Probably a good idea to do it before a big trip just for the reassurance.  Gives you a chance to top off the tank as needed.

Thank you! Where do you buy your glycol from? Is it just standard "generic" anti-freeze?

Bayliss

@gkillmaster, the easiest way is to purchase the fluid through Amazon (I have a gallon on the way right now, just to have when I need it)..........Century Chemical TF-1 Transfer Fluid:

https://www.amazon.com/Century-Chemical-TF-1-Transfer-Fluid/dp/B01BDWQXM2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=14Z7M9RXIT2A4&keywords=century+chemical+tf-1+heat+transfer+fluid&qid=1556910128&s=gateway&sprefix=century+chemi%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-3

gkillmaster

Bayliss said:

@gkillmaster, the easiest way is to purchase the fluid through Amazon (I have a gallon on the way right now, just to have when I need it)..........Century Chemical TF-1 Transfer Fluid:

https://www.amazon.com/Century-Chemical-TF-1-Transfer-Fluid/dp/B01BDWQXM2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=14Z7M9RXIT2A4&keywords=century+chemical+tf-1+heat+transfer+fluid&qid=1556910128&s=gateway&sprefix=century+chemi%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-3

Thanks a lot @Bayliss. There sure are so many things to know about the T@B. Still feel like I'm at the very beginning

Bayliss

@gkillmaster, I'm in the same boat (uh, RV)........I've owned trailers (15' up to 5th wheel) for 40+ years, but have spent soooooo many more hours on learning about my T@B camper, how it is constructed, the plumbing, etc.  Some of the responses I have read about the Alde, in particular, tend to create confusion for me and cause me to second-guess whether I really understand how it operates.  Therefore, I have been going through those posts slowly for the past few days to make sure I understand what the very helpful providers of that info are actually trying to convey.  Making lots of notes for future reference when I have issues such as what you have experienced with the green light.  I thought I had a pretty good handle on the Alde operation, but subsequent posts have muddied the waters for me personally, so today I am going through the Alde manual to fully understand its operation and compare its poor wording with my own experience with the system and what other T@B owners have provided by way of explanation.  (By the way, once you resolve the green light issue, please be sure to let us know how you resolved it.........that is the best way for ALL of us to benefit.  This is a FANTASTIC forum and I have learned a ton from it.)  Greg

gkillmaster

Bayliss said:

@gkillmaster, I'm in the same boat (uh, RV)........I've owned trailers (15' up to 5th wheel) for 40+ years, but have spent soooooo many more hours on learning about my T@B camper, how it is constructed, the plumbing, etc.  Some of the responses I have read about the Alde, in particular, tend to create confusion for me and cause me to second-guess whether I really understand how it operates.  Therefore, I have been going through those posts slowly for the past few days to make sure I understand what the very helpful providers of that info are actually trying to convey.  Making lots of notes for future reference when I have issues such as what you have experienced with the green light.  I thought I had a pretty good handle on the Alde operation, but subsequent posts have muddied the waters for me personally, so today I am going through the Alde manual to fully understand its operation and compare its poor wording with my own experience with the system and what other T@B owners have provided by way of explanation.  (By the way, once you resolve the green light issue, please be sure to let us know how you resolved it.........that is the best way for ALL of us to benefit.  This is a FANTASTIC forum and I have learned a ton from it.)  Greg

I sure will do! Not glad things can be confusing for you too, but glad I'm not the only one also Somehow, the functionality of the systems could be great clarified with some good short videos. I wish T@B would put together a series for every system. The trailers don't really seem to change that much from year to year! So thankful for this forum and how generous people here are with their time!

Bayliss

@gkillmaster...........check out this video from nuCamp on the Alde panel and settings......hot off the presses.  Saw this on the T@B Facebook page a few minutes ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-JzYcxNQM&feature=youtu.be

MuttonChops

gkillmaster said:

. . .  no green light on the power button on the Alde menu control panel. It says in the manual that the led comes on when the boiler is on, but the green light never turns on to indicate this.

Are you 100% sure the indicator light (LED) is not on.
One trailer builder web-page has this comment:

  Turn ON the Alde system by pressing the power button on the left.  The power button has a little green light just right of center but you may need to look at it straight on to see it.

http://sierrateardrops.com/article/the-alde-hot-water-system 
I've not checked on the T@B but memory says the LED is indeed dim/hard to see.  If the Main Screen is working I don't even look for or notice the green LED.

Bayliss

@MuttonChops, thanks for posting the above link............although it does not answer every question about the Alde, it is probably the best and simplest explanation of the Alde system that I have read.  (Greg)

MuttonChops

MuttonChops said:

Are you 100% sure the indicator light (LED) is not on.
One trailer builder web-page has this comment:

  Turn ON the Alde system by pressing the power button on the left.  The power button has a little green light just right of center but you may need to look at it straight on to see it.

@gkillmaster

Another thing to consider when looking for the Green LED:

The POWER  &  MENU  touch pads are small plastic disks that have some free play in the Panel Housing.  I am forever centering the Menu Pad - - - drives me crazy when it is not centered.

For the Power Pad not being centered can make the Green LED invisible from many viewing angles and dim when visible.

EXAMPLE

Pictures taken today on my 3020 panel

gkillmaster

MuttonChops said:

MuttonChops said:

Are you 100% sure the indicator light (LED) is not on.
One trailer builder web-page has this comment:

  Turn ON the Alde system by pressing the power button on the left.  The power button has a little green light just right of center but you may need to look at it straight on to see it.

@gkillmaster

Another thing to consider when looking for the Green LED:

The POWER  &  MENU  touch pads are small plastic disks that have some free play in the Panel Housing.  I am forever centering the Menu Pad - - - drives me crazy when it is not centered.

For the Power Pad not being centered can make the Green LED invisible from many viewing angles and dim when visible.

EXAMPLE

Pictures taken today on my 3020 panel

O Man! It does actually come on! I had to get my body in a weird position to be directly in front of it and was surprised to see that it was actually lit!! Thanks so much!

JamesC

While were on the subject of the Alde system, I had an interesting thing happen yesterday. I am currently living in my 2018 400 while my new home is being prepared so am relying on Alde to keep me warm here in Olympia. Yesterday when I got up the trailer was cold but I still had hot water. When I checked the Alde panel the temp setting buttons at the top of the screen were grayed out and unresponsive. I knew that I had power, the screen was working and still had hot water so for lack of something better to try, I remembered seeing a reset button on the last of the settings screens.. I pushed that and it reset the Alde to factory settings and solved the issue. Something to keep in mind when your trouble shooting. 

Verna

If the temps were grayed out, the night mode set back was enabled. That icon is the half moon on the second screen. You can disable the settings by turning the feature “off” on its screen, or by resetting to factory settings. 

I love this feature as I prefer to sleep in a bit cooler temp than daytime temps. 

And, be sure to keep the time accurate on the touch screen as you go through the various states and time zones. You can wake up to cooler night time temps in the am if you forget the time zone changes—voice of experience