Possible to use Alde heat (Tab 400) when winterized?

ecstatic

If we winterize our T@B 400 does that mean the Alde heat system will not work?  I'm assuming it relies on the Alde water heater having water inside to warm the circulating glycol?

Also, as a follow up, will traveling disturb the winterization of the pipes/pump at all? Would I ever need to rewinterize after a trip or can I winterize once and use the trailer as I please all winter?

ScottG

It's not the water that heats the glycol, but the other way around. Therefore the Alde can still be used for cabin heat even when the plumbing is drained and winterized.

dragonsdofly

@ecstatic, X2 what @ScottG said. And yes, you can use the trailer once it is winterized. 

*** But, you will not use any water in the winter! ***
That means no water for toilet flushing, water for showers or dishes. Depending on temperatures, there are alternate ways to use the toilet. As you use the toilet, put an equal amount  of rv antifreeze in the black tank, around 0°F begin mixing 2 parts or greater antifreeze with one part human liquid. Or use brand name "go bags" in the toilet bowl, or inexpensively make your own. Happy t@bbing!

jameskuzman

@ecstatic - The Alde system, as you know, has two functions: It heats the “domestic” hot water for the showers and sinks, and it heats the camper itself.

These two functions are independent of one another, and what usually trips people up is that the Alde boiler is the common heat source for both, and both systems are operated by the same control panel. 

To provide heat to the camper, a circulating pump forces a glycol solution from a reservoir through the boiler where it is heated, and then around a system of tubes and small radiators throughout the trailer, eventually returning to the boiler to be re-heated. This is the part of the Alde that can be used year ‘round because there is no water involved at all, just the glycol. 

The water heater portion of the Alde uses heat from the same boiler to warm up water either from a fresh water hookup or the fresh water tank. Part of winterizing the camper is draining the Alde hot water tank and putting it in bypass mode, and accordingly, this is the part of the system that cannot be used year ‘round in cold climates. 

Regarding winterizing: Once you have it winterized, you’re set unless and until you start running water through the camper once again. If your plan is to stay in a cold climate all winter, “one and done” will do the trick until spring. The only reason you would need to re-winterize is if you went camping in a warmer climate and “un-winterized” things either by draining the anti-freeze (if you used that method for winterization) and/or ran water through any of the lines or tanks, in which case you would need to re-winterize before going back to a freezing climate. 

Hope that helps!

sdenhof

I will be winterizing and using my alde for cabin heat. Question about winterizing.....is it necessary to turn off the battery and also remove it and store in a warmer area such as a basement?

Awca12a

From practical experience, the black tank doesn’t need to be protected the way the grey and certainly the fresh needs to be.  The former is physically in the cabin which is why you step up to the throne and the latter two are under the trailer in the unheated spaces.  Moreover, the natural bacterial processes in the black tank create a certain amount of heat and the effluent resists freezing due to the material suspended in it.  We used the toilet in temps down to the single digits and used cheap RV fluid (Walmart kind not the West Marine kind) to “flush”.  

We have also added heat pads to the valves and Grey/fresh tanks letting us use the trailer in the single digits.  It was a two day install following week of figuring out how.  These 400’s are both robust and easily accessible. 

jameskuzman

sdenhof said:

I will be winterizing and using my alde for cabin heat. Question about winterizing.....is it necessary to turn off the battery and also remove it and store in a warmer area such as a basement?

As long as you disconnect the battery with the disconnect switch, there’s no need to remove the batteries from the camper or bring them indoors. Healthy AGM batteries can hold a full charge for months at a time. The disconnect is important though as there are small “parasitic” drains from things like the radio and TV which draw a tiny bit of current even when they’re not switched on; in time, these will drain your battery. If you’re out camping and have shore power or adequate solar, you can of course use the battery as intended even if the rest of the camper is winterized.

Sharon_is_SAM

@sdenhof, if you only have the KIB battery monitor, I would recommend charging your large AGM battery using a smart charger.  There have been reports of the battery being partially charged while the KIB reads full.  AGMs can go months without charging/use, but must be fully charged to 100% before storage.