Alde shuts off propane

Kellercarol
Kellercarol Member Posts: 9
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
I’m new to Tab ownership and this forum. Just bout a 2020 Tab 400. Everything works fine on power but when I run the Alde system on propane it shuts the regulator off within about 10 seconds   This happens as soon as I hit the green flame on the main screen. Fridge and stove work fine until Alde turned to propane
Help!
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,527
    edited December 2022
    Welcome to the Forums....
    So.....you are on shore power?  And everything on the Alde works the way it should....on either the 1kw or the 2kw setting?
    Then you want to try the Alde on propane.  Did you turn the electric "off" first?
    The Alde can run on Electric and Propane when on shore power.  The basic setting is for the Alde to "prioritize" electric when on shore power.  If you then turn the Alde propane function on, the two separate systems work together to maintain the thermostat temperature setting.  When the temperature drops a certain amount, and the Alde senses the electric may be falling behind a bit, the propane will kick in and "support" the electric elements. 
    So, if you are on shore power, and running on the electric elements....and then turn on the propane with the electric still on, what I'm guessing you heard is the gas functions of the Alde going through the initial testing setup for the gas......and then the regulator "stops" and waits for that temperature change discussed above.
    If you are trying to run on propane only, no electric elements selected on the control panel, the gas side of the Alde will go through the same start up procedure you are hearing.  If the Alde sees the temperature inside the trailer is higher than the thermostat setting on the Alde, it will just be sitting there in standby.  When the temp inside the trailer goes below the thermostat setting, then you should hear the Alde kick in.
    There are several error messages associated with the gas side of the Alde, the most common being the "Gas Failure" error.  Are you seeing any errors at all on the Alde screen?
    You can try to test your Alde on "propane alone" by turning off the electrical element on the Main Menu.

    PS: And now I read a little closer, and you are saying when the Alde is turned to propane the other propane appliances also stop? 
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • Grumpy_G
    Grumpy_G Member Posts: 711
    edited December 2022
    Can you elaborate on "shuts off propane" a little more ? The pressure regulator doesn't have an automatic shutoff. The propane tank itself does, but it works at higher tank pressures, not the meager the 11 inches water column on the appliance side. 
    The Alde system requires a higher propane flow than the fridge or the stove. Possibly the tank is pretty much empty and once the Alde tries to light the pressure drops to nothing. 
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  • Bayliss
    Bayliss Member Posts: 1,496
    @Kellercarol, in addition to @Grumpy_G's question, what part of the country do you live in, and what is the elevation where you tried the Alde on propane?  If you are above 3000' elevation you should check to confirm that you have the "High Altitude" feature turned on.  Check the Alde manual for how to do that (very simple.)
    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite; 2025 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePO4; Solar: Renogy 220W Portable Suitcase w/ Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller; Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor w/ Shunt; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


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  • Denny16
    Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    Also, the propane burner blower fan could have an issue, it it fails to come on, the Alde shuts down the propane feed to the burner.  
    Cheers 
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    edited December 2022
    As @Grumpy_G said, it sounds like it's a propane supply problem, if it's shutting off the fridge and stove supply also.
    • Check your propane tank for empty?
    • Turn off the propane bottle, disconnect the hose, reconnect the hose, and very slowly turn the tank valve back on. 
    • Question whether or not your regulator needs replacing.
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • Kellercarol
    Kellercarol Member Posts: 9
    Thx. To clarify I rarely camp on shore power. Fridge and stove are fine til I run the Alde on propane. 2 tanks are full  I slowly open propane. I’ve disconnected propane. I’ve bled the lines  the regulator seems fine as it runs other items with no problems. When I select the green flame regulator sits in about 10 seconds. Alde has no issues using shore power
    i did get a response from Alde that it may be the exhaust hose out of the boiler.
    still curious if any other solutions
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  • Grumpy_G
    Grumpy_G Member Posts: 711
    Something doesn't compute here: If the problem is with the Alde system (e.g. exhaust side plugged, fan not working) then it would shut off the Alde system but should not affect the other gas appliances.

    How do you recover from the shutoff ? 

    What is the outside temperature and where did the propane bottles come from ? While typically referred to as "propane" in warmer states it is often blended with butane which liquifies at -2C. 
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  • Binghi
    Binghi Member Posts: 402
    May be a localized problem with the propane boiler - either air or fuel. Exhaust hose could be constricted, ignition could be failing.
    2021 400 BD / 2016 VW Touareg / Austin, TX
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  • Denny16
    Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    If the other propane appliances work, but not the Alde on propane, then it is the exhaust fan or hose. Some have reported fining nests inside the hose, causing similar issues. Another had a failed fan. On Shore Power, the Alde uss its electrical heater elements unless you over ride and set the Alde to run on propane. Cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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