Changing out the Alde fluid.

AnOldUR · February 18

manyman297 said:

We’re on year 4 now with the new Rhomar glycol in these Tabs. I wonder how many people have actually kept with the 2-year schedule?

Selfishly grateful that some owners are taking the risk and not doing the recommended two year schedule. Curious to see how many years it will take for noticeable problems to occur. It will be interesting to see if anyone who took that risk is willing to admit their mistake if it comes to that.

I look at it like changing the oil in my vehicles at regular intervals. Sure I could go longer and not see any negative impact for years, but I chose to err on the side of caution.

My first exchange from Century to Rhomar took a long time with the learning curve and assembling the equipment for a complete flush. This winter it took less than two hours, but again I tried some new techniques that didn't use the pump system. I expect that the next time, in two years, it will be less than an hour. My 320 only takes two gallons. I purchased the glycol from my local nuCamp service center for $55 per gallon. I don't consider that cost or time to be a big deal for peace of mind.

Maple_Geek · February 18

I'm in Canada and not only is the Rhomar water difficult to source but also very expensive. I also seem to have different fittings from the pictures I saw that have corrosion issues.

If I do start to see some problems I will report back here. As I stated, this is a risk that I'm taking and I'm not suggesting that I hold the truth.

gulfarea · February 18

As a car mec, thank goodness Alde did not make my car heater system . I would much prefer to have the heat come up a little slower (built with thicker metal) than have the mess I now have with the boiler leaking! Art

Carsoncitysmith · February 21

DISPOSAL - - - - Our sewer plant says do not flush glycol, I called to inquire because our polypropylene is supposed to be safe. The city environmental person said a home owner with several gallons of polypro glycol can flush it. Just not Ethylene glycol.

db_cooper · February 24

I haven't posted on this thread in a while since selling our T@b. We purchased a used Cirrus 620 which I now need to flush and replace. With the near impossibility of finding the Rhomar water, I've been "researching" the European Alde's and have decided to go with what they use in Europe.

Apparently Alde has to use the non-toxic stuff in the US due to RV regulations here. The reason being the fluid could come in contact with the water supply if there was corrosion. In Europe they use G12eco antifreeze, which has Glysantin and ethelyne. G12eco is the same antifreeze used in VW and Audi vehicles and has a 5 year lifespan. It is also much easier to find in auto part stores for topping off. Valvoline's Zerex G40 is identical, supposedly, to G12eco. You can get a gallon of concentrate for less than $25.

We never drink the water in our camper, just use for toilet and showers, so I'm not really concerned at all about contamination. I also don't want to do this chore every 2 years, so this is the best route for our needs.

pthomas745 · February 24

The ethylene glycol in the G12 is still toxic, and it is possible for the Alde to contaminate the water system in the case of a failed boiler tank.

It is also possible for the Alde auto air bleed valve, or the Alde expansion tank, to drop the glycol out of the bottom of the trailer. If the auto air bleed valve sticks open, the glycol will spill under the trailer, and you will have a toxic camp site.

db_cooper · February 24

Yes, that is all true, however G12eco is mostly Glysantin, which is less toxic. Most likely your VW Toureg uses the same antifreeze, and the same issues could happen with your TV with regards to contaminating the campsite, or more likely side of the road. If it's good enough for European Alde's, it's good enough for me. Just wanted to point out that for DIY'ers there is an option that could work for some people who don't drink the tank water, and have difficulty sourcing the Rhomar product.

pthomas745 · February 25

Good point on the G12, I get it. In many earlier threads about the Alde glycol, one item that came up was Preston Low Tox. Propylene Glycol, with "Sodium Nitrate" (<0.5%) as the corrosion inhibitor. Since none of the glycols used in the Alde or the Aqua Hot will tell us what the actual percentage of their inhibitors are, or what they are, we are left to guess about the concentrations of inhibitors actually are. (They are all listed as "Proprietary" on the Century and the Alde/Truma MSDS sheets).

The Low Tox came up quite a bit in the early Alde installs when owners needed to top off their systems but had no idea what to buy.

https://www.google.com/search?q=low+tox+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=ed9c7b2690579ad7&sxsrf=AHTn8zr_HYr1Kcwlgp6A3P5dOlCi-RsK3Q:1740458078864&ei=Xki9Z-q5NKWjkPIP8MXl6AQ&ved=0ahUKEwjq4KXM_92LAxWlEUQIHfBiGU0Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=low+tox+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiKGxvdyB0b3ggc2l0ZTp0YWItcnYudmFuaWxsYWNvbW11bml0eS5jb21I8y5QtwhYpSVwA3gAkAEAmAFaoAHPB6oBAjIxuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIAoAIAmAMAiAYBkgcAoAexBw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

Cherokee · February 25

This Engineer chose to solve this so the next time it would be very easy to do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYSygKVIkH4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZXRH-vygio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMBkrH9slHs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIg0fYVJmbQ

AnOldUR · February 25

I don't claim to be an engineer and have not watched these videos, but it looks like copper was uses. Was using copper in a system that includes aluminum brought up? I may be missing something. Is the quote below valid in our situation?

"While both copper and aluminum tubing can technically be used in a glycol system, mixing them together is generally not recommended due to the risk of galvanic corrosion; this occurs when dissimilar metals come into contact within a conductive fluid, causing the less noble metal (usually aluminum) to corrode rapidly."

Cherokee · February 25

AnOldUR said:

I don't claim to be an engineer and have not watched these videos, but it looks like copper was uses. Was using copper in a system that includes aluminum brought up? I may be missing something. Is the quote below valid in our situation?

"While both copper and aluminum tubing can technically be used in a glycol system, mixing them together is generally not recommended due to the risk of galvanic corrosion; this occurs when dissimilar metals come into contact within a conductive fluid, causing the less noble metal (usually aluminum) to corrode rapidly."

"Galvanic corrosion is a process that causes metals to corrode when they are in electrical contact with each other in a conductive solution. It's also known as bimetallic corrosion or dissimilar metal corrosion."

Note: this occurs when the metals are in direct contact with each other emerged in a conductive solution. This is where aluminum would loose electrons to copper. Automobile manufactures routinely mix metals that are in contact with coolant - but separated from one another. However, if the mixture is charged like electrolyte then:

" Galvanic corrosion, also known as bimetallic corrosion, is an electrochemical process whereby one metal corrodes in preference to another metal that it is in contact with through an electrolyte. Galvanic corrosion occurs when two dissimilar metals are immersed in a conductive solution and are electrically connected."

The solution in the Alde is NOT charged; nor are the dissimilar metals in contact with each other. For example: an aluminum head on a cast iron block separated by a head gasket. Many of us drove cars with this type of engine in the '80's. This Engineer has solved this problem elegantly!

patandjeff · February 28

Hercules® Cryo-Tek™ - 100/Al for Aluminum

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Changing out the Alde fluid.

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