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Understanding Alde hot water - new owner

JPPJPP Member Posts: 2
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
T@B 400, 2025.  Just purchased.  My question is about the hot water system:  I’m plugged into shore power (in my driveway) and I have the Alde heating system on electric only, set at 1kw.  I have the hot water setting to “off” in the Alde menu,  yet I have very hot water at the kitchen and bathroom facets.  Is this operating correctly? 
I’m in dry camping mode, (in Nautalis system), my fresh water tank is at least half full, and I’ve purged the system of air.
Thanks for any clarification, and helping a new owner.
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  • AnOldURAnOldUR Member Posts: 1,628
    edited October 26
    Here's an illustration of what @Grumpy_G posted. When the cabin thermostat is calls for heat, the furnace heats up the glycol which in turn heats the water in the outer chamber.


    Edit to add that when the hot water is activated for either electric or propane, the glycol is heated just as it is for cabin heat. The difference is that glycol will not be circulated through the heat convectors if the cabin thermostat is not calling for heat.
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    (47,171 towing miles through the end of 2024)
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  • JPPJPP Member Posts: 2
    I got it.  Clear explanation.  Thanks.
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  • qhumberdqhumberd Administrator, Moderator Posts: 695
    Another twist on the hot water options comes if you have the Alde Flow (which I am thinking all the newer 400s might have). That has a separate tank to provide more backup hot water. There is a second pump that circulates hot glycol to this tank, but only when the hot water is set to the Max setting, and then it is set to reset to normal Hot water setting (midway) after 30 minutes. I am not sure how the internal plumbing looks on this variation.


    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"

    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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  • pthomas745pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,343
    The Alde manuals have always been completely hilarious in various ways, and as far as the hot water instructions, they are completely funny and confusing.  
    In the Alde 3020 manual, see paragraph 2.4:   "Hot water is always available when the furnace is on and running on LP Gas and/or electricity."
    Very next paragraph, 2.5, attempting to describe the little "triangle" settings for the water:   "No hot water. If hot water is not needed, press the ”-” button. (the symbol is empty).
    But, refer to paragraph 2.4, and the other comments describing the Alde tank in this thread.  There is no way to turn "off" hot water.
    What the little triangle can control is the making of "hotter hot water", or what the Alde calls "Extra Hot Water".  This doesn't suddenly increase the size of the Alde hot water tank, it just give the Alde a chance to make "hotter" hot water, which will give a longer session of hot water when mixed with cold water.  The Alde does this by turning off the glycol pump, so all the available heating of glycol stays right there inside the Alde unit.  After 30 minutes, the glycol pump will go back to "normal" and operate when the thermostat calls for heat.  

    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • AnOldURAnOldUR Member Posts: 1,628
    So, in the summer (or any time when the cabin heat is off), setting the hot water to boost does nothing?
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    (47,171 towing miles through the end of 2024)
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  • pthomas745pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,343
    @AnOldUR If the Alde is not "on" with either electric or propane, there will be no hot water.  Your comment above about making hot water is correct.  If you have the Alde "requested heat" setting lower than the "ambient" temperature inside the trailer, the Alde heats the hot water, but does not move the glycol around to heat up the trailer, also.  
    When you ask for "Extra Hot" water, the water is heated to around 149 degrees.  In my 2017, this has always worked for me in the summer.

    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • qhumberdqhumberd Administrator, Moderator Posts: 695
    pthomas745 said:
    @AnOldUR If the Alde is not "on" with either electric or propane, there will be no hot water.  Your comment above about making hot water is correct.  If you have the Alde "requested heat" setting lower than the "ambient" temperature inside the trailer, the Alde heats the hot water, but does not move the glycol around to heat up the trailer, also.  
    When you ask for "Extra Hot" water, the water is heated to around 149 degrees.  In my 2017, this has always worked for me in the summer.

    And another twist in the Alde hot water world we have noted: The baseline temp of the hot water (as checked in the Service menu of our Alde 3020) is not as hot when you select 1K versus 2K on the electric side of the heating. This with cabin heating set to not come on. The 1K makes the water around 120 and the 2K makes the water closer to 150 deg.

    Just what we have noticed.


    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"

    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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