Confused with the position of the Alde bypass valve 2019 Tab 320 S

Voyager · May 21

hello everyone, we purchased a used 2019 tab 320 S. The dealer de winterized it and we camped for one night to test all systems. We had full hook ups. Water was coming out hot at times, albeit fluctuating…….. When we got home, we noticed that the Alde Bypass valve was in the “open” position (parallel to the lines). This is the opposite of what the photos in the manual show for camping season mode. But we did have hot water.

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We were confused so we called customer service. They said the valve should be in the “open” position to allow water to flow into the Alde tank. Again, this is opposite to what the manual says. Has anyone experienced this? Is the manual wrong? I’m attaching a picture of my system and the picture shown in the manual.
we are new to this and we don’t want to cause any damage.

pthomas745 · May 21

When you said the hot water was "fluctuating", that was the basic clue back in the day that the "Bypass" valve was open. Owners would have hot water for a few seconds, then cold water for a while, then a little more hot water, etc. Maybe a factor here is you being on city water, and the extra flow from that connection made a difference.

You are correct: that "bypass" should be closed. The actual duty of "preventing sanitizing or winterizing solutions from getting to the Alde hot water tank" is performed by the two valves on the hot and cold lines heading into the Alde.

The"bypass", when open, simply allows those liquids you want to keep out of the Alde to circulate properly around the plumbing back to the faucets.

So, try this for yourself, while using water from the fresh water tank and the pump, with the Bypass Valve "open". I bet you get the "fluctuating" water situation.

And, good for you for having your manuals and…using them!

And, welcome to the Forums!

Voyager · May 21

thank you @pthomas745 for your quick response. We just tried closing the valve (perpendicular to the lines) and we did not have water in the hot line at the faucet. So, at least in this particular camper, the bypass valve should stay in the open position during camping season (contrary to what the manual shows). Thanks again!

MuttonChops · May 21

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/221477#Comment_221477

@Voyager , Sorry, but you are incorrect as the ByPass-Valve Must Be Closed for camping season to get real Hot Water for more than a few seconds.

Assuming the first picture you posted is your TAB:

Considering your TAB is a yr-2019 . . . the most common reason for no hot water is the TMV mixing value is clogged, jammed and needs to be serviced. Every few years the TMV should be cleaned and lubricated Something That Is Not Covered in any of the nuCamp manuals.

This forum has a document in the Resources Section outlining how to service the TMV

LK550 Mixing Valve Operation and Servicing

Voyager · May 22

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/221478#Comment_221478

Thank you for responding, when we close the bypass valve no water comes out of the hot water faucet. That is indeed the photo of my camper. Nucamp customer support said it should be open. I will however review the mixing valve and try again. Thanks for the link.

Bayliss · May 22

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/221484#Comment_221484

@Voyager , I agree with @MuttonChops. I think nuCamp Customer Support may be misinterpreting what you are experiencing.

I may be misunderstanding what is going on as well, BUT, before you do any adjusting to the mixing valve, is it possible that your Alde hot water tank is not filled (because the bypass valve remaining open is not allowing sufficient water to flow through the cold water line to fill the tank?).

To find out, close the bypass valve, but leave all the other valves set as depicted in the photo posted by @MuttonChops. Then, connect a fresh water hose (with pressure regulator attached) to the fresh water inlet on the side of the trailer. Turn on the hose to energize/pressurize the water lines and fill the Alde tank. You don't necessarily need to turn the hose on full blast, at least initially, but sufficiently enough to pressurize the water lines.

To allow the water to be pulled into the Alde tank, open the cold and hot water faucets at your kitchen sink, just a bit, to bleed/pull the air out of the water lines, which should in turn allow the water to start flowing through the lines to the faucet.

Gradually further open the cold and/or hot water valves at the sink to increase the amount of air and water flow as the water lines fully pressurize. Once the "sputtering" stops, and you have a constant/smooth flow of water running through the faucet, your Alde tank should be filled. You will probably need to open the shower and toilet valves too to get water flowing through those lines as well.

If all goes well, and your Alde tank is full and the water lines pressurized, it should just be a matter of heating the water in the Alde tank to see if hot water starts flowing at a good temp.

Grumpy_G · May 22

Check if you have hot water at the outdoor shower with the bypass valve closed. That will tell if there's an issue upstream of the bypass valve.

Voyager · May 22

thank you all. I think you guys might be right since what you are saying is consistent with what the manual says, bypass valve closed for camping season. @Bayliss, we left the valve open as in the photo, filled the fresh tank, turned pump on, open faucets and wait till the pump shut off. We could feel water getting into the Alde. Then we opened the Alde drain valve to confirm and, indeed, water did drain out. So something is going on. I am not sure that I feel confident to check the mixing valve myself as @MuttonChops suggested though. We are camping this weekend so I may leave the hot water off and then take it to the dealer to check. But that scenario makes more sense than leaving the bypass valve open, and it would explain more things. So I will bring it up to the service provider.

@Grumpy_G , we do not have the outdoor shower. It needs to be replaced because it was leaking. It’s on the mail.

I will come back to let you all know. Thank you so much!

Voyager · May 22

this is the email exchange with Nucamp

Bayliss · May 22

@Voyager, thanks for the additional info.

Based on what you wrote, it sounds like you are filling your fresh water storage tank (via the fresh water fill port) and then using the water pump to transfer water from the fresh water storage tank to the Alde tank.

That is definitely necessary IF you do not have access to a fresh water supply connection from your house, or at a campground. However, if you do have access to a water connection at your house or a campground, that will be a faster and more efficient way to fill your Alde tank. It does not involve/require using the water pump.

The primary advantages are that (1) you will not be depleting your fresh water tank supply (by at least 2 gallons, but likely more if you are running the pump until it stops filling the Alde, because you are also filling/pressurizing all the water lines inside the trailer as well), and (2) you are not using your 12V battery power to run the pump (assuming you are not hooked up to electricity).

Regardless of the method used, you still need to close the bypass valve so the cold water is directed to the Alde tank.

Also, although you indicate that there was water in your Alde tank, if you only tested that (presumably, by opening the yellow flapper) for a brief period, it is possible that you are only accessing residual water in the Alde tank, which could be present because "some" water made it inside the Alde tank, which potentially could happen even if the bypass valve was left open during the filling process.

Anyway, enjoy your camping trip this weekend. I'm be looking forward to see how it all works out. I always learn something new from individual experiences discussed on this Forum, which is valuable information when I encounter similar issues. We truly have a dedicated group of T@B owners.

Grumpy_G · May 22

Warning: Sarcasm follows….

You got an answer from a "Customer Experience Manager" and a quick google search shows his background is in sales and marketing, including a stint as an account rep for Kellogs.

To be fair a total of three valves need to be changed to switch between winterizing and camping. He is correct that the valves to and from the Alde need to be open to have hot water, but the bypass valve needs to be closed.

Voyager · May 22

@Bayliss, yes, I know using the city water connection is better, we were just trying things out and our campsite for this weekend doesn’t have water hookups. And yes, we opened the yellow valve. But you may still be right that it’s only residual water. Thanks again, I will keep you guys posted.

Voyager · May 22

@Grumpy_G clever of you to google him!

Voyager · May 22

@pthomas745, @Bayliss, @MuttonChops, @Grumpy_G

This is my first post on this forum. I am impressed by the time and dedication you all put into replying. 👏

Mickerly · May 22

I have a 2018 like yours. The last time this water was installed in the 2019 model year. In 2020 they changed to the newer system.

Because of the Alde design, you can't do any harm running it with or without water. The electric elements are in the glycol.

Another thing to keep an eye on is the outside shower. Make sure both knobs are off. If you leave them on, the hot and cold will mix through the valve assembly. All faucets in the trailer will have medium temperature water.

Voyager · May 22

@Bayliss I checked again how much water came out of the Alde. I put a bucket under the Alde drain, opened the yellow flapper and collected the water. What came out was about 5L which is a bit over a gallon. What are your thoughts?

Voyager · May 22

@Mickerly that’s good to know. I will check the outdoor shower knobs too. Thank you!

Bayliss · May 22

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/221511#Comment_221511

@Voyager, I'm not sure what to think, because 1 gallon is just under what the Alde tank holds (approx. 2.2 gallons, I believe). Before doing that, did you feel that the Alde tank was likely full (i.e., you went through the process to fill the Alde tank and pressurized the water lines)?

If so, if I were troubleshooting this, I would next put the bucket back under the yellow flapper. Open the hot an cold water valves all the way at your kitchen sink and then open the yellow flapper valve to see if any more water drains out. IF there was a full tank, and you only got 1/2 to drain using the yellow flapper alone, maybe opening the valves at the sink will reduce any vacuum present and increase the flow, emptying the rest of the tank. Worth a try.

FWIW, I recall some past discussion by @ScottG (who may chime in) regarding the fact that opening the cold water low-point drain valve can also drain the Alde hot water tank. Again, draining the low point drains (hot or cold), such as when winterizing or sanitizing the plumbing system, is more efficient if you open the valves at the sink (I also open the shower valves) to help release any vacuum that may be present in the water lines. This won't necessarily help resolve whether the Alde tank still has water in it. However, if more than a gallon comes out, that would likely be a good indicator that most of the water came from the Alde tank. If nothing else, just good info to know.

However the situation resolves, it will be helpful information for all those interested in what you are dealing with.

**********

UPDATE TO ABOVE: I found the following (from the Alde manual) in my Alde notes (basically confirms my suggestion about the vacuum in the water lines):

Per Alde manual, to drain the Alde tank:

Switch off the fresh water pump.

2. Open all water taps.

3. Open the safety/drain valve by lifting the yellow lever.

4. The hot water tank in the heating system will now drain directly below the vehicle through the safety/drain valve (i.e., yellow flapper) hose. Check that all the water is emptied out (2.2 gallons). Leave the yellow flapper valve in the open position until the next time the boiler is used, so that it can air out.

Confused with the position of the Alde bypass valve 2019 Tab 320 S

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