ALDE Heating drain down

[davejen]

Not sure if this applies to motorhomes , but my Bailey caravan has Alde heating.
Now I know Truma boilers have auto drain down valves when it gets cold, but the Alde one is MANUAL and needs to be turned to empty er...by hand!
If you are unsure CHECK IT NOW or you might be in for a big bill when the water freezes and blows the boiler!!!!
Going to be around -5c here tonight.
Cheers, Dave
ps the c/van is a 2015 model

 

[CazPaul]

Eh, we don't do owt with ours, it has antifreeze in.

 

[Macca1954]

Not sure if this applies to motorhomes , but my Bailey caravan has Alde heating.
Now I know Truma boilers have auto drain down valves when it gets cold, but the Alde one is MANUAL and needs to be turned to empty er...by hand!
If you are unsure CHECK IT NOW or you might be in for a big bill when the water freezes and blows the boiler!!!!
Going to be around -5c here tonight.
Cheers, Dave
ps the c/van is a 2015 model

My thoughts were that alde wet heating systems are an antifreeze system.

 

[Macca1954]

Eh, we don't do owt with ours, it has antifreeze in.

Beat me to it

 

[hchris]

Think he maybe talking about the water heater

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

He means the boiler chamber for hot water

 

[Lazyboy]

I think you are at cross purposes here. The heating side of the system is indeed an anti freeze type product, therefore does not need draining. I believe davejen is talking about the water in the system used for washing etc. If this is left in during freezing conditions then it will cause damage.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Yes water boiler & water pipes to taps etc need to be drained.
The heating itself does have antifreeze which also fights corrosion, so should be
no worries there.

 

[davejen]

Absolutely correct, the SYSTEM is heated antifreeze, it is the WATER in the tank that needs draining! @ CazPaul please note!!
Cheers, Dave

 

[TinaLes]

Absolutely correct, the SYSTEM is heated antifreeze, it is the WATER in the tank that needs draining! @ CazPaul please note!!
Cheers, Dave

Yes so true, the hot & cold water system needs to be drained down totally.
You should find the blue drain valve near the boiler, lift this up, open any fresh water tank drain valves, also. Run the water pump with taps fully open, turning left & right to clear as much out the pipes as possible, remove shower hose completely, store somewhere safe.
Blow down any open taps that you can to expel as much water as possible.
Its the same drain down procedure for all fresh water systems (Alde or Truma) that are left without heating in winter.
Have had both systems drained down each winter several times, its a pain but its gotta be done.
Forgive any advice given that you already knew about, but just to be safe, thought it worth a mention.
Les

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[CazPaul]

Absolutely correct, the SYSTEM is heated antifreeze, it is the WATER in the tank that needs draining! @ CazPaul please note!!
Cheers, Dave

yes the water in the taps etc get drained and water pump.

 

[G7UXG]

Thanks for the reminder... just been outside and done mine

 

[davejen]

yes the water in the taps etc get drained and water pump.

Thats ok, but have you drained the boiler tank?

 

[davejen]

the blue drain valve near the boiler,

Yellow on mine....

 

[TinaLes]

Yellow on mine....

Nah wrong one, thats the wine drain off tap well it is if you fill up your fresh water tanks with wine before leaving the continent.
Les

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PeteH]

We have inboard tank and pipework, I also have an electric heater on low at the moment, to keep it "aired" prior to use next week, so any residue in the system will be OK, Mine gets drained on parking up regardless of time of year.

As far as I can remember, The only time I ever had anything "frozen" was on a new year rally in the 80`s when the hose from the pump to the Caravan froze up. Lagged with Foam sorted that.

 

[funflair]

Thats ok, but have you drained the boiler tank?

If you drain the hot and cold systems that will drain the boiler tank I believe ?

Martin

 

[davejen]

If you drain the hot and cold systems that will drain the boiler tank I believe ?

Martin

I thought that but when I opened the drain tap yesterday a steady stream of water came out for several minutes.......
so I don't think so.
Cheers, Dave

 

[CazPaul]

I thought that but when I opened the drain tap yesterday a steady stream of water came out for several minutes.......
so I don't think so.
Cheers, Dave

You can hear the boiler draining as the hot and cold are drained. That's all I have ever done anyway and up here on the moors in winter the van gets cocooned in ice and then blizzards.
Not harmed anything so far.

 

[Mr Colpot]

We have a frost drain valve next to the water tank (under the floor between single beds near the back of the van) but the boiler is under the dinette seat up front. It seems that the valve does drain the boiler as if I open it manually it drains for a while and stops and the level in the fresh tank doesn't change and I have to then fill the boiler again afterwards.
I haven't tended to drain down in the past as we use the van most weekends so I used to leave the heating on low (truma blown air). This is our first year with an Alde system though so should I drain down or will it be ok to leave the heating on low?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}