Alde with heat exchanger

[icantremember]

I didn't realise that. I thought that was only switched on when you wanted to pre-heat the engine.

That's exactly what I was given to understand Peter, but the way Hymer have plumbed my Alde heat exchanger no water flowes without the extra pump.

 

[peterc10]

That's exactly what I was given to understand Peter, but the way Hymer have plumbed my Alde heat exchanger no water flowes without the extra pump.

I will check where my pump is. If it is under the seat it may be the same as yours.

I have now received a reply from Alde and here it is

Hello sir,

Thank you for your enquiry.

To use the engine heat exchanger is very simple.

On the Alde control panel, set your desired room temperature as normal. Set electric heating to "Off", and gas heating to blue for off.

Leave it like that and the heat from the engine will automatically circulate to your central heating while you drive.

Unless Hymer have plumbed in a separate circuit from the engine heat exchanger to the domestic hot water, you won't be able to bypass the central heating unfortunately.

Best regards,

Joakim Johansson
Customer Service Advisor
Alde UK Team

The last paragraph was in reply to my request to use it in the summer just to heat the water. So looks like no hot water in the summer unless we roast. So I will have to just leave the heating on gas for that and the thermostat on.

 

[icantremember]

On the Alde control panel, set your desired room temperature as normal. Set electric heating to "Off", and gas heating to blue for off.

Leave it like that and the heat from the engine will automatically circulate to your central heating while you drive.

That is their standard reply I think .. I certainly tried their suggestion on a number of occasions and got nothing until I switched on the Engine Pre-heat Pump.

The way they suggest would mean that the heat exchanger would always be hot from the engine, which I would not want under my seat in summertime.

EDIT Unless there was a valve fitted to isolate it which mine does not have.

 

[Robert Clark]

I think there is some confusion here as we all probably have different Alde systems depending upon how old the moho is! Ours is the Compact 3020HE system on a 2015 Hymer.

Robert, did you get them to fit the Alde Flow additional continuous water heater to yours?

No it wasn't available on the list of options Peter.
Having said that I'm not sure I would have chosen it, as I'm not sure if we would have any benefit from it as we don't use loads of hot water.

 

[peterc10]

That is their standard reply I think .. I certainly tried their suggestion on a number of occasions and got nothing until I switched on the Engine Pre-heat Pump.

The way they suggest would mean that the heat exchanger would always be hot from the engine, which I would not want under my seat in summertime.

EDIT Unless there was a valve fitted to isolate it which mine does not have.

There are definitely isolation valves on my heat exchanger on both sides - large lever type ones. Mind you they are a bit of a faff to get to (have to unscrew rear of the seat base) so I have always left them on. So maybe yours is different to ours.

No it wasn't available on the list of options Peter.
Having said that I'm not sure I would have chosen it, as I'm not sure if we would have any benefit from it as we don't use loads of hot water.

I quite like the idea because it means it we are in a hurry to go in the morning we can shower after one and other rather than waiting 15 or 20 minutes for the water to reheat. Unfortunately it will not work instantaneously with our boiler because it only works with 2017 models onwards they say. Instead it just works as an additional tank full of water. Probably not worth us having in that case.

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[TheDogMan]

This perhaps answers a question I have had since I got my present van, why does the heating come on whilst I am travelling even in the hot weather when I have everything switched off on the control panel, could someone put a pic on what I have to turn off please

 

[Floydster]

Ours is controlled from the thermostat, you just turn the required temperature down to minimum and it should stop the demand from the stat so the pump doesn't run.

 

[icantremember]

There are definitely isolation valves on my heat exchanger on both sides - large lever type ones. Mind you they are a bit of a faff to get to (have to unscrew rear of the seat base) so I have always left them on. So maybe yours is different to ours.

I've just been out and had a good search under the seat but can still only find one valve .. think I've been short changed!

 

[funflair]

This perhaps answers a question I have had since I got my present van, why does the heating come on whilst I am travelling even in the hot weather when I have everything switched off on the control panel, could someone put a pic on what I have to turn off please

Here you go, ours is right between the seats but yours will be someplace else,

You can see the valve on the right that shuts off the engine circulation, on the left you can see the fins on one of the radiators behind the seats so this is the heating loop.

Martin

 

[peterc10]

I've just been out and had a good search under the seat but can still only find one valve .. think I've been short changed!

You should demand your money back Brian. Becks are good like that. Do you want me to speak to them on your behalf?

This perhaps answers a question I have had since I got my present van, why does the heating come on whilst I am travelling even in the hot weather when I have everything switched off on the control panel, could someone put a pic on what I have to turn off please

We just switch the control panel off (bottom left hand button) if we do not want any heating at all. That is for an Alde 3020HE with a colour control panel, you may have a different model.

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[sallylillian]

I love our Alde, I have the night feature selected with 17 degrees heating and hot water off, activates at 10pm and deactivates at 06:30 and at the moment in chilly Santander have it set at a cosy 22. Robert they used to put a valve in the exchanger circuit which is referred to in the manual in the engine bay. For some reason they stopped. I had them fit one to stop reverse flow as I was getting heated water flowing back into the system which made the side window rads and the under seat rads warm and in summer, this was uncomfortable. I have yet to use the heat exchanger with any real requirement as I think it would only be useful in very low temperatures. However like you I assumed that the water could be heated on the road separately which is not the case so I probably would not get it again.

 

[icantremember]

Do you want me to speak to them on your behalf?

Yes please Peter, although I doubt you will get very far ... your name did come up when we were in there on Thursday.

 

[Stand Off]

I’m quite new to the alde system and do find it over complicated at times. We have the 3020 system fitted with the engine pre heat installed.

From what i can gather from previous posts is that there should ALSO be a heat exchanger. In the hymer manual it says it’s under the front passenger seat but blow me if i can find it. So, if i have the engine preheat, should i also have the exchanger?

 

[sallylillian]

I’m quite new to the alde system and do find it over complicated at times. We have the 3020 system fitted with the engine pre heat installed.

From what i can gather from previous posts is that there should ALSO be a heat exchanger. In the hymer manual it says it’s under the front passenger seat but blow me if i can find it. So, if i have the engine preheat, should i also have the exchanger?

They are one in the same, with an exchanger you can preheat the engine from the Alde gas or electric heating circuit or use the engine as the heat source to maintain the Alde circulating water temp under way.

 

[peterc10]

From what i can gather from previous posts is that there should ALSO be a heat exchanger. In the hymer manual it says it’s under the front passenger seat but blow me if i can find it. So, if i have the engine preheat, should i also have the exchanger?

The reference to "passenger seat" is a reference to LHD vehicles. In out RHD Hymer we get to it by unscrewing the back panel of the driver's seat. It should then be straight in front of you. It is not very big, but you will recognise it because it has 4 hose connections coming out of the top (2 each for engine cooling system and heating system).

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[Rapphil]

They are one in the same, with an exchanger you can preheat the engine from the Alde gas or electric heating circuit or use the engine as the heat source to maintain the Alde circulating water temp under way.

I have heat exchanger with just one large isolator lever in the engine compartment how do you deceide if you want the heating to preheat the engine?
Mine is 3010 and on reading manual to have heating on the move you have to switch off gas and 12v and select temperature required. No mention of putting pump on so presume we don't but we do have a Auto button which switches pump automatically to 12v when not connected to 240v so would is it better to keep this off so even when on site you know what you are running off?
From what people are saying am I right in thinking the water from the engine to heat the central heating is on a completely different circuit than that which heats the water from gas/240v and that's why it will not do hot water only at lower temperature?
As always so much help on MHF, thanks.

 

[peterc10]

I
Mine is 3010 and on reading manual to have heating on the move you have to switch off gas and 12v and select temperature required. No mention of putting pump on so presume we don't but we do have a Auto button which switches pump automatically to 12v when not connected to 240v so would is it better to keep this off so even when on site you know what you are running off?
From what people are saying am I right in thinking the water from the engine to heat the central heating is on a completely different circuit than that which heats the water from gas/240v and that's why it will not do hot water only at lower temperature?
As always so much help on MHF, thanks.

 

[peterc10]

I have heat exchanger with just one large isolator lever in the engine compartment how do you deceide if you want the heating to preheat the engine?
Mine is 3010 and on reading manual to have heating on the move you have to switch off gas and 12v and select temperature required. No mention of putting pump on so presume we don't but we do have a Auto button which switches pump automatically to 12v when not connected to 240v so would is it better to keep this off so even when on site you know what you are running off?
.

I think you may be getting your 12V and 240V confused. The Alde heats up using gas or 240V or both. It has a pump that is usually 12V but occasionally they fit a 240V one to. This just pumps the heating fluid around the convectors. The instructions you have are to use the engine heat to warm the motorhome, not the other way around.

If you want to preheat the engine before starting it (not really needed unless it is a very cold morning) you must first have the Alde heating on and working. All you need to do then is switch on the separate pump that pumps the engine cooling fluid to and from the heat exchanger. You should have a switch somewhere to do that. Mine is next to the Alde control unit and is marked with an engine sign and has a small LED light to show it is on. I have never done this but I understand that you should let it run for 20 minutes or so.

 

[funflair]

Yes the water around the engine is a completely different circuit and is pumped through the heat exchanger when the engine water pump is running, the Alde radiator heating loop then goes through the other side of the heat exchanger picking up up heat as it goes it then gets back to the boiler and puts some heat into the "hot water" so you see it can only heat the hot water at the same time as the radiators, if you want it to put water around the heating you need to have the heating pump running.

To heat the engine you need the Alde system hot and the heating switched on and pump running, (obviously heat exchanger valve open) and then you should have a switch that controls a pump that circulates the engine cooling water through the heat exchanger and around the engine.

Martin

 

[sallylillian]

I have heat exchanger with just one large isolator lever in the engine compartment how do you deceide if you want the heating to preheat the engine?
Mine is 3010 and on reading manual to have heating on the move you have to switch off gas and 12v and select temperature required. No mention of putting pump on so presume we don't but we do have a Auto button which switches pump automatically to 12v when not connected to 240v so would is it better to keep this off so even when on site you know what you are running off?
From what people are saying am I right in thinking the water from the engine to heat the central heating is on a completely different circuit than that which heats the water from gas/240v and that's why it will not do hot water only at lower temperature?
As always so much help on MHF, thanks.

No, the hot water is heated at the same time as the heating circuit, the pump then circulates the heated pink shall we call it around the heating circuit which will include the heat exchanger. So for either heating the van from the engine or heating the engine with the heating circuit the heating circulation pump must be on. Either temp controlled or continuous depending.
OK guys beat me to it on ferry with single finger phone!

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[Rapphil]

Thanks all for quick reply, strange no mention of putting pump on in manual or that e mail from Alde, I shall try both next time out.
The manual does say the Auto switch is for automatically switching from 240v to 12v so not sure what that's about. Van is 2009 so things have probably been updated since then.
Can't see a switch for heating engine but as you say will probably never need it.
Thanks again

 

[peterc10]

The manual does say the Auto switch is for automatically switching from 240v to 12v so not sure what that's about.

That is referring to the pumps you have to pump the Alde heating fluid around, not the engine coolant. Probably means your van has a 12V and 240V pump for the heating. In that case the 240V pump is used if you are on EHU and the 12V is used if you are not. The change over for that is automatic.

 

[Rapphil]

Sorry now got it the pump has got to be on to circulate the pink stuff it ain't going around by itself.

 

[Rapphil]

Works on the hot water without the heating in summer on ours.

??? Which system is this? From the engine?

 

[EuroTrotters]

You can’t as far as I know heat water only.

I fitted a heat exchanger tonours. Only way to heat water was to heat rads too.

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[Haydn]

If you are looking for a cost effective water heating only solution Vanovate sell heat exchangers that allow you to heat water via the waste engine heat. I've got one and they are great, gives out piping hot water and really easy to install.

http://spammers-r-us.com

 

[Jim]

Being the MD of the company Haydn I’m sure you do have one

 

[BobtheBass]

I know this is an old thread but it's full of useful information for me about the Alde heat exchanger, which I have fitted to my 2017 Hymer. Problem is after reading through the posts several times I am really, really confused! I have the exchanger valve turned on and have tried switching the heating on at the panel but nothing happens. Do I need to set the pump to constant? What is the button on the Fiat dashboard with a fan symbol on for? Can I get hot water without a hot van? Why is there no Alde operating manual supplied with it or available on line? Hymers manual seems to say you just use the system as normal and magical things happen as you drive along but not on mine so far! What a confusing system.

 

[icantremember]

I know this is an old thread but it's full of useful information for me about the Alde heat exchanger, which I have fitted to my 2017 Hymer. Problem is after reading through the posts several times I am really, really confused! I have the exchanger valve turned on and have tried switching the heating on at the panel but nothing happens. Do I need to set the pump to constant? What is the button on the Fiat dashboard with a fan symbol on for? Can I get hot water without a hot van? Why is there no Alde operating manual supplied with it or available on line? Hymers manual seems to say you just use the system as normal and magical things happen as you drive along but not on mine so far! What a confusing system.

You need to set the temperature high to run the pump or set pump to constant .. I prefer the former as otherwise the mh gets too hot.

 

[peterc10]

@BobtheBass have a word with your dealer. My Hymer came with separate operating instructions for all of the fitted appliances including the Alde system as well as the Hymer manual.

Tbe system is really simple once you get used to it.

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