Frustrated ALDE user question

[TimT]

Hi Everyone,

2019 Classic

My questions on is the ALDE system is I had it serviced with new fluid a few months back. I tried it before I left the dealer to insure it worked, and it did.
I tried to run it over the last week....no luck....I have hot water however. My question to the forum is......

I turned it on and set it at 86 degree to heat it up....no other changes. Is there some common tricks/tips or something I am missing, or not checking the right boxes on the ALDE screen....I followed the manual instructions.

If someone has a checklist or has experience with this I want to hear from you as it getting very frustrating to me dealing with this.....as I taken to the dealer several times complaining about it not working correctly. I not sure if I am not setting it correctly or the system is not working as it should.....I'm not sure anymore.

I'm not sure what to do with it at this point....If I could get some pointers from some experienced users maybe that will solve my dilemma....

Tim

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by TimT

Hi Everyone,

2019 Classic

My questions on is the ALDE system is I had it serviced with new fluid a few months back. I tried it before I left the dealer to insure it worked, and it did.
I tried to run it over the last week....no luck....I have hot water however. My question to the forum is......

I turned it on and set it at 86 degree to heat it up....no other changes. Is there some common tricks/tips or something I am missing, or not checking the right boxes on the ALDE screen....I followed the manual instructions.

If someone has a checklist or has experience with this I want to hear from you as it getting very frustrating to me dealing with this.....as I taken to the dealer several times complaining about it not working correctly. I not sure if I am not setting it correctly or the system is not working as it should.....I'm not sure anymore.

I'm not sure what to do with it at this point....If I could get some pointers from some experienced users maybe that will solve my dilemma....

Tim

Hi TimT,*

We're very sorry to learn about the issue you are having. Please send us a direct message with your contact information, email and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can share it with our Customer Service and Technical Support team. We look forward to helping you get this resolved.

You can also reach Airstream Customer Service and Technical Support at*customersupport@airstream.com

Thank you.*

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

If you have hot water then the system in theory is working.

For the heat, it takes awhile to heat it as it’s a radiant heat not a direct heat like your heat pump. If your outside temps permit, I actually run the heat pump to first get the trailer initially heated to 60 At the same time I turn on the alde as well to 70. My wife likes to crank the alde up to 85 to heat the trailer faster but I insist that it doesn’t heat it any faster, but rather the system stays on longer. Similar thought with heat pump, if you crank it to 100 it doesn’t heat to 68 faster than if you set it to 68.

The alde requires shore power to run off of electric and boy does it love sucking down electric. Otherwise make sure your propane is full and valve is open. Run alde on gas at that point. In a perfect world you turn on electric 2 (I believe 50amp is required on this one) and propane, the system will determine what it needs at that point.

Come back in an hour and feel the vents, they should be hot to the touch. If you feel radiant heat then the system is working. It may not be 85 in the trailer yet though, that’s why I use the heat pump first.

If you need me to play with my control panel and take some pictures then I can but my model is under the sink as my multiplex controls everything. As a result, it’s a bit inconvenient to get to my panel and photos may not be amazing but if it helps it will be worth it.

Another thought (which your dealer likely did already) is to ensure you have enough fluid in the system. There is a reservoir in the cabinet above your towel bar. A couple screws remove a panel on the left wall and exposed the reservoir. The fluid expands and will bubble when the system is heating and it should be just under the max line when the system is hot.

Check those things and call airstream JC as they reached out to you. We can help troubleshoot further if needed. Best of luck!

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

Last silly thought too. You may need to power cycle the alde system to give it a reset. Place your battery is storage mode, wait 10 minutes and then flip it into use mode.

The system may be working again at that point.

[TimT]

Thanks for the tips....I appreciate your help on this...

Tim

[ROBERT CROSS]

Interesting.....

Bob
🇺🇸

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Ok, Alde basics:

You can run the beast on shore power or shore power + propane. Run on shore power, there isn't a lot of heat energy available. To really get it going you need shore + propane. Indeed, if all you are after is keeping things warm ( 70 ) in the trailer when it's cool (50 ) outside then electric only is just fine.

Like *any* radiant heat system, the Alde does not blast you in the face with hot air. It works the same as radiant heat in a home. If you have never had a home set up that way, it may take some getting used to. It's a slow steady heat rather than a fast cycle / major blast of air system.

The Alde has a surge tank in the space above and behind the toilet. If you have refiled the system, there *will* be air in the lines. You *will* need to add fluid, possibly several quarts of the stuff. That's just how the system works.

The Alde has a circulating pump on it. The faster the pump speed is set, the quicker the hot water gets around the trailer. Also the more power the pump uses. More power drains batteries quicker. If you always are on shore power, faster may be better.

Just like the burner on the fridge or the stove, when you change propane bottles, the line to the Alde can get full of air. It may take a bit to get that cleared and to get the propane burner to light. There are also a whole list of issues with any propane burner to check if it does not seem to light. You *should* see a code pop up if this is not the case ....

If it's 10 degrees and windy outside and you are looking for 85 inside, think again. The system simply isn't designed for this sort of performance. It's no different than expecting the A/C to get you to 65 degrees when it's 120 out.

Yes, this is just a quick list. There are a lot of other things one could dig into.

Bob

[TimT]

Thanks for your response....

I turned the system on when it was in the low 50's outside....the vents never did get warm and we spent a somewhat cool night with extra blankets. In the morning the vents were cold just like me...Hot water worked which was nice. I did have the gas, and was on shore power at the time.

I just find it somewhat disappointing the system continues to have issues, just thankful the A/C heat pumps work pretty well to at least take the chill out of the air in the early morning.....

I would be interested in a quick checklist, or the "Mr. Obvious" type of checks that I could perform prior to hauling it back to the shop to attempt to fix it again. I have another trip planned in a couple of weeks over on the Pacific coast.....so finding a solution or solutions would be appreciated...since it long drive to the dealer.

[Karen-Mike]

Tim,

We have a 33 twin. The bedroom vents never feel hot as I suppose most of the heat is loss as it circulates until the environment has warmed enough.

I have a question. Do you have an infrared temp gauge.

If you do turn system on as you do, 50amp shore with 2K power and also supplement with propane. In about an hour check the towel bar for temp reading with the gauge and see what you get. See if that aids in your problem search.

Hope it helps.

Mike

[RickyNelson]

Following - thank you!

[Froglips]

I have read through your comments and the replies. Your system does not appear to be working properly to me (and I have the same year and model as you).
Go to your Alde control panel. Press the menu button. Press the gear symbol on the screen. Press the up arrow button on the screen. Press the Service button on the screen.
Please tell us the Glycol and water temperature shown on your screen. Please tell us the fan RPM and current draw shown on your screen.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by TimT

Thanks for your response....

I turned the system on when it was in the low 50's outside....the vents never did get warm and we spent a somewhat cool night with extra blankets. In the morning the vents were cold just like me...Hot water worked which was nice. I did have the gas, and was on shore power at the time.

I just find it somewhat disappointing the system continues to have issues, just thankful the A/C heat pumps work pretty well to at least take the chill out of the air in the early morning.....

I would be interested in a quick checklist, or the "Mr. Obvious" type of checks that I could perform prior to hauling it back to the shop to attempt to fix it again. I have another trip planned in a couple of weeks over on the Pacific coast.....so finding a solution or solutions would be appreciated...since it long drive to the dealer.

Hi

RV's (all RV's) involve a certain amount of interaction with their systems. They are not (any of them) "it just works" sort of devices. Some level of interaction with this and that will be part of owning one. That's just the nature of the beast ....

---------

Have you yet:

1) Checked the fluid level in the tank above the toilet?

2) Checked the speed setting on the circulation pump?

3) Checked the Alde control panel to see that the propane burner is engaged?

4) Observed that the propane burner *does* light and you get hot air out the outside vent by the dinette?

Once you have done all that, let us know what you find.

Bob

[TimT]

Uncle Bob, and Froglips......

I attached a copy of photo of the system.....

I checked per Uncle Bob suggestions and came up with following.....

1) Checked the fluid level in the tank above the toilet?.....added a few onces of fluid to the system.

2) Checked the speed setting on the circulation pump? yes..it is set at 3.5

3) Checked the Alde control panel to see that the propane burner is engaged? propane is engaged.

4) Observed that the propane burner *does* light and you get hot air out the outside vent by the dinette? did not observe if propane burner came on or not....but no hot air on outside vent.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

I know there are two fuses in the 3010 model on the mother board. Not sure about the 3020, does anyone know if one of those fuses could be the culprit?

[Sparr]

We had a similar issue and after bleeding all the air out of the system we had heat

[TimT]

Hi All.....

I consulted today with the representatives from ALDE USA....and went over everything in pretty good detail.....It appears to the rep that it either a bad circulation pump, or a blown fuse. The pump doesn't come on at all after trying a few things today. I will have to take the seat off tomorrow to be able to check the fuses on the ALDE itself, and will also check the main circuit breaker just in case.

Thanks for your help

Tim

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

🤞🏾

Seat is easy. Three bolts. Fuses will be right on top. My kit had two extra fuses attached to the wires in a little baggy. Looking forward to hearing what you find!

[CarrieAnn]

Following! Our last trip out we couldn’t get the Alde system to come on at all. No heat and no hot water. We stopped at the Airstream dealer on our way home and they seem to think we are operating it incorrectly. Not sure we agree. We will try the advice here.

[Sparr]

CarrieAnn,

Your Alde panel setting should be:

[Froglips]

Originally Posted by CarrieAnn

Following! Our last trip out we couldn’t get the Alde system to come on at all. No heat and no hot water. We stopped at the Airstream dealer on our way home and they seem to think we are operating it incorrectly. Not sure we agree. We will try the advice here.

Having just repaired my Alde system after multiple total failures by multiple dealers, I can only say fix it yourself.

1) When you say the Alde system doesn't come on at all, do you mean won't power up?

If so, start under the wardrobe. Pull the lower left-hand wood cover off. Behind it is the electrical panel. Push on the upper half of the cover on the panel in the center. It is a push to open, push to close latch. The is a horizontal line of circuit breakers. Check that none of then are tripped. On my panel, the third breaker from the left is the Alde breaker. If you can identify the Alde breaker, cycle it.

If that does not bring power back to the panel then you can check the fuses on the actual Alde boiler. To do this you must remove the dinette seat. I can walk you through that next if you want to try that.

2) If it is powering up but you have no hot water, you may need to reset the air cushion in the Alde boiler. Pop the front cover off the front dinette seat. Get a flashlight. Look under the seat and you will see the Alde system. Don't be overwhelmed as we aren't going to mess with it yet Look for a yellow valve towards the outside of the trailer. The valve has a lever that you will pull/tilt up. Turn off the water to the trailer. Lift up on the yellow valve. Water will come out of the bottom of the trailer. When the flow of water slows (you don't have to completely empty the boiler), close the valve. Turn the water to the trailer back on. Give it five minutes to refill the boiler. Try the hot water again.

Go to your Alde control panel. Press the menu button. Press the gear symbol on the screen. Press the up arrow button on the screen. Press the Service button on the screen.
Please tell us the Glycol and water temperature shown on your screen. Please tell us the fan RPM and current draw shown on your screen.