On our first trip out with an Alde system, we had hot water with the pump set to “auto” and “therm”, but the towel rail stayed cold. Switched the pump selection to the optional 12v pump in the expansion tank and it became hot and the heating was definitely stronger. Is it ok to leave the pump set to the one in the tank?
Alde heating pump control
- Thread starter Fisherman
- Start date
Hi and welcome.
You should only have one pump. Either the in-line. Or the header tank. Having both is a bit pointless. I suspect you have the header tank pump but the system was switched to to the on-line which is the default. When switched to the wrong pump odd thingshappen.
If I am right, one thing to watch out for. The default pump should be set by the van manufacturer. And every time the system looses power, it returns to the default. One way to prevent this is to fit the battery back-up. Otherwise, check every time you set up.
John
Unless Alde had altered their system, on loss of 12 volts, such as when coupling up to tow, only the "clock" defaults so losing the time.
No other of the client setting are lost, such as temperatures and timings, only the present time. You need to reset the clock, unless it has a backup option.
Though even just this is IMO a mega pain where it is so easy to provide the optional battery support, or with the older system a back up 12 volt feed; amazing all van builders don't simply include it as standard.
On the OP's point. The Alde boiler makes a heating fluid and the fresh water hot, it needs a pump to then circulate the heating fluid around the van. The Alde system controls when that circulating pump needs to be run, completely automatically, in response to your set temperature, the van's thermostat sensing of the internal space temperature, and the daytime and night settings, if you opt to programme these. You don't swich the pump on or off, the Alde system makes those decisions to meet your settings.
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Yes, a valid point I did not mention. Just the mention of a header pump pointed me to assume, probably incorrectly, it was likely to be a 3010, 213 system.
With the 3020 & touch panel unit this might as you say be a feature, though it is not with the 3010, 213 units. There the 230 mains pump, if one is installed can be "enabled" or disabled, but to still just respond to the system's needs. From memory anyway. I have to select an unachievable high temperature to force continuous pump operation.
It is very unlikely indeed any UK touring caravan features a 230 volt mains pump in addition to the 12 volt. These I thought are more typically found in mains supplied installations, eg cabins, with a 12 volt pump included for power outages.
Thanks, guys. It’s a 3020 system with a touch panel. Pump is set to auto and therm, but there is also a pump selection option, which is not very well explained in the manual. That’s where we found the “auto” and “optional 12v pump in the expansion tank” buttons. There are two other options as well.
The 3020 comes as standard with an inline pump at the boiler, any optional header pump will be very self-evidently there if you glance at the header. It is plonked in the top cap.
Re the inline pump, most will have a manually speed setting knob on their motor's rear end, just check this is set back to #2 rather than left at the factory preset #5. Often a dealer omission when setting to work, most probably because they skipped doing it at all!
There is also the option of being fitted with a remotely speed controlled inline pump as an alternative to the manually set one; I suspect no UK van maker would or needs to spec the installation of that expensive option.
Re the inline pump, most will have a manually speed setting knob on their motor's rear end, just check this is set back to #2 rather than left at the factory preset #5. Often a dealer omission when setting to work, most probably because they skipped doing it at all!
There is also the option of being fitted with a remotely speed controlled inline pump as an alternative to the manually set one; I suspect no UK van maker would or needs to spec the installation of that expensive option.
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You have made a couple of mistakes. The 3020 came with an in-line OR header tank pump depending on which the manufacturer decided to fit. My Lunar had the header tank pump, and I believe Coachman did as well. I had to investigate my system as the temperature kept overshooting and was yo-yoing far too much. I called Alde and they took me through it on the phone. This is when we found, as they had suspected, that in the advanced settings the pump was set wrongly to the in line pump. I changed this and all was good.
This is when they told me I would have to reset it at the start of each use. As when Lunar made the original setting incorrectly, that is now the default. It was myself that assumed that adding a battery backup would save me having to remember to do that. And so far it has proved to be correct.
I guess that the vast majority of systems would have had the default set correctly by the manufacturer so would not encounter this problem.
In my case, I have recently updated to an in-line pump, which now makes the default setting correct.
It is a mystery to me why using one pump or the other should fundamentally change the way the system functions, but it certainly does, and is a known issue to Alde.
Alde discontinued the header pump in about 2016. Except for replacements.
No sure why you mentioned manually turning the pump on and off in response to my post. Clearly it is normal for it to be thermostat controlled.
John
What I actually said was, "The 3020 comes as standard with an inline pump at the boiler, any optional header pump will be very self-evidently there if you glance at the header. It is plonked in the top cap. "
Indeed, as you pointed out that is the factory default configuration.
That some van makers select the optional header pump, does not alter the standard configuration. Just that by choosing the header pump saves them money, could motivate some van builders.
There is also no "OR" about it the system is designed for either or both pumps.
I mentioned that under the separated the part of my post headed "On the OP's point", a point also raised by Jezzer B.
It is again an option to have two pumps and depending on application far from pointless. For example, having a 12v back up for an installation with the 230 v AC pump. There the more obvious selection would be to use the header version of the 12 v options, as longevity would not be a predominant consideration.
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I think that the 3020 comes as standard with the inline pump cannot be the case with Lunar and Coachman who fitted the header as standard up to about 2016. However, the in-line would always be the preferred option.
I can only say what Alde told me. And exactly what my experience was.
The OR is what the manufacturer decided to fit. I agree it was just to save a few bob that some fitted the header tank pump. I agree that the either or both can be fitted, possibly 3 if the 240 volt option is also chosen. But, ridiculous as it sounds. The manufacturer sets the default when the van is built. So it follows that the caravan manufacturer does in fact alter the standard configuration. Alde warned me that the system will reset to this default after being powered down. This is necessary to know if the pump is changed at some stage. But it is certainly a poor design in the same way as not remembering the time and other basic functions. Alde told me that having this default set by the manufacturer was not desirable.
Sorry, just could not see how it was relevant to the post being responded to.
I can see the possible advantage if using the mains pump which I believe is rare but slightly more common in America. But I would worry that having an unused pump in the system might cause an unnecessary restriction. My header pump had become intermittent in operation. When I fitted the inline pump I considered leaving the header in place as a back up. But didn’t for this reason.
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For the OP. If the problem persists try what I did. Speak to Alde while at the controls.
John
Thanks to everyone for your help. I think a call to Alde is on the cards.
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