Alde system flush complete for 40 pounds !

[Baron Von Greenback]

I am so chuffed with myself , I have just flushed through my system with G13 mix , so easy to do. I am an ex Royal Navy Articifer so quite handy , I hear this is a 250 pound job ! It took me 30 mins , I then put system on for leak test . If anyone is interested I could do a write up , it is the Alde 3010 system with the wee pump in header tank , the original blue coolant in it since build ! I suppose it will be similar for the new system 3020. Just come from the storage site now

 

[JTQ]

How did you drain all the old blue stuff out?
That IMO is the most difficult bit as far from 100% drains out by gravity from ours.
I have done it three times but each took me about two or more hours, not 30 minutes.

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

I bought a 10 pound 12v pump from Amazon , took out my 12v alarm battery connected it that and flushed it through with water first then after water ran clear used the 50 50 mix G13 it was a nice job ! I will have to show you all ! I have the info on the right connectors , the hose the G13 the pump and supply your own bucket, you need to run the system after but as you have not drained it and kept in hydraulic then is very little air , just bleed from high point in bathroom , honestly child's play

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

It’s so satisfying!

 

[Jcloughie]

How did you drain all the old blue stuff out?
That IMO is the most difficult bit as far from 100% drains out by gravity from ours.
I have done it three times but each took me about two or more hours, not 30 minutes.

When I did mine I took the header tank off and pushed the fluid out using a simple bellows pump as used for paddling pools.

John

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

When I did mine I took the header tank off and pushed the fluid out using a simple bellows pump as used for paddling pools.

John

thats what I did my friend , but with a 12v battery pump , it was so easy if anyone in Central Scotland needs a hand after lock down give me a bell .

 

[Jcloughie]

thats what I did my friend , but with a 12v battery pump , it was so easy if anyone in Central Scotland needs a hand after lock down give me a bell .

I also tipped the van up at the front as the drain was at the back. To fill I did this with the header tank off so the liquid only went one way in the flow direction. My van at the time I did it had an inline pump. I found this helped to remove any air by putting it on full pelt.

For my current van I got a mobile engineer to do it. He used the Alde kit, very cumbersome. Mine was his first ever van but he had done the Alde training. He made a right meal of it. Not used him since.

John

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

I literally just ran the old stuff out with fresh water , then ran the fresh water out with the new stuff , about 14 litres worth . Re attached header tank and topped up with neat G13 to boost the mix . Ran and a little air came out all done . The wee pump run at 12 Ltr a minute , now I have done it once it will take me 10 mins as I know what I am doing to flush . Where does the 250 pound come from it theft

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

I also tipped the van up at the front as the drain was at the back. To fill I did this with the header tank off so the liquid only went one way in the flow direction. My van at the time I did it had an inline pump. I found this helped to remove any air by putting it on full pelt.

For my current van I got a mobile engineer to do it. He used the Alde kit, very cumbersome. Mine was his first ever van but he had done the Alde training. He made a right meal of it. Not used him since.

John

How can you make a meal of it .. I take it he was last week a painter and decorator ! You can’t buy engineering experience!

 

[JTQ]

The issue with simply purging one fluid with another is that there is no guarantee that within the Alde "boiler" itself all the old fluid gets moved out.
If the system is fully drained then it must be 100% of the new.
Possibly having less than 100% new product and some old retained, is not too big an issue?

I used a technique that was a lot more laborious, I drained the old, filled and circulated with deionised water and drained, repeated the water fill and after emptying I finally filled it with new fluid, and then tested its specific gravity to ensure it was between 50 & 40 % concentrated.
All a bit tedious, not looking forward to having to do it again.

 

[Jcloughie]

The issue with simply purging one fluid with another is that there is no guarantee that within the Alde "boiler" itself all the old fluid gets moved out.
If the system is fully drained then it must be 100% of the new.
Possibly having less than 100% new product and some old retained, is not too big an issue?

I used a technique that was a lot more laborious, I drained the old, filled and circulated with deionised water and drained, repeated the water fill and after emptying I finally filled it with new fluid, and then tested its specific gravity to ensure it was between 50 & 40 % concentrated.
All a bit tedious, not looking forward to having to do it again.

I flushed mine as well. It does not happen with the Alde system kit. Also the dilution seemed like guesswork by the engineer. But I think I ended up with it over strength.

John

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

I flushed mine with fresh for the simple fact I wanted to do a nice job and I could see through the clear pipe the old running out and the water coming through , then the pink coming through , I topped up about .75 ltr neat G13 at the end in the header tank . Ran it seems ok, the main thing I could see the stages I used clear plastic pipe I also ran through the G13 extra for about 2 litres to clear through . I tipped up with the G13 neat in header to make sure there was enough mix .

 

[Beachball]

Our previous Elddis crusader had the Alde system we got a mobile caravan engineer to flush the system when he service the caravan on site

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

Well anyway if anyone wants to save a Bob or two , it’s not a bad way of doing it if the vans a few years old

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

I used a turkey baster to empty header tank

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

Old stuff out

 

[otherclive]

I used a turkey baster to empty header tank


View attachment 1212

As they say “ Bravo Zulu” 👍👍

But I now know why I like blown air systems. Simple with three layer redundancy and minimal upkeep requirements or cost.

 

[RogerL]

As they say “ Bravo Zulu” 👍👍

But I now know why I like blown air systems. Simple with three layer redundancy and minimal upkeep requirements or cost.

+1 with instant heat and doesn't turn the heating off to prioritise hot water - change the ignition battery every 10 years, what could be simpler.

 

[Beachball]

i can see why I am happy with blown air system in our caravan to each is own

 

[Jcloughie]

I have to wonder just how important this fluid change is. As the Barron says, he is only just doing the first change on a 3010 system. And he does not mention having any prior problems.

My car is 7 years old and There is no mention of coolant change in the servicing. Mine was done last week with a cam belt change. But prior to this, no problems. Same principles, same anti freeze!

John

 

[RogerL]

I have to wonder just how important this fluid change is. As the Barron says, he is only just doing the first change on a 3010 system. And he does not mention having any prior problems.

My car is 7 years old and There is no mention of coolant change in the servicing. Mine was done last week with a cam belt change. But prior to this, no problems. Same principles, same anti freeze!

John

Car makers use "5-year" coolant, caravan makers don't.

 

[otherclive]

I have to wonder just how important this fluid change is. As the Barron says, he is only just doing the first change on a 3010 system. And he does not mention having any prior problems.

My car is 7 years old and There is no mention of coolant change in the servicing. Mine was done last week with a cam belt change. But prior to this, no problems. Same principles, same anti freeze!

John

My car is 10 years between coolant changes but I will probably have it done a couple of years earlier as I’m unlikely to keep it till 2034.

 

[otherclive]

I have to wonder just how important this fluid change is. As the Barron says, he is only just doing the first change on a 3010 system. And he does not mention having any prior problems.

My car is 7 years old and There is no mention of coolant change in the servicing. Mine was done last week with a cam belt change. But prior to this, no problems. Same principles, same anti freeze!

John

Some makes change coolant and water pump when the cam belt is changed. All adds to the upkeep costs though. That’s why we’ve changed to petrol, cam chain cars. Well the Skoda Superb was troublesome and the 13 year old Note was getting to the stage where things could get expensive.

 

[Buckman]

Well anyway if anyone wants to save a Bob or two , it’s not a bad way of doing it if the vans a few years old

Seems you saved a few bob as ours cost £150 and it was done by ALDE using the 5 year fluid. What did you do with the old fluid as it is probably illegal to flush down the drain?