Aldi Heating

[DaveA1]

Getting ready for a trip to Cornwall next week.
Checking van over noticed the heating had lost fluid, how much I don't no, looking for leak now. No time for a repair. Now I know you can run heating without hot water, can I run water without fluid in the system???

 

[Jcloughie]

No you cannot heat the domestic hot water in Alde without glycol in the heating system, you can do it the other way round but the glycol surrounds the burner and heats up first then the domestic hot water is in a jacket around the glycol.

John

 

[DaveA1]

Can I find a leak, can [
hek as like, any suggestions of where a leak might be??
Going to a CL no showers, have to back to my youth and boil a kettle. Heating perfick in March.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Can I find a leak, can hek as like, any suggestions of where a leak might be??

Well if you can't find it, the chances of anyone who isn't looking directly at it being able to is pretty slim really !

 

[otherclive]

Can I find a leak, can [
hek as like, any suggestions of where a leak might be??
Going to a CL no showers, have to back to my youth and boil a kettle. Heating perfick in March.

Top it up and take some fluid with you, plus some Fernox (external) leak sealer and/or self amalgamation tape n case you find the leak.

In my younger days I’ve driven Midlands to Cardiff topping up coolant at regular intervals on a midnight journey. Even did it once with a brake hose leak and the AA weren’t allowed to touch brakes but he gave me a tin of brake fluid and said “ take it easy as you’ve only got enough for a couple of brakings”

 

[Buckman]

Remember the fluids contracts when cold. Try running it for awhile to see if it expands. There is a strong possibility that all that is required is some distilled water. As it is a 2023 caravan the system may still be under warranty. ALDE are very helpful if you phone them.

 

[borderbilly]

Can I find a leak, can [
hek as like, any suggestions of where a leak might be??
Going to a CL no showers, have to back to my youth and boil a kettle. Heating perfick in March.

Plenty In Wales 😉

 

[Jcloughie]

Is the header tank completely empty. They are often filled to below the min mark, see the instructions. So you may only be experiencing evaporation.

Top up and keep an eye on it. All might be good.

John

 

[DaveA1]

Well if you can't find it, the chances of anyone who isn't looking directly at it being able to is pretty slim really !

I know, Just asking in case there is a particular weakness in the system, that has been a problem over the years.

 

[DaveA1]

The system had lost 3.5 lts.
Couldn't settle as I'm going to Cornwall. So carried on looking for the leak.
Turns out it was the drain down tube at the back of the van. The clip had rusted and split leaving half holding the pipe, fluid dripping away.
Removed that and put a descent terry clip on.
I had no idea how long it had been dripping, bought 5lts antifreeze and filled the system very slowly, bleeding as i went.
All good hot water and heating working.
I have set the heating high, will let it cool, then bleed it once more.
got one half lts spare now.

 

[JTQ]

Remember the fluids contracts when cold. Try running it for awhile to see if it expands

That advice could easily give the OP a £2000 repair bill.
Don't run it when there is no sign of the boiler being filled with the inhibited [coolant] fluid.
I would top up with up to a litre of deionised water, to see if the fluid level comes into view, if it does then its fine to run it and the risks of premature or freezing [it's May] are minimal.
If a litre or less is enough the leak is minor and if it can be cured things can be left.
IME, the two joints to the plastic header present more risk than the others, that would be a point I would look. A weeping leak is likely to be quite evident, leaving tell tale deposits and staining.

Edit; just seen your update; so its been a significant loss of fluid. Way more than I have seen with the header connections, that can only lose about half a litre.

 

[borderbilly]

The system had lost 3.5 lts.
Couldn't settle as I'm going to Cornwall. So carried on looking for the leak.
Turns out it was the drain down tube at the back of the van. The clip had rusted and split leaving half holding the pipe, fluid dripping away.
Removed that and put a descent terry clip on.
I had no idea how long it had been dripping, bought 5lts antifreeze and filled the system very slowly, bleeding as i went.
All good hot water and heating working.
I have set the heating high, will let it cool, then bleed it once more.
got one half lts spare now.

Great enjoy Cornwall.

 

[toad a caravan]

Enjoy the holiday not forgetting the 🥟🥟and the St Austell HSD ale,I find it nice around the Mevagissey area several decent sites and a central place for beaches,shopping and places to visit,,

 

[Buckman]

That advice could easily give the OP a £2000 repair bill.
Don't run it when there is no sign of the boiler being filled with the inhibited [coolant] fluid.
I would top up with up to a litre of deionised water, to see if the fluid level comes into view, if it does then its fine to run it and the risks of premature or freezing [it's May] are minimal.
If a litre or less is enough the leak is minor and if it can be cured things can be left.
IME, the two joints to the plastic header present more risk than the others, that would be a point I would look. A weeping leak is likely to be quite evident, leaving tell tale deposits and staining.

Edit; just seen your update; so its been a significant loss of fluid. Way more than I have seen with the header connections, that can only lose about half a litre.

Please explain why the OP could end up with a £2000 repair bill onm an ALDE system? Highly unlikely all the fluid would drain from the system as you need a pump to do that job.

 

[Mr Plodd]

If visiting Cornwall be sure to sample a "Barncotts" pasty (not sure if the spelling is correct. Being a great pastie fan I cannot praise them enough, they are awesome, and tge best I have EVER had (and I have had a few over the years)

 

[JTQ]

Please explain why the OP could end up with a £2000 repair bill onm an ALDE system? Highly unlikely all the fluid would drain from the system as you need a pump to do that job.

£2000, because that with the labour is the approximate cost of a boiler replacement.
Clearly, from your response you are unaware of the design of these units, I suggest you would learn something if you Googled the design.

The system could suffer damage without being drained, it only needs the fluid level to be lowered in the boiler to expose parts of the burner can, and elements, so powering either of these can lead to their damage. If the burner can, then its a near full boiler rebuild job.

With a lowered fluid level the heated fluid is limited to only that within the boiler as the fluid can't circulate or thermosyphon, the heating is simply concentrated to the boiler and its components.

In the OPs case where he had lost 3.5 litres thankfully he did not take up your advice, as with that level of loss he would readily have incurred very significant costs, as well as most likely losing his holiday.

It is a wholly wrong piece of advice, that can only be based on a lack of even rudimentary knowledge of this product, to suggest anyone "runs the system for a while", when there is no visual sign of the fluid level.

 

[Buckman]

It seems that from yourn description you are referring to the Truma system and not the ALDE system as no elements are exposed as water is heated in a jacket and the ALDE has a safety cut out to prepvent such an issue arising. However if you can show I am incorrect I am happy to learn as I am only going on what ALDE told me. Howecer always best to cautious.

 

[JTQ]

It seems that from yourn description you are referring to the Truma system and not the ALDE system as no elements are exposed as water is heated in a jacket and the ALDE has a safety cut out to prepvent such an issue arising. However if you can show I am incorrect I am happy to learn as I am only going on what ALDE told me. Howecer always best to cautious.

See their page 7 , giving sectional view: LINK

Here observe the cylinder holding the "green" fluid, this is the ethylene glycol inhibited fluid["antifreeze"] the subject of the OPs level concern. {the other green items shown are electronic bits, not part of the antifreeze]

In that toroidal void, so within the green fluid are two electrical elements, here shown in red. You should also note that not only in the green fluid but their upper connection is very high up within the fluid, so particularly critical to being in any "air" space, should the boiler not be fully filled as required. This also applies to their seals in the bulkhead connections, all 4, so these will be particularly prone to abuse from overheating.

Also observe the inner cylinder, this is the alloy gas burner can, here a grey colour. its crown by definition is at the top so very prone to gross abuse if fired up with less than a fully filled antifreeze toroid.

For completeness the water section is here shown in blue, this toroid lays outside of the antifreeze cylinder so any heating here is only heat transferred directly from the antifreeze's cylinder. In that it is not exposed to any greater temperatures than the antifreeze , nor does it house any heating item, element, can etc so why whether that is fully filled or empty is is of no matter from a damage point of view.