Primus/Alde Heating System

Mar 1, 2015
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Hi All

I'm looking for some advice please if possible, i've just purchased a 2001 Bessacarr Cameo 625GL twin axle and it has wet central heating which is a Primus System which i believe were bought out by Alde.. i have read up a little but cannot find full info, i need to know how much fluid the system holds and what antifreeze is ok to put in, i have heard that using bottled water is best ?, i would like to use pink antifreeze as i believe this has a 5 year life, i know where it is filled but would like to know the process of filling i.e. if you put in so much fluid and then switch it on to pump it round and carry on with this process until its at the correct level or if you carry on filling until it comes just above the lowest level then switch it on and top up if necessary .. i know bits and bobs but for one i do not know where the bleed valves are in the van .. unfortunately our van didnt come with a manual for the central heating system but came with every other manual for everything else :huh: .. the heating manual is the one i really could have done with as only ever had blow air .. any help would be greatly appreciated .. im not sure if Primus and Alde differ very much as they all seem to look the same .... i want to do this right so that i dont cause any damage to the system .... :unsure:

Many Thanks in Advance
Karen
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Feb 3, 2008
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If your van is 2001 then I don't think Alde heating was around then, Perhaps it is retro fitted and hence the instructions are not with the van manufacturer's paperwork.
 
Mar 1, 2015
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Hi. .Thanks for your reply .. Primus I believe we're bought out by Alde in 2001 the Primus system is exactly the same with the silver finned radiators and expansion tank etc. .I've been able so far to compare the system but that's about it ...

Karen
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Mar 1, 2015
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Thats great thank you will sit and have a good read .. hopefully it will tell me all i need to know. I suppose now i just need to know what antifreeze to use or more to the point what other people have used successfully on their systems and then i can get it filled up and tried out before we go away.

The info is much appreciated, i was probably looking in the wrong place for the information that i need.

Karen
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Mar 1, 2015
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Am I right or wrong in thinking the drain points are the bleed valves or are the bleed valves actually on the radiators themselves .. also which pink antifreeze can I and can I not use, this would be useful to know as well . .

Thanks
Karen x
 
Jun 11, 2012
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You need to use Anti Freeze that is specially aluminium engines and is blue.Alde recommend its changed every 5 years but this might be a penny pincher but you could get your own tester for a couple quid .Mine was still ok at year 4.Good Luck .
Sir Roger
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Talk to the helpful people at Alde UK, as some advice here is not sound.

The bleeders are not drains, but bleed off points; there ought to be a drain at the lowest point.

There are complications with mixing different antifreezes; the important corrosion inhibitors used can conflict with one another.
This is not a totally reliable statement, but here in the UK, the green/blue products tend to have a two year inhibitor life; the red orange tend to have a 5 or longer year life.
More recently a 5 year life fluid has been introduced that is compatible with most two or five year products, this avoids conflicts. One of these fluids that you should find locally is Comma G40 X-stream.
The best water to mix it with is deionised water, ie water that is free of calcium; again this should be easy to get locally. The mix ratio is 50/50%; typically you need about 7 litres for most systems, so buying 5 litres of Comma and 5 of water should see you with plenty; and buying this size is quite cost effective. Try local motor factors supplying garages.
But start talking it over with Alde UK to check the details.
 
Oct 25, 2012
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is it true that the antifreeze in the Aldi Heating System (supplied with new caravans) only lasts for 2 years.I have been advised to have it changed to the red by the dealer who supplied and services my caravan. It seems a lot of money( £150 ) for such a small amount of antifreeze and water. :unsure:
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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pepperpot said:
is it true that the antifreeze in the Aldi Heating System (supplied with new caravans) only lasts for 2 years.I have been advised to have it changed to the red by the dealer who supplied and services my caravan. It seems a lot of money( £150 ) for such a small amount of antifreeze and water. :unsure:
Yes it seems for what every reason caravan makers fill Alde systems with an antifreeze with a two year life corrosion inhibitor additive.
Changing to 5 year life product makes great sense and increases the cost by just a few pounds.
If charged £150 for changing, then almost all will be a labour and old fluid disposal cost; the concentrated antifreeze actually needed to refill the system costing about 10% of that charge.
If the dealer uses Alde's purging pump there is significant new antifreeze wastage so will have a higher product cost involved.
 
Jun 11, 2012
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I must make a correction here .I posted earlier saying the antifreeze life in the Alde heating system had a 5 year life.This is not correct. I bought our van brand new in 2010.Last year our dealer notified me that the fluid needed changing it has a four year life. Now Our van doesnt get used that much and at last years service our engineer checked it and said it will be ok for the season.This year on the service he has advised to get it changed. Now like many others our is a Swift /Eccles and the antifreeze in it is of course blue.I am about to get mine changed and it will be changed to Pink. My only advise here would be if you are going to do this job yourself Anti freeze suitable for aluminium block engines is the best product to use.This is not a job I would advise as a DIY job. Im sure Damian will come along and correct me .
Sir Roger

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Jun 6, 2006
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Roger, the antifreeze Swift use as standard is blue and has a two year life, the pink/red is 5 years, to my knowledge none of the manufacturers have used a four year antifreeze!
 

Damian

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Mar 14, 2005
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As has been said by Martin, the standard ex factory antifreeze is a 2 year item and is blue.
Comma do a 5 year red antifreeze.
I am rather curious as to how an engineer can say that after the expected life of the 2 year antifreeze that it is OK.

The only check that can be done on antifreeze as such is its strength using a refractometer, but the issue is not about strength of the fluid but that the anti corrosion properties have reduced to unacceptable levels.

For the sake of the cost of replacing antifreeze against a new boiler or radiator its a no brainer.

As for being a DIY job, yes it can be done and has been by quite a few people but it is time consuming, fiddly and involves quite a bit of raising and lowering of the van and running the system to exclude any air not expelled from the vents.
 
Jun 11, 2012
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Thanks Damian and Martin. You are of course correct. It was the dealer that threw the spanner in the works suggesting four years.I use a mobile service engineer and I think Damian may know him and I should have listened to him and changed the antifreeze last year but hey ho a job to be done very soon.I will be using the Comma Red I take it that the red is ok as it states a five year life .Thanks again
Sir Roger .
 

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