tonyfletcher Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I am enquiring to see if anyone uses the M/Home Alde Heating system without the facility of Electricity and how much battery consumption it uses in powering the pump that drive the system? I think I am right to assume that the system runs on gas but the pump must be working all the time? I have a blown heating system on my Bessie E760 which draws quite alot of battery current when starting from cold and over a period of time with constant use draws the batteries close to re-charging even with an 85w solar panel and 3 leisure batteries Any advice would be welcome, thanks Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 The FAQ on the Alde site gives an indication, viz: Q. How much current does the heating system draw? A. There are two actions in the Alde 3010 Compact boiler that draw current from the vehicle battery, the exhaust fan venting waste gases (˜0.4 A), and the heating fluid being pumped around the circuit (˜0.2 A). So normal draw from the vehicle battery is between ˜0–0.6 A with an LPG supply, or ˜0–0.2 A with a 230 V supply only. Max draw is 1 A for approximately three seconds at system start-up. Max draw from 230 V mains is ˜9 A on 2 kW, ˜4.5 A on 1 kW. ˜13.5 A on 3 kW (European spec). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 We have the older Alde 3000 the pump uses very little battery, my solars have no problems with the pump even in winter. If you do decide to go with an Alde system I would have a heat exchanger fitted so your van and water are hot when you arrive at you destination. It will also heat your engine on cold mornings. Good luck Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I must confess I think we go backwards instead of forwards sometimes with all this reliance on batteries.Many years ago we had a caravan that had a ( I think a Truma ) gas heater that gave you the option of just convected heat, or blown air around the van. We always just used the convection, no issue at all then with battery usage. Why there is no such system available for M'homes I cannot understand, especially as it was silent in operation and could be left on low overnight if not on mains hookup without flattening the batteries.Or is there still such system, I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfletcher Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 thank you all for your comments, interesting viewpoint from 1footinthegrave although not quite what I was asking in the original post, thanks anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-11-08 5:12 PM I must confess I think we go backwards instead of forwards sometimes with all this reliance on batteries.Many years ago we had a caravan that had a ( I think a Truma ) gas heater that gave you the option of just convected heat, or blown air around the van. We always just used the convection, no issue at all then with battery usage. Why there is no such system available for M'homes I cannot understand, especially as it was silent in operation and could be left on low overnight if not on mains hookup without flattening the batteries.Or is there still such system, I don't know. Truma S-Series convector heaters are still available and used almost universally in caravans in combination with a Truma Ultrastore boiler. (Visit the Truma website for more details). The reasons they aren't as popular as they used to be for motorhomes (though some current models still have them) are severalfold. Probably the main reason is that a 'fire' + separate boiler makes life difficult for the motorhome designer. A combination air/water heater (eg. a Truma "Combi") can be hidden invisibly almost anywhere (under a fixed bed, in a wardrobe-base or seat-locker, etc.), whereas a convector heater needs to be in a free-air location where it can convect. It's also a lot simpler for the motorhome manufacturer to feed water, gas and (optionally) a 230V power-supply to a single appliance rather than to two, and there's only one exhaust to allow for. Another thing is output, as a Truma 'fire' (for motorhome use) can only produce about 3.4kW of heat, while a "Combi" can produce 6kW. Auto-Trail persisted with Truma 'fires' until quite recently, but there were regular complaints that the system's heat output was inadequate for Auto-Trail's larger models. I discussed this with a Truma rep a while ago and we both agreed that the Thinking Motorcaravanner's heating system of choice should be the caravan arrangement (gas convector fire + gas water-boiler with - if campsite hook-ups were to be regularly used - a 230V heating option on both. This would offer simplicity combined with maximum versatility. Blame the motorhome manufacturers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 We do not have hook ups (apart from on our driveway) and manage in all weathers with the Alde system. If you are at all worried, fit another battery (or a bigger one) for peace of mind. A couple of points to bear in mind : The pump does not run continuously, it is governed by a thermostat, although there is a switch position for continuous running (radiators only, not hot water). We have never used this position. Adding the heat exchanger will give hot water on arrival but will not heat the engine before starting unless you also fit a separate pump for that particular purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-11-08 5:12 PM ...Why there is no such system available for M'homes I cannot understand, especially as it was silent in operation and could be left on low overnight if not on mains hookup without flattening the batteries.Or is there still such system, I don't know. I mentioned above that convector gas-heaters were still being installed in motorcaravans. Coincidentally, the "Head-to-head test' in the current (December 2011) issue of MMM (pages 118-125) shows an example. The Auto-Trail Tracker RS has a Truma gas/230V convector 'fire' + Truma gas/230V water boiler, whereas the Balley Approach SE 620 has a Truma "Combi" gas/230V combined air/water heater. The internal layout of each vehicle indicates that either of the two heating appliance arrangements could have been installed in both, but Bailey's choice of a 'Combi-under-a-seat' will have been the simplest approach and (possibly) the cheapest in overall terms. The MMM report of an Auto-Sleepers Windrush in the same issue (pages 110-116) illustrates the attraction to a motorhome manufacturer of the compactness and all-in-oneness of a 'combination' heater. Burying a gas/230V Truma "Combi" beneath the Windrush's rear bunk is easy (though the blown-air ducting arrangement in the Windrush prototype is hopeless), but it's hard to envisage how the system used in the Tracker RS could be installed without radically altering the Windrush's interior layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Well I never knew convector gas heaters were still supplied or fitted. I've often thought it's all style over function with blown air systems in all but the largest vans. We have a LWB PVC with five warm outlets for the Truma, in a space smaller than our box room at home. When on mains we use a single 1200 watt electric convector heater that manages to heat all the van more than sufficiently . But for the age of the van I would get it changed over just for the simplicity, and my guess that a simple gas convector type heater would outlast both the van and me, oh well, you live and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 tonyfletcher - 2011-11-08 3:57 PM I am enquiring to see if anyone uses the M/Home Alde Heating system without the facility of Electricity and how much battery consumption it uses in powering the pump that drive the system? I think I am right to assume that the system runs on gas but the pump must be working all the time? I have a blown heating system on my Bessie E760 which draws quite alot of battery current when starting from cold and over a period of time with constant use draws the batteries close to re-charging even with an 85w solar panel and 3 leisure batteries Any advice would be welcome, thanks Tony Tony Are you considering installing the Aldi in lieu of the (presumed) Truma, or changing to a van with an Alde system? Can you define the above "period of time"? What capacities/ages are the 3 leisure batteries? Where (what country) do you spend time when running the heating? Is the heating actually the largest consumer of electricity (lights, TV, chargers, inverter etc)? It is just possible the batteries are poorly matched, are failing through age, or are possibly not fully charged when you arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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