What is the Alde heating System?
Meet the Alde Heating System!
This Alde Heating System is a “hydronic system,” or essentially a small boiler system, that can run off of LP Gas or Electricity. It is small and compact, and designed to be used in small RVs (like the NuCamp RVs). The Alde heating System provides the user with hot water and radiant heat. The Alde is controlled by a wall mounted display panel. From which various controls are available; hot water temperature, climate control, fuel type (electricity or propane), timers and timer settings. The Alde is both cost efficient and eco-friendly, as LP Gas burns much cleaner than other fuel options.
The Alde System is designed and manufactured in Sweden. With Sweden’s cold climate, who better to design a small and efficient heating system? Some of the full scale Alde Systems are testing down to -95 degrees Fahrenheit. The Alde heating System is tested and proven in extreme termeratures, by people who live in extreme temperatures. It’s no wonder why the Alde is one of the best heating systems for small RVs available on the market today.
Here’s a parts breakdown of the Alde Heating System. In short, your control boards tell the Alde what fuel to use, water control, to what temp to heat the elements used to heat the water, which in turn heats the air via radiant heat, and the air intake/fan/exhaust can be programed to maintain certain temperatures. All built into a box the size of a personal cooler, that NuCamp hides under the seats of their RVs. The water flows into the Alde cold, warms in the unit and create radiant heat, the flows out to hot water faucets in the RV (sink and shower). The Alde System is quite a remarkable product. Staying warm and having hot water makes a huge difference in comfort and quality of life for an RV dweller.
Having problems with your Alde heating System? Contact the Alde Service Department.
What you need to know about the Alde Heating System...
The first thing you need to know about your Alde Heating System, is that NO anti-freeze should go inside your Alde. Never turn your Alde on if you think you have anti-freeze in it. When in doubt, drain the Alde, the refill it with fresh water. When you winterize the RV, drain the Alde, close the water valves to the unit, the fill your plumbing lines with anti-freeze. When you de-winterize your NuCamp RV, clear all lines from anti-freeze FIRST, then open the valves up to the Alde once your sure the water intake has been flushed. These simple rules will help keep your Alde running at optimum performance for years.
What about Glycol?
Unless you are running your Alde over long periods of time, you aren’t going to replace your heating fluid often at all. If you find yourself losing this fluid quickly, check for leaks. The Ethylene Glycol is colored yellow for leak detection. In a TAB 320 S, the heating fluid tank is directly above the Alde, behind the wall panel. The heating fluid required for the Alde is an ethylene glycol based anti-freeze and coolant. Be sure to only use the ethylene glycol mixture specified by Alde. By maintaining your heating fluid, you know that your system contains the right mix of antifreeze and water. That the risk of frost and corrosion damage and bacterial growth has been minimized. Equip your Alde Heating system with the best conditions for stable and pleasant heating.
Fuel & Power
The Alde heating System is designed to run on electricity, liquid propane gas, or both. As a NuCamp Owner myself, I can say from experience that the Alde runs great on both. I typically only run the Alde on propane when electricity is not available. However, I’ve personally never had an issue getting the system started or running. The Alde runs silently on both power sources. So there’s no need to worry about weird noises keeping you or your neighbors up at night. LP consumption is barely noticeable. If used sparingly, you can run the NorCold Fridge and the Alde for a few weeks before needing to replace the 20lb propane tank stored on the frame of the NuCamp TAB 320 S.
Alternative Heating Options
I mainly live and camp in the Southeastern United States. So our climate is fairly mild compared to other areas of North America. And in many situations I don’t run the Alde at all. If I’m traveling and just stopping to sleep, there’s no need to fire up the Alde. On a weekend 3 day trip, I may not shower until the second day. So I won’t start the Alde until I am ready for a hot shower. So If I’m not planning to use hot water for a day or so, I may elect to use small electric heating devices to warm the RV. here are the alternative heating devices that I keep in my NuCamp TAB;
Wall Outlet Electric Space Heater
This is PERFECT for a NuCamp 320 or 400. It will easily heat a small space or room. The temp can be set and managed on the digital display. I set it to 74 degrees and let it roll! It’s quick, easy, efficient and a great heating alternative to using the Alde. I can run it with the RV battery, or the Jackery 240 Explorer. So it can even double as a heater for a tent set up outside the RV incase you have a friend in need. View Listing…
JetBoil Flash
Decades before I was RV Camper, I was a Primitive Camper. And I’ve brought a lot of that primitive camping equipment and knowledge over to how I do things when RV Camping. So it should come at no surprise that the Alde is actually the second best hot water heater in my RV. The top spot goes to the JetBoil Flash. This device boils water in under 1 minute is a must have on cold winter night camping trips. While the Alde can warm your body from the outside, the JetBoil can help you stay warm on the inside in the form of warm beverages.It’s a must have in my kit! View Listing…
