Alde Pump Setting.

Right,now doubtless the less caravan diligent among you all will be concerning themselves with tinsel,turkey and crackers.

However there are more interesting things in life to be turning your attention to.

I don't know how much it is common knowledge but the fact is that the 12v pump on the Alde boiler should be set at "2" for everyday running but that it arrives from the factory set at "5" which is the setting to purge and bleed the system.

This should be rectified at PDI but often isn't,ours wasn't,or was it ?

If it is left on "5" it will lead to premature pump wear and possible failure.

Knowing this fact I changed the setting on ours when we received the van,hmmm.............

For some reason today I checked the setting as I lead a sad and lonely life and it was on "4 & a half".

Now as can be seen from the picture the pump is not in the most accessible place to see the numbers on the pump face,oh no that would be far too easy and accommodating.

Also it is easy to presume that the "pointer" bit of the dial is one end of the bit that you grip to turn it,it isn't it is a small arrowhead at the side naturally in the same colour as the rest of the dial so it is easy to overlook ( wouldn't it have been helpful to make it another colour ? ).

So,standing on my head in the front locker clutching a torch in my teeth I adjusted it down to "2" which is at the boiler side obscured of course by the big black pipe.

You won't be able to tell it is set wrongly when the heating is on,at least I couldn't,the system ran and worked fine.

Apologies if this is all teaching your grandmother to suck eggs but better to sort it now than have to pay circa. £150 plus fitting for a new pump.

So I may have done Yorkshire Caravans a disservice by altering it when it was OK in the first place,that's me,the eternal fiddler and buggerer up of things.

Now you can all scuttle off to wrap parcels and get pissed,I would much rather mess with my pump.

Ian

PS.

In case anyone is not aware,you can click on any of the pics in the blog and get a nice big version.

A Winterization Tip

The Alde 3020 HE manual states :-

"If storing the vehicle for winter,ensure the flue terminal is covered to prevent pest animals nesting in the flue".

I have therefore covered the Alde flue terminal with a bread bag wrapper which seems to do the job admirably.

Incidentally,if anyone wants a copy of the Alde manual,let me know and I will send one.

Ian

If

Radiator Protector & Fridge

Well eventually got hold of the Bailey upgrade to cover the front nearside radiator fins and fitted it this afternoon.

It didn't slip into place quite as easily as I would have thought but it was not too much of a problem.

Also received a replacement fridge door ventilation catch,or I thought I had.

Bailey have sent every part a man could desire to do with the fridge door catch,except the one I want.

This is what I needed:-

What I got was catches,wires,LED's,striker plates,screws but not the above,which seems a bit strange.

Anyway YC Leisure are going to order it again from Bailey so in another three months hopefully I will have it.

Ian

Solar Panel Again.

Richard,one of my correspondents,contacted his dealer to ask whether it was essential to cover the solar panel when disconnecting the battery:-

Good evening.

I purchased a Cadiz from you in July 2015. 

At this time of the year I am about to lay-up for the winter, and one of the tasks involves removal of the battery so that I can keep it topped up.

I have been advised that before the battery is removed, the solar panel should be disconnected from the charge controller, or at the very least, the solar panel should be covered. Other people say there is no need for any precautions, as long as the battery terminals are not allowed to touch each other.

Can you advise just how the battery can be removed, please. What, if any, precautions are necessary?

Yours,

Richard Hexter

This is the reply he received from Northam Farm caravan dealers :-

Hi
There would be no need to cover the solar panel, just simply disconnect it from the charge controller and keep the two terminals away from each other.

So there we are,the dealers disagree with Truma.

I have not received a reply from Truma yet and will post it when,or if,I do.

There is at least one positive in that if you forget to cover the panel it would appear that
no great problem will arise if the dealers don't bother.

I don't suppose they replace controllers on a regular basis.

Having said that another of my correspondents says he fried his controller by not covering the panel. 

Take your pick.

Ian 


 

Toilet Cassette Door

Was at the dealers today and noticed that on the 2016 Cadiz they have redesigned the toilet cassette door.

I wonder why ?

I have never had any problem with it ( I use the word "I" as SWMBO doesn't even know it is in existence ).

Now if it had been the gas locker door.....................................................

Ian

A Couple of Jobs

Went up to storage today as the sun was out,for a bit anyway,to do a couple of "wintery" jobs.

First was to move the van back a couple of feet to prevent flat spotting of the tyres ( I used to put winter wheels on when we had the Orion but we are hoping to get off for a few days in January so I haven't bothered this year).

Mind you talking of "flat spotting",I have never come across anyone who has actually flat spotted their tyres.

Perhaps it is an urban myth,bit like getting "egg-bound",never come across that either despite many parental warnings.


Secondly I decided to swap the battery over and put the one in the van on a good charge.

According to the Truma manual it is necessary to cover the solar panel with a blanket or cardboard before disconnecting the battery or else it does the controller no good I am led to believe.

Anyway all went well,battery swapped then I remembered that someone on CT said there was a fuse in the nearside bed locker for the solar panel.

Had a root around and eventually found it.




As shown in the picture it is in the bundle of wires at the right hand side of the nearside bed box by the side of the fridge.

It is definitely for the solar panel as I took it out and the panel stopped working.

Whoever bundled the wires together couldn't have put the fuse on top for easy access could they ?

So next time I battery swap I will simply remove the fuse instead of balancing on a rickety ladder in the wind with an old curtain.

Incidentally if anyone wants a copy of the Truma solar panel manual ( it covers a bit more than the Bailey Handbook ) then drop me an e-mail and I will send a copy.

The solar panel must do a good job of keeping the battery up to scratch as when I put it on my C-Tek charger at home it showed fully charged within the hour so perhaps a swap wasn't strictly necessary.

Ian