Alde HE3020 Boilers

Just a correction, ALDE G13, or any other product approved to G13, is never "blue". It is a magenta.

 Comma GG40 is an approved G13 product and can be purchased as concentrate as well as "ready use" 50/50 mix.

I use COMMA GG40 Xstream for topping up

I replaced the glycol myself, the dealer whom I bought the caravan from new didn't want to do it! Figure that one out.

I used G40 concentrate and mixed it with distilled water, both bought from Amazon.

I would recommend you push the old out with distilled water, then run the system for say 15 minutes.

When I did mine there must have been some old left within the boiler as what was clean water turned a light shade of blue.

Then push this out with your mixed Glycol, saving some concentrate back for topping the header tank when you put everything back together.

 I've done a number of jobs in and around the caravan, I enjoy the challenge!

Where does one safely dispose of the waste? I checked at our council tip and they don't.

I rang Hampshire Council's relevant Department and they identified which of their disposal sites take such hazardous waste. Far from all by the way.

By luck one is near where we travel every few weeks, so I have used that. I put it in the containers the fresh stuff comes in, clearly labelled as "antifreeze", and just place it by the hazardous waste pound they have there along side tins of paint etc..

If you have a good relationship with your local garage Inthink you will find they will, if asked rightly, to take in your old antifreeze.

Our Bailey Madrid is coming up to 3 years old and is booked in for a service later this month.  They have suggested that the fluid in the Alde heating system should be changed at a cost in excess of £200.  Is this necessary or can it simply be topped up?

I understand from the caravan servicing company that, during the 5-year warranty period, fluid supplied by Alde must be used but that after the warranty has expired, an alternative fluid can be used which is very much cheaper.  Is this correct?

Have you checked what the handbook says about the warranty?  

Usually the long warranty is just on the body shell and the warranty on the components such as the oven, fridge, heating is either 12, 24 or 36 months.

If you have only 2 year fluid, it needs to be changed, not topped up.

The van is certain to have been supplied by the manufacturer with an antifreeze that has a corrosion inhibiting feature that is designed to last two years.

As it is now coming up to 3 years old, you are well advised to change it. Topping up is not adequate and potentially could further weaken the corrosion inhibitors. It is only those and the biocide that degrade, not the freezing protection, but they are very important.

A charge of £200 is really laying it on. Try a local independent, or if Wellinborough is handy for you to visit use Alde themselves.

As stated earlier in this thread use a 5 year life product. All you need to do is use one "approved" to VWs spec G13, an easily obtained one is Comma's GG40 Xstream. Note two Gs.

You could technically use one to an earlier VW spec, G12++, that is what Comma's G40  [note single G iin Comma talk in this case] offers, but I would use GG40 myself.

These are "approved" by Alde, the G13 being their now current recommendation.

They make no requirement you use their own G13, just you use a approved product. 

Update. In preparation for my next annual service and at which time my blue two year Alde boiler antifreeze is due for change and I am changing to five year Magenta 50/50 ready for use ...After thorough checking with Alde and Comma that their products are identical, have been confirmed in writing by both companies that they are, so I have bought 4 x 5 litres of Comma GG40Xstream ..The difference in price between the same quantity of Alde compared with Comma is £100 in favour of Comma.. I use a mobile service engineer to service the present caravan and several previous Caravans, annually and he has no problem in changing the antifreeze.......ALDE technical dept., have also confirmed in writing that using the Comma GG40Xstream does not affect my warranty.