Alde control - battery backup

The Alde system could certainly replicate the control system at home. The caravan itself though would not afford the same 'thermal mass' (not sure if that is a correct term or if I made it up). During Spring, Autumn and much of winter my home holds the heat well and far better than the caravan which will heat and cool much more rapidly. Hence the need to have some level of heating for much of the time in winter when in the caravan. So at home where I would switch heating off at night and have the top window slightly open in the caravan I merely lower the temperature. 

 

A very useful contribution for those that don't have the feature, but as DD has already raised could you please identify the polarity needed?

I suspect some will be too worried about potentially doing damage unless they knew which way round to wire the battery up. The plug itself is polarised so it is only the battery box to lead where we can get it wrong.

Again thanks for identifying the lead needed.

Note; I think this is only going to be suitable for use with the current 3020 Alde units? I would be very reticent doing it with the 3010 version, without deeper knowledge. That used a direct to van's battery solution, probably the Alde lead including some voltage conditioning feature.

We had an Alde and it was frustrating that some of the settings were lost when the power was off. The Truma doesn’t suffer from this. The heating timer is very useful for switching on using low power electric early in the morning so there is plenty of time to warm up.

We use a Nest controller at home, which captures outside temperature fit our postcode, then calculates, based on experiential learning, how long it will take to heat the house to our programmed temperature, and switches the boiler on accordingly. While I agree that a caravan’s thermal efficiency is less than your house, it’s compensated by the van’s much smaller volume. Which leaves any objection due to waste, with little credence.

Of course, it’s your choice how you control your heating. But arguments supporting both manual and programmed temperatures, can only centre  around convenience, not cost. Which is perhaps why so many posts are in favour of using Alde’s full facilities - and battery backup too.

Alde back up battery system £15.99 with free delivery on eBay.

Ken

But arguments supporting both manual and programmed temperatures, can only centre around convenience, not cost.

I agree. However the Alde controller does not know what time I am getting up in a morning. Nor do I . When I wake up I usually get up and my first port of call is to put the kettle on closely followed by the toilet which takes me right past the controller. Sufficient convenience for me. 

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"I like the idea of a battery back-up but in the three years we have had the van the main power switch has never been off so we have never lost the settings."

DD, with our and I expect most post 2006-ish caravans the habitation relay unfortunately does that switching off of the feed to the Alde, once power from the car is sensed through the 13 pin electric coupling.

So, the loss of the "clock" setting itself is a bit of a pain for those of us who like you wish to exploit the programmable phasing of the set temperatures. Mine did not lose those more tedious to set array of switching times and the temperatures, just the actual time, ie the "clock". Resetting that was but a few seconds job, but having the back up as we have now is nicer.

I can understand those who don't want the disciple of these timings, we do. With the feature the heating is rising before either of us is awake to rise and get it going so come our rising time things are already more comfy, very nice these colder mornings. Our house is set up just the same, automatically coming on and off.

So, getting this for the few £s kindly identified above I am sure will be welcomed by many.

If using gas then I can see the point of turning down the heating during the night, but if using EHU to run the heating then why turn it down, just leave set to same temp and have a luxury caravan 24hr a day.

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