water and van heating question

chrisblack

Well after a couple of weeks negotiating, I should have the van by next weekend and as temperatures are dropping, I'm thinking about heating.

The van has a truma water heater/blower, that I understand will only work from gas....

Should there also be an electric water heater and blower as well???... and will this be on the long row of switches above the fridge..

Enclosing a pic, just in case anyone has the same model...

also whilst on that control panel, can anyone offer any suggestions on the various switches???

Thanks

Chris

*Kol*

Hi Chris,

Do you know the model number of the heater/blower? If you go to the truma website the operating instructions can be downloaded.
http://www.truma.com/_anweisungen/Truma-Katalog/index_gb.html?&language=en_gb&dataLanguage=en_gb

Have you a separate heating system and water heater fitted?

peasant

chrisblack wrote: »

also whilst on that control panel, can anyone offer any suggestions on the various switches???

Thanks

Chris

a bit hard to see on that picture, but I'll hazzard a guess, from left to right:

1) control for fridge when run on electricity (12v /230V)
2) one of your gas rings in the cooker
3) the other one of your gas rings
4) control for fridge when running on gas. This button should also depress for holding down while igniting
5) the little red one ...ignition for fridge on gas
6-9) those are the stop cocks for all your gas appliances. Can't really see the symbols on them. But you should find symbols relating to fridge, cooker, heating and boiler (once you find out which is which it's a good idea to label them properly, those little stickers have a habit of falling off)

chrisblack

Thanks Peasant

Your summary looks to be pretty accurate when I zoom in on larger version of the picture... and in the correct order!! From this then, what I understand is, for example, I need to turn the valve on there, in order for the truma heater to heat the water???

I have been told that there is blow heating installed in the van, although till I pick it up, I can't be certain... there is some from of control, a small brown gizmo with a dial with temperatures, a two way switch and red and green light.. can you shed any light on this. Underneath this is some form of radiator... a white metal box, with a grill at the top... will this brown control be for that, or something else?

Finally the very left of the panel referred to above there is a red and green switch, just before the fridge electricity control... any idea on these?

Chris

peasant

Chris

Correct. For any gas appliance to work, the valve or stop cock must be open. Then you can get it going on its own separate control.
As already seen, the controls for fridge and cooker are on the kitchen block.

The control for the heater will most likely be on the radiator itself (a little dial that you turn for the setting and depress for ignition) and the control for the boiler is usually wall mounted somewhere.

there is some from of control, a small brown gizmo with a dial with temperatures, a two way switch and red and green light.. can you shed any light on this.

This is most likely the control unit for the boiler. Set the temperature to the desired value, the switch to on and then the green light should come on, telling you that everyting is working correctly. The red light means it isn't


As for the blower:
This would usually be affixed to the back of your heater/radiator inside a cupboard. There would be a seperate wall mounted control for that with an on/off switch and a few settings.
The hot air would be blown through heater tubes hidden around the van and exit from little round holes, usually under seats, near the bottom.

Finally the very left of the panel referred to above there is a red and green switch, just before the fridge electricity control... any idea on these?

Most likely for the fridge, to switch power sources on/off between gas or electric (you should never run both at the same time)

chrisblack

Thanks again Peasant..

Its all making sense now...

I'll wait till next weekend to suss out whether there is a blower... but from your description I don't think there is, I don't recall seeing anything in the cupboard behind the radiator..

Insurance proposal docs have just gone off in post to Dolmen...

Chris

JamesM

As far as I know, the Truma Water heater blower is a crazy unit that barely warms the water when you have the gas heater blower on. After it's been on for a while you use mains electricity to fully heat the water.
I'll start again
If it is the one I know, you have a gas area heater which heats the air. It has a fan and tubes which blows warm air to different areas of the living space. One of these tubes blows air through the Truma heater. This barely heats the water in the heater. Then you use mains electricity to further heat the water - a total waste of gas and time .
Of course maybe I am completely wrong
Jim.
The most common Truma is this load of S**** http://www.truma.com/_anweisungen/Truma-Katalog/pdf_verzeichnis/40_000/40020_40000.pdf
FInd the English version - and hope that you don't have it.

*Kol*

One of these tubes blows air through the Truma heater. This barely heats the water in the heater.

50 mins to heat the water!!:eek:

chrisblack

Picked up the van today... the water heater is a Truma B10, but I cant find any model number on the radiator/heater... there doesn't appear to be any blower system fitted... but looking at truma website, it looks like an s series radiator.

One question... is there any way of telling if the boiler is filling up, before I turn it on and cause a minor explosion... (not got the gas yet, cylinder is empty and have to get new one tomorrow)

Thanks

Chris

peasant

In theory the boiler is always connected to the water system and always full of water.

On some vans there is a valve where you can stop the water flowing into the boiler (mine has one, right at the boiler ...reason see below))

The other thing is that these boilers usually have a liittle flip valve right at the boiler where you can empty it. if that is set on open, all your water will just drain through there.

Another safety feature is a built in temperature-sensitive safety valve. Once the outside temperature at this valve goes near freezing, the valve opens and empties the boiler (or alternatively your whole freshwater reserve) to the outside. This is to prevent it from splitting under frost.

Once the boiler is in use and hot, it can also be used in sub-zero temperatures.

*Kol*

Hi Chris,

I have a B10 boiler too. As Peasant says it should be full of water as long as the drains are closed. Best to run the hot tap first without the boiler on just to make sure there is water coming through. You will hear the water filling into the boiler if it is empty.

For the heating if there is a blower installed you will have a control for it on the top lefthand side of the unit. If not it will be a blank circle at this location (like the photo below)

chrisblack

I got the gas on board now and got the fridge, hob and heater all firing up okay, however the B10 boiler doesn't seem to want to fire up...

It clicks away when I flick the switch (trying to ignite gas), but then knocks off after about 20 seconds (red light lights up on control)... (it did seem to fire up once for about 30 secs)...

Any suggestions as to what to look for - I'm presuming that gas is getting through, but am wary of detaching the gas pipe to check... as per a posting above I was wondering if there was water in there, but when i turn the tap onto the hot position, water does pump through suggesting there is.

Behind my drivers seat there is a water pipe with a red valve on it... will this be anything to do with hot water ('cos the valve is red??)..

Maybe someone knows where all the valves are likely to be for this bolier, as suggested by Peasant above... I can't see anything as there is a brown jacket surrounding the whole boiler... or can anyone point me to a downloadable instruction book for the B10.

Thanks

Chris

*Kol*

Hi Chris,

Make a few attempts to get it lit up. It may be slow to light if it hasn't been used recently. Make sure all water taps to the boiler are open and the drains are closed.

I guess you have the gas tap to the boiler open and the 12v supply swithed on too.

The instructions can be found here:

http://www.truma.com/_anweisungen/Truma-Katalog/gb/boiler/boiler.html
Edit: Just reading the Truma manual for the B10. Its says the gas may take up to a minute to get to the burner if there is air in the line. You should wait a few mins and try again. And make sure the boiler is full by leaving the hot tap open for a few mins with the water pump running.

chrisblack

Got the problem partially sorted... its something to do with the venting system...

After scratching my head for 24 hours, I decided to remove the venting cover from the side of the van and blow down it, just in case there may be a blockage... I replaced the cover, went in the van, turned on the heater and ...pop.... a minor explosion, which blew the venting cover clean off the side of the van and down the ditch... but which left the water heater working away fine.

I then turned off the boiler, replaced the venting cover again and this time ..click...click, no ignition. I then removed the vent cover again and turned on the boiler and it fired up fine...

Anyone got experience of venting systems??? The cover on the outside of the van is solid, and so allows no air through... will this be the correct cover?

Looking in through the hole, without the vent cover on, there appear to be 2 tubes which should somehow supply the air to the boiler.

Any advice appreciated... I can cope with climbing up and down, taking off the cover when I need to heat water, but would rather not have to do this.

Thanks

Chris

peasant

Yeees ..I have heard about this chimney cover issue.

Have a different version myself, so no actual experience.

Not one of Trumas finest hours designwise. The chimney cover has to be off for the boiler (and heater?) to work...but depending on where it is mounted the cover has to be on in order to prevent water (or insects) from getting in.

It's basically left up to the user to decide which is more important to them ... a warm van or a wet van .

Most people opt for only putting the cover on when the van is parked up (out of use) for longer periods.

chrisblack

Thanks... problem sorted... just have to get a small stepladder so I can reach the cover easier!!!! (wish they'd mentioned that in the instruction booklet!!)

Chris

stapeler

On my previous Hymer and current Benimar I have always had to remove this cover. I haven't read the Truma instructions but understand this is normal and boiler wont work without it. Likewise, if I leave the cover on I get the red flashing light. My boiler is tucked away under a seat.
The "room" heater then has a chimney which goes to the roof, the cowl should allow exhaust out while stopping rain getting in. We'll mine seens to do that. There should also be a vent under the heater to let some air in to allow the heater to work.

*Kol*

In reference to step 1 of the Truma Boiler BS10 operating instruction and I quote "Remove cowl cap". I found this cap in one of the presses in the MH. I was wondering what itwas for.

It also says in the instructions to fit the cap whenever the heater is not being operated. I must go out an do that now!!

chrisblack

Kol - Thanks - must have downloaded a different instruction book----

Stapler - there doen'st appear to be a cowel on the heating chimney - can you point me in the direction of one on ebay??

Chris

stapeler

This one is similiar to mine. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CARAVAN-ROOF-ROUND-GREY-HEATER-FLUE-COWL-CHIMNEY-CAP_W0QQitemZ170150642421QQihZ007QQcategoryZ76066QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

*Kol*

Hi Chris,

Is this what you are looking for??

http://www.leisureshopdirect.com/caravan/gas/Truma_fires/Trumatic_S5002_Gas_Heater_Spare_Parts.aspx

All the parts are in here too;

http://www.trumauk.com/Editor/assets/uk_08_07_mail[2].pdf

chrisblack

Thanks again Kol... Stapeler found it £1 cheaper!!!

Chris