rooster63 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 Bit of a daft question but just getting van ready for first trip away, bought the van 4 months ago so not really used it. It is fitted with an Eberspacher Airtronic. There are 2 ventilation ducts in the van connected by flexible hosing to each end of the heater unit. Warm air only gets blown from one duct. Is the other duct the fresh air duct? In my previous van it had 3 outlet ducts and the inlet for fresh air was under the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 That sounds correct, cabin temperature air in one end and hot air out of the other end. The problem with drawing in fresh air from under the floor is that in really cold weather the heater would likely have to run flat out to heat the air from near or sub zero to whatever ambient you wanted in the van. By drawing in cabin air it is already near the set temperature so much less energy is needed to maintain the temperature. Please can you update your 'Location' or signature with details of your van so we have a better idea of what you are talking about. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 Explanatory drawing of Airtronic D2 model attached (a picture’s worth a 1000 words ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 We had an Auto-Sleeper Duetto with this type of heater and I can confirm that one air outlet was for hot air from the heater to warm the interior and the other (at floor level) was for input air (air to be heated). The input for combustion air and exhaust air from the heater itself were under the 'van and had no contact at all with the interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 rooster63 - 2021-04-19 2:13 PM ... In my previous van it had 3 outlet ducts and the inlet for fresh air was under the floor. I remember forum discussion about your (possibly unique) 2007 PJB “Bacca” (or “Bacc’s”) Citroen Relay-based panel-van conversion (photo of example attached). I believe that vehicle had a gas-fuelled heating system and - looking at the photo - I’m guessing this comprised Truma equipment with separate appliaces for space and water heating. The ‘cowl’ item I’ve arrowed in green on the photo suggests that the space heater may have been a Truma E-series heater. Those Truma appliances (like the Eberspacher Airtronic) are designed for ‘recirculatory’ operation (ie. cool air is drawn into the heater from within the habitation area, heated and then circulated back into the habitation area) and should not be installed so that ‘fresh’ air being drawn into the heater comes from outside the vehicle. This is a general principle whether the heater be gas-fuelled or diesel-fuelled, and the only exception I can think of off-hand was Atwood’s gas/230V Confort 3+ GEV combination air/water heater that had a ‘summer ventilation’ feature (the “V” in “GEV”) where a small lever hidden on the heater’s rear could be moved so that ‘fresh’ outside air from beneath the vehicle could be sucked in and circulated inside the motorhome. (In reality this feature was a joke on my Herald Templar motorhome, as the ‘fresh’ air inlet was under 1” in diameter!) I can’t argue with what you’ve said about your previous 2007-vintage motorhome. In fact - in view of the saga about the vehicle’s incorrect alloy wheels - it might not be too surprising if PCB had installed the heater wrongly too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster63 Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 Derek I can only speculate on where the air for heating was drawn from on my previous van. The heater was located under one of the bench seats underneath a false floor. I can't remember any other pipes besides the outlet ones. There were 2 outlets in the lounge area and one in the bathroom (luxury) I have no idea where the air for heating was drawn in to the heater. The converters had put the thermostat for the heater above the wardrobe, not very clever as with hot air rising the heater used to cut out too soon. The reason for my slight confusion over the Eberspacher as at first it seemed if cold air was being blown out of the inlet pipe, I guess it was just the draught caused by air being sucked in. Off on our 1st proper trip later this week. Have been testing all the systems to make sure they work. Only thing so far that isn't working is the piezo ignition on the Spinflo cooker, not a spark from any of the igniters. Not sure if its worth going back to the dealers about that as it is easy enough to use a candle lighter or match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster63 Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 Update on cooker. Not piezo ignition but supposed to be 12V. Not that either, discovered a 9V battery in bottom compartment which was completely discharged. All in working order now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 There are a few online entries referring to a (usually hard to find) PP9 9-volt battery being used to power the gas igniters on some Spinflo cooking appliances (GOOGLE-search on “spinflo 9v battery”) I notice that there are ebay adverts for a “Spinflo oven ignitor block battery” https://tinyurl.com/4xcwux5a but I’m not really sure what that is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster63 Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 It was only by looking at the Thetford Spinflo user manual on line that I realised that it was likely to be 12v. and not piezo. The hand book supplied with the van only gives instructions on how to light the burners, either use a match or on models fitted with electronic ignition use that. Whilst flicking through the hand book I then came across references to the gas shut off valves, supposedly located in the ward robe. They weren’t, then I had a vague recollection of seeing them under the cooker. Whilst locating them I noticed a battery with wires running up into the cooker. Life in a van is an adventure, in more ways than one. Wonder what else we will discover on our first proper use of our new van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 Online entries show that it’s not unusual for the hob/oven igniters of domestic ‘stand alone’ gas cookers to be powered by a small renewable battery ranging from an AA, AAA or D 1.5V ‘torch’ type to the PP9 9V battery used with your Spinflo cooker. I notice that use of a igniter battery was mentioned by Brambles in this 2011 O&AL forum thread https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Stove-igniter-not-working/23360/ and use of a 9V PP3 battery was referred to by ‘Lunarman’ in this 2010 MHFun ‘Spinflo 2020 cooker” thread https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/spinflo-cooker2020.21364/ but I was unaware of this method being employed until now. Comments on other forums indicate that the method is not well known within the caravan/motorhome community, presumably because automated 12V or piezo (or simple with-a-match) ignition is more common. (And - as you’ve said - even the official manuals for Spinflo appliances don’t seem to cover to possibility of the igniters being battery-powered.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 Looks just the same as the new 5kw chinese made heater I got off ebay for £80 Apparently they started copying the eberspacher as soon as the patent ran out. This guy does some good videos of them; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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