bucko 1 Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 hi, just tried filling up water after the winter close down,the valve on the truma boiler keeps popping emptying all the water out when the water gets low in the fresh water tank,it never done this before we winterised it,when the water gets low in the fresh tank we just had to fill it up again the button never popped emptying the boiler,we cant have that happen on site when water runs low,any ideas why this could be happening now please !!!!! auto roller 694 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Hi Is it an automatic, frost-control type of valve, that is just "dumping" because it's too cold? If it is, then depending on the type can you not retain it closed? (with our old plunger type you could- with a peg or "R" clip-, 'not so sure about later valves?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 As stated in the instructions that can be found here https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1481167/Truma-Frostcontrol.html?page=9#manual Truma’s “Frost Control” valve is designed to open automatically if the temperature around the drain valve is below about 3 °C. Once the valve has opened, only when the temperature around the drain valve is over around 7 °C can it to be closed manually with the press button and the boiler filled. I wouldn’t have thought that the water-level in the fresh-water tank getting low SHOULD cause the valve to open. It is possible to perform major surgery on a Frost Control valve to permanently disable the valve’s termperature-based automatic opening feature. I have DIYed a ‘gizmo' to stop the valve triggering when the temperature has dropped, but this was to allow the Rapido’s water system to be refilled in cold weather rather than to stop the valve opening subsequently. However, although this gizmo ought to work, I’ve never actually tested it!!! An electric heater can be retro-fitted to the Frost Control valve (mentioned here) https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Thoughts-on-Devon-Van-Conversions/55354/ to override the valve’s temperature sensitivity, but that shouldn’t help if the valve is spontaneously opening when the temperature is not low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 bucko 1 - 2021-04-13 9:48 AM hi, just tried filling up water after the winter close down,the valve on the truma boiler keeps popping emptying all the water out when the water gets low in the fresh water tank,it never done this before we winterised it,when the water gets low in the fresh tank we just had to fill it up again the button never popped emptying the boiler,we cant have that happen on site when water runs low,any ideas why this could be happening now please !!!!! auto roller 694 A question. Have you tried running the heating for a while before closing the Truma dump valve? Much of the UK has been having low overnight temperatures recently, so it seems possible that the area where the Truma valve is sited is below the critical level. For obvious reasons the valves are generally installed in the vicinity of the heater, so running the heater will also warm the valve. It is OK to run the heater empty as long as it is for space heating only i.e. not set for water heating. However, unless you then leave the heating on, or locally heat that area from an alternative source, the next cold night may cause the valve to "pop" again. Unless the valve itself has become defective, your alternatives in the short term would seem to be 1 delay filling tank and boiler until the weather gets warmer, 2 fill the tank but not the boiler - and then fill the boiler only when the van and the heating are in use, or the weather gets warmer, 3 fill the tank and the boiler and run heating (from whatever source) continuously on a low setting until the weather gets warmer, or the van plus the heating are in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 bucko 1 has not owned the Roller Team motorhome long and may be unfamiliar with how the Truma Frost Control valve functions. If, when the closed valve opens, the rotary ‘switch’ on the valve’s top swivels through 90 degress and the push-button pops out (drawing attached below) the valve is reacting to temperatire. Conversely, if the push-button pops out WITHOUT the rotary switch swivelling, there’s a problem with the valve (eg. the push-button is not being held firmly in the pushed-in position). In the latter case it should be practicable to jam the push-button in (thus preventing it popping out). A length of wire wrapped tightly round the valve’s body and over the button should do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucko 1 Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 hi, thankyou for replies, all your answers are logical will see if it keeps happening when wethar gets warmer lol maybe there is pressure in there from priming taps back on ect, appreciate your help,it is a new van for us and the old van did not have the same valves so it takes some getting used to i suppose ,it is nice to have people with experience to ask these questions to !! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 I don't think this can be a pressure problem as, with the valve open, there is no barrier against which to develop pressure. Either the valve itself is faulty, or it hasn't been properly set, or it is the low ambient temperatures. Simplest first, it is probably just the low temperatures. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 The ‘guts’of a Truma FrostControl valve can be seen on this French-language video mentioned on this earlier forum thread. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Fresh-water-dump-valve/52440/ The video shows one way of disabling the temperature-related automatic opening and another method is described here https://community.smallmotorhome.co.uk/forum/technical-section/technical-discussion/19103-how-to-defeat-the-pesky-truma-frost-control-jg-that-dumps-all-your-water The advantage of the French ploy is that the valve can be easily returned to its original automatic-opening condition later if so wished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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