Truma Boiler

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Woken up this morning to the sound of running water as the Truma drains the water out, we have had a very slight ground frost.

Can anyone give me advice as to the fitting of a non return valve of some sorts to stop all the water draining away. I can understand the need for the boiler to empty, but we lose all our water and cannot even flush the loo.I cannot get my head around where to fit a valve.

Thanks in advance.

Cookie

[Den]

With a permanent bypass it would cause problems in winter. the old tricks are the best. Use a Peg but remember to take it off on your return home.

[carolh]

I use a large safety pin! the metal sides just fit in the groove on the drop down switch, this only stays in place while we are using the van in the winter though.

But I always drain down if there is a chance of freezing and it's parked up not being used.

[bounty hunter]

If any possibility of frost we switch the water pump off and only lose what's in the boiler. It does mean Junior Management has to go outside to reset button whilst Senior Management stays under duvet!!!

[Derek Uzzell]

Cookie:

 

Have a look at the following link to an earlier thread:

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9688&posts=13

 

You don't say what motorhome you own, but it sounds like it's got a submerged water pump (ie. a pump that is within the fresh-water tank itself and is activated by micro-switches on the taps), so it's probably German-built by a company that also makes caravans.

 

Total water-system draining caused by a Truma C-Series heater's safety/drain valve opening, and despite the water pump being switched off, came up a good while ago on MMM's Interchange (I think a Burstner motorhome was involved). I discussed the matter with George Collings and we concluded that there was no easy solution. As long as a submerged water pump is used then, irrespective of whether the pump is switched off or on, if the Truma safety/drain valve opens there is every likelihood that the contents of the fresh-water tank will siphon out through the open drain-valve.

 

As you've discovered, just adding a simple non-return valve (or non-return valves) is a non-starter. I'm sure it would be possible to engineer an arrangement so that, when the drain valve opens, the fresh-water tank is isolated, but it won't be straightforward to do so. The only certain way to guard against 'total draining' is to treat the valve as if it were manually operated and jam it shut.

[cookie]

Derek

Thanks for the thread, I have copied it and will now find reading glasses. Our motorhome is a Geist Phantom made by LMC. I wondered if I could manually isolate the fresh water tank whilst I am travelling in cold weather. It would mean yet another warning note pinned to a door to remind me why the water will not come out of the taps, along with the one to remind me that the alarm is set when the dogs want to go out first thing in a morning, at least bad memory can be put down to old ageOnce again thanks.

[Derek Uzzell]

Cookie:

 

It would be easy enough to put a manually-operated on/off valve in the hose between the water tank and drain valve but, as you've pointed out, this would make the water system less convenient to use.

 

Personally, I prefer the simplicity of the manually-operated version of the safety/drain valve but, as my Hobby came with the electric variant, I do as many others do and jam it shut (I particularly enjoyed the elegance of Carol's safety-pin method - not something I've heard mentioned before).

 

I know full well that the electric Truma valve is a mystery to lots of motorcaravanners and causes plenty of bother. I'd be really interested to know if anyone has actually been 'saved' by the valve - that they are certain the water in their heater would have frozen if the valve hadn't opened.

 

I reckon Truma introduced the electric valve for the C-Series heaters as an "Aren't we clever?" thing and now they are stuck with it. If it's so valuable, why don't ordinary Truma water boilers or Alde heaters have it?