harycadbtopenworld. Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 we have just taken ownership of a 4 years old autocruise starfire. It was previously owned by a couple whose partner had sinced passed away and bereavement forced her to sell. IT had been left standing on her drive for about 4 months and had not been used during this time. The vehicle is in excellent condition and after getting the van home i proceeded to check all the habitation systems. Everything works fine except for the water heater. It is a truma ultrastore gas powered. when I filled the fresh water tank and turned on the pump to check the water system, water came flooding out from under the van, below where the heater is sited. The fresh water drain valve is closed and the heater drain valve is also closed. Is there another drain for the heater that is open? or is it as I suspect major frost damage to the heating unit, for example a split in the base of the unit. Any advice will be much appreciated. regards harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 You say water flooded from under the van. I think if the heater casing had gone, the water would probably have flooded the van floor inside. If you can get to the heater and feel around and under it and it is dry, my money is on a drain you haven't yet found, or the Truma dump valve. Is the habitation battery fully charged? If it is low, the dump valve may close when you re-set it, but open again when the voltage drops due to the pump working. Leave it on charge for 24 hours and see if that makes a difference. The battery may have gone dead flat over the winter, been damaged beyond re-charge, and have to be replaced. If that's all you need to replace you've still got a good van. If it is the Truma, contact Truma UK to see if they can do the job at their works. Most who have been speak highly of their service and attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harycadbtopenworld. Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 Thank you Brian for your observations. The batteries have been checked and are ok and fully charged, the water did not discharge from the heater drain pipe, nor the fresh water drain pipe, which I checked. I lay under the van and saw water pouring out along the chassis members with no real clue from where it was coming from, apart from it was near the heater base area. I to am perplexed as to why it did not flood the under bed area where the heater is based, but this remained completely dry on the two of the times when we tested the system. Regards harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 maybe a pipe crack with the Frost ?...ok what do I know just trying to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Harry: Although use of an electrically-operated drain-valve is commonplace with Truma Combi appliances, it would be most unusual for one to be used with an Ultrastore boiler. So, assuming your installation includes the manual drain-valve that's normally fitted, you don't need to worry about the charge-state of your motorhome's batteries. I've studied the Ultrastore Installation Instructions and there seem to be only 3 ways for water to leave the boiler. 1. Via the drain-valve being open. 2. Via a leak from the water-containment assembly within the boiler (perhaps as a result of frost damage or a failed weld). 3. Via the breather-valve's ventilation hose. The 'breather-valve' is a T-shaped plastic connector on the side of the boiler near its upper surface. It connects to the hot water pipework leading from the boiler and includes a 11mm diameter ventilation hose that protrudes upwards then curls down to exit beneath the motorhome's floor. Truma suggests that the length of hose that pokes out below the floor should be a mere 20mm, so its presence may not be very evident when you are looking underneath. If this valve is failing to close then, once the boiler has filled with water, it will begin to overflow through the ventilation hose. The hose is usually made from transparent plastic, so it may well be possible for you to to check visually whether water is going down it. I suggest you make a close inspection of your Starfire's underside to allow you to locate the exit point of the breather-valve's ventilation hose. Then shut all the taps and switch on the water-pump. If the water is coming from the breather-valve's ventilation hose then this procedure should make it very apparent. If you want Ultrastore Installation/Operating information leaflets (that include useful diagrams), you should be able to download them from: http://www.truma.com/_anweisungen/Truma-Katalog/gb/boiler/ultrastore.html Alternatively, as Michele suggests, the water leak may not be related to the boiler at all, but just occurring near to the boiler's position in the vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Apologies for the bum steer Harry, I missed that it is an Ultrastore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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