coach2000 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Has anyone had trouble with their gas fire not lighting in the windy weather? Over the last few days I have been unable to ignite the burners without the pilot flame going out. Initially the pilot lights and burns strongly, then flickers and eventually goes out, I do have gas and would not think I have an airlock, If anybody can suggest a solution I would be very grateful. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp002c784tp002c784tp Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi Clive You say you do not think you have an airlock have you tried lighting all your other gas appliances and make sure they burn ok, other than some foreign body in/on your pilot light it may be the sensor that is in the pilot light to keep it burning it may be faulty Terry :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coach2000 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Thanks for that. The Gas rings on the cooker work ok. I do not know if it is possible to check the pilot burner myself. I had a quick look under the van and it looks accessable, but I would not fancy touching it till I had further info or find out if it has to be done by a Gas technician, Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Cole Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi Clive, We have lots of wind here too and it can be a problem, check that the baffle on the top of the flue pipe has not been dislodged in the wind or whilst travelling, the problem is most likely to be the updraft in the flue sucking the flame out. If the heater works all right in normal conditions it is unlikely that the thermacouple/ flame failure device is faulty.Depending on how old your heater is and how much it has been used you may have some dirt in the pilot jet, it should be burning cleanly with a blue flame (no yellow bits) this would make the problem of not lighting in windy weather more likely. I wonder if these systems are designed for our wild and windy weather in the uk. hope this helps regards geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 There used to be a version of the Trumatic S-3002 convector gas 'fire' (the S-3002K) that was specifically designed for motorhomes and had an automatic re-igniter of the gas flame on the same principle as a fridge gas re-igniter. It seems from Truma's current product catalogue that the S-3002K model is no longer marketed and the 'ordinary' S-3002 and S-3002P (the latter with piezo igniter) are now apparently approved for both caravans and motorhomes. Interestingly, there is an optional extra for these appliances (Part No: 30700-03, referred to as "Flue top T3, necessary to operate the heater while driving" and costing about £6) that might well prove advantageous when the heaters are being operated in windy weather. In Clive's case, it's likely that his heater would benefit from a check-over/clean by a qualified gas engineer. (I guess there's also the possibility of Clive's problem being related to the gas flow being limited by use of butane (rather than propane) in cold weather conditions. But I expect every motorcaravanner nowadays is aware of this phenomenon.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coach2000 Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I will probably end up getting a gas engineer to service it for me whatever happens. Derek I am already on Propane. Are you allowed to drive with the heater turned on? No one would know, it seems a good idea to change the top of the flue for £6 Clive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Clive: Several years ago I sought advice from Truma on the legality within the EU of using a gas heater in a moving motorhome. The reply was that some EU countries had specific regulations that permitted this, others had no general regulations forbidding the practice, and a small number banned it. The UK fell into the 2nd group (I confirmed this subsequently with the Caravan Club), while France (and, I think, one other country I can't remember) fell into the 3rd. As it's a safety issue, it's possible more EU countries have now moved to Group 3. More recently, Truma has introduced the "SecuMotion" system (called "Drive-Safe" in the UK) comprising a special 30mbar regulator and high-pressure hose, both incorporating gas-flow cut-off valves. Truma claims that a gas heater installed in a motorhome fitted with Secu-Motion can be operated legally while the vehicle is being driven in ANY EU country. (It needs saying that Secu-Motion needs to be 'tuned' to the motorhome's gas system: it's not simply a matter of replacing an existing regulator and hose.) Of course, there will be situations where a gas heater may not be used in a vehicle irrespective of the vehicle's gas system or a country's regulations - on ferries, in tunnels, at service stations, etc. Secu-Motion or not, I'd be wary of running a gas convector heater en route, not really from a safety standpoint, more because the design seems to include an inherent vulnerability to the gas burner being affected by air movement across the appliance's intake and/or exhaust. This won't be the case with heaters having fan-assisted burners like Truma's C-Series and Combi, or Alde's Compact 3000/3010 units. I note that there are, in fact, three flue-top items in Truma's catalogue (T1, T2 or T3: respectively Part Numbers 30700-01, 30700-02 or 30700-03) relating to operating a Trumatic S heater while driving. T2 (about £4) is an alternative 'cap' for the flue, while T3 (about £6) is the cap + a roof-mounting base. T2 (about £9) is a differently designed base but excludes the T2 cap (that would also be required). If you are considering changing the top of your heater-flue (and this might well help minimise the chance of the gas flame blowing out), I suggest you contact Truma(UK)'s technicians for advice on what's best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Hi Clive, Your problem and mine seem very similar ;- "I have been unable to ignite the burners without the pilot flame going out. Initially the pilot lights and burns strongly, then flickers and eventually goes out" I wonder whether its due to the thermal couple not holding the gas cutoff valve on, or the valve a bit sluggish in the cold weather, mine seems okay after its remained alight for about 5 mins. Mine also allows the igniter to carry on 'sparking' after the flame is established, and I did wonder if the two faults are linked. I didn't want to pay nearly £50 for a new electonic igniter box, so I put a toggle switch in series with the control m/sw, once the fire has been ignited, I switch off the igniter, if the gas was to run out or the fire blow out the flame failure valve switches off the gas supply. I never liked leaving the fire going when out of the van, as it was likely if the gas ran out, the igniter battery would be used up too, trying to light the fire from an empty cylinder. There is a jolly good service manual on link http://www.arcsystems.biz/manuals/%20SPL3002.PDF , download a copy for your hard drive, section 18 is where you might find the answer to your problem - it could be a DIY job too. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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