Frost Protect Truma & Drain Help Please (1 Viewer)

[davidathomas42]

what or when do I use this frost protect button? Does the EHU have to be on? Do I have to turn it off again or is it an automatic shut off when it's happy?

Also trying to get my head around how to protect the vehicle and water heater etc in winter when it's cold and not been used.

The instructions king of make sense. I figured when I get my hands on the valve it will make 100% sense.

Where the hell is the bit in the picture? Or is it somewhere totally different?

Help.

 

[SandraL]

The frost protect valve will dump the water when it gets cold. To find it may be easier to look at underside of van for a drain tube pointing down. Valve is usually directly above the tube. One will be the frost valve, there will/ may be another for fresh water tank.

 

[Robert Clark]

On our Bessie there was a drain down plug, like a rubber bung, in the bottom of the fresh water tank. This was accessed under a hatch in the floor by the kitchen sink

To winterise our van all we did was:

1) turn off water pump
2) remove bung from cold water tank
3) open truma drain, by twisting black knob on top
4) open taps inc shower to allow water to drain out if then
5) remove shower head and let water drain from pipe
6) empty toilet cassette and grey waste tank

7) remove all food
8) remove cushions and bedding if possible
9) fit mouse traps

The tank heater is meant for cold climates rather than overwintering, so I'd leave alone

Hope this helps

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[daveandsan]

Follow that red pipe coming out of you heater, if it's like mine it will be very close to the heater.

 

[Arewethereyet]

The device in the picture in Fig 3 is the truma frost protection valve this is a manual piece of equipment that basically dumps the water from the Truma boiler if the temperature drops below I believe its 5 degs if you don't have either the water or the heating on, this basically hopefully save the boiler from frost damage, it's usually located near to or adjacent to the Truma boiler and will have a diamond shaped knob on the top, basically it senses the drop in temperature and the blue round button on the side pops open allowing the contents of the boiler vessel to drain.

The item in fig 4 is pretty much a similar thing all be it allows you to drain the system manually its usually again close too the truma heater and normally has a yellow lever on top if the lever is in either the horizontal positions its closed if you pull the lever up it will open and allow the water to drain out of the system.

With regards to your picture of your control panel I would as a guess that the frost protect button as nothing to do with either of these items and is more akin to controlling tank heaters if they have been fitted, it may be and idea to let people know what model and make of motorhome you have so that possibly somebody with a similar model may be able to give you more detailed information.

 

[Stealaway]

It will be down by the side of the boiler. I expect it to have switched considering the cold nights up here recently.
You will need to warm up the area around the heater to reset it.
You will noticed its switched because the water will come out the boiler drain under the van as fast as you fill the water tank.

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[Bobby22]

Your van may not have an automatic dump valve, it looks as if the frost protect on the control panel may be a heater for the freshwater tank.
If your draining down your van for winter.and you don't have the valve you will have a manual drain valve.

Although the manual shows the auto valve it may be a generic one.

 

[rangi]

I have an Auto Dump Valve taking up shelf space in my Garage if anyone is interested

 

[hchris]

I have an Auto Dump Valve taking up shelf space in my Garage if anyone is interested

how much and which type please

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[davidathomas42]

Still clueless lol

It a Swift Escape 696 2015 Model.

I think ill take the cushions off tomorrow and have a good poke about in the daylight.

 

[Allanm]

The frost protect button will turn the tank heaters on when the water reaches about 6 degrees C, if they are fitted. They only generally work on EHU as the current drain would be too much on 12v.
We had an Autosleeper with a Sargent control panel, it also had a frost protect ( or Tank Heater ) button, but we didn't have tank heaters fitted. I fitted some myself, bought the relevant wiring harness from Sargent and wired them in so the tank heater button did what is was supposed to do. As we rarely use EHU, I had an over ride switch so I could use the heaters anytime, but with insulated tanks, the heaters hardly ever came on anyway.
If you look under the van close to where the Truma is, you should see a pipe coming out of the floor, this will probably be the heater drain and the drain valve should be directly above it.

 

[davidathomas42]

We had an Autosleeper with a Sargent control panel, it also had a frost protect ( or Tank Heater ) button, but we didn't have tank heaters fitted.

Thanks for that info. Question. Did the frost protection button light up before you had the gear installed or did it do nothing? Mine lights up when pressed but as it was 8deg outside today I expect nothing happened or made any sound like a relay clicking on because it was too warm to work

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[DanielFord]

Sorry, late to the party. Your drain valve is the second one in the manual, and is located on the floor in front of the boiler, ours has a yellow lift tab to dump the contents.
The frost protect will engage a small heater to prevent frost damage, i believe it engages at around 3-5 degrees. If you aren't hooked up, expect a flat battery, especially considering your previous posts regarding your leisure battery.
Last year, when it got cold, and I wasn't near the van, I got brother in law to switch our frost protect on. Even with solar and 200ah we were very close to flat batteries.
Simple rule, if you ain't going to use it at this time of year, dump all the water!

 

[Allanm]

Thanks for that info. Question. Did the frost protection button light up before you had the gear installed or did it do nothing? Mine lights up when pressed but as it was 8deg outside today I expect nothing happened or made any sound like a relay clicking on because it was too warm to work

Yes, it lit up and I could hear a relay clicking, but nothing was connected

 

[davidathomas42]

Yes, it lit up and I could hear a relay clicking, but nothing was connected

Thanks for that. Ill have a good dig around tomorrow and see if we have the heater or not.

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[davidathomas42]

Simple rule, if you ain't going to use it at this time of year, dump all the water!

I think thats the best plan. We are using it once a week or so currently but its easy enough to fill with water before we set off so may as well dump it.

 

[DanielFord]

I think thats the best plan. We are using it once a week or so currently but its easy enough to fill with water before we set off so may as well dump it.

A top tip for you!
We use ours on and off throughout the winter, whenever the whim takes us. At this time of year, all the water tanks are dry, BUT we have a few bottles of drinking water on board (the 5ltr ones). Our van is parked at mothers house and gets used as a spare bedroom a lot, so always handy to have drinking water on board.
If we suddenly decide to go somewhere, it takes about 20 minutes to fill the fresh tank, and off we go! Upon returning, the remainder in the tank is dumped.

 

[rangi]

how much and which type please

Almost identical to the one shown in the booklet (middle photo) the on/off on the top is different.

Pay the postage and give me what you think it's to you, can't be fairer than that.

PM me if you need any more info

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[mercianman]

From the swift manual "
Tank heaters
Depending on specification, your motorhome
may be fitted with 12v tank heaters, designed
to prevent or reduce instances of freezing
water in fitted water tanks.
If tank heaters are fitted, a button marked
'Frost Protect' will be present on the control
panel above the entrance door"

 

[swanseajack13]

@davidathomas42 that value is in a trap door in the floor at the side of the heater found mine last week it as about 10 lt of water in it hope this helps ray xx lol still lol look we have a leek it must be from WALES