heater burst a pipe (1 Viewer)

Jun 3, 2018
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Can anyone tell me what’s happened here. Could smell something and noticed water from under the bed area, heating was on but not high for maybe the last hour.
Seems to have drained itself of water now.
Thanks
 

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pappajohn

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Can't see a burst pipe but it looks like the pressure relief valve (the red thing) has opened and dumped water through the (clear) outlet pipe which the converters haven't bothered putting through the floor to the outside.
Possibly the boiler thermostat has failed and its overheated

No idea what that is at the top of the clear pipe, looks like some kind of sleeve over the pipe which has started to come apart. .
 
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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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The clear pipe is the burst pipe were hot water was coming from.
That clear pipe then goes to a hole in the floor next to the grated hole.
What would cause the pressure if that is the case.

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Sep 1, 2018
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Not to sure what I’m seeing BUT I think papajohn is close , if the red thing is a prv ( pressure relief valve ) and the clear pipe is a discharge pipe, then I would say the prv has opened trying to discharge the water through the clear discharge pipe to the outside ( which should be open ended ) I think the clear pipe is likely to be blocked or blanked off , if the prv was passing , someone may have blanked it to stop the loss of fluid , the clear discharge pipe is not strong enough to hold the pressure so has burst

Just an old heating engineer/ plumbers thoughts lol
 

pappajohn

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OK, it isn't very clear in the photo as the edges don't look thick enough for the pipe and I can't see where it exits through the floor.
The only thing that could cause that is the boiler safety valve opening which SHOULD dump water underneath but to burst the pipe it has to be blocked, probably underneath from general road crud.
The safety valve will only open if the boiler overheats and the pressure exceeds the valves preset opening pressure.
The boiler will only overheat if the internal stat has failed and can't shut the boiler off.

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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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The pipe comes out the hole underneath then goes back into the flooring as if it’s a feed rather than an outlet. I’ll try attaching a new photo.
 

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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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So is this a pressure relief valve?

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Sep 1, 2018
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Don’t look like any prv I’m use to ( but still could be) it looks like a T ( branch) , where does the clear pipe go to when it goes back into the van
 
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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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It looks like it comes into the underside of this valve, whatever that is. I assumed it was a drain point

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Sep 1, 2018
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Try putting a thin screwdriver through the top opening of the red tee
To see if hits is any type of valve , if the screwdriver passes through the tee then it isn’t a prv but just a tee
 
Sep 1, 2018
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That could be a valve that opens when the temperature drops below (usually 3deg) to empty the heater and save it from frost damage
 
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So is this a pressure relief valve?
Yes - the boiler is effectively a sealed vessel with the hot taps closed on the outlet and a non-return valve on the inlet. When the boiler heats up, the water inside expands. Most of the time the pipework is flexible enough to accommodate the expansion but ultimately the pressure relief valve releases a small amount of water. It should go via the clear pipe to the underside of the van. The clear pipe is what it appears to be - just a simple piece of pipe open at the end under the floor.

Edit: Don't poke it with anything. It is not a T :).
 

pappajohn

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It looks like it comes into the underside of this valve, whatever that is. I assumed it was a drain point
Whether it's a prv or not, that clear pipe is going nowhere.
It's coming off the prv/elbow/tee, through the floor and back up to the dump valve which by default is closed so the clear pipe is blocked.

How will the dump valve work? It can't empty the boiler as intended as the outlet goes back to the boiler.
How do you drain down in winter?

Whoever installed this wants their arse kicking until their nose bleeds.
 
Sep 1, 2018
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@tonyidle

The problem is the clear discharge pipe looks like it’s connected to a possible temperature relief valve

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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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Should that clear pipe that comes out of the floor therefore have been cut on installation allowing one to empty and one to relieve any pressure.
I’ve never emptied it before as it’s new to me.
 
Sep 1, 2018
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Whether it's a prv or not, that clear pipe is going nowhere.

But we still need to know if it’s a prv ,
Should that clear pipe that comes out of the floor therefore have been cut on installation allowing one to empty and one to relieve any pressure.
I’ve never emptied it before as it’s new to me.

That’s just what I was typing when you replied, perhaps that’s the way they are installed from new but then cut allowing 2 discharge pipes

But the red tee has to be a prv for this theory to work

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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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I think I need to replace the burst pipe,exit that through the floor then cut the pipe coming from the rear of dump valve,so I then have 2 ends then try refilling the system. Does anyone know if Truma have a technical line to call for advice?
Thanks for all the replies.
 
Sep 1, 2018
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I think your rite , if that works ok you won’t have to call anybody

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Aug 6, 2013
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But we still need to know if it’s a prv ,


That’s just what I was typing when you replied, perhaps that’s the way they are installed from new but then cut allowing 2 discharge pipes

But the red tee has to be a prv for this theory to work
It IS a PRV! See my last post. Non-technical - the clear pipe from the red thingy should go through the floor. It would appear from the photo that it has been extended and aimed through the gas drop vent - which would be fine as long as any water from it actually hits the gas drop vent. I can see no connection with the frost valve. Actually these discussions drive me nuts. Does no one read the installation manuals for caravan appliances (freely available via a five minute search) rather than add to on-line conjecture about how stuff should be installed and how it should work?

Here's something that took me 30 seconds to find:
 
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mark49
Jun 3, 2018
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Tonyidle, I was in a pickle and could have just got a quick answer that would have avoided a big mess, that’s how communication sometimes works( not always, but sometimes)
Stuck on an industrial estate cold n hungry doesn’t always make for “quick internet searches on instruction manuals”.
If these discussions drive you nuts, I’d stay away from them!
Tony, you need to chill maaaan!
Normally I’d just tell you to ......


Cheers
 
Sep 1, 2018
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@tonyidle you say ( I can see no connection with the frost valve )

Mark has already said (took me less than 30 seconds to read)

It looks like it comes into the underside of this valve, whatever that is. I assumed it was a drain point


If you don’t want to help mark then DONT.
But abuse is not the way mate

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pappajohn

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@tonyidle you say ( I can see no connection with the frost valve )

Mark has already said (took me less than 30 seconds to read)




If you don’t want to help mark then DONT.
But abuse is not the way mate
And here it is....exits NEXT TO the drop vent then goes up to the DUMP VALVE.
Doesn't matter which valve opens for whatever reason there's nowhere for the expelled water to go.

Screenshot_20190317-151333.jpg
 
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the blue valve with the yellow lever is the prv same as one in a combi sprung loaded The top red one is an air admittance valve to stop the cylinder imploding its held shut by water pressure both have discharge pipes to under neath the PRV is in the open position in the photo the discharge from that goes straight out below it so you cant see it
 

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