How Do I Drain The Water Heater, Please?

[HKF]

Hi everyone I know I need to drain the water heater (13L), as the nights are getting cold here now, but I don't know how to do it. Can anyone help me, please? I'll be honest, I don't even know where the boiler is!! Thank you for any help you can give me

 

[royandsharont]

It needs more info really, i.e. what type of system do you have for heating the water, make etc. Look in your manual it will tell you

If it is a basic hot water water only boiler run on gas and or electric it is probably a Truma and likely located under a seat. Looks like a small barrel with pipes in and out and some boxing.

If you find it and it looks like that then you will probably find a valve with a yellow handle fitted in the middle of a pipe, the handle pivots vertically from left or right, the vertical is open and then drains the boiler through a pipe through the floor & you can see water running out. You need to have the water pump off and open a tap on hot/cold mid mix to let the air in

 

[David and Sally]

As well as the boiler you need to empty the main water tank. Usually has a drain plug or valve. Then open the taps in central position to empty the pipes.

Look for the boiler and water tank. The empty valves will be obvious.

Good luck.

 

[HKF]

Hi royandsharont Thank you for your reply. The manual is all in French and I don't speak French I'll pop out tomorrow and see if I can locate the boiler. I know it's not under a seat anywhere, so I need to have a look around. I can't think where it might be....unless it's hidden in the garage somewhere. I don't know what make it is.

 

[HKF]

Hi David and Sally Thank you for your reply and for your help. I know where the main water tank is but I've never seen the water heater. I'll have another look around tomorrow and try to locate it. Thank you again

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PaulC70]

https://www.benimarownersclub.co.uk/instruction-manual/ any good at all?

 

[David and Sally]

Hi royandsharont Thank you for your reply. The manual is all in French and I don't speak French I'll pop out tomorrow and see if I can locate the boiler. I know it's not under a seat anywhere, so I need to have a look around. I can't think where it might be....unless it's hidden in the garage somewhere. I don't know what make it is.

Does the manual not have pictures? Also, can you locate an English manual for your van on the internet?

 

[rb62]

You'll be looking for one or other of these

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Our boiler is behind the gas fire under a wardrobe and two drawers ... access involves removing the two drawers, and a panel on the wardrobe bottom, then you're looking for the sort of valve pictured above.

Yours may well be different, but bear in mind just how well hidden it might be.

Give us the make and model, if I can find a French or English manual I'll update you.

 

[pappajohn]

Taken from PaulC70 post above ...

7. TRUMA WATER HEATER​

The Truma water heater is normally located under the clothes wardrobe.

Its capacity is 10 litres and is controlled by a thermostat located near the control panel.

Picture to be added

Turning on:

To turn it on, it must be full of water (to check, turn on a hot water tap).

1. Open the corresponding gas valves.

2. Press the knob B and choose the required temperature (50 or70). The ignition is automatic.

If the red warning light A comes on there Is a problem. Turn the switch B to position ! and repeat the procedure.

Turning off.

1. Turn the knob B to the off position (!)

2. Close the gas valves.

The water heater has a valve to empty it. This valve is located in the lower part of the water heater (see manufacturer’s handbook). There is a protection fuse on the control panel on one of the sides (see section on the electrical installation

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[HKF]

Does the manual not have pictures? Also, can you locate an English manual for your van on the internet?

Nope, no pictures I can't find a manual

You'll be looking for one or other of these

View attachment 559274View attachment 559275

Thank you SO much!!

 

[HKF]

Our boiler is behind the gas fire under a wardrobe and two drawers ... access involves removing the two drawers, and a panel on the wardrobe bottom, then you're looking for the sort of valve pictured above.

Yours may well be different, but bear in mind just how well hidden it might be.

Give us the make and model, if I can find a French or English manual I'll update you.

Thank you so much for this. I'll go on a hunt tomorrow!! We have a Benimar Europe 740.

 

[HKF]

Taken from PaulC70 post above ...

7. TRUMA WATER HEATER​

The Truma water heater is normally located under the clothes wardrobe.

Its capacity is 10 litres and is controlled by a thermostat located near the control panel.

Picture to be added

Turning on:

To turn it on, it must be full of water (to check, turn on a hot water tap).

1. Open the corresponding gas valves.

2. Press the knob B and choose the required temperature (50 or70). The ignition is automatic.

If the red warning light A comes on there Is a problem. Turn the switch B to position ! and repeat the procedure.

Turning off.

1. Turn the knob B to the off position (!)

2. Close the gas valves.

The water heater has a valve to empty it. This valve is located in the lower part of the water heater (see manufacturer’s handbook). There is a protection fuse on the control panel on one of the sides (see section on the electrical installation

Thanks but mine is not under the wardrobe, it's 13 litres and the thermostat is nowhere near the control panel, so this must be for a completely different model....probably a UK spec. Mine's French. But thanks anyway.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Thank you so much for this. I'll go on a hunt tomorrow!! We have a Benimar Europe 740.

Hi. Sorry, just got back from France. (If you're anywhere near 85220 that would be annoying ) The only manual I've found on line is the one above.

If you could scan or photograph yours (the section called 'chauffage d'eau' or similar) I'll have a read of it.

 

[HKF]

Hi. Sorry, just got back from France. (If you're anywhere near 85220 that would be annoying ) The only manual I've found on line is the one above.

If you could scan or photograph yours (the section called 'chauffage d'eau' or similar) I'll have a read of it.

Hi Trevor. This is so very kind of you, thank you! However, being unable to find anything that looks like the heater, I emailed the previous owner (who, btw, is a very lovely person) and he sent me a reply saying it's all done automatically!! I'm going to post his reply in a new thread, in case anyone needs the answer in the future. Thank you again

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Hi Trevor. This is so very kind of you, thank you! However, being unable to find anything that looks like the heater, I emailed the previous owner (who, btw, is a very lovely person) and he sent me a reply saying it's all done automatically!! I'm going to post his reply in a new thread, in case anyone needs the answer in the future. Thank you again

OK, no problem.

..... at the risk of being 'over-helpful' I'm intrigued by the notion of a fully automatic frost protection system. Happy to be wrong, but have a quick look at this video in case you see something you recognise.

 

[glenn2926]

You'll be looking for one or other of these

View attachment 559274View attachment 559275

Be aware that by no means all look like either of these. An awful lot are just a red button which drops down to empty the boiler when temperatures drop to near freezing. To reset these red ones just lift the button and it should stay up. If it doesn’t then it’s still too cold. Some have been known to force it to stay up by using a clothes peg until it stay up on its own once the temperature has risen enough.
The red button type will automatically release boiler contents to prevent frost damage to the boiler. I don’t know about the ones pictured.
Hope this helps.

 

[HKF]

OK, no problem.

..... at the risk of being 'over-helpful' I'm intrigued by the notion of a fully automatic frost protection system. Happy to be wrong, but have a quick look at this video in case you see something you recognise.

Hi Trevor. Thank you so much for this. Very informative