Mixed Mode Trauma? (1 Viewer)

[Blackadder]

Just about to head out on our maiden voyage in our new Burstner Travel Van but the Truma Op. Instructions have me confused.
On page 15 it says that, in both heating and hot water mode and in hot water only mode, the system can be operated in gas only mode or electrical (230V) only mode; mixed mode (gas and electrical) is only possible in winter. Really? Why? And who or what defines when it's winter?
Further down the page it says that in hot water mode "Mixed Mode is not possible. With this setting the unit automatically selects electrical mode. The gas burner is not enabled". Does this mean that when we don't need heating then we have to manually select either gas or electric (230V) modes?

Meanwhile the Burstner Owners Manual makes no mention of these restrictions when using Mixed Mode - indeed it implies that mixed mode is preferable as heating is more rapid.

Am I being a bit thick or are these instruction misleading?

 

[two]

When in mixed mode, it'll try to achieve everything using mains rather than gas. So you'll only start using gas as well when the demand is higher, as in Winter.
Welcome to the forum.
Stay warm!

 

[Riverbankannie]

They sound misleading to me too. Very odd wording. The Bursner one is correct in that selecting both modes gives most rapid heating. Depending on model, 1kw on 240v and something like 4kw on gas.
I’ve not read that about winter use in my manual but mine not automatic selection, I have the 2 dials.

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[Christoph]

We’ve got the 6e with mixed mode but with diesel / elec. it works regardless of the time of year. We just select the required option and off it goes.

 

[jtp890]

Mixed use gives a faster warm up especially in winter. You need a copy of the dial uses pinned near dials for ease of use.

 

[maz]

Just about to head out on our maiden voyage in our new Burstner Travel Van but the Truma Op. Instructions have me confused.
On page 15 it says that, in both heating and hot water mode and in hot water only mode, the system can be operated in gas only mode or electrical (230V) only mode; mixed mode (gas and electrical) is only possible in winter. Really? Why? And who or what defines when it's winter?
Further down the page it says that in hot water mode "Mixed Mode is not possible. With this setting the unit automatically selects electrical mode. The gas burner is not enabled". Does this mean that when we don't need heating then we have to manually select either gas or electric (230V) modes?

Meanwhile the Burstner Owners Manual makes no mention of these restrictions when using Mixed Mode - indeed it implies that mixed mode is preferable as heating is more rapid.

Am I being a bit thick or are these instruction misleading?

I think they might be using the term ‘winter’ to denote space heating mode. They probably also use the term ‘summer’ to denote water heating only mode.

As I understand it, in mixed mode with water heating only selected, the system will opt for electric. If you were off hook-up, the system will automatically switch to gas. If you were on hook-up and in mixed mode, and for whatever reason wanted only water heating by gas, then you would have to manually switch to the just gas setting.

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[138go]

Ok .. So you can have the hot water on in either gas or electric but not both. You can have the heating on in gas or electric but not both BUT you can have the heating and water on at the same time using electric, gas or electric and gas.

Wonder if it’s something to do with the amount of heat produced that you can only use both together with heating and hot water.

On our Aldi Heating we can select gas and electric 1kw , 2kw , 3kw depending on available power. If you set gas and electric together it heats up very quickly.

 

[maz]

Ok .. So you can have the hot water on in either gas or electric but not both. You can have the heating on in gas or electric but not both BUT you can have the heating and water on at the same time using electric, gas or electric and gas.

Wonder if it’s something to do with the amount of heat produced that you can only use both together with heating and hot water.

No, I think you can have mixed mode for space heating with or without hot water - in other words, with or without any water actually in the boiler.

I no longer have a van with Truma heating so I can’t go and check, but that’s how I remember it.

 

[autorouter]

mixed mode (gas and electrical) is only possible in winter. Really? Why? And who or what defines when it's winter?

Many central heating boilers, like the one I have at home, have a Summer/Winter switch.

Summer = hot water only, Winter = heating and hot water.

If you live on one of those miserable islands off the northern coast of Europe, the concept of not requiring heating in the summer season may be a mystery, but believe me, that is the explanation.

These instructions are presumably translations from German/French, and though basically accurate, do not always quite strike the right tone to an English speaker.

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[bigtwin]

I’m loving that your Truma troubles are traumatic!

Love your title:

Mixed Mode Trauma

Ian

 

[two]

You can set the heater to use 'one bar' or 'two bars' of electricity, with or without gas (or gas only). You might need only 'one bar' if on a low Amp EHU. I'm not sure, as I have a gas-only version, but I think the electric options might only appear when an EHU supply is detected.
Whatever the heat source, you can heat water only, or space and water heating (even space heating only if the boiler is drained).
If you select 'mixed mode' the boiler will decide whether to use electric only or electric and gas, based on how cold it is and using as little gas as it needs.
If you select electric only you may find that it heats up very slowly and you may even not get warm enough in Winter. Using gas will produce much more heat and will provide a much better response to demand.
Maybe someone has re-written the guide to try and explain how to set the controls in simpler terms. In Summer you can use electric only (where EHU is available). In Winter you need to use gas, but can add EHU as well.
If heating water only in 'mixed mode' the boiler will not bring the gas into operation because there will be enough heat from electricity. Indeed the control may not offer 'mixed mode' as an option if electric heating is selected with water heating only.
There's no harm in using 'mixed mode' all the time (if it allows such). If you do, gas will only be consumed when demand for heat is high, and that is only likely to happen in Winter.

 

[two]

These instructions are presumably translations from German/French, and though basically accurate, do not always quite strike the right tone to an English speaker.

At least we get some comprehensive instructions in tolerably good English from Truma.
Many manufacturers provide just pictures and leave the consumer to make up the words for themself.

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[tonyidle]

What is probably most important is that it's foolproof and therefore no harm will result from using any setting you choose whether there is water in the system or not (as long as there's an R in the month) .

 

[Blackadder]

What is probably most important is that it's foolproof and therefore no harm will result from using any setting you choose whether there is water in the system or not (as long as there's an R in the month) .

Thanks to everyone for the swift replies.
Not 100% sure without going out to the van again but I think I can select mixed mode (of which there are both "high current" and "low current" versions) whether heating + water (winter!) or just water(summer!) is selected. Given that, I will hope and trust that tonyidle is correct and that having selected the appropriate mixed mode the system will sort itself out to my benefit whatever the time of year and ambient temperature.

Just out of interest, according to my minimal understanding of German the English translation seems to be quite accurate both literally and in intended meaning - so yes, full marks to Truma!

 

[Campscout]

I find this useful. Our dials are the opposite way around though.

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[davidathomas42]

When we first got our van. 2015 with Truma Gas/Electric heater I was running it on Mix mode (it was December and very cold) it worked very well and we got about 7-8 days out of the 6kg gas bottle but had the heating on pretty much 24/7 and hot water. Some cooking.

When I went wild camping I had it on Gas only obviously and would get about 4 days with heating on for 12 hours (when in the van and sleeping) and a round of hot water for morning shower. And again a bit of cooking. (Deathly cold outside too)

Now I just use Electric when on sites on high and gas only for cooking. Bottles last forever and cant really notice any difference on the heating or hot water other than it maybe takes a little longer to get up to temperature when setting up and the heater runs a little longer when kicking in to maintain temperature. But its so quite its no issue running longer.

I really like the system but would like to upgrade their iNet system so I can turn it on by my phone when finished work so its toasty for my arrival. (Yes it has a clock timer system but I sometimes get stuck at work for hours or days later so cant risk it on timer in case I don't make it back)

 

[two]

If your controller is iNet ready, 'all' you need to do is buy and add an iNet box. You insert it between the controller; unplug the wires to the controller and plug in the iNet box, then plug the wires that went to the controller to the iNet box instead.
Switching on early is one of the things that the iNet connection is intended to do. You will need to download their app to you phone. It will work with Bluetooth from within the van but you will need to add a network SIM to control things remotely.

 

[davidathomas42]

If your controller is iNet ready, 'all' you need to do is buy and add an iNet box. You insert it between the controller; unplug the wires to the controller and plug in the iNet box, then plug the wires that went to the controller to the iNet box instead.
Switching on early is one of the things that the iNet connection is intended to do. You will need to download their app to you phone. It will work with Bluetooth from within the van but you will need to add a network SIM to control things remotely.

Unfortunately it’s not iNet ready so I need to upgrade the controller as well.

It’s on the list but after Solar & Reverse camera next .

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[Speve]

Unfortunately it’s not iNet ready so I need to upgrade the controller as well.

It’s on the list but after Solar & Reverse camera next .

An expensive bit of kit just to turn heating on and off remotely the inlet control box alone is £279 then you need the controll panel.

 

[two]

An expensive bit of kit just to turn heating on and off remotely the inlet control box alone is £279 then you need the controll panel.

Agreed. I wouldn't bother.

Many years ago FIL came to visit and complained that our TV had no remote (we didn't have time to watch TV and didn't swap channels like he did). I went out to the greenhouse and got a long bamboo cane. I tied it into the first finger of a gardening glove and brought it back for him to use from where he was sat. No more complaints after that.