Truma heater not working on electric (1 Viewer)

[Ingwe]

we have just had the first habitation check on our Bailey 620 Approach. All's well save for the heating working on gas only. Any idea of why this should hapen and the likely cost of repairing.
We are going away in the van next week to France and wndered whether it could be repaired there?

 

[irnbru]

Do you maybe have a switch inside a cupboard or wardrobe that you need to put on? Have you checked to see if 240 is getting to the van?

 

[Ingwe]

Thank you for replying. No, there is no switch in a cupboard and yes, the van is getting 240v.

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[iandsm]

Can the people who did the gab service not provide a solution

 

[ericroy]

Some possible sources of the problem (assuming the controls are all being worked OK):

• Lack of 240v supply to the boiler
• Elements have failed (unlikely that both have gone at the same time?)
• Faulty control board in the boiler

However, the fact that you are asking the question possibly means that you do not have the tools/skills to make the appropriate checks yourself?

(This reply sort of assumes that your heating is Truma combi - but you don't actually say which model)

 

[Brisey]

Was the unit working on 240volts before the habitation check was carried out ???.

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[Ingwe]

The people who carried out the hab service pointed out (as the only flaw) that the heating wasnt working on mains electric. As we need the van this weekend we needed to collect the van for a trip tomorrow.

They did however confirm that voltage was getting to the heater and that no fuse had blown.
We don't know whether the fault was present before the habitation check. We are complete newbies, only bougt the van (used) in July last year and have had only three short trips out last summer. So we just don't know whether it was working properly. It does work on gas only so we are going away and will see of we can get it sorted when we return
I appreciate all your posts and advice.
Thanks.
P.S. It is a Truma Combi.

 

[Rapido925M]

IF electricity is getting to the element then it should be working.
IF the element is broken (as mine was) then you may find the electricity shorts out and there is a big BANG (as mine did).

Fortunately, I knew how to reset the internal circuit breakers and the breaker on the supply column, in the middle of the night. Do you?
IF not, can I suggest that you find out - Gordon

PS I'm not trying to be awkward or unpleasant, just offering some advice.

 

[movan]

The people who carried out the hab service pointed out (as the only flaw) that the heating wasnt working on mains electric. As we need the van this weekend we needed to collect the van for a trip tomorrow.

They did however confirm that voltage was getting to the heater and that no fuse had blown.
We don't know whether the fault was present before the habitation check. We are complete newbies, only bougt the van (used) in July last year and have had only three short trips out last summer. So we just don't know whether it was working properly. It does work on gas only so we are going away and will see of we can get it sorted when we return
I appreciate all your posts and advice.
Thanks.
P.S. It is a Truma Combi.

Does your heating run off two knobs on the wall. . One gas and one EHU? If so it is like mine. Even though on EHU you have to switch the GAS knob to the single flame .. it is not using gas .. it represents heat ... Then use the EHU knob as norm .. i.e. hot water, heating or both, etc. However if you are referring to the Truma fire knobs on top of a fire then just ignore my post.

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[andy63]

They did however confirm that voltage was getting to the heater and that no fuse had blown

If you have 240v to the unit then either the switching circuit to the heat element isn't working or the element has gone open circuit.
The only way to confirm would be to check at the heating element connections for a voltage... If there is power there then the element has gone which could be confirmed by disconnecting the supply and checking the element on the resistance scale with a multimeter...
Andy.
PS. . The element will have some overheat protection but that should reset after a short time.. I suppose the above checks would indicate if that was a possible problem..

 

[Ingwe]

Thank you all for the advice. Will get test meter out when we get back. In the meantime will use gas only.
Movan-it does seem to be the same as yours so will try what you say.

 

[WillH]

It could be finger trouble, read the instructions very carefully and try and follow them, not easy.

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[Lenny HB]

Don't worry about it until you get back they are more efficient on gas and a lot cheaper to run on gas.
Depending on how the heater has been fitted it can be very expensive to replace the element probably not worth the bother.

 

[Ingwe]

Thanks Lenny. It will have to wait. And as you say, it works on gas only.
I'll post back when I know what the problem was and how, and at what cost, it was sorted.

 

[movan]

Thank you all for the advice. Will get test meter out when we get back. In the meantime will use gas only.
Movan-it does seem to be the same as yours so will try what you say.

Hope you get it sorted. I had an expert .. loosely used term ... look at mine and he didn't know why it not working. Then someone told me about the flame symbol still needed to be on.

Also, just remembered, I made a similar poat to yours not that long ago. I thought it had broken .. and someone explained that on EHU heating it can take up to 10 minutes to actually start working. I tried again and waited. Sure enough it eventually'clicked' on .. worth trying.

Let us all know please. That's how we learn.

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[Ingwe]

Will do; promise!

 

[Debs]

There's a you tube video by Truma themselves which explains the controls - it's taken me ages to get my head round them for exactly the reason Joy has said....might be worth having a look?

We had problems with ours -'it turned out one of the elements had gone which has now been fixed. At the time all you could feel was a bit of a draught from the fan coming out of the vents (no heat). Even after the element has been changed we find it's better to start on gas, get the van warm, then switch to elec (if ehu price included).

Hope you get sorted but have a good trip

@Ingwe

 

[jdk62]

We had a similar problem with our Truma. I was getting 240 volts to the main block on the heater, but it was not heating. On the control panel on the actual heater there are two 10A slow delay glass fuses - one at the top and visible and the other at the very bottom and hardly visible. Unless a specialist had told me I would ever of known it was there.

Cost me 90p for 2 new fuses and everything was tickets boo. So I suggest you might want to locate the 2 fuses and check them if you have a meter or just replace them.

Who ever did the jab check may not of known about the sneaky little bigger at the bottom.

Good luck

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[jdk62]

Just realised my typing and spelling was bloody awful....

 

[movan]

As @Debs says ... I too find it better to start on gas and then change to EHU.

This thread shows that something which could be so simple has been overcomplicated by the makérs.

 

[Binky]

We had a similar problem with our Truma. I was getting 240 volts to the main block on the heater, but it was not heating. On the control panel on the actual heater there are two 10A slow delay glass fuses - one at the top and visible and the other at the very bottom and hardly visible. Unless a specialist had told me I would ever of known it was there.

Cost me 90p for 2 new fuses and everything was tickets boo. So I suggest you might want to locate the 2 fuses and check them if you have a meter or just replace them.

Who ever did the jab check may not of known about the sneaky little bigger at the bottom.

Good luck

Had the same problem and Truma told me that the bottom fuse is a dealer fit only, but that seems ridiculous for just a fuse. Is it fairly easy to remove the side of the unit to access this fuse should it blow again?

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[jdk62]

Had the same problem and Truma told me that the bottom fuse is a dealer fit only, but that seems ridiculous for just a fuse. Is it fairly easy to remove the side of the unit to access this fuse should it blow again?

My unit is under the double bed and the control panel was facing way from me, so It was a challenge......there is top piece to the cover ( clips in) which exposes the red flashing lamp ( which determines the fault) and also the top glass fuse. You have to unscrew the fixing screws to the remaining part of the cover ( 2 screws either side at the top) this then allows you to access the lower glass fuse. Make sure you disconnect from the mains before you attempt it ( sorry if it seems like stating the obvious).

 

[Ingwe]

Thank you for the info regarding the fuses and the reference to the youtube video. I'll seek it out. As a non techie newbie, I have an anxiety about replacing fuses which presumably are intended as a safety item without knowing what caused the fuse to blow in the first place. I suppose if it is a fuse, I could replace it and see whehter it blows again.
Do any funsters know if it is likely to find a Truma repairer in France? Otherwise it mat have to wait our return to blighty.
@Debs, thanks for the good wishes!

 

[jdk62]

Sorry, can't help you there...

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[Dorset Diver]

Thank you for the info regarding the fuses and the reference to the youtube video. I'll seek it out. As a non techie newbie, I have an anxiety about replacing fuses which presumably are intended as a safety item without knowing what caused the fuse to blow in the first place. I suppose if it is a fuse, I could replace it and see whehter it blows again.
Do any funsters know if it is likely to find a Truma repairer in France? Otherwise it mat have to wait our return to blighty.
@Debs, thanks for the good wishes!

Plenty of Truma agents in France. Had a problem myself and got it fixed over there. One thing you can check is the 12v feed. If that fails the fan won't run and the boiler won't work. If it is a C6002eh I have stripped and rebuilt one myself when the 240v elements burnt out. Not that difficult but time consuming.

 

[Binky]

My unit is under the double bed and the control panel was facing way from me, so It was a challenge......there is top piece to the cover ( clips in) which exposes the red flashing lamp ( which determines the fault) and also the top glass fuse. You have to unscrew the fixing screws to the remaining part of the cover ( 2 screws either side at the top) this then allows you to access the lower glass fuse. Make sure you disconnect from the mains before you attempt it ( sorry if it seems like stating the obvious).

Brilliant! Thank you very much. If need arises then I know how to do it.

 

[Ingwe]

I know it's been a while since I posted my question but it is only now that we have the answer.
The dealer who discovered the fault in the first place discovered that there was a faulty switch. It's connections had been loose at some point and he switch had actually shorted out, burning the switch. Replacing the switch was £12 plus vat for the switch and 1 hour labour to remove and refit. Total cost £65.
I shudder to think what could have happened if the fault generated enough heat to burn the switch! Still, dealer was sanguine that it is unlikely to happen again. So we're off to France again on the 15th.
Thanks to all who posted.

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[Jaws]

Thanks for the update.. Interesting that the original diagnosis stated there was voltage at the heater..

They did however confirm that voltage was getting to the heater and that no fuse had blown.

Looks like the original check was not quite as thorough as they would like you to believe !

 

[Bart]

Thanks. Fortheupdate im surprised a fuse never blew 1st ,I be checking to make sure the right size of fuse is in place , as that's what fuses are for, to blow when such things happen.

 

[Allanm]

The electric elements ( both) went on our Truma 4e when it was just 3 years old. Every time we turned it onto 230v, it blew the trip switches, so we used it just on gas for months. When we did get it fixed, it cost us over £400 and that was with Truma supplying the parts FOC.

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