TRUMA HEATER

Spade

Spade

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Hi guys

quick question
can you run the truma heater/water heater in the van with the van drained of water.
I just want to test the heating in the van and put it on now and again without having to fill and drain the water each time
 
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fork said:
Hi guys

quick question
can you run the truma heater/water heater in the van with the van drained of water.
I just want to test the heating in the van and put it on now and again without having to fill and drain the water each time
Click to expand...
NO!! Your model might not let you even ignite the water heater without water in the jacket. Not worth the risk.
 
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cheers.
someone had said to me that they used to turn on the" heating" to keep the their van warm on frosty nights.
but they also drained the van to avoid frost damage.
its a trumatic 3000 model
 
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Hi fork.. thanks for asking that. I get completely confused on this. You can't run your heater without water .... BUT the vans automatically discharge the water when the tmperature goes below something like 8 degrees. So how does all that work? I ws going to ask GJH I am sure he will know.
 
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sorry, the model is a trumatic c 3402

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Interesting, my manual (Truma Combi (E)) mentions 'If the boiler has been filled, the water is automatically heated as well'. (Top of page 11) from which it sounds as if you can run the room heating without the water being filled. May be different on other models though.
 
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in the sparse instruction book,it says in one line that...
"heating operation is also possible without water contents"

does that mean that you can use it with no water in it OR
you can use it and it does not heat the water?????
 
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Ignore Tootles, the C series heater is perfectly safe to run without water as it only heats water indirectly. The Ultrastore water only heater should never be run without water as it will self destruct.

D.
 
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thanks for all the replies.
I think that on reading it again that it can be done

can I ask any fulltimers how they manage to use their heating in their van in low tempertures if the dump valve could release at any time ?

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Ours is a C6002 so these comments refer to that series.
In practice, once the area around the dump valve is warm and assuming the van has decent insulation, then it is unlikely that the dump valve will operate whilst you are using the van. However, I guess this will be dependent on the outside temperature and the location of the dump valve. As an example, our Truma and its dump valve are located in a cabinet under the wardrobe. We have just been away for a few days and the ovenight temperature got down below freezing. The dump valve did not open although we had the Truma turned off overnight.
During a New Year trip to the Peak District some years ago, we kept the Truma running overnight at setting 1 on the thermostat dial when the outside temperature has been well below freezing: e.g. -8ºC or so. Obviously that prevented the dump valve from opening.

The time when the dump valve has opened and left me with an empty fresh tank, is when travelling on a very cold day. Now, I put a self-made clip on the valve to keep it closed whilst first filling (when cold) and travelling to the chosen pitch. N.b. it is important to remove the clip once you have warmed the van and before settling down with a 'malt' - otherwise I guarantee you will forget to do it later! :rolleyes:
 
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I don't get the point of having a dump valve that could lose your water while the van is in use. Would be more sensible for frost vulnerable areas to be adequately insulated or heated and only drain down when not in use.
 
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^
thanks for that

have you run your heater with the vans water drained ?

I was replying to jean luc's post
 
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fork said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
thanks for that

have you run your heater with the vans water drained ?

I was replying to jean luc's post
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No - I have never felt the need to do that. I always drain down on returning home and, very occasionally, I plug in a 500 watt Dimplex frost-watcher heater if I feel the van needs a 'heat boost'. Having left it running at minimum one winter I noticed the difference in the electricity bill so now I just let the van get cold most of the time. I open the locker and fridge doors to facilitate air circulation. We also use the Dimplex sometimes when away in cold conditions, if we have an electric hook-up.

http://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/d...e_heating/multi_purpose_heaters/mph/index.htm
 
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Well I generally drain the system when we get home prefer a fresh tank unless we are going off again within a week of getting home. I got the handbook out for ours the other day to check wether I needed to put some water in before I put the heating on low in the van, and yes I can run the heating without water in the system. Ours is a Truma 6E.

Could be dependent on what model of heater you have though I guess!

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thanks guys.
really appreciate it
 
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Sorry Tootles, didn't mean to offend you mate. As model wasn't specified originally do you think it might have been better to ask before giving advice though? :-)

For those of you talking about the "dump valve" or "frost protection valve" to give it its proper name, when the heater is switched on it won't drop open (this applies to the earlier version with the red knob on top) as it is electrically held closed. Later models, such as those fitted with Combi heaters (as distinct from C series) with the blue knob at the bottom can drop open if they are remote from the heater unit, in which case an electrical heater assembly is available which is powered up when the heater is switched on and will prevent the valve from opening.

D.
 
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dave newell lvs said:
Sorry Tootles, didn't mean to offend you mate. As model wasn't specified originally do you think it might have been better to ask before giving advice though? :)

For those of you talking about the "dump valve" or "frost protection valve" to give it its proper name, when the heater is switched on it won't drop open (this applies to the earlier version with the red knob on top) as it is electrically held closed. Later models, such as those fitted with Combi heaters (as distinct from C series) with the blue knob at the bottom can drop open if they are remote from the heater unit, in which case an electrical heater assembly is available which is powered up when the heater is switched on and will prevent the valve from opening.

D.
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As Dave explains above, once the heater is switched on (water only, or heating), the frost protection valve is powered. We have often run our Truma C whilst the hot water tank is empty, and when ready, have filled up with fresh water, including the hot water tank, and haven't had a problem at all.

Sometimes at night, if not too cold outside, we'll turn the thermostat right down which allows us to keep a tankful of hot water, without being too hot, but have instant heat in the morning.

During cold winter nights, we turn the thermostat down to anywhere from 17 to 20 degrees (depending upon outside temperatures), and the heating kicks in and out during the night to maintain an ambient temperature of somewhere around 18 degrees.

With a German manufactured and TUV approved heating system, I absolutely refuse to turn off the heating in our MH at night during winter, and will also have it functional whilst travelling too..................cos that's how it was designed to operate, ie, safely, (y) along with the gas shut off system.

Cheers for now,

Jock.
 
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Sorry guys.
I should have framed the question right and specified the model number.
I really appreciate all, and the very fast replies.

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dave newell lvs said:
As model wasn't specified originally do you think it might have been better to ask before giving advice though?
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I wanted to be quick in case no one else was on, just in case he damaged it.

My type B/10 BN musn't be fired up without the boiler being full.
 
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mjltigger said:
I thought this was illegal hence heading for diesel....
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Nope, otherwise it wouldn't be possible to operate. The Germans are very efficient at most things they do. :)
This system of everything being isolated once the engine is running, on a British built MH just seems so over the top to me, especially if you have a family (or other passengers) who are sitting in the back, freezing their bits off. (n) It's no wonder that once the warranty period is up, many owners bypass that restriction.
We arrive at our destination in our Euro built MH, nice and toasty with a full tank of hot water. (y)

If a blooming tarmac producing vehicle can legally drive along the UK roads with his gas burner operational, then I am happy for our German built EU Approved MH to drive along the road with it's purpose built heating system operational.

mjltigger said:
Is that something that can be retrofitted?
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The retrofitted system is known as "Secumotion" unless something more up to date has come along.
http://www.southdownsmotorcaravans.co.uk/accessories/truma_drive-safe_secumotion.php

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 
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Tootles said:
I wanted to be quick in case no one else was on, just in case he damaged it.

My type B/10 BN musn't be fired up without the boiler being full.
Click to expand...

I generally find advice is best given when all the facts are known mate. Your type B/10BN is an ultrastore water heater and as you say must not be run empty. In the OP the heater was described as "truma heater/water heater" it suggested a C series or Combi but a quick ask of "which model is it?" avoids incorrect advice.

D.
 
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dave newell lvs said:
I generally find advice is best given when all the facts are known mate. Your type B/10BN is an ultrastore water heater and as you say must not be run empty. In the OP the heater was described as "truma heater/water heater" it suggested a C series or Combi but a quick ask of "which model is it?" avoids incorrect advice.

D.
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Please don't address me as a child Dave. I acted with the best motives, and hey, have you suddenly become the 'advice police'? I will make a point in future of adding a rider saying 'please ignore'. At the end of the day, I am (was) one of your customers, and have gone out of my way to endorse your good self, and your business, with others on this very forum. You didn't jump in at those time's, I note, saying 'Ignore Tootles'.

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Mine states I can run the heater without water which I must say was a bit of a surprise
 
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On reflection and no matter what the manual states I.m not going to run it without water even if I have to pee in it:imoutahere:
 
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Tootles said:
Please don't address me as a child Dave. I acted with the best motives, and hey, have you suddenly become the 'advice police'? I will make a point in future of adding a rider saying 'please ignore'. At the end of the day, I am (was) one of your customers, and have gone out of my way to endorse your good self, and your business, with others on this very forum. You didn't jump in at those time's, I note, saying 'Ignore Tootles'.
Click to expand...

My apologies, there was no intention of "addressing you as a child", I was simply trying (obviously badly) to make the point that before accurate advice can be given all relevant facts need to be known.

Sorry to have upset you so much but I really don't understand the "advice police" jibe. I said "ignore Tootles" on the basis that the advice you gave was inaccurate and possibly misleading even if given with the best of intentions, not because of any other reason and I fully acknowledge that it was a very poor choice of words on my part, I did apologise in my next post but if it makes you feel better then I hereby apologise un-reservedly for my poor choice of words and their result.

D.
 
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