I have recently noticed a slow leak from the external air inlet for the gas burner of our hot water system, this has just started and was wondering if anyone could suggest what the problem could be, the hot water system is in a extremely difficult spot to get at, but still works ok. Thanks.
macka17 said
12:25 PM Oct 13, 2016
Well.
If it's in an air line to gas flow.
I'd say it was welded/soldered screwed to side of tank to hold in place, and the joint/whatever, has sprung a leak.
If leak is in side of main tank.
Hmm Contact a plumber.
I wouldn't mess with anything pertaining to gas flow to burner.
Might get a big bang.
laurieoz said
01:36 PM Oct 13, 2016
When you say " a leak" do you mean a gas leak ?
Have you tested for a gas leak? Do you smell it or have you leak checked with soapy water?
If a gas leak get it checked by a gas plumber now and turn the gas off!
If by "leak" you mean a water leak, it could be the relief valve leaking or a hole in the tank or a fitting
dieseltojo said
01:38 PM Oct 13, 2016
Hi Dave,
The Truma unit has two pressure reducing overflows, one is from that area.The other is also activated with a tap through the floor. It should drip water from there occasionally.
If it does it constantly, check and clean your mains pressure reducing valve. Then run it only on the pump and keep an eye on it.
I have found most HWS blow up due to too much pressure from mains supply. A pump when new will send water at roughly 50 psi and not effect a HWS.
So if it is the town water pressure, just run the van on the pumps from your tanks till you can get time to clean or replace the pressure reducing valve.
bobkat said
03:02 PM Oct 13, 2016
Hi Dave & Welcome,
Just had the same fault on ours and it is only 6 months old so it was repaired under warranty
They replaced the blue pressure valve at the base of the system it is inline in the water pipe.
Hope this helps
Diggings said
04:52 PM Oct 13, 2016
Sorry its a water leak, happened after I was hooked up in a town, even though it didn't seem to be much pressure
Diggings said
04:53 PM Oct 13, 2016
Thanks for the replies
laurieoz said
05:02 PM Oct 13, 2016
When I purchased my new motor home 2 years ago it did not a mains pressure water inlet. I complained at the time but they refuesd to install a mains pressure inlet.
I do not miss it -never needed to use one - and what I have read about mains pressure inlet problems , I am happy I do not have one.
dieseltojo said
06:38 PM Oct 13, 2016
laurieoz wrote:
When I purchased my new motor home 2 years ago it did not a mains pressure water inlet. I complained at the time but they refuesd to install a mains pressure inlet.
I do not miss it -never needed to use one - and what I have read about mains pressure inlet problems , I am happy I do not have one.
Hi laurieoz,
I don't bother with mains either. I prefer to use the pumps and just fill the tanks when ever I need to.
Dave I feel you pain if its a leak it is a gonner. Mine broke down just this year and I put another Truma in. It had lasted 13 .5 years so RIP old Truma.
Ozzie_Traveller said
09:42 AM Oct 14, 2016
G'day Dave
If your leak is a water / steam dribble coming out of the heat / hot air vent on the outside of the HWS, it probably signifies that the main stainless-steel water tank has rusted somewhere and steam is escaping. It happened twice for us ... solution each time was a $1200 replacement unit.
The 3rd Truma hws to fail did so spectacularly whereby it burst internally and the water pump [being a well behaved water pump] continued pumping water into the hws unit, causing flooding of the rear boot where the hws was installed. The first we knew about it when returning from shopping was a Niagara Falls look-alike coming from the rear of the MH. Each of the 3 units gave us about 2-1/2 yrs of use
We then swapped to a Suburban hws unit that uses a sacrificial anode - and now, 4-1/2 yrs later it's still going like a breeze
Hope this helps
Phil
dieseltojo said
07:30 PM Oct 14, 2016
Ozzie_Traveller wrote:
G'day Dave
If your leak is a water / steam dribble coming out of the heat / hot air vent on the outside of the HWS, it probably signifies that the main stainless-steel water tank has rusted somewhere and steam is escaping. It happened twice for us ... solution each time was a $1200 replacement unit.
The 3rd Truma hws to fail did so spectacularly whereby it burst internally and the water pump [being a well behaved water pump] continued pumping water into the hws unit, causing flooding of the rear boot where the hws was installed. The first we knew about it when returning from shopping was a Niagara Falls look-alike coming from the rear of the MH. Each of the 3 units gave us about 2-1/2 yrs of use
We then swapped to a Suburban hws unit that uses a sacrificial anode - and now, 4-1/2 yrs later it's still going like a breeze
Hope this helps Phil
Hi Phil, You can't be that unlucky.
Mine lasted 13 .5 years as I wrote above.
The Truma runs at two heat settings 60 and t75 degrees I think.
I never recommend the higher setting as it is simply too hot. Too hot pressure wise, use wise, and the modern ceramic mixing taps don't like the extra heat.
That said the Truma has a bad rap from not being fitted correctly, and the said plumber not appreciating the preferred replacement of the pressure reducing valve in the new installation. I mean if the thing is not very old and blows up there is a problem in the system and the first thing to look at is pressure.
I know that we can all have bad luck. I am betting the bloke that fitted the suburban was not the same one that fitted the Truma though.
Ozzie_Traveller said
09:53 AM Oct 15, 2016
G'day mate
Agreed re lack of luck in this area ... also
we always used the lower temp to avoid both scalds & having to insert more cold water to balance the temp for showers & sink use ~ leaving the water tank to last another day or two before refills needed, and
most of our time is travelling the outback - so our water was straight out of the ground the same as the local town people were drinking, and very occasionally, filtered river water
As mentioned above, since fitting the Suburban and we're still cruising the same sort of places as before, we have had over 4 yrs of no problems in the hws department
Phil
Santa said
11:51 AM Oct 15, 2016
We have a Truma gas/240 volt in our MH, 9 years old and has never missed a beat, an added bonus stainless steel tank so no rust or sacrificial anode to worry about.
-- Edited by Santa on Saturday 15th of October 2016 11:52:46 AM
Ozzie_Traveller said
07:52 PM Oct 15, 2016
Santa wrote:
We have a Truma gas/240 volt in our MH, 9 years old and has never missed a beat, an added bonus stainless steel tank so no rust or sacrificial anode to worry about.
G'day mate
What I am trying to say in my above posts is that my Truma hws units with s/steel tanks - identical to yours - have all rusted out at around the 2-1/2 to 3 yrs mark. Three of the bluddy things - and we're using the MH for around 280 days each year, travelling outback Oz
Since going to the Suburban unit with its sacrificial anode, we have now got over 4-1/2 yrs of use, inspected the anode annually and have replaced the anode at the 3yr mark. The current anode will probably be replaced at Christmas, ready for next year's 8-months of travelling and daily use of the hws
Hope this helps Phil
Santa said
08:46 PM Oct 15, 2016
Ozzie_Traveller wrote:
Santa wrote:
We have a Truma gas/240 volt in our MH, 9 years old and has never missed a beat, an added bonus stainless steel tank so no rust or sacrificial anode to worry about.
G'day mate
What I am trying to say in my above posts is that my Truma hws units with s/steel tanks - identical to yours - have all rusted out at around the 2-1/2 to 3 yrs mark. Three of the bluddy things - and we're using the MH for around 280 days each year, travelling outback Oz
Since going to the Suburban unit with its sacrificial anode, we have now got over 4-1/2 yrs of use, inspected the anode annually and have replaced the anode at the 3yr mark. The current anode will probably be replaced at Christmas, ready for next year's 8-months of travelling and daily use of the hws
Hope this helps Phil
Evening Phil,
One of the advantages of stainless steel is that it doesn't rust.
If you had two tanks rust they couldn't have been stainless tanks.
Is it possible poor quality highly mineralised water was the culprit?
Diggings said
10:05 AM Oct 16, 2016
Stainless steel wont rust but unfortunately the welds do, so there isn't much advantage in having a stainless tank, I thought this thing would last a life time not 3 years. and I don't use bore water usually tank water, very disappointed and I have no idea how I will get the unit out without dismantling the wardrobe.
Santa said
02:26 PM Oct 16, 2016
Diggings wrote:
Stainless steel wont rust but unfortunately the welds do
The welds are also stainless, they wont rust either.
Gooday all.
I have recently noticed a slow leak from the external air inlet for the gas burner of our hot water system, this has just started and was wondering if anyone could suggest what the problem could be, the hot water system is in a extremely difficult spot to get at, but still works ok. Thanks.
If it's in an air line to gas flow.
I'd say it was welded/soldered screwed to side of tank to hold in place, and the joint/whatever, has sprung a leak.
If leak is in side of main tank.
Hmm Contact a plumber.
I wouldn't mess with anything pertaining to gas flow to burner.
Might get a big bang.
When you say " a leak" do you mean a gas leak ?
Have you tested for a gas leak? Do you smell it or have you leak checked with soapy water?
If a gas leak get it checked by a gas plumber now and turn the gas off!
If by "leak" you mean a water leak, it could be the relief valve leaking or a hole in the tank or a fitting
Hi Dave,
The Truma unit has two pressure reducing overflows, one is from that area.The other is also activated with a tap through the floor. It should drip water from there occasionally.
If it does it constantly, check and clean your mains pressure reducing valve. Then run it only on the pump and keep an eye on it.
I have found most HWS blow up due to too much pressure from mains supply. A pump when new will send water at roughly 50 psi and not effect a HWS.
So if it is the town water pressure, just run the van on the pumps from your tanks till you can get time to clean or replace the pressure reducing valve.
Hi Dave & Welcome,
Just had the same fault on ours and it is only 6 months old so it was repaired under warranty
They replaced the blue pressure valve at the base of the system it is inline in the water pipe.
Hope this helps
When I purchased my new motor home 2 years ago it did not a mains pressure water inlet. I complained at the time but they refuesd to install a mains pressure inlet.
I do not miss it -never needed to use one - and what I have read about mains pressure inlet problems , I am happy I do not have one.
Hi laurieoz,
I don't bother with mains either. I prefer to use the pumps and just fill the tanks when ever I need to.
Dave I feel you pain if its a leak it is a gonner. Mine broke down just this year and I put another Truma in. It had lasted 13 .5 years so RIP old Truma.
If your leak is a water / steam dribble coming out of the heat / hot air vent on the outside of the HWS, it probably signifies that the main stainless-steel water tank has rusted somewhere and steam is escaping. It happened twice for us ... solution each time was a $1200 replacement unit.
The 3rd Truma hws to fail did so spectacularly whereby it burst internally and the water pump [being a well behaved water pump] continued pumping water into the hws unit, causing flooding of the rear boot where the hws was installed. The first we knew about it when returning from shopping was a Niagara Falls look-alike coming from the rear of the MH. Each of the 3 units gave us about 2-1/2 yrs of use
We then swapped to a Suburban hws unit that uses a sacrificial anode - and now, 4-1/2 yrs later it's still going like a breeze
Hope this helps
Phil
Hi Phil, You can't be that unlucky.
Mine lasted 13 .5 years as I wrote above.
The Truma runs at two heat settings 60 and t75 degrees I think.
I never recommend the higher setting as it is simply too hot. Too hot pressure wise, use wise, and the modern ceramic mixing taps don't like the extra heat.
That said the Truma has a bad rap from not being fitted correctly, and the said plumber not appreciating the preferred replacement of the pressure reducing valve in the new installation. I mean if the thing is not very old and blows up there is a problem in the system and the first thing to look at is pressure.
I know that we can all have bad luck. I am betting the bloke that fitted the suburban was not the same one that fitted the Truma though.
Agreed re lack of luck in this area ... also
we always used the lower temp to avoid both scalds & having to insert more cold water to balance the temp for showers & sink use ~ leaving the water tank to last another day or two before refills needed, and
most of our time is travelling the outback - so our water was straight out of the ground the same as the local town people were drinking, and very occasionally, filtered river water
As mentioned above, since fitting the Suburban and we're still cruising the same sort of places as before, we have had over 4 yrs of no problems in the hws department
Phil
We have a Truma gas/240 volt in our MH, 9 years old and has never missed a beat, an added bonus stainless steel tank so no rust or sacrificial anode to worry about.
-- Edited by Santa on Saturday 15th of October 2016 11:52:46 AM
G'day mate
What I am trying to say in my above posts is that my Truma hws units with s/steel tanks - identical to yours - have all rusted out at around the 2-1/2 to 3 yrs mark. Three of the bluddy things - and we're using the MH for around 280 days each year, travelling outback Oz
Since going to the Suburban unit with its sacrificial anode, we have now got over 4-1/2 yrs of use, inspected the anode annually and have replaced the anode at the 3yr mark. The current anode will probably be replaced at Christmas, ready for next year's 8-months of travelling and daily use of the hws
Hope this helps
Phil
Evening Phil,
One of the advantages of stainless steel is that it doesn't rust.
If you had two tanks rust they couldn't have been stainless tanks.
Is it possible poor quality highly mineralised water was the culprit?
The welds are also stainless, they wont rust either.
This from the Truma manual.
http://baileyaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Truma-B14-hot-water-system-user-manual.pdf
Danger
Failure to operate the relief valve easing gear at least once
every six months may result in the water heater splitting.
Continuous leakage of water from the valve may indicate a
problem with the water heater!
Water may drip from the discharge pipe of the
pressure relief device and this pipe must be left open to the
atmosphere.
The pressure relief device is to be operated regularly to
remove lime deposits and to verify that it is not blocked.