# Frost control emptied my Truma boiler this morning but......



## sirhandel

My Truma boiler emptied this morning - I assume it was the frost control doing it's job. However after a recent trip I had left the control panel live with the water pump switch pressed. So guess what - the pump sensed a drop in pressure and tried to refill the boiler. It kept on trying until the fresh water tank was emptied and then just kept on going until (fortunately ) I heard it spinning but it must have been going for several hours! It's a shame that Rapido didn't think to fit some fail-safe system that cuts the pump supply when the fresh water is empty. Thank goodness I heard it this morning otherwise it could have been going for days and presumably burned itself out?


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## teemyob

Hello, same issue on many vans.

Our Old Eura Mobil used to do the same.

On this Frankia, you have to remember to turn the frost valves. Shame they did not fit an auto dump valve. 

Those pumps can go on for a while, until the battery is flat, butt at least 2 hours.


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## rayrecrok

Hi.

Did I read somewhere on here that they put a peg on the switch to stop it operating?..

ray.


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## MikeCo

They dump the water at something like 4 deg. so you can use the peg to stop it dropping but not when the temperature is likely to drop below freezing.

Mike


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## homenaway

Hi,

I remembered to drain our Truma by removing the peg and pushing the button down but discovered that I had left the 230v mains water heater switch on during the recent frosty nights when I put it on mains hookup for the oil filled heater so it's been heating fresh air for a couple of nights  

I hope the themostat cut it out but I will check it out tomorrow as our electricity monitor was showing about 200w when I checked it a few times.

I also left the fridge on 240v with the door ajar oops  

Steve


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## Kev1

Me thinks you need a check list home n away


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## HarleyDave

My Eura has done the same - pump running on with no water after the heater dumped - but this happened while on the drive on hook up so would have gone on for ages if I hadn't happened to go in the van for something and heard the pump running... 

Now I drain everything and switch off the pump whenever we are parked at home.

Cheers

Dave


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## alphadee

Also worth switching off the water pump on cold nights away with no EHU, or when out of the van... just in case the gas runs out!


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## Spacerunner

*Re: Frost control emptied my Truma boiler this morning but..*



sirhandel said:


> It's a shame that Rapido didn't think to fit some fail-safe system that cuts the pump supply when the fresh water is empty. Thank goodness I heard it this morning otherwise it could have been going for days and presumably burned itself out?


It's a shame you didn't think to be prepared for colder conditions.
Manufacturers can only hold your hand for so long then they expect the owners to start thinking for themselves.


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## drcotts

Hi sirhandle
I woudlnt advise defeating the frost dump valve if i were you.

Leave it be. The worst that can happen ia a bit of inconveinience but if you do fiddle and the boiler cracks then thats much worse than a new water pump. Get into the habit of turning the pump off when leaving the van for any time. If a pipe connector pops off then the pump would run and empty the tank over the van floor.

The pump will run for ages as its only a diapragm going iin and out and it dont care if theres water in or not really.

Phill


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## Coulstock

I've had a clothes peg on my Truma dump valve since I got my van in August 2008. Remember the dump valve will operate to drain the boiler at +4.0 degrees and wont reset until the temp climbs to +8.0 degrees 

I keep the van on the drive when at home and if we're in for a cold spell then I keep a 500w oil filled radiator running 24/7 ( van on hook up natch !)

I've never 'drained down ' my van in cold weather (at home) and have encountered the odd frozen pipes (there's an exposed run up the back of fridge ) but nothing seems to have caused permanent damage.

Harry


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## mixyblob

Reading through this thread, it would appear that micro switched taps have a certain advantage over a pressure sensing system.


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