How do you stop truma dump valve from opening in cold

[rontaylor]

Have a 2012 hobby Toscana 650. Found it has the usual truma dump valve prob. How do I stop from dumping water in minus deg so I can fill tank

 

[simon bocock]

Have a 2012 hobby Toscana 650. Found it has the usual truma dump valve prob. How do I stop from dumping water in minus deg so I can fill tank

Tie it up so it can’t dump . Mine has been tied up for years , home and abroad , in all extreme weathers , no problem . Over the top German safety precaution .

 

[wyliecyotee]

It’s there for a reason, I had no water in mine a few years ago and the water heater was on and it blew the element £500 to replace it . Do make sure your water heater is off

 

[Dorwyn]

On continental vans it's a standard fitting UK vans it's optional.
You should be able to just replace the manual dump valve,, if there is a non return valve in line with the boiler it needs to be on the boiler side of the valve.

View attachment 696264

Thanks for that. It's a strange omission on UK van's, it's not like there's somewhere in the UK it never freezes!

 

[Sandyt]

This is the solution if your boiler is the Truma Combi. It only needs the control panel to be switched on, no heating is required to be on!

Truma Frost Control Element

SKU: 70070-01 TRUMA FROST CONTROL ELEMENT

www.justcaravanparts.co.uk

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[simon bocock]

It’s there for a reason, I had no water in mine a few years ago and the water heater was on and it blew the element £500 to replace it . Do make sure your water heater is off

Obviously !

 

[Caggsie1]

First van a dethleffs, used 5p underneath the pull-up valve. With our hobby, I don’t think we used anything and it never dumped. We did have heated garage and heating was on, overnight heating would be off but used a small 650w oil filled radiator. Kept the worst of the weather out without drying out your nose. Always had window on snip also. We used van all year.

 

[Rong]

Have a 2012 hobby Toscana 650. Found it has the usual truma dump valve prob. How do I stop from dumping water in minus deg so I can fill tank

If your set up has a drain pipe under the van then a “Hep

Have a 2012 hobby Toscana 650. Found it has the usual truma dump valve prob. How do I stop from dumping water in minus deg so I can fill tank

If you have a pipe on the drain under the van then a push fit “Hep2O” isolation valve will fit
Obviously remember to open if van is laid up or the truma will freeze but is ok when there’s residual heat in the van, just stops nuisance dumpingm

 

[solaris]

If you put a valve in the dump valve pipe under the van remember to have it open in hot temperatures as the Truma will want to relieve pressure in high temperatures and the water will find the next weakest link. And how do I know?

 

[solaris]

When my automatic dump valve opened last year only a litre of water was dumped (it had worked fine till then). Thought valve was problem so replaced with a manual valve, having seen cost. Still have same problem have tried taps open whilst driving around and all other helpful advice etc. now have acquired a Floe kit but in this weather not the inclination to fit it so relying on oil filled radiator. Aren’t vans great fun

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[Widge]

Strange, I thought they were powered permanently, whether your 12 volts was turned on or not ?

It is on mine, totaly confused me when the water dumped on me, when i accidentally blew the fuse on the fridge igniter circuit, which was on the same fuse.

But is it normal not to have some sort of shutoff valve on the water feed to the boiler. I dont mind the boiler dumping, but if i then try and use the cold water in the sink or toilet by starting the pump, it just empties out under the van.

 

[Figaro]

It is on mine, totaly confused me when the water dumped on me, when i accidentally blew the fuse on the fridge igniter circuit, which was on the same fuse.

But is it normal not to have some sort of shutoff valve on the water feed to the boiler. I dont mind the boiler dumping, but if i then try and use the cold water in the sink or toilet by starting the pump, it just empties out under the van.

Yep, that's what happens on mine to. But if it's cold enough for the valve to open it's cold enough to need the heating on so problem solved.

 

[Widge]

Yep, that's what happens on mine to. But if it's cold enough for the valve to open it's cold enough to need the heating on so problem solved.

That's fine if you are parked up, but it dumped on us when we were out for a sunday drive the other weekend, which then meant we couldn't use the toilet.

My wife is partially handicapped so we often use the van even if we are out on a days shopping trip, the toilet is handy for her, (and me) also she needs to put her legs up for an hour or so after lunch, so it is much more convenient for her in the van.

But we dont want to put the gas on and get the heating going just to flush the toilet.
I understand the need to be cautious with the boiler, but i cannot imagine having any problem with the rest of the water system, as long as the tempreture didn’t go below freezing.

 

[Lenny HB]

But we dont want to put the gas on and get the heating going just to flush the toilet.

Carry a small water container for washing hands and making a cupper and a spray bottle to flush the loo.

 

[GreyVanMan]

Have a 2012 hobby Toscana 650. Found it has the usual truma dump valve prob. How do I stop from dumping water in minus deg so I can fill tank

I've got one of those bloody things. To be fair it does what it is supposed to do, it prevents the water in the boiler from freezing and wrecking the boiler (£4,000+).
What it does, which is most unwelcome, is to also drains the main water tank as the dumped water is replaced in the heater, until there is no water left on the van.
Picture the scene; parked outside the pub, pub shuts up/lights out as soon as we are out the door. Cold night, return to the van, go base over apex on the only bit of ice surrounding the van. Get inside, not even enough water to brush teeth, or even a cuppa in the morning, and I have become very unpleasant company - even to myself !!
I don't mind it protecting the boiler, but draining the tank is a pain up there with man-flu.
The bloody thing is in a position that would challenge a double-jointed Lilliputian.
Then you can't get the bloody thing to reset until the ambient temp has reached approx +7C, and the safety interlocks won't let me start the heater (on gas) without water in it.
I've tried to design a method whereby the when the bloody thing opens, the supply to the heater closes, but this might prevent the heater from draining- it's beyond my mental capacity, so I've come up with the following:-

My solution.
1 Always have a 1ltr of bottled water on board. It takes a little space but at least we can - - -
2, When parked up, keep an eye on the forecast and have the van hooked up to the mains, with a gentle cabin warmth (10C - 13C or so).
3, As No2, Set the water heater to eco using only 1 element, to eco. So now the heater has a volume of warmth, it's own heat store. The bloody thing is in the same compartment as the heater so its ambient temperature is nice and toastie.
4, If not hooked up use the gas on low. We carry a spare.
If it does all go wrong, hook up power fails, or whatever, there is a reserve of heat that will last a little while giving me a greater chance of getting to it before the approach to the van becomes a skating rink. And even if I don't get to it, at least the bloody thing will protect the heater and I can have my mornings cuppa.

I would really never overcome a safety device, there's a suggestion of installing a bracket to prevent it opening; imagine replacing a burst Truma.

Getting it to close, when it's cold. Hot water bottle round it for a few minutes, anything warm, water bottle with warm water, warm flannel in a plastic bag, you've only got to reach a temp of 7 - 10C, then you're back in business.

No offence to Truma for this bloody little thing, I just wish van builders could have a little more foresight in designing the water sys, and give a little thought to getting at stuff when you need to !!!! There's no 'luxury living' or 'superior appointment' in grovelling about, upside down, freezing, with half the contents of the van outside so you can get at the bloody thing, while Mrs is enquiring when she can have a coffee every 90 seconds.

I bloody hate this little thing - but I'm also very glad it's there !! BTW, no prizes; guess what I'm up to right at this moment of writing, Grrrr.


We're off to Norway in March - wish us luck, we need it, we've got bugger all skill !!!!

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[stevewagner]

If you turned the pump off it wouldn't drain. My valve is located within the double floor so doesn't freeze. In the winter I put a cable tie around the blue button so it doesn't activate.

 

[treblid]

If you turned the pump off it wouldn't drain. My valve is located within the double floor so doesn't freeze. In the winter I put a cable tie around the blue button so it doesn't activate.

Many systems still syphon through the pump. Our does and I am glad it does!

I think placing a cable tie around the dump valve is very bad (can I say stupid?) practice. You will have no protection if the boiler freezes.

 

[stevewagner]

Many systems still syphon through the pump. Our does and I am glad it does!

I think placing a cable tie around the dump valve is very bad (can I say stupid?) practice. You will have no protection if the boiler freezes.

You can say stupid if you like but my Truma heater is under a seat and never gets below freezing. Also I only do it when we are away in it which is very often in winter. However, if empty on the drive I drain the system.

 

[GreyVanMan]

If you turned the pump off it wouldn't drain. My valve is located within the double floor so doesn't freeze. In the winter I put a cable tie around the blue button so it doesn't activate.

The water syphons through the pump, the water tank is inside - wrapped round and above the wheel arch, so as to be able to 'support camping in harsh environments'; The brochure stated the water tank was inside so as not to be inconvenienced by low temperatures, it even had a picture of the van surrounded by snow with a pair of skis leant up against it, doors wide open and the glu-wine. I bet their alpine rendevous, took a turn for the worse when they found their back wheel encase in a block of ice. I fear if I locked it closed I'd forget about it - until too late.

 

[GreyVanMan]

You can say stupid if you like but my Truma heater is under a seat and never gets below freezing. Also I only do it when we are away in it which is very often in winter. However, if empty on the drive I drain the system.

No I wouldn't say stupid, not at all, we all use our vans to our own liking. I use mine almost daily - I don't own a car, and I need the water on board. I don't want to give my medical history, but the onboard toilet is vital for a gentleman over a certain age - and so is the water !! Under the seat is a great place, I guess you can get at with some ease - and that valve.

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[GreyVanMan]

Sorry, stevewagner, I made it look like my reply was yours, not full up to speed with this forum malake, did not want to 'put words into yo- - -'.

 

[Soycd]

First van (1993) did not have dump valve. Guess what? New boiler needed. For the sake of 90 litres of water, is it really worth it?

 

[Roby2008]

In the first MH we had (2103) the manual valve was on the floor in the garage (behind a door), the valve dumped at 7°, after fitting the Truma heating element it dumped at 3°, only lost the water twice in 10 years when doing a night stop in Tyrol, The new van (2024) has the boiler and the valve under the seats in the Hab area, as standard with no extra element it goes down to 1° and doesn't trip out, I don't know if it goes lower as we don't do winter (maybe the van can but her indoors doesn't), so the MH is drained and covered until spring.

The valve does get sticky, if the valve starts to drip or run out through the drain constantly, they are easy to pull apart, clean and lube the rubber discs and re-assemble.

The valve has a job to do, stopping it with screws, cable ties, toasters etc is to my mind false economy and not worth the risk

 

[philann]

Ours is a manual one so we won’t have the automatic dump issues