Truma error E517 and No heating

[Brains]

it forces you to wait 15 minutes. Why 15? Why not 5, or 2 minutes or why not just work if the original problem has cleared? Stupid German engineering!

Possibly stupid German over-engineered instructions!

The nominal 15 minutes is to allow the metal spark arc on the pilot light to cool down.
When the boiler has been lit and the pilot light has been on, the spark arc can get red hot.

What they are trying to avoid is a wash of un-burnt gas passing over a red hot element.
This would can cause the boiler to go whoomf and then blow it's self out

If you have access to the pilot light, you can cool it down yourself by blowing it with a straw
Which has the added benefit of cleaning out the area of dust and soot, which may be part of the problem. (Attaching the straw to a vacuum cleaner on either suck or blow can be a good idea)

 

[Nigel-ph]

Possibly stupid German over-engineered instructions!

The nominal 15 minutes is to allow the metal spark arc on the pilot light to cool down.
When the boiler has been lit and the pilot light has been on, the spark arc can get red hot.

Wow, I would never have worked that out! However, the first time I had to wait this cursed 15 minutes was after a power cut. The gas bottle was actually turned off as we had no use for gas and heating was on EL2 so the pilot light was stone cold. Wait 15 minutes for what in this case?

I think part of my displeasure is that, until enlightened by reset instructions passed to me on this thread (many thanks), I was being stupid as far as German engineers are concerned and setting the system off on a 15 minute dicky fit by pressing the knob on the Truma controller in the hope of it telling me something useful. Of course, if do this your are obviously a moron and it gives you 15 minutes to reflect on your inadequacies. Any sane and sensible person would know to turn the knob until a black triangle appears then click the knob twice. Obvious... now how shall I explain this to my partner who has difficulty using tv remotes, telephones and lifts?

 

[vin0114]

You could have an intermittent faulty gas valve on the boiler or your gas regulator could be playing up. If it's the regulator the hob and fridge will often still work OK but it can't supply the high flow rate required by the boiler.

Agree, had the same fault with poor flow from a nearly depleted bottle.

 

[maison]

Nigel-ph
We noticed, on looking at m/hs on sale in France, that the fridge control panel is covered by the door when closed making it impossible to accidentally change settings.

Not exactly rocket science.

 

[Pausim]

Nigel-ph
We noticed, on looking at m/hs on sale in France, that the fridge control panel is covered by the door when closed making it impossible to accidentally change settings.

Not exactly rocket science.

You can get motorhomes with covered controls in the UK but ours wasn’t built here.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Bigman42]

You have to reset it on the Truma unit itself. Remove the black cover on the upper side of the unit to reveal the circuit board. There should be a red LED flashing. To the left of the LED is a small black pushbutton. Hold this in for 5 secs and the three LEDs should all light up (red/yellow/green) push it again to rest the unit.

The 517H error comes up if the boiler cannot light on gas and after several tries fails out to the 517H error. Check your gas supply to the boiler hasn't been interrupted.

 

[vin0114]

Hi Bigman42 you've replied to a 2019 posting so the owner has iether solved the problem or sold his van but helpful post anyway

 

[deleted79651]

I wonder if the 15 minute window is to allow any unburnt gasses to dissipate ?
I remember as a kid, my mother unsuccessfully trying to light the wall mounted "Gas Genie" water heater in my Aunt's house, on the sixth or seventh go, there was a flash and a whoosh as the chimney section parted from the main body and stuck in the kitchen ceiling !

50 years ago, I was sent on an Outward Bound Course in Aberdovey for a month. Only contact with outside world was a letter from my mother, who was in the habit of nipping back into the kitchen during the adverts on Corrie to take the batch of rock cakes out of the oven. She'd obviously rushed to put the batch in to bake, because when she returned, the cakes were very pale and cool. She had turned on the gas, but forgotten to press the ignition, and in the moment of harassment, she did the dozy thing of pressing the ignition. There was quite a loud bang, and the blast blew her across the kitchen [it was quite narrow, so she only flew about 3 feet!] and left her slumped against the kitchen cupboard ...
Her letter explaining the event in great detail, including Dad's having to redecorate the kitchen, cheered up a long and cold mid-Feb to mid-March winter of exercise and outdoor pursuits ... If I had £1 for every time I issued the immortal words, 'Oh Gawd, mother, you ain't safe to be let out alone' ...

Steve