URGENT - Burning Smell and Boiler Making a Noise Although Switched Off!

[AndyPK]

BTW, HKF, don’t forget the Easter subscription sale starts tomorrow at 8am (9am where you are, I guess….?)

 

[GeoffnDee]

The Truma Combi heaters do smell when new and first used but this stops after being used a few times. Truma do have a Combi Diesel heating / hot water system and that may be what you have fitted in your Motorhome. (which would mean it would operate without gas being connected)

 

[HKF]

Hope your sorted now, probably a good idea to tell us the make and model of the boiler.
Edit : they can be a little confusing to start with, but get some manuels in English for all the appliances and learn how to use them. Most should be downloadable from internet.
Some may even be on here in resources section

Thank you so much for your help. After we bought the MoHo last year, we went out twice in him and i thought I'd got everything sorted, as we had a great time with no issues. I don't know what went wrong this time I'm going to try again tomorrow and see if I can get things right. I was trying everything out so that we could go away for a couple of days on our third outing!! Hopefully everything will go ok tomorrow

 

[HKF]

In extremis, if it starts going out of control again and since you are not on EHU it will be running on gas so just turn off the boiler gas tap. The tap just for the boiler will be on its own or on a manifold with other gas appliance taps ( hob and fridge). It won't solve the problem (if there is one apart from not having completely filled the boiler with water) but it will stop the boiler from continuing to heat up.

Not sure about the 'quite warm light' in the garage but if the socket to which you refer is a 240v outlet ( you said you are not on EHU) so it won't work if you're not on EHU (unless you have an inverter fitted).

We didn't have the gas connected, so it must run on the hab battery. I think the light in the garage felt warm due to the heat coming from the boiler. All is calm and cold again now and I'm going to try again tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[HKF]

Although not familiar with your set up I think your water pump works on pressure so when you switch it on it starts pumping if it does not detect pressure. For example if you open a tap the pressure will drop and the pump will start in order to get the pressure back up and when the pressure is correct the pump stops. This is how it would work with your boiler, switch the pump on and the boiler will fill and the pump will keep pumping until its full then stop. Open a tap, or flush the toilet, run the shower and you will hear the pump start up again untill the pressure is back up. Hope this makes sense.

Thank you so much for your help I'm going to try again tomorrow and hopefully get it right!

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[PhilandMena]

I've accidently had my C6 running on hot water with no water in the boiler for several hours. Had no problems or smells or noise from it.

Shitfaced again no doubt!

 

[autorouter]

HKF I'm assuming your MH is a Benimar Europe 740, as in your avatar. What year is it?

 

[Lenny HB]

Shitfaced again no doubt!

Nope, my usual trick of leaving the timer on after a trip.

 

[HKF]

It will run on the leisure batteries, but maybe not for heating, just the fan ? was 12volts turned on ?

How do I turn 12v on, please? On the main control panel, I have one button to power on the panel, one for the lights, one for the sockets, one for the water, one for the taps and one to show the charge in the batteries.

 

[HKF]

Whatever you do do not be afraid to ask any questions,we have all grotto start somewhere. That’s what this forum is about. There is no such thing as a stupid question.

Thank you so much!

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[HKF]

It may help to know the make, mod el and year of the van.

When refilling with water after a drain down, put at least 40 litres in. Then turn on the pump and wait until it stops pumping. That's over 5 minutes in our current van. Then turn on each cold tap until it stops spitting, then each hot tap. Once the pump stops again, turn on the water heater.

We have a 2011 Benimar Europe 740.

Thank you so much for your help. I did put about 100 litres in, as I know we have a 130L tank but 13L goes straight to the boiler. I'll try everything again tomorrow, following your advice. Thank you again

 

[HKF]

Almost.....

Fill the water tank, open a hot tap and run until the flow from the tap is smooth without spluttering.
At this point the tank has no air and is full of water. Turn off the hot tap and turn on the boiler if needed now.
When you turn on the cold taps do one at a time until all taps, Inc shower, run smoothly

Thank you so much for your help. I'm going to try everything again tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

 

[HKF]

As above...you need water in the boiler to be able to heat up....these boilers run hot...a smell of overheating would be detected rather than burning.....make regular checks on van and if in doubt or signs of smoke call 999...better to be safe than sorry..
A smell of burning is an accepted reason to call for help.....
By filling the boiler with cold water should reduce the overheating smell....Stay safe..remain positive...

Thank you so much for your help. I did run the hot tap until it started to run cold. I think you're right, the smell was overheating, not burning. I was in such a panic, I just assumed something was burning. I'm going to try again tomorrow

 

[HKF]

BTW, HKF, don’t forget the Easter subscription sale starts tomorrow at 8am (9am where you are, I guess….?)

Yes, 9am for me. Think I need to be sure I get out of bed. Looks like I really need you guys!!!

 

[HKF]

HKF I'm assuming your MH is a Benimar Europe 740, as in your avatar. What year is it?

Yes, that's correct. It's a 2011.

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[Rjcamper]

First time I took out after full winter drain down I had issue when refilled, mainly air lock and no water running, but pump constantly running. No matter what I did it wouldn't clear ended up blowing down the shower hose ( furthest point from pump) to force water back then sucked to pull water through, worked...

Also as other have said, great forum that has saved me hours of reading, Google etc.

 

[PhilandMena]

I found this, it may be helpful.

Instruction Manuals – Benimar Owners Club

www.benimarownersclub.co.uk

Also, here is the email address of the secretary of the Benimarsowners club. If the above is not for your model, drop him an email and explain your plight.
secretary@benimarownersclub.co.uk

 

[autorouter]

I'm not familiar with Benimar but it looks as if they have one manual that covers all models. You say you have the French version. I have found what looks like an English translation, on the Benimar Owners Club site. It doesn't seem to have any pictures or diagrams, so you may need to read it alongside the French version.

Instruction Manual – Benimar Owners Club

www.benimarownersclub.co.uk

 

[PhilandMena]

autorouter It might be the same one I posted just before you? Great minds !

 

[Armytwowheels]

HKF Not much help unless you fancy a drive out, we are about 2.5 hours away from you in Surmur. Happy to help and take a look at your heating problems if you can get here. We are on a nice Camping Car Park spot, right by the river. Here until Tuesday morning.

It would also give you the chance to get used to the motorhome while having some help near by.

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[HKF]

HKF Not much help unless you fancy a drive out, we are about 2.5 hours away from you in Surmur. Happy to help and take a look at your heating problems if you can get here. We are on a nice Camping Car Park spot, right by the river. Here until Tuesday morning.

It would also give you the chance to get used to the motorhome while having some help near by.

Wow, what a lovely and kind offer! Thank you so much. Unfortunately, it's too far for us at the moment. We are hoping to get out soon, possibly Sunday/Monday, but only wanted to go around an hour away until Wednesday. However, I'm very, very grateful for your offer xx

 

[HKF]

autorouter It might be the same one I posted just before you? Great minds !

Thank you so much, both of you! I'll take a look at this later

 

[HKF]

autorouter It might be the same one I posted just before you? Great minds !

OMG, I just quickly read this about the heating...

"OBSERVATIONS

Lighting the TRUMATIC Heating for the first time can produce smells and smoke. Open the windows and put the heating on maximum for approximately one hour."

Whaaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?! Smells and SMOKE???? I had enough of this yesterday!! Maybe I need to only ever go away when it's warm enough to have no heating on!!!

 

[David and Sally]

Our Truma still smells ‘hot’ when on gas water boost. No smoke though. I guess that’s about burning off production lubricants etc

 

[HKF]

Our Truma still sawells ‘hot’ when on gas water boost. No smoke though. I guess that’s about burning off production lubricants etc

Good point! I just need to hope the previous owners used the heating!

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[yodeli]

Thank you so much. So, when I fill the water tank, I need to leave the pump on until it stops making a noise before I switch the hot water on? Is that right, please?

Unfortunately all the manuals are in French and I don't speak French. Don't hammer me for this, please. I'm on the verge of selling the van as it is, as it just seems too complicated and too much of a responsibility for me at the moment. I'm trying hard to get to grips with it but it's things lie this that are just too much. I'm out of my depth

OK anyway you could send me the main pages you think you most need according to the pictures? Whatsapp would be good, do you have it?
I also have Viber. You send all this on my mobile phone and I'll make the translation on an email. Pm on its way with mobile number

 

[HKF]

OK anyway you could send me the main pages you think you most need according to the pictures? Whatsapp would be good, do you have it?
I also have Viber. You send all this on my mobile phone and I'll make the translation on an email. Pm on its way with mobile number

Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind offer. Unfortunately, I don't have a smartphone so I don't know how to get anything to your phone I don't have Whatsapp and I don't know what Viber is. Do you know how I can do this, please?

 

[yodeli]

Obviously you're posting on here, so you have a computer.
If no printer to scan then, the only thing I see is to use the camera of the computer. Open the manual facing the cam and take all needed pics. Ask your missus to help you. Then send them to me
tibou150@aliceadsl.fr
Not all at the same time.. My computer will die!
Also there are sites you can use to upload your pics, and then you can create a link for me to download them

 

[HKF]

So, I'm about to go and turn on the hot water again today. First, I've run both the cold taps and the shower on cold, then run both the hot taps and shower. They're all running smooth with no spluttering and the pump is running fine. I have a Webasto Dual Top Evo 6 STD control panel which runs the heater on diesel, see pic. Does this mean that it also runs the hot water on diesel, please? I guess it must do because, yesterday, the gas was unconnected and we weren't on hook up and water was boiling!

 

[HKF]

Obviously you're posting on here, so you have a computer.
If no printer to scan then, the only thing I see is to use the camera of the computer. Open the manual facing the cam and take all needed pics. Ask your missus to help you. Then send them to me
tibou150@aliceadsl.fr
Not all at the same time.. My computer will die!
Also there are sites you can use to upload your pics, and then you can create a link for me to download them

Thank you I AM the missus btw I'm just off outside to try to heat the water again. Then I'll sit down with the manuals I have and see what might be useful in English. I can scan and email the pages to you (but not too many ) Thank you again for your lovely offer!

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