Carver Heater Gas

[RegandPat]

Hi All,
All this about laggin heating pipes (very interesting) I gave my Carver gas fire a good looking over as I have never been able to light it.
I decided to take the front off to first give it a good clean, looked in the back (no screws) looked at front, 4 screws at the very bottom, undon them but it would not budge.
Pushed and pulled wiggled and tugged but will not move.
Put back screws.
I now have a heater electric only, I like my electric heater why would I won't gas.
I will admit I do use gas for the cooker and to boil the kettle.
I have had it servised 6 months ago when first brought the van, just wished I had listened to the servise engineer when he explained how it all worked.
Perhaps one day I will master it, my wife and I put it down to that we are all electric at home, oh except for the heating.

Reg and Pat

 

[NigelHutson]

Going from memory (which isn't what it was!), I think with the Carver fire, if it's manual ignition, you have to turn the gas on (on top of the fire) by tunring the control knob. Push it down and hold it there whilst pressing the ignitor button until it lights. Keep the control knob pressed for several seconds before releasing it. If it's got electronic ignition, just use the control knob.
The gas gets the system hotter and quicker (3kw vs 2 kw). What we did when we had both the Carver and later Truma, was get it going on gas (and electric at the same time as it says in the manual that you can). Once up to temperature, use electric only.
Hope this helps.

 

[Parksy]

Gary at Arc Systems has Carver Fanmaster instruction / installation manuals on his web site.
Make sure that the gas is turned on at the regulator and on the isolator valve which will probably be underneath the sink cupboard with the valves for the water heater and the fridge.
Turn the control knob fully on and press and hold it down. If your fire has automatic ignition it should light after a few seconds, otherwise operate the Piezo ignition button whilst holding the gas control knob down.
You may need to try this several times to purge air from the system.
On the manually operated gas fire there will be a small 'window' in the front cover of the fire, you will see the burner ignite through the window.
When the burner ignites hold down the control knob for a further 20 seconds to warm up the fail safe device.
You could copy these instructions to Notepad on your computer and print them off to keep them in the caravan. Hope this helps.

 

[Damian]

Quote "
I decided to take the front off to first give it a good clean, looked in the back (no screws) looked at front, 4 screws at the very bottom, undon them but it would not budge.
Pushed and pulled wiggled and tugged but will not move.
Put back screws."

I would very strongly suggest that you now get the engineer back to check the gas connections to the fire.

The 4 screws you undid are the ones which hold the fire in place.
Pushing, pulling and wiggling the fire will have put a strain on the main inlet gas connection under the van, which may have compromised the gas tightness of the unit and have caused a gas leak.

This is just another reason that if you know nothing about appliances, do NOT fiddle with them.

 

[Guest]

It would help to know the model of Carver fire, or at least the year, if though it has the fanmaster 240v heating it is likely it's 95 on and an 'all' Carver fire.
This then means it only lights in one exact position, it's marked on the dial but not always accurately and can be misleading.
Simple trick is to turn the control knob off the stop position, now press fully down and hold it there before you arrive at the marked position, when you do then get to the exact position, you will feel the knob drop a little further as a pin drops into a slot, this is the only place it will light.
If it's auto ignition, then providing gas is present, it should light straight away, continue to hold down for several seconds and you should then be able to let go and the pilot light remain lit, turning a little further should light the main burner on full heat, turning further still reduces the maximum heat down to minimum.
If manual 'piezo' ignition, then and once in the slot, release the knob and press down repeatedly to produce sparks to light the pilot light, once lit continue as above. Remember though to make sure you don't turn the knob but keep it going back into the slot or it won't light.
I would though reiterate Damian's comments regarding screws and pushing and pulling? I don't understand what you were trying to do? but you must be 100% sure nothing is damaged before you start with the above instructions, any damage caused could easily make the fire lethal!!

 

[RegandPat]

I may have exaggerated with the pulling and pushing after removing screws, sorry about that, I can see some dust through the front grill and was hoping to remove the front of the fire to Hoover it out.
I will try again to light the fire some time but if all fails will just use the electric.
Thanks again for every ones tips and instructions.
PS. Just been told I have my new job so am on top of the world.
Reg

 

[Parksy]

Congratulations on the job Reg.

 

[RegandPat]

I have just had a quick look at the heater name.
Carver Fanmaster, 3600STC
All I would like to know is how to get the front cover off.
I have tried lifting the front up but it will not budge.
Any tips welcome.
Reg

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Well done Reg , new job and all that.
Im sat here working my butt off to find a new job, now let me see mmmm advert for midwife .. I think not.
Licenced chain saw operator I think not and of course last but not least of our vacacies around here Dental technician,never mind theres always next week .
Parksy can you hire that bricklayer that took you photo to come over here and do one for me ?
What a superb photo
Sir Roger

 

[Parksy]

You can see from my portrait what a great job he does Sir Rog and he'll do a bit of pointing up on the chimney while he's there.

 

[Guest]

I was thinking it was a plasterer that done it and it was a bricky?! still a good plasterer should surely be able to improve matters!!

So back to the plot and congrats on the new job, to remove the front, you pull the fire front off two clips at the bottom and then up and off, if though it refuses to budge? then someone may have used a couple of screws at the bottom near the clips to stop it jumping off

 

[RegandPat]

At last got the front off, silly me there are 2 screws right at the bottom corners to remove.
It dose need a good clean as full of dust, will use a paint brush.
I will then try and light it with the front removed to see if it is getting a spark and the gas is getting through but that is a job for to morrow.
Thanks all for help
Reg

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello reg,

Don't be tempted to remove the window in the heat exchange to try to light the heater. Its there for a reason..

 

[RegandPat]

Thanks for the tip, I am only going to remove the dust very carefully.
Reg

 

[pastiche]

I had similar problems taking front off our one until I remembered that sometime the front comes loose and that they put couple of self tapper screws into the top of fire. So when you look under the top of fire you will see them there if this is so.