Carver SB1800 igniting problem?

[Surfer]

We have a Carver SB 1800 heater which is gas only. It has obviously not been sued for some time. Anyway connected up the propane gas bottle and got the hob going okay no problem so obviously gas going into the system. System does not have a bulkhead regulator just the regualtor on the gas bottle.
Followed the instrcutions to the letter, turning the knob full over, depressing the ignitor dozens of times but nothing. Mnaula for caravan states that to check it you need to view it through the "inspection window" but I cannot see any inspection windown on this heater except a long slot at the bottom in the front. I cannot see if the ignitor is sparking or not. Can any one tell me where this "inspection window" is located. Should you be able to see the spark?
If no spark, is there perhaps a reason why not, i.e. requires a battery like the Truma S3002? As we are going away on Wednesday any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[emmerson]

I have an 1800 in my van, and it does have an inspection window. Its about 1/3rd way along the long slot you refer to, but below it. I've never noticed the igniter through the window, only the blue flame, but mine lights instantly, every time. There isn't a remote tap in the gas line is there?

 

[Parksy]

There should be an isolating valve between the lpg supply and the heater, caravan service engineers sometimes turn these off and forget to turn them back on again. These isolator valves are often underneath the sink unit, it's worth checking to make certain that the lpg is reaching the heater.
The small oblong slot in the front cover of the heater is actually the viewing window. It can be difficult to see the spark, turn the gas control knob until the cut out is in line with the Piezo igniter, hold down the knob whilst operating the Piezo.
Keeping the controll knob fully depressed you should see the flame through the slot but you will probably have to kneel down and adjust your position to see it. You might also hear it.
After 30 seconds or so slowly release the gas control knob and the burners will light fully.
If you still cant see any sign of a spark or a lit burner it might be worth taking off the front cover off the heater to check the igniter.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Uvongo
The SB1800 is a totally manual heater, It has no batteries and no thermostat.
From your description, it appears you may not be holding the gas valve down to prime the Flame Failure Detector (FFD).
The observation window is located at the same side of the heater as the control knobs and will be found behind the slot in the bottom of the front case. At no time should the inspection window be removed.
If the fire has not been used for some time and the gas has been disconnected it may be necessary to go through a number of lighting cycles to purge any air from the gas supply

To start the fire:
Turn the gas control knob to the ignition position, press and hold it down.
At the same time press the ignitor button several times quite rapidly.
Keep the gas control knob pressed down for several seconds after the flame starts.
When you release the gas valve the flame should remain alight, and you can then adjust the gas valve to regulate the size of the flame

To turn off the fire, rotate the gas valve to off position to cut the gas. After a few seconds the FFD will click as it closes. If the fire does not light within about 15 seconds, you should leave the fire at least 30 seconds before trying again.
If the fire refuses to light, it may need servicing. Refer all servicing of gas appliances to trained competent fitters. Certain critical parts need to be checked regularly for corrosion, and must be replaced if corrosion is found. Your fitter should advise you when this is necessary.

 

[anotherDavid]

I have had this problem twice and each time it has been spiders webs obstucting the air inlet. If the igniter batteries are flat you can get to them by removing the front off the fire, however if you can hear the igniter ticking and it still (after checking supply ) refuses to light I would sugest trying taking a a vacuum cleaner to the inlet under the van before going any further.The last time it happend to us a German mobile engineer working in Spain came out to us and quickly diagnosed it as "you have animal in there", 5 mins and a very reasonable €20 later it was fixed (unlike the £35 8 years ago in the UK)
Its worth a try
Dave

 

[Damian]

Quote "If the igniter batteries are flat you can get to them by removing the front off the fire, however if you can hear the igniter ticking and it still (after checking supply ) refuses to light"

The Carver 1800 does NOT have battery ignition, it is Piezzo.

 

[Surfer]

Thanks all. May go down to the storag later today to see if I can get it fired up. Apparently after Googling one also needs to check the pipework as an inferior type of metal was used on the unit which corrodes . I am not sure if it applies to this model or other 1800 models. The unit is it a Coachman 440/5 1990 caravan.

 

[Guest]

Ian, I presume?
It applies to all models of the 1800 , except that is the 1800S and SC, these don't have the steel pipes as the gas valve is directly connected to the gas under the van. However corrosion still affects this pair, only this time the valve/thermocouple connection suffers

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Uvongo,
The question of corrodible nature of the gas supply and burner feed pipe in the Carver SB1800 (and SBT1800) heater was explained at some of the Carver training courses I attended.
Fundamentally the design of the heater located the gas valve at the top of the heater whilst the burner and gas supply were fed from under the floor of the caravan. This means the gas supply and the burner feed pipe have to run top to bottom and through the floor plate of the heater. As the floor plate around the gas pipes can exceed 100C when in use, Copper pipes cannot be used. Construction regulations say that copper pipes must not be used for carrying combustible gasses through areas that exceed 100C.
To get round this the original design used a plated steel pipe. which is fine when straight but when it is bent, the plating degenerates on the bend, and becomes prone to corrosion. Later versions that were part manufactured by Carver in the UK used a coated that was applied after the pipes had been bent, which provides greater resistance to corrosion.
For safety, the gas and burner feed pipes on SB1800 (and SBT1800) should be checked annually for external corrosion, and if found the pipes should be replaced.

The problem affected both the SB1800 and the SBT1800, but the SBE1800 and the later Carver 1800 and all other Carver /Truma models all located the gas valve under the floor thus avoiding the problem.

 

[Ancientcaravanner]

If you haven't used the fire for a long time it can take several minutes to clear the air out of the pipes before the fire ignites. There is only a tiny gas flow for the pilot light at this stage
AC

 

[Guest]

Sorry John, all Carver SPL3002 and 3000 models suffer to a degree, this excludes the 3000S fitted in 1994 vans.
Of the 1800 range, only the 1994 1800S and 1800SC from mid 95, (essentially the same fire), have directly copper connected gas valves and don't suffer, ALL others models do.
It is then only safe to say, any model Carver fire fitted after the end of 1993 are not subject to this warning