Hot water tank switch

[Smurff]

Hi, just got back from Devon after taken my two 4 year old grandchildren, arrived on site and set up as normal, filled the hot tank up by running water through hot taps, now as my switches are on the bottom of the front seat they are very easily knocked especially when there are youngsters running around, so I just wondered what would happen if the hot water switch was switched on when tank was empty, would the thermostat switch it off or would it boil the element or what, is there some sort of safety failsafe built in.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Smurf,

As a general note, all electrically heaterd water systems must have a safety cut out fitted to brevent the system boiling. But exactly what form that protection takes depends on the make and model of the heater which you havn't given us.

 

[Damian]

Thu, Aug 29 2013, 11:48PM #1

brian_c

Offline
Joined: 15 Jan 2011

Hi Smurff. My caravan is set up with the switch in the same place as yours and I have actually done what you have described. (Mature adult not young child.)
Anyway all I can tell you is that I went into the caravan a couple of days after returning from a site to give the van a bit of a wipe down, Hoover out etc when I noticed the water heater switch was turned on.
Well the first thing when the caravan is returned to the side of the house after steadies down hitch and wheel lock on, is connect the electric up to re-charge the battery. So the water heater was switched on for at least 48 hours with no water in.
Visions of £££££ signs flashed through my mind. But all I did after obviously turning the heater off was to leave it alone for a few hours then fill the system via the aqua roll and switch the heater on. Well after the trip not tripping and no audible or visual bang or flash I left it on for about 1 hour the water warmed up as usual and has worked fine for the past 6 months.
i can only presume that the heater has some thermal self resetting device that takes care of this situation. My advice would be not to try testing it, I can only think that I have been fortunate in that the heater was not damaged by my oversite in any way.
cheers for now Brian

Mod Note: Post copied from double posting of same question.

 

[Damian]

Both the Cascade and Ultrastore have thermal cut outs in the event of overheating such as switching on with tank empty, but they do not work every time, they will fail if triggered too often, then its the element that burns out.

 

[Smurff]

Thanks guys, gonna have to watch the grand kids carefully now, then again the stupid way it's positioned anyone could knock with there heel or foot, my other van had everything at eye level, it's as if they want you to knock it and fork out on a new element, why oh why is everything so expensive if it's got ( for a caravan )stamped on it, yesterday I paid £7.99 for a new plastic thermostat dial for my fridge as the lug had broken and was just spinning around so you didn't know if it was on gas, electric, or battery.

 

[ProfJohnL]

..............why oh why is everything so expensive if it's got ( for a caravan )stamped on it,..............

Hello Smurf,
Welcome to the world of niche marketing. However if you think caravan items are expensive, you shoudl look at products for marine or aircaraft applications. Again often not significantlt different from those you might use at home, but because they are marketed at a target group prices seem to rise disproportionately.