No hot water

[mickyriff]

Hi. I’m new here. And very new to caravanning. I have my first caravan. Quite an oldish one. Lunar zenith 6. I am having some problems with the water. Its a Truma ultrastore 10lt. (Using electric) with a truma crystal water pump. Ive turned the water heater switch off. Then opened my kitchen mixer tap and turned to hot to let the tank fill up. Then when the eater is running constant. I shut the tap and turn the heater switch on. After a few minutes the tank starts to warm up and gets really hot to touch. (So i assume the element is working) but then when i turn the hot water tap on (after say half hour) its as if theres no water and starts spluttering and when it does finally run. Its jus cold water again. But all the while the tap is open whilst its spluttering. The tank will b filling up with cold water by the pump activated when the tap is open. Ive checked all fuses and all power supplies. All have power.

Now the shower tap does not come on at all unless i open the kitchen tap. Then it starts to run. But id i use the shower tap on its own theres nothing. And you can see the water in the pipe jus below the flexi and not pumping through. There seems to be power in the microswitches for the shower tap. But does not turn on the pump.

Also in general. The pressure is really low.

Please any advise and help. As i am living in this full time for a while now.

Thanks

Mick

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Mick,

Welcome to the forum.

It seems from your description you have two problems, They might be connected, but lets try to resolve it with the simple checks first.

The problem with the water heater seems to be its filling, but that its leaking away some where. Because you haven't mentioned being faced with a 10Litre flood inside the caravan each time you use the heater, I have to conclude the leak is either through a vent valve under the caravan, or back through the pipework to the coldwater barrel.

Through the floor close to the water heater there should be a toggle lever (usually yellow)

This is a drain valve combined with a pressure relief valve. It This is designed to allow the water heater to be drained the for storage, by lifting the toggle. Make sure the toggle is down for normal use.

The second possible means of it leaking with no visible water loss is through the non return valves which may look like these:-
or
There is often two NRV's fitted to caravans systems, the first will be related to the pump, and might be fitted in cold water inlet fitted in the side wall of the caravan. and a second one fitted into the cold water inlet pipe to the heater just before the drain valve (mentioned above). These are put in place to allow water to pass in one direction only. but if they have been damaged they may not work as intended, and allow water to drain back to the cold water storage tank.

I suggest you fill the hot water tank as you have been doing. Then check the water level in the cold tank. Turn the pump off and specifically in your case open the shower tap. Wait for a while and see if the cold tank is refilling. If it is then all the NRV;s you have in the system need to be changed.

This could also explain low flow rates to the taps. One failure mode for the NRV's is if they have not been fully drained, and they subsequently freeze. The expansion of the water as it freezes can displace or permanently damage the seals inside the NRV's which prevents them from sealing and they can also reduce the flow through the valve in normal operation.

The low flow though the taps could also be the taps partially blocked. Many caravan taps have nozzles that can be unscrewed for cleaning or replacement.

The failure of the shower tap to turn the pump on means that the microswitch in the tap has malfunctioned. most microswitches are replaceable