Automatic water drain Kingh

Filled water tank today for trip out, ensured drain valve was shut. Did not blead until first stop, ran tap realised drain valve had reopened and was letting water go. Reshut turned tap on again, okay for couple of seconds then it opened again!
Had tried previously at home worked fine!
How do you stop this happening, now lost all my water!

You've obviously discovered that filling tank from 'cold' just for a day trip out doesn't work this time of year with low temperatures. You have to ask yourself why do I need a full tank of water for just this purpose? As PLOUGHLIN states, the temperature at the auto dump valve has to be above 7 degrees to not activate. Advice is usually when arrived at a campsite, is firstly to switch the habitation heating on and the time taken to set up other priorities, say half an hour, can then take on water knowing you won't lose it by the said valve. Regards.

PLOUGHLIN wrote:Needs to be above 7 deg to stay shut. Truma have a optional extra heater wire to warm the valve.

Best solution get rid and fit original manual type.

Yep! 

Yet another gadget designed to do your thinking for you - and as you now realise, they don't always get it right. 

How difficult is it to flip the little lever on a manual valve when you get home, or when the weather forecast promises a cold spell?

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YParamedic wrote:You've obviously discovered that filling tank from 'cold' just for a day trip out doesn't work this time of year with low temperatures. You have to ask yourself why do I need a full tank of water for just this purpose? As PLOUGHLIN states, the temperature at the auto dump valve has to be above 7 degrees to not activate. Advice is usually when arrived at a campsite, is firstly to switch the habitation heating on and the time taken to set up other priorities, say half an hour, can then take on water knowing you won't lose it by the said valve. Regards.

I’m not trying to be funny but can you use the habitation heating when there’s no water in the system? I have had to use a hairdryer on the valve, at the start of the season, to warm it up enough to stay shut.

Truma heating can be used without water in the tank.

Thanks. As a famous man (and Gromit) said, you learn something every day.

Taken from my manual...

Heating with drained water system:
Select gas or electrical operation using the
power selector switch. Illumination of the
yellow LED (g) on the power selector
switch indicates that the unit is operating
with 230V.
Move rotary switch on control panel to
operating position (m).
Turn the rotary switch (h) to the desired
thermostat setting (1-5). The green LEd (k)
for operation is lit and simultaneously
indicates the position of the selected room
temperature. the yellow LED (p) will be lit
only when the temperature of the unit is
below 5ºC!
Depending on the operating mode, the unit
will automatically select the required power
level according to the temperature
difference between the setting on the
control panel and the current room
temperature. Once the room temperature
selected on the control panel has been
reached, the heater switches off. The
warm air fan continues to run at slow
speed until the outgoing air temperature
(on the unit) has fallen to 40ºC or less.

After using the van yesterday and knowing I was heading out again early this morning, I left my heating on tick over overnight, which prevented the windscreen icing over and also stopped the 'auto dump' letting the boiler contents go.

I parked close to the river at the Tees Barrage and by the time I had my kayak off the roof, the boiler was emptying itself.

With the current cold spell it is always going to trip if there is no heat in the system.
An immediate short term solution would be to use a cable tie to hold the valve button in the closed position - but of course do not forget to remove it in the future.

Paulmold wrote:Truma heating can be used without water in the tank.

..and in many cases, it can be used (on gas only) on the move, to heat your van through so that the Hab area (and valve) will be warm when you get to site...
This should on.y be done with a system with Truma CS (crash safe) regulator and a rupture proof hose with green button...

..or use a hair dryer or a cable tie on the button...

When going out for the day we take a gallon water in a container, more than enough for cups of tea. Why would you need more and saves all that bother. Of course for longer stays away it is a problem and the manual valve looks the best option. IMHO  
Cheers Windy

How difficult is it to flip the little lever on a manual valve when you get home, or when the weather forecast promises a cold spell?

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Hi Dave,

I've not come across these valves before, are they a direct replacement / fit?

Mine is this type:

Yes Roger.

Replacing the auto dump valve (if you wish to do so) couldn't be simpler, assuming they are fitted in the same way in your van.

Just a screw driver and a couple of push fit water pipe connections to deal with. Ten minutes at most.

Drain the van first.....