Onboard Whale Water Heater

While trying to track down the source of a small amount of water on the floor I noticed that there is a short section of black tubing coming off of the hot water output of the onboard Whale heater that isn’t connect to anything at the other end. The end is simply lying on the floor.   Does anybody else have this on their van any does anybody know what it’s for?

I’ll post a pic of the output connection once I figure out how to do that.

I’m sure that another Duo owner will be along shortly. It looks like the black hose has become detached from a fitting. Have you got hot water coming out of the kitchen, shower room taps and shower? 

It seems odd that it’s braided hose and not plastic tubing. There’s also no jubilee clip on the hose at the push-on connection, all of which indicates a previous owner has modified the installation. For example it’s possible to add a hot&cold shower hose set at the rear of the van to wash the dog outside.

Whale’s installation instructions at the link below don’t offer any clues, which adds to my suspicion that yours has been mod’d.

Tim

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Hi Tim ,

Hot water is coming out of the taps and shower as it should.

We bought the van new so that’s how it came from the factory. I’d read through the Whale installation instructions and only saw mention of a straight connection on the outlet which is why I’m baffled. We’ve a T piece with the red water hose heading off towards the kitchen and the mystery tube going off in the other. I had a good look around on the off chance it had fallen off from somewhere but can’t see anything.

the fitting used on the hot outlet pipe looks incorrect and as for the black pipe is not correct as its not secured with a pressure fitting .you need to give a picture and ask A/S about the pipe work

I’m baffled too, can see no purpose for it other than to supply another service. If the end of the hose that’s lying on the floor is flaired out (ie stretched from being pushed onto a hose fitting) then it suggests that it’s come off something. If it shows no such sign then maybe it’s meant to go through a hole in the floor as a drain, but again can see no reason for such a feature. 

Hopefully another Duo owner with the same Whale water heater can help. 

Tim

Agree with Glyne. It all looks quite wrong. It’s always possible that the fitter in the factory got his wires (or pipes) crossed.

like yourself Tim I find it strange that A/S have fitted the black pipe as they normally use the red pipe for hot and blue for cold and the fitting is not a pressure fitting .i have not seen it on others but is it a air bleed point to clear any air out the heater and pipe work

That’s the only explanation I can think of Glyne. Maybe there’s some form of air bleed valve at the end of the black hose but it still seems odd given the lack of access for one thing. The tee fitting strikes me as unusual too, with its hose stem in a 90 degree bend. Most tee fittings have their ports in the same plane; I’ve never seen a fitting like that.

Paul, are you able to see if there’s anything fitted in the end of the hose?

Tim

Tim
I could just see a fitting on the end of the black pipe but its what should it be fitted to and is the water leaking out of it when the pump is turned on .a better picture of this may help

There is nothing fitted at the end of the black tubing, it's just empty tubing.  The free end isn't flared so it doesn't look like it has been connected to anything previously.  The tubing is solidly onto the t-piece so I couldn't pull it off to have a look at the t-piece in any more detail.

When I ran hot water into the kitchen sink there was nothing coming out of the black tubing.  This made me wonder if there was some form of relief valve in the t-piece and black tubing was some kind of over pressure vent but I that doesn't make sense to me as surely that would vent to outside of the van.  I've had a good look around and there is definitely nowhere that the tubing can connect to.  It got me wondering if this was some sort of fitting used to commission or test the water heater that has been left in place by mistake.

I did find this type of fitting online call a stem T-piece but if that is what is fitted I would expect water to run out of the tubing when the pump is running which it doesn't.

I'll query it with AS but just curious what fitting other Duo owners with the onboard Whale water heater have.

UPDATE

I queried the mystery tubing with AS and they advised that it was an over pressure vent and should go through a hole in the floor.  They also recommended that we take the van back to our dealer for it to be checked and put right under warranty.

I'd suggest anybody whose van has the Whale water heater checks if they have the same arrangment and if so so that the vent tube is routed to the outside.

Well done, Kemerton-bath! You get the prize.

Glad the mystery is sorted, Paul_G_71

Cymro

Good that AS were able to resolve it Paul. Shame about th3 lack of a hole in the floor though.

Tim

clearly the camper was not checked over by A/S or dealer ref pdi check. it would be nice to see another heater with this pipe and fitting