Truma heater burner making strange noise

linkshouse

linkshouse

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Hi, hoping for some advice from any 'gas experts' out there.

I have a 1990 Eriba Jet 500 with Truma blown air heating.

I was just testing it this morning in preparation for this year's travels.

It lights okay but the flame is very noisy and 'fluttering' for want of a better description. The sound it makes is similar to the noise from a blow lamp.

If I keep the button pressed (as one does when lighting it) the flame is steady and blue. The minute I release the button the flame turns orange and starts making the blowlamp sound.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Phill
 
I am no gas expert but an orange flame usually means an imbalance in the fuel/oxygen mixture. Someone more knowledgeable will be along soon.
 
Sounds like the grill / gauze on the burner has corroded unfortunately normally means a new burner .
 
I suggest you let it burn for an hour or so and see if things improve.

If the heater hasn't been used for a while there may be dirt on the burner and if you're lucky it will burn off.
 
i've experienced similar in different appliances , debris in the pilot air intake pipe. once a leaf , often a part built one-egg wasp nest. all sorted by a blow through. insects never stop !
 
Last edited:
I think the clue to this is,

If I keep the button pressed (as one does when lighting it) the flame is steady and blue. The minute I release the button the flame turns orange and starts making the blowlamp sound.

So the burner must be capable of burning correctly ?
 
harrow said:
I think the clue to this is,

If I keep the button pressed (as one does when lighting it) the flame is steady and blue. The minute I release the button the flame turns orange and starts making the blowlamp sound.

So the burner must be capable of burning correctly ?
Click to expand...

when you are pressing the button you are lighting a pilot light at one end but separate from the main burner when released the main burner should light but because the gauze rots away it dosn't allow the main burner to operate correctly, I've had to change a few over the years, but as has also been mentioned it could just need a clean you should be able to take it apart from under the vehicle without removing the heater.
 
just a thought what model/ type heater is it the fire type such as s3004 with blown air or similar or something like the vario heat or E series the advice I'm giving is referring to the former type
 
Thank you, everyone, for your replies and advice.

As per my reply to Fulltimer, it is an SL3002. He seems to have some experience with this specific model so it may be as he says and need a new burner :scared:

That said I will explore all the other option first even if it is wishful thinking on my part.

Once again, thank you for all your replies.

Phill
 
Circumstance took me away in the van for nearly a week and, as it was blumming freezing, I ended up using the heater.

It warmed the van fine and cycled on the thermostat as it should but it obviously wasn’t burning correctly. Even after pretty prolonged use off and on over the week it has stayed the same so any wishful thinking on my part that it may burn away some problem are obviously gone.

Now that I’m back home I have checked everything else suggested to no avail so was left with removing the burner.

I have removed it now and it looks like this -

D0C10EE5-488D-41BC-8509-7300180DBF33.jpg

Looking at photos on t’Internet there seems to be a mess missing which fits in with earlier comments. I’m just a bit surprised that there is not even any remnants of it.

@fulltimer, is this what you were expecting to see?

Many thanks for your advice.

Phill
 
Well!!! Further to my last post.

I've been cleaning up the rest of the heater and guess what dropped out of the heat exchanger -

IMG_2341.jpg

So, that clinches that!

New burner ordered and on its way.
 
Joy to Sorrow, such is life!

I was well chuffed when the new burner arrived today. To Westray, that is very quick.

That's the good bit.

Fitted the new burner put the whole lot back in the van and it lights a treat, burns quietly but won't stay lit.

I've checked the probe connection as well as I can from under the van to no avail.

So, the whole lot is going to have to come out for further investigation.

Chuffed to bits, not...

Such is life, should have tested it on the bench.
 
Compo said:
could be the thermocouple
Click to expand...

Almost certainly. I've poked around with it as much as I can from under the van.

The whole thing will have to come out and be looked at on the bench. It won't have a flue but I should still be able to fire it up and check it over, which is what I should have done before putting it back in the first place.
 
it seems coincidence that the tc has failed when prior to the new burner it worked, Whilst it could have failed, check and double check the connections,,,,it is a common fault on Glem stoves, also ensure it is correctly positioned across the pilot flame

Channa
 
@Channa, the new burner came with a new thermocouple.

But when I took the cover off the bottom of the burner I thought I saw the problem straight away. The thermocouple seemed to be pointing down away from the burner, rather than up and into the flame.

However, once I got the burner out I discovered this -

burner.jpg

So a rhetorical question is what is the bottom probe for?

I say rhetorical as I have taken both of these new probes/thermocouples off and fitted the thermocouple off the old burner.

Working a treat now. Result!

It's just to put back in the van now.

Maybe wait for the rain to stop though.
 
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