WOW that could of been DANGEROUS!!!!!

CarlandHels

CarlandHels

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Happy new year to you all..

Looking for advise as I'm at a loss as to why this should happen.
Last night I ran out of gas (not the first time ever) I have safefill and also use a Truma filter for the lpg.

I had a brand new Truma C6e fitted at the end of may 2020 and it gets a lot of use due to living in the van.
Anyway, I changed the bottle over and removed the usual code on the combi and re-ingnited it. It sounded a bit lumpy on the burn so I thought maybe the filter has got gummed up with oils. So I removed the cartridge secured everything again and tried to re light the boiler. It lit and was sounding as good as new.

Left it running for a good while at a fair rate, plenty of steam/fumes coming out of the exhaust port so all is good and back to normal.

BUT

Tonight we have just turned the heating up to 18 and with in 5 mins there was a huge bang like a firework going off at the side of me, I was outside at the time and something went whizzing down the side of the van.

Anyway it turns out that it had exploded and blown the exhuast cover to bits and the flue pipe as shown in the pics.. Needless to say the gas is shut off now and thankfully I installed a chinese diesel heater in the van a couple of years ago... Plus i have still got the Truma on electric to keep things from freezing up.

So has anyone ever heard of this issue before????

The wood panel is showing plastic bedded into it due to the blast. Glad i wasn't stood there. More importantly glad there were no kids around...
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Glad you are okay...could have been so much worse. No idea about heaters, good job you have backup....people complaining about firework bangs, must have made you jump! Hope you get advice soon.
 
That flexible pipe from your boiler was possibly to blame.

On my last van I removed mine as I was renewing some other parts. I found that the inner metal section had degraded and had started to break up. That means the fresh air entering the boiler can short circuit into the exhaust air from the boiler, which means you no longer have a 'balanced flue'.
 
Robmac said:
That is really serious.

I would send those pictures to Truma for them to attempt to find out what caused this. The imbedded plastic in the fence would suggest that this could be a potentially fatal accident.
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It could of been so much worse. Now I have seen how far into the wood the plastic has imbedded in the daylight I'm gobsmacked. Alot of the exhaust cover has vanished, no idea where or how far it has gone.
I will be in touch with Truma ASAP as I want this sorted out. Thankfully it's under warranty still. But the main thing is how did this happen when it's meant to shut down if there is a problem, not blow up! The only code that came up is W408H which is still showing on the display, but before that it had W517H. This has made me a bit weary of these gas heaters. Might see about putting a diesel version in instead. Will see what Truma come up with..
 
maingate said:
That flexible pipe from your boiler was possibly to blame.

On my last van I removed mine as I was renewing some other parts. I found that the inner metal section had degraded and had started to break up. That means the fresh air entering the boiler can short circuit into the exhaust air from the boiler, which means you no longer have a 'balanced flue'.
Click to expand...
I understand your meaning, but it is only 7 months old, plus was working through the day until I turned it up... But if it has broken up and caused this, then there will be strong words with Truma for selling stuff not fit for purpose.
 
had the same thing happen to me one winter on the south coast of Sicily.........on a 1999 Hymer S700
the problem is caused by an ignition failure..... raw gas builds up in the exaust duct & explodes when re-attempting to start up.
the local "expert" motorhome dealer removed the unit & quoted almost €2K to replace almost every part.
I called Peter Hambilton who correctly diagnosed the fault & told me they were trying to rip me off.
they dumped the unit back into its cubbyhole & refused to reconnect it,
I drove back to Peters workshop where he stripped the thing down & replaced all the igniters (3 or 4). cost £600.
kept the van for another 2 years without another problem.
like myself, I'm sure you will long remember the shocking sound of that explosion.
for winter heating now, I use a £15 B &Q electric fan heater...not much to go wrong,
& I sleep easier.
good luck with your Truma warranty claim.
 
vanmandan said:
had the same thing happen to me one winter on the south coast of Sicily.........on a 1999 Hymer S700
the problem is caused by an ignition failure..... raw gas builds up in the exaust duct & explodes when re-attempting to start up.
the local "expert" motorhome dealer removed the unit & quoted almost €2K to replace almost every part.
I called Peter Hambilton who correctly diagnosed the fault & told me they were trying to rip me off.
they dumped the unit back into its cubbyhole & refused to reconnect it,
I drove back to Peters workshop where he stripped the thing down & replaced all the igniters (3 or 4). cost £600.
kept the van for another 2 years without another problem.
like myself, I'm sure you will long remember the shocking sound of that explosion.
for winter heating now, I use a £15 B &Q electric fan heater...not much to go wrong,
& I sleep easier.
good luck with your Truma warranty claim.
Click to expand...

I was renewing the spark electrode and flame sensor when I discovered the faulty flue tubing. It was Peter Hambilton who I bought the parts from, including replacement inner tubing. He gave an excellent service.
 
Similar thing happened to us a few years ago. Turning on the fire but having problems getting it to ignite. Must have got a build up of gas cos there was a bang which blew off the chimney outside. After that it lit first time. Needless to say i wasn't trying to light it. I wouldn't have tried to relight it......but would have avoided it as though it was nuclear.
 
Now I think about it, I remember this happening at a WC meet at Caerphilly once very early one morning.

I was about 4 vans away and it made me jump out of my skin!
 
There WAS a time the British army used a device known as a M67 water heater (nick named the 'puffin billy')

Sonsisting of a large doughnut shaped combustion chamber with a chimney and petrol fuel tank that dripped fuel into the chamber and heated a whole dustbin of water for washing etc in the field....

Someone would be detailed to light the thing early doors for folks ablutions etc....

Faveourite trick of the company wag would be to crack the fuel valve to allow a build up of fuel in the chamber READY for the poor early morning sap to drop his unsuspecting lit match down the flue... (standard for of lighting)

With a resultant whooof and a pop as the chimney bonnet was launched like a mortar a fair distance up and away....
 
Well Truma were useless, they aren't interested in discussing anything until I get someone to come out and do a gas pressure test on the van ( which was done at fitting ) They didn't seem to be very bothered about the fact that these heaters are meant to turn off and show a code if pressure is wrong or anything goes wrong with them. They're not meant to go bang before leaving you a fault code. So now got to wait until I can get someone out, which as of now might be some time due to the new lockdown...
Good start to the new year lol....
 
yorkshireCPLE said:
, which as of now might be some time due to the new lockdown...
Good start to the new year lol....
Click to expand...

It's a gas appliance that has exploded, you want a guy to come out and check it's not still a danger ;)

The bloke will be glad of the work.
 
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