Is there such a thing as a balanced flue gas heater that you can buy, to fit into a caravan?
By balanced flue, I mean a room sealed appliance, that is flued directly outside via a vent. I saw one today, but it was obviously fitted with the caravan, (when the van was built, I mean). I'm wondering if you can buy one to fit yourself? (I used to be a CORGI registered gas engineer, so I'm aware of the safety aspects).
I'm looking at was of heating my caravan that won't require electric hook-up, basically. Any other suggestions VERY gratefully received. Cheers!
Truma gas heaters are standard fit in many caravans. here You could probably buy one to fit yourself. Not cheap I guess but you might find one secondhand at a caravan breakers.
Before Truma, Carver heaters were fitted to a huge number of 'vans.
Gary of Arc Systems is the Carver guru Click for his website (manuals are on the linked page). You might well get a used example that he could service for you.
I'm not sure about balanced flue but all gas fired caravan heaters are room sealed.
Choice is pretty simple, Carver essentially used fires of Truma design upto 1993, these are either 1.6kw floor flued or 3.2kw roof flued. After 93 Carver developed their own range of similar heaters.
The all Carver designed floor flued 1800S and SC, or roof flued SPL3002/3000 truma variants, then Carver 3600STC are the older choices
Floor flued fires are no longer made, so the current truma 3002 is your only newish choice, albeit this is the same fire as the earlier Carver SPL3002 and 3000 making spares for this pair easy to obtain.
(the Carver 3000 not to be confused with the short lived Carver 3000S of 94 to mid 95).
These responses have proved invaluable, thanks guys.
I've found a Carver Truma 1800 floor flued, and downloaded the instructions. On the instructions it mentions an 'installation box' - but the fire I've found doesn't have one. I guess it needs one. I haven't bought it, I think I'll try and find one with the box.
Because it's floor flued, I may have to fit it against a wall rather than in the cupboard. I reckon this'll mean constructing a framework to house the installation box. Nothing's ever straight-forward, is it?
I do like the look of the heaters though. 1.5kw ain't much, but it'll do. The wall heaters that were fitted in council houses in the 60's were only 1.5kw. They'd ne fitted at the bottom of the stairs and used to take the chill off the upstairs!
Given what you have said, I would suggest you limit your search to a Carver SB1800, being free standing and 3/4 enclosed, this will not require an installation box, but only a simple heat shield behind it.
Ah! That answers another query. The heaters I looked at had a metal plinth on the bottom, that extended behind the heater. I couldn't figure out why it did that. It's because it's a free-standing heater!
So they're fixed to the floor and not the wall then?
There's one on ebay for £80. Bench tested, complete with the back heatplate.
Quote: Originally posted by arc systems on 29/10/2013
Just be careful, had a quick look on ebay and although could not find one at £80, of what I did see, I'm not impressed!
I think the one I bought wouldn't have turned up on a search if I'd already bought it?
Anyway, it arrived yesterday and I tested it today. It's fine. In fact, it's just what I wanted.