Just tryed out heating system in new van very impressed how cosy it gets, last time we had a van was over 10 years ago and we only had the old style gas heater, must say this new blow air system is great.my excuse is that i have to sit in the van every sunday to get the dog used to camping whilst oh works in the garden
I'm glad you told me this because we had a caravan that was 14 years old with the old style gas fire. We have recently changed it to a newer model with warm air heating but we haven't been out and tried it yet. It sounds very welcoming to say the least.
It made me chuckle though about getting the dog used to camping whilst the OH is working away. Some blokes come up with some brilliant excuses. Lol.
EDIT: When you said the OH was doing the garden I thought it was the hubbie sitting in the caravan with the dog whilst the wife was doing the gardening, that's why I thought it was so funny. I suppose you have got your priorities right.
I used to love sitting in mine when it was at home but its in storage now as the site is nearer other halfs work and its easier for us to get away!!
Great for when you want a bit of peace and me and friends used to sit and have a few wines in it, was great!!
------------- Jan:Braids Gretna, Feb Stanwix Park Silloth & Braids Gretna,
We find the blown air heating really good too. I think it's the longer vans that struggle to get the heat into the far end. With the smaller 2 berth vans the blown air heating is perfect and gets them lovely and cosy !
The blown air is nice but the problem with my van is the there are two vents at floor level right under the front chest of drawers and if the wind is blowing there is a cold draught across your feet.
Advice on here is not to block them because of condensation and carbon monoxide etc.
------------- July 1-9 Nantcol Waterfalls meet Sept naturist week Sept SVR w/e Oct Secret meet Nov hopleys meet
We were going to use ours between Christmas and New Year when the weather was bad. In a bid to reduce unwanted heat loss I decided to wrap pipe insulation around the blow- air ducting, especially where it went out under the van floor. It works a lot better now.
A bit fiddly to do at times but I think it was worth the effort, I used Spiral Wrap and aluminium Foil Tape from Screwfix, I reinforced the spiral wrap with a couple of layers of foil tape near the wheel arces in case of stone damage.
Quote: Originally posted by floggitt on 20/2/2011
......... two vents at floor level right under the front chest of drawers and if the wind is blowing there is a cold draught across your feet.
Advice on here is not to block them because of condensation and carbon monoxide etc.
Not from me you didn't? my advice is to block these floor vents!
BS/EN standards say; a caravan with 10 square metres of floor space needs just 1500 square millimeters of fixed floor/low level ventilation, that's a slot just 15mm x 100mm (5/8" x 4") and for instance, a single door vent far exceeds this!
Gas drop holes are not to be included in this, but, they are very small and tucked away so not an issue regarding draughts.
Roof level ventilation is 10x this but one 400 square roof vent has has all but enough to cover this in 14000sqmm of fixed ventilation built in, and, there is always more than one!
So as it is and given there is always plenty of fixed roof ventilation, heating the van with excessive floor ventilation simply speeds up the flow of air through the floor and out through the roof. The more you turn up the heating the faster the air travels through and you get little benefit from it.
On the other hand, restricting floor ventilation still allows enough cool fresh air in but overall slows down the natural urge of the heated air above to exit out of the roof vents.
It is at the moment exactly this happening that you are experiencing as a draught round your feet!
Quote: Originally posted by arc systems on 21/2/2011
Quote: Originally posted by floggitt on 20/2/2011......... two vents at floor level right under the front chest of drawers and if the wind is blowing there is a cold draught across your feet.Advice on here is not to block them because of condensation and carbon monoxide etc.
Not from me you didn't? my advice is to block these floor vents!
BS/EN standards say; a caravan with 10 square metres of floor space needs just 1500 square millimeters of fixed floor/low level ventilation, that's a slot just 15mm x 100mm (5/8" x 4") and for instance, a single door vent far exceeds this!
Gas drop holes are not to be included in this, but, they are very small and tucked away so not an issue regarding draughts.
Roof level ventilation is 10x this but one 400 square roof vent has has all but enough to cover this in 14000sqmm of fixed ventilation built in, and, there is always more than one!
So as it is and given there is always plenty of fixed roof ventilation, heating the van with excessive floor ventilation simply speeds up the flow of air through the floor and out through the roof. The more you turn up the heating the faster the air travels through and you get little benefit from it.
On the other hand, restricting floor ventilation still allows enough cool fresh air in but overall slows down the natural urge of the heated air above to exit out of the roof vents.
It is at the moment exactly this happening that you are experiencing as a draught round your feet!
Thank you very much for a super answer. I will be permanently closing these off then, I did block the flow off with a towel, but why are there so many vents? The howling gales around the fridge are enough without the two wall vents in the bathroom, 2 round fixed vents [3" round] behind kitchen cupboards, 2 floor vents 4"x2" under front locker, 6"x8" fixed vent in the door, and 3 roof vents.
And I also have the option to manually open a window!
------------- July 1-9 Nantcol Waterfalls meet Sept naturist week Sept SVR w/e Oct Secret meet Nov hopleys meet
Quote: Originally posted by floggitt on 20/2/2011
The blown air is nice but the problem with my van is the there are two vents at floor level right under the front chest of drawers and if the wind is blowing there is a cold draught across your feet.
Advice on here is not to block them because of condensation and carbon monoxide etc.
That's what the dog's bed is for...to stop the draft. Not sure about the Carbon Monoxide thing. Carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than Oxygen (so rises particulary if you have heating on (warm air rises and all that)) so the draft just maybe moves it higher. Check the flame - if its blue you are OK. If its yellow switch the heater to electric and open the door.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Bit of a long story as to why, but briefly, after gas lights which required lots of high level ventilation, the next standard in the mid 80's put in loads of floor level vents, great in summer as the van is heated by the sun and draws cool air in from under the van, but disaster in winter trying to heat it on gas/electric.
Also though dangerous to Motorhomer's sucking road fumes in on the move! hence all change again for caravans in 98 after Motorhomes a few years earlier.
So yours like mine will be pre 98? after this for a few years at least and apart from the fridge, all was well, until that is fixed beds became popular and mould a big problem in storage?!
This problem was soon solved by adding floor vent in the bed locker, mould gone but back to pre 98 draughts, you could not make it up could you?!!
As for the draughts coming into the van from the fridge vents, these under any standard and fridge manufactures installation instructions, should always have been fully sealed from the living space.
These gaps then you can seal up tight, doing this even improves the air flow over the cooler unit at the the back of the fridge so helps the fridge work better in hot weather!
Fixed bed box vents can be covered while vans in use, just remember to uncover them so plenty of air can circulate around the mattress in storage.
Just a warning though, although for general use you need little ventilation at floor level, you do need some, don't ever be tempted to over do it.
Remember also, the more people the greater the ventilation required, if you have cut things to a minimum, extra people will need perhaps a window slightly open to prevent any chance of stuffiness and or condensation.
Regards Carbon Monoxide, first ventilation is not going to save you, if you as much as suspect a problem with CO, get it checked out and don't use the appliance until it is!
Second, Caravan gas fires and water heaters are 'room sealed' this means they have their own air supply from outside and take the products of combustion straight outside, there should be no connection and therefore no spillage of dangerous gasses into the living space.
If in doubt? same applies, get it checked out
Cooker/hob is the only flame open to the van, surely common sense says this requires extra ventilation, if only to cut down condensation and you getting to hot, never mind any CO present?
As for CO being lighter than air, which in itself is already a mixture of several gasses, technically yes, just, but there are so many variables, general air temperature, humidity, air movement etc, only real world answer is CO, if it exists?, will be present at all levels
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
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Topic: heating system great
