Even if you enjoy the rustic nature of caravanning, it is still a good idea to invest in some mod cons to make the whole experience comfortable. Storage water heaters are especially important in the UK if you don’t want to pay park fees to use their supply or fancy going off the beaten track somewhat. One of the most popular models of storage water heater on the market right now is undoubtedly the Carver Cascade 2.
With a 9-litre capacity, when connected to your gas supply you can heat water up to 65-degrees Celsius in around 45 minutes. Which is especially good in the colder parts of the year, when you really want to have that hot bath. However, that is when it works properly. When it doesn’t, you may find it incredibly frustrating and a little unhygienic if you are nowhere near public use washing facilities.
That is why it is a good idea to take a look at articles like this one, discussing common issues affecting appliances just like the Carver Cascade 2. Whether you have invested in one already and are having problems or it’s working perfectly well but you want to be aware of what may go wrong and how to deal with it, or you have yet to buy one but want to make sure all faults can be handled without spending out too much money, you’ve definitely come to the right place.
One of the most common issues we have come across with the Carver Cascade 2 is leaking, which is obviously not ideal from the point of view that you need a reliable source of water and you want to avoid creating further problems by having a caravan’s worst enemy – dampness. Dampness can lead to mould, after all.
So what’s the solution
Finding the Cause
The first thing you need to do when assessing a fault is to find the cause. If you are feeling confident you know your way around the appliance, you should take a look at the cowling, depending on how bad the leaking is, to see if water is coming out of that part of the heater. If it is, you may need to unscrew the cowling to have a closer look under the hood, so to speak.
If you notice that there is water coming out of what looks like a nut, this is the fusible plug. The fusible plug is a specially designed threaded metallic cylinder that has a tapered hole drilled from one end to the other. This hole is then sealed with metal that has a particularly low melting point. If the fusible plug gets too hot, then metal flows away. Its purpose is as a safety valve to prevent the heater from malfunctioning and overheating to dangerous temperatures.
If there are other leakages connected to the Cascade 2, it could be a result of the fusible plug melting and the water finding other ways into your caravan. However, it may be worth checking to see if the outlet or inlet has split or broken. These are plastic connections that are found on the back of the Cascade to the right of the unit. The inlet is at the bottom and the outlet is at the top. They are known to fail from time to time, especially if are white.
Another possibility for the additional water leaking into your caravan could be a tank tie rod that is faulty as this holds the tank in place into the unit of the heater. Normally what happens when that fails is that the water leaks from the seal on the tank and into the control box that sites beneath the heater and then completely ruins it.
What To Do Next?
If you discover that the main problem seems to be the fusible plug, there is a chance that this could mean that the thermostat has failed too, but if it’s a second-hand heater or one you’ve had for many years, it may just be natural wear and tear. Replacing the fusible plug should be enough to solve it.
For additional help and advice, we would recommend speaking to Gary from a company called Arc Systems, as many others in forums and on other sites would.
They are the country’s foremost experts on caravan water and space heaters and are your best port of call.
Even if you feel confident about handling the work yourself, you need to remember that repairs, replacements, and installations of gas appliances need to be handled by fully qualified and certified professional.