Static Caravan Owners Benefit From Surestop Solution

Caravanning is big business in the UK with approximately 365,000 static holiday caravans in parks across the land.

It is not uncommon for parks to state that water and gas supplies must be isolated when the caravan is left unoccupied, and one savvy owner realised that a Surestop valve could be the easy to operate, fail safe solution that he was looking for.

The Challenge

As a new caravan owner, it was discovered within a few weeks of use that turning the water supply on and off each time they visited wasn’t without its challenges. Whilst the conventional stopcock was located reasonably close to the rear of the caravan, the owner s had to crouch quite low and the valve spindle was quite stiff to operate.  Furthermore, quite often objects are placed alongside the caravan that impede access to the stopcock, and the owner therefore sough a solution where they could remotely shut off the water supply from a more convenient location. This is quite typical for caravan owners and those with limited mobility and dexterity would not be able to carry this out unaided.

The Situation

After research had been undertaken, it was ascertained that the Surestop valve would give the owner exactly what they required. Contact was made with the Surestop team to ascertain its suitability for outside fitting. However, it was thought that using a suitable level of insulation would protect the system from frost, and discussions with the Surestop indicated other users that had successfully used the valve in external locations without issue. 

The benefits of using the Surestop system included;

• A simple switch could be located within the caravan in a convenient location
• The switch operation is self-explanatory, and removes the need to think about which way to turn the valve when it is located in a strange orientation
• There is no requirement to stoop under the caravan to operate the stopcock, especially during inclement weather where the ground may be wet.
• It allows storage containers to be placed alongside the caravan

The Solution

A 15mm push fit Surestop with a 6m switch extension was selected which facilitated the installation of the switch within the boiler cupboard.  To provide the highest protection against frost it was decided to use 25mmx 15mm pipe lagging insulation, which came in 1m lengths, and to use that insulation from the remote switch right up to the Surestop valve.

The brass Stopcock was left in place as this belongs to the caravan park and allows them to isolate the water supply from outside the caravan should there be a problem, or to drain the supply pipe during the winter.

What the customer said

“The installation took just over 2 hours, but most of that was planning and installing the capillary tube and insulation under the caravan.  The only specialist tool required was a 15mm pipe cutter to separate the 15mm copper pipe and install the Surestop valve.  A quick test proved that the remote switch worked as expected.

We’ve gone to great lengths to protect the system from the elements, and we expect that as the winter months arrive, the system will perform as expected. Furthermore, the operation of the switch is so much easier for my wife and I, rather than having to reach under the caravan.  

Perhaps a future option would be for me to upgrade to a Smart Switch, which alongside a smart boiler controller would allow the central heating to be turned on remotely, prior to arrival to the caravan. 

I’m incredibly impressed with the solution, the ease of installation and how easy it makes a simple task that can often be complicated. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the solution and feel that caravan owners would definitely reap the benefits.”