
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
For operation of the heater, a 12 V d.c. supply must be connected at all times. To operate the heater’s electric
elements, it must also be connected to a suitable 230V a.c. supply.
Upon initial operation, or to refill after the system has been drained, check the drain valve is closed then fill the
system with clean fresh water. To fill, open one hot tap and switch on the water pump. Leave the tap open to allow air
to escape while the water heater is filling. Once water flows smoothly out of the hot tap, the water heater is filled. To
allow the remainder of air to escape from the system open each hot water tap in turn until water flows smoothly.
Please note: In cold temperatures the water in the supply pipework may freeze and prevent filling.
Check that all the gas and/or electricity supplies are turned on.
Gas operation. Operate the left-hand switch to the on (flame) position. There will be a pre-purge pause of approx. 5
sec’s to allow any un-burnt gas to leave the flue. Agreen LED will light upon successful flame ignition. If there is air
in the gas supply line it may take a few attempts for the gas to ignite. See section 9 for gas lockout re-setting. If the
ignition is not satisfactory the red LED will flash, refer to the trouble shooting guide (see section 9).
Electric operation. The water heater is equipped with twin 600W / 230 V a.c. immersion heater elements offering
operation at 600W or 1200W. Operate the right-hand rocker switch to the top position (~) to turn on one electric
element. To turn on both electric elements, operate the right-hand rocker switch to the bottom positon
Note: The electric elements will still operate if the appliance is in gas ignition lock-out.
Gas and electric operation. For faster heating the appliance can be operated with both gas and electric.
Switching appliance off. Operate the left-hand gas switch to the top Off position (
O
) and the right-hand electric
rocker switch to the centre position (
O
). If the heater is not going to be used for some time, isolate the gas supply
and drain water if there is a risk of freezing.
Please Note: The water may drip from the discharge pipe of the pressure-relief valve during heating up. This pipe
must be left open to the atmosphere, must be installed in a continuously downward direction and in a frost free
environment. The pressure relief valve must be operated regularly by turning the red knob in the anti clock wise
direction, to remove lime deposits and to verify that it is not blocked.
General safety notes: The operating pressure of the gas supply to the water heater should be 28-30mBar Butane or
30mbar /37mbar Propane.
To clean and sterilise inside the water heater use diluted sterilising fluid and fully rinse through with clean water
afterwards. The outside of the appliance should not normally require cleaning. If it does, isolate the electrical supplies
and wipe down with a soft, damp cloth only. Allow to fully dry before reconnecting the electrical supplies.
If descaling of this appliance is required, this can be done using ‘Kettle Klear’or an equivalent product and fully rinse
through with clean water afterwards.
The Whale Water Heater should be checked periodically by a Whale Authorised service engineer, or competent
person, at least annually. This should be completed according to the practice in the country where it is used and
according to the Whale instructions. We recommend annual testing of gas soundness and combustion by an
accredited LPG gas engineer.
The heater is equipped with an electronic diagnostic system which will detect fault conditions ranging from poor gas
or d.c. supply to internal heater malfunctions. In the event of a failure, the red light on the control panel will flash a
number of times, pause, and repeat until switched off. Count the number of flashes and refer to the table below.
9. TROUBLE SHOOTING
8. MAINTENANCE
13