Annoying ticks

QWe collected our new (to us) caravan last week and enjoyed a night on our driveway as a dry run. All went well, but we could hear a ticking noise while inside. Any idea what it could be?

ATicking noises are usually one of two things – the water pump or an appliance trying to function on gas. If it’s a faint ‘tinny’ rhythmic click, it could be the fridge or heating system (heating or hot water) going through the initial process of igniting the gas. If you are using a gas supply for the fridge and heating, ensure that the gas bottle is full, the valve is opened, and the gas taps (usually under a kitchen cupboard) are in the ‘on’ position. If all is well and it still fails to ignite, it’s worth having the system checked by a qualified engineer. If you have an electric hook-up, ensure that 230V is selected on both appliances, which is usually indicated by a plug-shaped image. If all is well here, a louder click under a bed or seat base usually means an overadjusted water pump. If it stops when the pump switch is flicked, readjusting the pump should fix this. This is model dependent, but, on the reverse of the pump inlet, there’s usually a + and sign. Screw a complete turn towards the + symbol and, with the taps closed, the pump should still be trying to run.

Open the furthest tap and close again after a few seconds. Water should flow, and the pump should continue to run even when the tap is closed. Turn towards the – symbol until the pump stops, and then turn an additional quarter of a turn. This

should fix it.