Water leak inside wall

newRVer · 08-20-2017, 07:38 PM

I successful replaced my water heater element yesterday only to find a water leak originating inside the wall between the bathroom and bedroom this morning. At first I thought it was because I had left the water hose connected to the RV all night and maybe somehow the outside connector was starting to fail. I always use a water pressure regulator when connecting an outside water source so even though we do have a relatively high water pressure in the house the regulator should make a internal hose failure due to water pressure a none issue, unless there is a really week point or connection failure.

I disconnected the hose and let out all the water pressure out of the system but it continued to leak. The only thing I could think of next was to let the water out of the tank since it looked like that might be at a higher water level than the leak which would continue to put pressure on the leak area. Sure enough, after emptying the water tank the leak stopped. Is it possible that the outside water connection is actually leaking behind the wall and just following the hose to a low point in the bathroom?

Now how the heck do I fix this one? I can't determine how the plumbing is installed between the outside hose connection-pump and bathroom since it all seems to be embedded in the floor or walls.

PS I have a 3011 so if anyone has an idea on the how the plumbing run in this unit I would greatly appreciate your insight.

A32Deuce · 08-20-2017, 07:41 PM

Might be the vent,line for the tank that's leaking. Have seen that talked about on the forum before.

newRVer · 08-20-2017, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

Might be the vent,line for the tank that's leaking. Have seen that talked about on the forum before.

Are you referencing the vent line for the water tank inlet? That's on the opposite (passenger) side of the RV. My issue may be related to city water connection. (driver side)

A32Deuce · 08-20-2017, 08:09 PM

Ok. Just a thought. That could be a loose clamp.

hughj555 · 08-21-2017, 05:57 AM

did you replace the element gasket/

newRVer · 08-21-2017, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hughj555

did you replace the element gasket/

I wish it were that easy. This leak is not related. I.e. on the opposite side of the RV.

lakewood90 · 08-21-2017, 01:57 PM

I have a twin to your unit, a 2016 Sunseeker 3010DS and had a water leak inside the wall that originated from the city water connection. On my unit, I had to remove the white panels in both the sewer access compartment and the aft storage compartment to reach the culprit which was a broken plastic fitting. This happened to us in Nova Scotia, but we were able to find a local hardware store and I replaced the broken fitting with a brass one. Another problem with this is that the factory used two different sizes of hose, so a good stainless steel hose clamp had to be used on both sides of the fitting.

Hope this helps because it was really unusual to have a leak at that point.

newRVer · 08-21-2017, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakewood90

I have a twin to your unit, a 2016 Sunseeker 3010DS and had a water leak inside the wall that originated from the city water connection. On my unit, I had to remove the white panels in both the sewer access compartment and the aft storage compartment to reach the culprit which was a broken plastic fitting. This happened to us in Nova Scotia, but we were able to find a local hardware store and I replaced the broken fitting with a brass one. Another problem with this is that the factory used two different sizes of hose, so a good stainless steel hose clamp had to be used on both sides of the fitting.

Hope this helps because it was really unusual to have a leak at that point.

Thanks for the feedback Lakewood. I will definitely check out the hoses in the same place where you had problems.

newRVer · 08-21-2017, 07:17 PM

OK....I figured out where the leak was. I removed all the drawers from the bedroom cabinets to see what was under there. The outside shower water connections are there as well as the city water and black tank connections. I connected the hose, turned it on and watched to see what happens. Immediately I saw a small water leak on the hot water hose feeding the outside shower. Looked like the elbow or connection must have sprung a leak. After removing the crappy wooden support they made to hold the rear slides of the lowest drawer I gave the hose a slight pull and the connector flat out broke apart! I'm not sure if the clamp was over tightened or if the wooden support which was sitting on top of the hose right at the connector might have stressed it to the point of breaking but it seems we where one bump away from having a major water event so I consider myself lucky that it did not burst while we where away.

At this point the fix is simple. Question is, do I bother with using the pex clamps for the repair (I don't have a tool) or is there a better option?

crunchman12001 · 08-21-2017, 07:33 PM

I would go with a Shark bite connector. Push on and done.

SharkBite 1/2 in. Brass Push-to-Connect Coupling-U008LFA - The Home Depot

Ps... Glad you found the leak before the flood.

HerveVR · 08-21-2017, 08:19 PM

Shark bite connectors==$olution. Understand and fallow instructions. There amazing and make you enjoy plumbing repair; almost.

DouglasReid · 08-22-2017, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerveVR

Shark bite connectors==$olution. Understand and fallow instructions. There amazing and make you enjoy plumbing repair; almost.

GOOD CATCH! This is the reason that plastic fitting are outlawed in residential construction. Brass or copper only!

I find Shark Bite connectors work OK but they are quite expensive. By the time you have bought 4 of them you could have paid for a tool. Id buy the tool and be done with it because sooner or later you will want to use it again. Or rent one for $10 a day.

newRVer · 08-22-2017, 11:09 AM

Was at Lowes today and I'm just going the cheap and easy route. I.e. Brass elbow with 2, 1/2 hose clamps. If I had to redo a lot of these I might have opted to get the tool but for one connection I did not think it was worth the cost.

DouglasReid · 08-22-2017, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newRVer

Was at Lowes today and I'm just going the cheap and easy route. I.e. Brass elbow with 2, 1/2 hose clamps. If I had to redo a lot of these I might have opted to get the tool but for one connection I did not think it was worth the cost.

I do not think the hose clamps are capable of creating enough pressure to seal the PEX tubing.

5picker · 08-22-2017, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

I do not think the hose clamps are capable of creating enough pressure to seal the PEX tubing.

I agree.
If you are using hose clamps to fasten PEX tubing to a PEX elbow you are setting yourself up for another leak.

newRVer · 08-22-2017, 01:17 PM

I briefly looked at a Sharkbite solution but did not think they had anything that would work for a PEX tube to Hose connection. I think the clamps would be ok in the short term but if I could use something to make a more permanent connection that would actually be preferable. That is without the cost of buying a specialized tool.

lakewood90 · 08-22-2017, 01:20 PM

Glad you found the problem and stopped the leak before it became a major problem.

That is exactly the same type of 90 degree elbow that fractured on mine. The problem I had was that the factory didn't use PEX on both sides of the elbow with the result being two different inside diameter hoses clamped to the same fitting. It was almost as if the installer happened to have a piece of scrap hose laying there and decided to use it instead of using the correct piece. as I recall, it was only about 2 ft or less. My options were limited by being in a small hardware store in a small town in Nova Scotia. Repairing mine using a PEX fitting wasn't an option and using a barbed brass fitting with SS hose clamps was my best choice. We have used the motor home for over a year since then with no failure of the repair, but after reading the comments regarding PEX repairs using SS hose clamps, I'll look at possibly replacing the factory non-PEX hose with PEX and use PEX connectors. I don't know if that is even possible because it was in an extremely tight location as I remember. At a minimum, I'll remove the panels and check it for leaks periodically.

Lots of good knowledge on the forum and I appreciate that.

newRVer · 08-22-2017, 01:22 PM

This is the Sharkbites elbow that I was looking at how would I connect the hose to it?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SharkBite-1...ing/1000182697

5picker · 08-22-2017, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newRVer

This is the Sharkbites elbow that I was looking at how would I connect the hose to it?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SharkBite-1...ing/1000182697

In your particular case, where one side of the elbow is PEX tube and the other side braided hose, the Sharkbite won't work.

The screw type hose clamp will be sufficient for the braided hose at the replacement elbow but you really need a compression band made for PEX on the tube side.

swuebbels · 08-22-2017, 01:35 PM

There are many videos on youtube. The tubing MUST be cut straight with no burrs. Push in all the way and you're done. Lowes sells a tool to de-burr and set the debth that you can mark which ensures it is seated properly.
I've used them a number of times and never had them leak. I will never (well, rarely) hire a plumber again.

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