Water tank level

[FL family]

Water tank level slowly rising while hooked to city water? Any idea why this would happen? Got to be a check valve somewhere and concerned its a big job to replace. Thanks.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[Iggy]

I had the same issue for the past year but finally figured it out.


DO NOT turn on water pump from tank while hooked up to city water.
This is what I noticed when I was hooked up to city water and turned on water pump. From now on I never turn on pump while hooked up to city water.


My thoughts are the city water pressure overrides the one way flow valve at the water pump and slowly adds city water to holding tank over night and adds 4-6"


TO STOP THIS FROM Happening
1. Never turn on water pump while hooked up to city water.


2.Disconnect city water line and open faucets to relieve water pressure.


3. With the water pump off hook up the city water line and open your sinks hot and cold water lines to remove trapped air.


So as long as you don't turn on the water pump while hooked up to city water the water tank will no long magically fill up slowly over night.


Good luck

[WFD]

There is really no reason at all to have your water pump on while hooked up to city water...the pressure from city water feeds through your system and pump is of no value since your pump is just drawing from your fresh tank.

[rockfordroo]

Your check valve is leaking backwards.

Turn off city water, run the pump for a minute or two to flush the check valve, turn off the pump, turn the city water back on and you should be OK.

If not, your check valve needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, many of them these days are built into the pump, meaning you might need to replace the entire pump.

[Dud360]

Turn on your water pump for just a second sometimes the pump head stops in a open mode , mine has done that 2x.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[WDK]

Originally Posted by Iggy

I had the same issue for the past year but finally figured it out.


DO NOT turn on water pump from tank while hooked up to city water.
This is what I noticed when I was hooked up to city water and turned on water pump. From now on I never turn on pump while hooked up to city water.


My thoughts are the city water pressure overrides the one way flow valve at the water pump and slowly adds city water to holding tank over night and adds 4-6"


TO STOP THIS FROM Happening
1. Never turn on water pump while hooked up to city water.


2.Disconnect city water line and open faucets to relieve water pressure.


3. With the water pump off hook up the city water line and open your sinks hot and cold water lines to remove trapped air.


So as long as you don't turn on the water pump while hooked up to city water the water tank will no long magically fill up slowly over night.


Good luck

If you turn on the water pump while plugged into city, arn't you still using the pump.....the way it's drawn, it always take priority. The city water provides its own pressure which is why you should use an inline regulator as some of those valves will blow your sox off though some too I suppose won't put out a candle.

WDK

[rockfordroo]

In theory, our water pumps are positive displacement pumps. That means they pump a set flow of water (say 2.5 gpm) at whatever pressure is necessary. When you open the faucet, the pressure in the line drops, the pressure switch closes and turns the pump on. The amount of flow you'll get is whatever the pump is rated for provided the pressure doesn't go back up to the pressure switch setpoint. HOWEVER, as you close down on the faucet, the pump flow that doesn't come out of the faucet is converted to pressure, therefore the pressure in your lines goes up. If you close the faucet enough, causing the pressure to up enough, then the pressure switch opens and the pump shuts down. If you don't have an accumulator, you could have a chattering of the pump.

I don't know exactly what our pressure switches are set for, but my understanding is that they are something below about 40 psig, therefore, your city water pressure should normally be high enough to keep the pump from running, at least when you're not using water. Open a faucet, though, and the pressure could drop below the pressure switch setting and start the pump. So it isn't a case of the pump taking priority. If the city water supply can keep the pressure in the system above the pressure switch setpoint, the pump won't run. If it can't, the pump will start and run until, or if, the pressure comes back up to the pressure switch setpoint.

Again, IN THEORY, the pump starting with your city water on should NOT hurt anything, as once the pump shuts off, the check valve at the pumps inlet should reseat (become backseated) again. The problem with the theory is that if the pump brings the pressure back up quickly and the pressure switch turns it off again (i.e., it only runs a couple of seconds), the check valve may not open far enough to reseat appropriately, or could become cocked and not seat correctly.

[WDK]

My pump always runs with city water so I turn it off when I am hooked just to save on my pump but your saying that no park I have ever been too cross country via going through my regulator has never been high enough to keep the pump from running or the city pressure is not high enough at every park I have been too according to your theory or I think what is internal to the coach has priority much the same as the gen takes priority over shore power by design.

WDK

[rockfordroo]

The pump runs simply on the system pressure being less than the setpoint of the pressure switch. If the pump is "turned on," and the pressure in the system is less than the setpoint of the pressure switch, whether city water is turned on or not, the pump will run to bring the pressure up until the pressure switch reaches its setpoint and turns it off. It's that simple.

I keep my pump turned off with city water, so I can't really comment on how many campground water systems have their pressure low enough to allow the pump to run. Since most of us run with city water pressure regulators, normally set around 45 psig, I would think most pumps wouldn't run with city water turned on - I could be wrong, though as I don't know the exact pressure of any city water I've ever been on, and I don't know the setpoint of the pressure switch.

[360true]

We are at a park with low city pressure. We run the pump primarily for showers. Have not experienced the tank filling up. In fact, I check and fill the tank every morning as needed. City pressure plus the pump works great. Must make sure we don't run the tank dry however....

[FL family]

After watching this and trying different line ups over our 6 nights it appears I had high water pressure from the park. I put my regulator on water inlet (showed 35# outlet) and slow fresh tank filling stopped. I put it back without regulator and problem returned. I also noticed it got worse late at night when overall park use dropped off. Will confirm my findings at next different park outing. I was not able to see the park pressure as only had pressure indication out of regulator.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[Scagsdale]

I had this problem today....on our 5th trip. Water tank full, coming out overflow (slow drip). I did forget to turn off water pump before I turned on fresh water. Also forgot to run some water through fresh hose first, so probably had more air in line than normal. I just turned off pump, disconnected city water, opened sink faucets (both), then hooked city water back on, turned on, ran faucets until air was out. We'll see! 2014 328TS.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[Scagsdale]

Well, didn't work. Guess we'll be taking the coach in for warranty service. Thought we were in the clear, but woke up this morning to water dripping out of the fresh water overflow again...


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[Flybob]

Disconnect the public water, Turn pump off. Run water until it stops. Leave faucet open. Run pump, close faucet after water runs, This should clear and reset the back flow valve.

[rockfordroo]

I just turned off pump, disconnected city water, opened sink faucets (both), then hooked city water back on, turned on, ran faucets until air was out.

Do what Flybob said. You have to move water through the check valve to open it up, then let it close fully when the pump shuts off. As Flybob implied, close all faucets and let the pump shut itself off. Once the pump shuts itself down, if the check valve is holding, it should not turn on again (not for a few hours, at least). If it starts up again within an hour or so, the check valve is still leaking.

[360true]

If you do bring it in, please let us know what the final outcome turns out to be.... Thanks.

[Scagsdale]

Thanks! Just tried this. City water back on. It will probably be a while before I know, though. Used water from fresh water tank yesterday.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[sherman12]

360true, if you are using city water then you wouldn't be running the water through your fresh tank, so you are not going to run it dry it connected to city water. That is why there are two hook ups for water, one going into the fresh tank and the city inlet going straight through your plumbing and that too why you have to worry about to much pressure from the CG spigot.

[360true]

Sherman12
I agree with you. But we were having such low faucet pressure only from the city that I was using the pump in addition. I have a pressure regulator at the city side with a guage that never showed more than 40 pounds. I removed the regulator and now have good pressure with just city.. Do the regulators ever go bad or her stopped up with struvite or ??

[rockfordroo]

40 psig is probably the regulators setpoint. That's about what they run: 40-45 psig.