water tank overflow? Pump issues?

prof_fate · 04-14-2011, 02:49 PM

Just got our TT this week and working through all the systems.

Filled the water tank to sanitize it and check the pump operation. The pump works fine on the bathroom sink, commode and shower. However, on the kitchen sink it runs/quits/runs/quits and the water comes out the faucet in pulses as the pump starts and stops. Any thoughts on what I should go looking for? I let it run long enough I doubt there was any air and this was after i ran water through everything from the city water connection.

Second issue - filled the water tank and expected it to overflow out the water fill, but instead there is a barbed connection on the side of the tank that appears to me should have a hose on it, but does not, and the water was coming out there when the tank was full (the panel inside says the tank is full and it filled for a while so I'd say it is full). When it dries a bit I'll crawl under and see if I notice any hoses with no homes.

And for whatever reason, the dealer left the anode out of the water heater tank. Man, this is not going to be easy to get in there. He says to check it annually and remove it for the winter when I drain the system. I've messed with it for 20 minutes and can't get the threads started. Argh!

**Herk7769** · 04-14-2011, 03:50 PM

Well, for the heater element you MUST have the correct socket. Go to Sears and buy the right size and keep it with your winterizing stuff.

As to the barb on the fresh tank, sounds like the hose fell off.

prof_fate · 04-14-2011, 04:12 PM

it's not the heating element, it's the sacrificial anode. Apparently our trailer which has many nice options has the base water heater - propane only and manual start via go outside and light the pilot light.

there is no hose down there to go to the fitting. I just don't like the idea of an open hole to my water supply!

on the water pump - if I run a mix of hot/cold water I get no pulsation but on all hot or all cold I get the pump to 'cycle' on and off.

lbrjet · 04-14-2011, 07:12 PM

Same pump action last weekend on my bath faucet. It has low flow and I believe that faucet could not pull enough water to keep the pump continously running. So on and off in short bursts.

My anode rod takes a 15/16 socket.

prof_fate · 04-14-2011, 07:14 PM

Upon further investigation a hose was not installed at the factory. At the tank fill on the side is a screen vent that is supposed to be connected to the tank overflow - and that hose is nowhere to be found under the trailer.

I'll pull the cover for the waterpump and see if there is a hose laying in there...not sure where it's supposed to be run. While this is most certainly a warranty issue it's an hour's drive to the dealer each way, and i'm sure it's not gonna be a while we wait kinda fix - for the 4 hours of driving and $80 in gas I'll just figure out a fix myself.

The sink/pump issue continues - I followed the sink hoses into the floor and then they vanish.

prof_fate · 04-14-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lbrjet

Same pump action last weekend on my bath faucet. It has low flow and I believe that faucet could not pull enough water to keep the pump continously running. So on and off in short bursts.

My anode rod takes a 15/16 socket.

\My anode takes a 1 1/16. I have that in a deep well but that didn't allow me to push on it so I had to start it by hand. It's in but I've not put water in there yet. It got dark on me.

Our kitchen sink has a pull out faucet / sprayer head and I"m suspecting the low flow is the issue. Have to think on it a bit. I assume there's a pressure adjustment on the pump, perhaps tweaking that would help. But then we've never boondocked and have water hookup at the campground we're we've got a spot so I doubt we'll use the pump much.

scubieman · 04-14-2011, 07:59 PM

Pro fate I have the same RV. Same thing with the fresh water hose thing out the side and draining under the rv. I have no hose on it and seen that as well. I think that is sad for someone not to put one on.

But I also seen a vent next to my Fill water tank connection. Unsure that vent goes now ...GRRR

pip · 04-14-2011, 08:30 PM

I have a new 26bh Grey wolf and I have the same overflow valve at the top of my tank with nothing hooked to it, I don't know if a hose or something should be hooked to it ? the first time I filled it last weekend I thought I had a leak till I looked at it. I also have a vent next to my water fill connection, don't know what thats for ? If you find out anymore please let me know.

Wildwood Danny · 04-15-2011, 08:10 AM

We have a 2005 Wildwood. The hose for venting the fresh water tank is not there, never was there. The sreen on the water fill is where it suppose to connect is open into the entertainment center. Plugged it with silicone. Placed a piece of screenwire over the tank fitting and secured it a hose clamp. Seems to work okay, but I am sure it is not 100% sanitary, but we don't use the freshwater tank for drinking, just cooking and other water things.

Thought it was just flaw on our trailer, but looks like it is a Forest River thing.

08flagvlite · 04-15-2011, 09:45 AM

The fresh tank on my Flagstaff has a hose running from the fill stem on the side of the camper to the tank, and a second smaller hose that runs from the top of the tank to the small circular screened vent directly next to the filler cap. This allows air for a vent when parked and in use, or overfilled sloshing around water in the tank an escape route to the outside of the camper when moving.
As far sa the on/off at the sink goes, I've seen others install a small (5 gallon or smaller, if you can find one) bladder tank under the sink/pump area. This solves not only the pressure issues, but also the pump short cycling on and off rapidly, too. It will pump up pressure longer, but hold pressure much longer, as desired. Unfortunately, room for the tank is frequently an issue with a lot of campers. Randy

sherdep · 04-15-2011, 09:50 AM

My Mini Lite has the vent next to the fill hole and it is hooked up as well. As a matter of fact I tested it out yesterday when I filled my tank up and watched the water coming out the vent and then checked to see if the tank was full and it was.

08flagvlite · 04-15-2011, 04:07 PM

That is how they SHOULD work, I do believe. I know I have the tank under the sink, and I can open a cabinet door, and clearly see the level in the tank. The vent...or some type of vent for air is required to replace the water as it is used up, and for overflow. Randy

yvesm · 04-15-2011, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prof_fate

it's not the heating element, it's the sacrificial anode. Apparently our trailer which has many nice options has the base water heater - propane only and manual start via go outside and light the pilot light.

there is no hose down there to go to the fitting. I just don't like the idea of an open hole to my water supply!

on the water pump - if I run a mix of hot/cold water I get no pulsation but on all hot or all cold I get the pump to 'cycle' on and off.

Remove the flow control washer from the faucets, just unscrew the end of the faucets where the water comes out and take out that little washer with the small hole in it. I replaced all of the faucets on my camper with better quality ones.

jimh · 04-16-2011, 09:18 AM

sounds like ur fresh water tank issue is solved.
u can buy an anode rod that has a drain on it. may want to look into that...will keep u from pulling it to drain the hw heater. my anode is being replaced this year for the frist time sense bought (2002). i still had abt 1/3 of it left. depends on the water as to how long it will last.
now the sink. i had that problem with my trailer (2002 cardnal). i also had a few drops of water under my sink that i couldn't find for a couple months. the faucet mix area had a small crack in it (area between the valves where hot and cold combine before it goes up to the faucet out). faucet was replaced with an identical one (warranty) and problem disappeared for abt 5 yrs. when it started doing the sputtering again (like air in it) i also found the drops of water again. replaced with one that had a metal mixing area. it's only been a couple years but the problem hasn't returned.
i felt like i may have cracked the mixing area bleeding the air out of the system too fast. that is the only faucet with a riser before it comes out. the air will cause a hammer as it and water are pushed alternately out the sink faucet.

prof_fate · 04-16-2011, 10:16 AM

I"ll look at the faucet for a restrictor - took forever to fill the coffee pot this morning!

Lots of wind and rain last night - blew out the water heater at some point as we had hot water last night and none this morning.

I assume if the pilot goes out the gas flow is cut off, right?

prof_fate · 04-21-2011, 06:26 PM

Overflow: Got some time today to go peeking about and under the sink, where the waterpump is located, is where all the water connections congregate.

FR put some caulking in the overflow port on the outside fill (from inside) so I got that out (the screen just pops out the outside so it was easy) and all the hoses go through the floor right there, plugged with some expanding foam. A few minutes to cut that away and I should be able to run a proper overflow hose. Might be able to poke it through the foam - it has to stop raining here long enough to crawl under the TT. Normal April is 2.1" of rain and we've had 4.2 so far with 2" more predicted for fri/sat and the 7 day forecast is for 7 days of rain.

As for a restrictor -our kitchen sink has the 'fancy' pull out sprayer head as part of the faucet. Unless the restrictor in the base of the hose under the sink there's no way to get at the nozzle/outlet itself.

**Herk7769** · 04-21-2011, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prof_fate

As for a restrictor -our kitchen sink has the 'fancy' pull out sprayer head as part of the faucet. Unless the restrictor in the base of the hose under the sink there's no way to get at the nozzle/outlet itself.

I could not find that part either. I just removed the ones in the bathroom.
The kitchen one must be in the base somewhere.

kevinC · 04-21-2011, 11:05 PM

I had much the same issue with our new TT. I crawled under and found the hose from the tank to the pump had two kinks on it as the assembler stretched the hose way to tight. Replaced the hose and all was well. It's am hour drive also for us one way to the dealer.

You may also like: