Fresh water - where did it all go? - Page 2

cfsoistman · 07-12-2013, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

I have an update. I am dry camping this weekend. Now I have the water pump kicking on every 65-90 seconds for about a second to a second and a half. This was not happening before my last trip. I have looked for leaks everywhere, but can't find one. It sounds like there is a leak in the pump as I can hear water flowing back into the fresh water tank after the pump shuts down. I have an appointment with my dealer to have this looked at on July 27th.

Check the City Water Connection. The check valve may not be sealing. You will need to take out the screened washer and push the little white center and see if it seals if it's leaking there.

VinceU · 07-12-2013, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

I have an update. I am dry camping this weekend. Now I have the water pump kicking on every 65-90 seconds for about a second to a second and a half. This was not happening before my last trip. I have looked for leaks everywhere, but can't find one. It sounds like there is a leak in the pump as I can hear water flowing back into the fresh water tank after the pump shuts down. I have an appointment with my dealer to have this looked at on July 27th.

At least you are not losing it!
Leaking thru pump is somewhat common. Often change the pump. Good luck with it.

**Herk7769** · 07-12-2013, 05:52 PM

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post420195

Check out the last post in this thread.

SteveBingham52 · 07-12-2013, 06:13 PM

Just wanted to share that on our fiver we often left the pump on at first because we didn't know better with no issues since we used the bathroom while traveling. On one trip we did get a scare though. Kitchen faucet is one of those levers you pull down and it must have vibrated to the on position. If the nozzle had been turned to left sink where the drain was in and the counter top on we would have had a mess. Got lucky and right sink was open and drain out so all we got was about sixty gallons of grey water. We now ask each other twice "did you turn off pump"!

_nelsonc · 07-23-2013, 11:32 AM

Latest update: Unit is in the shop getting looked at. Dealer suspects the water pump is bad. I also had some dripping out of the city water connection, so that valve may be shot. Will post results once repairs are complete.

_nelsonc · 07-30-2013, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

Latest update: Unit is in the shop getting looked at. Dealer suspects the water pump is bad. I also had some dripping out of the city water connection, so that valve may be shot. Will post results once repairs are complete.

The saga continues....

Dealer could find nothing wrong. Of course. Told them i would be back because there is a problem whether they could find it or not. They left about 2/3 of a tank of fresh water in the coach.

I set up at a campsite over the weekend with a city water connection. Yesterday I hear water running under the coach. Looked at it and discovered it was coming out of the fresh water overflow hose!!! The pump apparently has a bad seal that is allowing water to flow from the city water connection through the pump into the fresh water tank!!!

I immediately called the manager of the service department and told him what had happened before and what is going on now. He says he is going to send someone out to the campsite on Friday to look at it. I told him to make sure he brings a water pump because this one is bad.

Roll · 08-08-2013, 06:53 AM

Just got back from a trip into Harrisburg and Gettysburg. Many rough roads and grades. Left the tank near full and didn't lose any water I can tell and had the pump on the entire time; again, not an issue for us.

I don't think either is your problem unless, you have a leaky faucet or toilet.

Roll

Brother Les · 08-08-2013, 08:22 AM

Talked to a Tech at "Coach-Net" about my 'self draining' fresh water tank on my TT Hemisphere. He said that he is hearing about this problem all of the time. In the past the 'breather tubes' were directed up ward above the tank to a hole by the filler tube. Now most breather tubes are directed down to the underside of the fresh water tank. coming out of the tank 'at the top' and forming a reverse p-trap and going down and through the bottom side of the coach/camper. The 'p-trap is not 'high enough' to work correctly and many times falls over or is 'pulled downward' to become even shorter causing an easy siphoning event and/or making it easier to slosh out of the tank going down the road. The 'Tech' told me that on my camper (which self drained after less than 50 miles) that the Dealer needs to pull the 'winterized' sheeting off and make sure that the 'p-trap' loop was at it's highest possible position and secured there to the point that the drain hose will not fall over or be pulled down to the point where the hose it flatter on the top of the tank. I was told that FR does know about a 'few' accurances and will not advice 'Dealers' on how to fully address it. Before I talked to the 'Coach-Net' tech, I had talked to three different Dealers about the 'self drain' issue and all of them said (and they know that it is an issue) that there is NO 'fix' for the 'problem' and All advise to NOT put a shut off valve on the over flow tank.

What compounds my 'problem' in not camping next to a 'water source is that my 'fill tube' will only take a hose fitting and has a one way check valve to fill it up. This makes it impossible to fill up with 5 gal water cans to pour directly into the water tank, free flow. I asked the "Coach-Net" Tech about this and he suggested to build my own low pressure water pump to use out side and siphon water from a 5 gal water can and into the unit with a short garden hose. I just got back from a 10 day trip from the Rockies and for 4 of those days we could not use our sink or toilet except when pouring in water from 'said' water cans. My wife heated water on the stove because we had no water in the tanks to use in order to do dishes. On the 5th day I drove 50 miles to a Camping World and bought a matching pump to the one on my unit and fabricated short hoses to the tank from the pump and from the pump to the water cans. Power came from a 110volt power cord layed on the ground up to my batts and 'clipped' to the + and - terminals. Worked really well, but I will need to do a little tweaking.

ie..... solution to MY problem: was 'suggested' by 'Tech' to always camp in a Full Service site.

This is not the answer that I will except.

_nelsonc · 08-08-2013, 11:24 AM

Did they say why we should not add the valve other that you might forget to open it?

Brother Les · 08-08-2013, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

Did they say why we should not add the valve other that you might forget to open it?

Yes, on my Hemisphere the 'fill' has a one way check valve. It is not an open fill tube, but has an attachment that will take a garden hose. The Tech (and two Dealers) told me that the check valve had to be there or water would blow out of the fill if the pump was turned on in side.

If there is a shut off valve on the breather tube then two things would/could happen if it was left 'closed'. the expansion going on when filling will put excess stress of pressure down the lines and cause in time possible failure of some of the water system parts vie it the intake/holding tank/hoses to each/ and stress on the water pump. One Dealer told me that he has seen a 'closed vented' water tank blow up like a balloon and push its' way out of the bottom of the rig and causing a lot of damage (which was not covered by any warranty). The opposite effect of the expansion of the tank when filling will also happen when turning on the water pump when the breather tube has a closing valve on it is contraction of the tank and all of the lines to and from it will collapse a little. There is stress on the the system if the valve is left closed..... even going down the road with a tank of water will put stress on the water tank as it sloshes back and forth and can not 'breath'.

**Herk7769** · 08-08-2013, 03:41 PM

This information seems confusing to me, and I am having a hard time believing it. Hopefully a factory rep will chime in.

Herk

Brother Les · 08-08-2013, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

This information seems confusing to me, and I am having a hard time believing it. Hopefully a factory rep will chime in.

Herk

You do look confused in your picture...

(which I like very much, no jab intended)
We each live in our own little world of life events.
What are you having a hard time believing?
I would really like a factory rep post also.
He can even send me a private e-mail so that we can 'talk'.

_nelsonc · 08-08-2013, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

The saga continues....

Dealer could find nothing wrong. Of course. Told them i would be back because there is a problem whether they could find it or not. They left about 2/3 of a tank of fresh water in the coach.

I set up at a campsite over the weekend with a city water connection. Yesterday I hear water running under the coach. Looked at it and discovered it was coming out of the fresh water overflow hose!!! The pump apparently has a bad seal that is allowing water to flow from the city water connection through the pump into the fresh water tank!!!

I immediately called the manager of the service department and told him what had happened before and what is going on now. He says he is going to send someone out to the campsite on Friday to look at it. I told him to make sure he brings a water pump because this one is bad.

Water pump and check valve on city water input replaced by the dealer this morning. No more cycling from the water pump and no leaks from city water input. Crossing my fingers that this issue is resolved.

Note: I have added a valve to the overflow. It will stay open until I dry camp next.

VinceU · 08-08-2013, 07:08 PM

Damm, I thought I was maybe in the right stadium!

_nelsonc · 08-08-2013, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VinceU

Damm, I thought I was maybe in the right stadium!

You were right that the siphon effect drained the tank, but this led to other problems later on with a fried water pump. Needless to say, I won't be leaving the water pump on while underway again.

garbonz · 08-08-2013, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

You were right that the siphon effect drained the tank, but this led to other problems later on with a fried water pump. Needless to say, I won't be leaving the water pump on while underway again.

Water pump should be off whenever not in the coach. These are plastic pipes, and there is alot of vibration and movement when being hauled down the road, and even vibration while camped. Good practice to keep pump off whenever you are not in a position to hear the pump running. IMO, of course.

Roll · 08-09-2013, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garbonz

Water pump should be off whenever not in the coach. These are plastic pipes, and there is alot of vibration and movement when being hauled down the road, and even vibration while camped. Good practice to keep pump off whenever you are not in a position to hear the pump running. IMO, of course.

That has not been my practice, I leave it on when I am using the fresh water tank but I may have to reconsider. If I had a pipe fail while out for the day, I could come back to find the contents of the fresh water tank on the floor.

Roll

_nelsonc · 08-09-2013, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roll

That has not been my practice, I leave it on when I am using the fresh water tank but I may have to reconsider. If I had a pipe fail while out for the day, I could come back to find the contents of the fresh water tank on the floor.

Roll

I had a similar issue with my defective water pump, I happened to be in the coach at the time fortunately. I heard some water running outside. I went to investigate and noticed it was coming out if the fresh water overflow. This was interesting as nothing was hooked up to the fresh water fill and I was running off of city water. I turned off the shore water and eventually the water stopped coming out of the overflow. Turns out a bad seal in the defective water pump allowed water to completely fill the fresh water tank over a period of four days!

I now turn off city water when I leave the site for the day as well as turn off the water pump.

Brother Les · 08-09-2013, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _nelsonc

I had a similar issue with my defective water pump, I happened to be in the coach at the time fortunately. I heard some water running outside. I went to investigate and noticed it was coming out if the fresh water overflow. This was interesting as nothing was hooked up to the fresh water fill and I was running off of city water. I turned off the shore water and eventually the water stopped coming out of the overflow. Turns out a bad seal in the defective water pump allowed water to completely fill the fresh water tank over a period of four days!

I now turn off city water when I leave the site for the day as well as turn off the water pump.

Did you have a pressure reducer on the 'city line hose'? All city line 'pressures' are not the same and many may be to high for the plastic lines and seals of a RV.

imo Everyone should always use a pressure reducer on all city lines.

bubbles · 08-09-2013, 08:01 AM

I had the siphoning issue through the vent tube on a previous unit. The solution was to splice in a section of vent tubing that was long enough to make a loop that rose higher than the holding tank. Of course the access to the tubing was easy on that unit. Had no more siphoning issues and the vent (overflow) still functioned as it should.

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