City water filled my fresh water tank

[gogogorving]

I have a 2016 Palomino Solaire 267BHSE, a 28’ travel trailer.
While getting ready for a weekend trip, I had connected my garden hose to the city water inlet so we could have water in the trailer before I got around to flushing the fresh water tank. After a few hours I noticed water dripping from the fresh water inlet. I removed the cap and about s pint came out. The fresh water tank had been completely empty and I did not expect the city water supply to fill the fresh water tank. Is this normal or a problem?

[dalford]

Well, it is a normal problem...lol. Oh, by the way, welcome to the forum.

The fresh water is probably back filling thru the water pump for you fresh water tank. Try this..

1. Remove the fresh water supply
2. Open all you faucets and remove all the pressure from the lines.
3. Close the faucets and turn on your water pump.
4. One at a time, open all you faucets until you bleed all the air and close faucet.
5. Once you have all the air bled, turn your fresh water pump on and open a faucet and let run then turn off until the pump shuts down due to pressure. Do this a couple of times.

Hopefully this will reset the water pumps internal check valve to stop back flow thru the pump.

Some say that running your fresh water pump with city water connected may cause this issue. Hope this works for you, it did for me....

[gogogorving]

Thanks. It does sound like a check valve issue. I never had this happen before but if it continues I can just use the fresh water and not city.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by gogogorving

Thanks. It does sound like a check valve issue. I never had this happen before but if it continues I can just use the fresh water and not city.

It took 3 years for it to happen to ours..

[cfo111]

it got so full it siphon it self out .

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by cfo111

it got so full it siphon it self out .

Oh don't even GO THERE !!

[formerFR]

while I have a Anderson Kantleak valve system, with a 4-way handle, and it's probably different from your setup, I've had the issue of 'tank filling' while on city water plenty of times....most of the time it was the 'cartridge' that sits behind the 4-way handle, specifically the washers, which is basically what causes this, allowing water to flow into the tank when you're not really expecting it.

I aggravated myself with trying to rectify it several times over the years, replacing the cartridge several times, but ultimately and assuredly it reoccurs ... I then had the 'bright' idea - DON'T FIX IT!

What I mean is this: if you hooked up to 'city water', and you're using that while camping, ultimately you'll still need water in the tank, at some point, even if it's many days or weeks in the future, when you 'unplug' and go off-grid, or even to your next destination that does not have 'city water'...

Since 'filling the water tank' takes time, on it's own, and with many of the RV water systems as they are built now, you can't 'use' the city water WHILE you are filling your tank, since you are turning a valve or handle to do this.

So, I thought: "why not do BOTH at the same time?"

Makes sense, if you think about it this way: I arrive at a campground, where I'll have 'city water', so no 'need' to fill the tank, right? But, when I leave here in a couple of days, the next place has no water at the site, so I'll either have to ...
A) fill the tank while I'm HERE, at this site, probably as I'm getting ready to leave
or
B) fill the tank from the 'potable' water outlet/hose at the dump station, when I leave
or
C) fill my tank at the 'potable' water station WHERE I am going to, when I arrive...

all of these take time, and are probably slightly inconvenient, especially when are sitting a a dump station, or potable water station, waiting and waiting and waiting for your tank to fill.

Why not just LET it fill while you are using it WHERE YOU ARE? Yes.


So, I simply installed a typical 'water cutoff' in the water line leading to the water tank.

Now, I either leave it OPEN/on so that water can fill my tank anytime I am already connected to City Water, even while I'm using it in the RV...
or
I can shut it OFF, when the tank is full, or when I already have water in the tank, etc., etc.,... no worries.

Now 'I' control whether the tank gets water, or not, or when, or why.

[note: while the tank fills, it is NOT very fast...and is actually painfully slow when you allow it to fill this way - so, no rush....and you don't have to be, it's happening 'while you camp', instead)
: ) enjoy!

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by gogogorving

Thanks. It does sound like a check valve issue. I never had this happen before but if it continues I can just use the fresh water and not city.

Yep, check valve:
Problem! Freshwater Tank Unexpectedly Filling When on City Water| LearnToRV

[DrLewie]

Happened to us on our first trip. Under warrantee. Original dealer told us to have the pump replaced and send them the bill. I did. The dealer reimbursed me. BTW, there are many posts of this forum describing many solutions.

[gbaldwin]

Based on my experience, the check valve sticking or malfunction is really the ONLY way you can fill your fresh tank from the city water connection.

Happens to many and is very random.

Many say it it can be cause by using your city water connection and your fresh water pump at the same time. Which can easily happen by accident.