Camper is MAKING water!

Mikepotts · 08-17-2018, 10:42 AM

How is this possible? Ive never added water to the fresh tank (2yrs). I accidentally left the drain open. On last trip while fueling up i noticed water draining from the tank.... does anything besides the fresh inlet put water in this tank? This drain has been open evidently since i bought it so i know the tank was empty.

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikepotts

How is this possible? Ive never added water to the fresh tank (2yrs). I accidentally left the drain open. On last trip while fueling up i noticed water draining from the tank.... does anything besides the fresh inlet put water in this tank? This drain has been open evidently since i bought it so i know the tank was empty.

Sounds like the check valve in your water pump has gone bad and city water is back flowing into your fresh water tank.

And the water is probably coming out of the fresh tank overflow outlets.

Much easier (and less expensive) to just install a new check valve in front of the water pump than it is to replace the whole pump.

Just had to do mine a couple of months back...

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 10:53 AM

By the by...

If you need to camp before you get this fixed, just use the fresh water tank and water pump and do not hook up to city water.

Mikepotts · 08-17-2018, 11:07 AM

Thank you sir! Very good suggestion! We are leaving today for a weekend trip to Gatlinburg. I will diagnose further.

Mikepotts · 08-17-2018, 11:40 AM

Okay. Got a closer look. I can see where my city water connection ties into the cold main and where the pump connects to the cold main. Im guessing from your pic that the factory check valve is screwed right onto the pump is the one you pictured. This seems like a simple fix now that you pointed itnout. Thanks again.

DART · 08-17-2018, 12:32 PM

Happened to me a few months after my warranty ended. I called Forest River and they acknowledged that they had received a lot of calls about the check valve problem and they offered to send me a new water pump. I kept my old pump and replaced the check valve so I now have a spare in case it happens again.

Mikepotts · 08-17-2018, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DART

Happened to me a few months after my warranty ended. I called Forest River and they acknowledged that they had received a lot of calls about the check valve problem and they offered to send me a new water pump. I kept my old pump and replaced the check valve so I now have a spare in case it happens again.

Awesome. Thanks for the post. Welcome to the forum!

djhender · 08-17-2018, 12:38 PM

I had that happen while visiting Bryce Canyon and again another place. It happened after I used the pump the previous day. There is a check valve in the pump to prevet feedback into the tank from the city hookup. Mine would get stuck once in a while. I cycled it a couple times and then watched the tank indicator lights to see if it was filling again. Cycling the pump seemed to clear the problem both times.

onetonford · 08-17-2018, 12:43 PM

I would put the check on the outlet side of the pump that is the side without the filter screen. would keep the pump from being pressurized and possibly damaged if you get high water pressure from Camp ground.

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onetonford

I would put the check on the outlet side of the pump that is the side without the filter screen. would keep the pump from being pressurized and possibly damaged if you get high water pressure from Camp ground.

Don't understand how that would or could happen.

I don't think it really matters what side of the pump it is on, but I figured that it would be better to have the back flow preventer (ie.- check valve) in front of the pump.

Makes more sense this way to me...

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikepotts

Okay. Got a closer look. I can see where my city water connection ties into the cold main and where the pump connects to the cold main. I'm guessing from your pic that the factory check valve is screwed right onto the pump is the one you pictured. This seems like a simple fix now that you pointed out. Thanks again.

There is no factory check valve...it is built-in to the water pump.

I replaced not only the check valve, but that screen filter thing as well.

Cleaned out the old screen (was full of plastic shards from the factory) and kept it as a spare.

Put the check valve right at the pump and the screen inline in front of the check valve.

DrLewie · 08-17-2018, 01:04 PM

I had the same thing happen with my new non FR trailer.I learned The check valve in some pumps can't be replaced or serviced. A new pump solved the problem. This conversation reminded me that I haven't received reimbursement yet for the new pump. I gotta call my dealer.

Mikepotts · 08-17-2018, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djhender

I had that happen while visiting Bryce Canyon and again another place. It happened after I used the pump the previous day. There is a check valve in the pump to prevet feedback into the tank from the city hookup. Mine would get stuck once in a while. I cycled it a couple times and then watched the tank indicator lights to see if it was filling again. Cycling the pump seemed to clear the problem both times.

Thanks. This too is good to know.

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 01:11 PM

A new water pump...$80 - $200...depending on whether you want to go basic or upgrade to better pump, plus a couple of hours to swap out.

Check valve...under $15 dollars and maybe 10 minutes of your time...PRICELESS!

wcrafter · 08-17-2018, 01:14 PM

If you have not used your water tank in 2 years you may think about sterilizing your tank before use

onetonford · 08-17-2018, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Don't understand how that would or could happen.

I don't think it really matters what side of the pump it is on, but I figured that it would be better to have the back flow preventer (ie.- check valve) in front of the pump.

Makes more sense this way to me...

I personally wouldn't I've had the rubber diaphragm on the pressure switch leak also that also goes for the rest of the pump. If you use just city water it may leak some time before you notice it. Also one less restriction on the suction side of the pump is better as the pump pushes better than it sucks.

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onetonford

I personally wouldn't I've had the rubber diaphragm on the pressure switch leak also that also goes for the rest of the pump. If you use just city water it may leak some time before you notice it. Also one less restriction on the suction side of the pump is better as the pump pushes better than it sucks.

I've found that since I put the check valve in front of the water pump I get less air bubbles in the line when the fresh water tank gets low and the pump is sucking off of the bottom.

DART · 08-17-2018, 01:39 PM

On my pump the check valve is an internal part that installs within the water pump housing so it only goes in one way (as far as I can tell)

**Flybob** · 08-17-2018, 01:44 PM

Before you replace parts, try this.

Shut off city water
Open faucet and run until no water comes out
close faucet.
Assuming there is some water in the FW tank turn on the pump.
Let water run for about a minute

Shut off faucet.
Once pump stops running, turn it off.
Reconnect city water,

This will reset the back flow valve in the water pump.

JohnD10 · 08-17-2018, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DART

On my pump the check valve is an internal part that installs within the water pump housing so it only goes in one way (as far as I can tell)

That is what the check valve does...keeps the water flowing in the direction that it is supposed to run.

Not backward...where it will flow through the pump and back in to the fresh water tank.

Most RV water pumps today DO have the check valve inside of the pump, which is why many of us choose to put an outside-of-the-pump check valve in so we don't have to keep changing out water pumps.

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