City water is filling fresh water in 260IBL... Help!

IronCobra · 01-23-2016, 02:03 PM

We just Purchased our 260 IBL and are using it today. I have the water control center set for city water, which is both valves turned up. Upon inspecting the fresh water tank the panel indicates that the tank is full. The fresh water tank was only one third full before we hooked up. If I turn both knobs for system use mode which is the left knob sideways and the righ knob up I still get city water going through. How do you all have yours set?

davel1971 · 01-23-2016, 02:30 PM

possible bad check valve on your pump, allowing water to fill tank on the line that the pump draws from

Ford Idaho · 01-23-2016, 02:37 PM

Turn the city water off and unhook the hose from your unit.

Now turn on the water pump and pump a few gallons out of the tank.

Turn off the pump and reconnect the water hose, turn the water back on, DO NOT use the water pump.

Has this helped?

Kaadk · 01-23-2016, 02:57 PM

Yep, sounds like possibly the water pump's check valve is stuck. Usually running the pump (like suggested above) for a little bit will clear out any dirt, debris or whatnot and let the check valve close.

Let us know if that works (it does most of the time). If not we have other suggestions ready to go but best to try the easiest first.

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

JohnE · 01-24-2016, 10:27 PM

If your water pump has a defect diaphragm it will allow water to leak thru it into the fresh water tank. You will need to have the pump replaced.

IronCobra · 01-25-2016, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Turn the city water off and unhook the hose from your unit.

Now turn on the water pump and pump a few gallons out of the tank.

Turn off the pump and reconnect the water hose, turn the water back on, DO NOT use the water pump.

Has this helped?

This is the first thing I did, but instead of putting just a few gallons in, I filled it to the 2/3rds mark and used the tanked water with the pump for a few hours. After I felt it "should have" cleared anything from the valve, I returned the system to "City Water" and turned on the hose (city connection). Still had the same problem. I opened the low point drain and once the tank was completely empty and I turned the city water connection back on, it would start dripping rapidly from the low point.

Here is an interesting twist. Setting the controls to their System Use or City Water allows complete pass through of the outside city water connection. I was under the impression that System Use should only be pulling from the water tank with the pump. In my case, that setting is acting exactly like the "city water" setting.

I'm guessing it must be the pump not properly stoping the water coming back through the valve.

mb2011 · 01-25-2016, 03:47 PM

Just a thought. Do you have the Kantleak Valve water control panel. If so they have a replacement part they will send you no charge and you can replace it in about 15 minutes. This will stop the water going to the fresh water tank. My different brand 5th wheel had this setup and the exact problem. Anderson Brass Company Phone # is 800-476-9876

IronCobra · 01-25-2016, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mb2011

Just a thought. Do you have the Kantleak Valve water control panel. If so they have a replacement part they will send you no charge and you can replace it in about 15 minutes. This will stop the water going to the fresh water tank. My different brand 5th wheel had this setup and the exact problem. Anderson Brass Company Phone # is 800-476-9876

This is the one we have.

When in "System Use" or "City Water" settings, it is still sending a small amount of water back into the Freshwater tank.

schrederman · 01-25-2016, 05:03 PM

Mine did that after I let it freeze. Apparently it froze just bad enough to damage the check valve in the pump. Nothing I did would stop it from filling the tank. The pump was about $70- online. I couldn't find a rebuild kit online, but when the pump came, it had a parts list in it... of course...

IronCobra · 02-01-2016, 10:03 AM

So it did end up beings pumps back flow valve not working. I am considering having it replaced, but I would need to take the trailer 3 hours north and leave it with them for several days to get the repair completed. I think I want to just order the Camco inline Backflow Preventer for 1/2" threaded connection. What do you all think? I'm confused by other posts where people have talked about this. I'm being told that it needs to go on the inlet side of the pump (side between the freshwater tank and the pump). My research says that if you out it on the outlet side (between the pump and trailer plumbing) it will reduce the pressure to the pump and not allow the pump to automatically Kick on. I'm only concerned that the pump may run dry for very short spurts since the check valve would be before the pump. Maybe not.

Anyone know if this sounds accurate?

Signguy71 · 02-01-2016, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mb2011

Just a thought. Do you have the Kantleak Valve water control panel. If so they have a replacement part they will send you no charge and you can replace it in about 15 minutes. This will stop the water going to the fresh water tank. My different brand 5th wheel had this setup and the exact problem. Anderson Brass Company Phone # is 800-476-9876

I know what camper you have. GD

IronCobra · 02-07-2016, 08:55 PM

So, we just back from another short RV trip. The dealership sent me a Camco brass Backflow Checkvalve to install on the inlet side of the pump (between the freshwater tank and the pump) instead of sending me another pump. I installed it correctly and I still have the problem. I have a small trickle of water still coming from my low point drain under the freshwater tank. The pump is working correctly and I can still use the water from the freshwater tank if I prefer. I'm assuming the water filling the freshwater tank is coming from some other fault. Perhaps a bad control valve. Do any of you know if you can still use City Water when the system is set to "System Use" mode? Presumably you should only be able to get water from the tank using the pump in this mode, but I am still able to get water from the city water connection and not use the pump. The flow isn't even reduced.

The problem must be small because the amount of water coming from the low point drain is very little (small stream and even trickle). I really need some help trying to fix this problem.

IronCobra · 02-07-2016, 09:00 PM

Here are some pictures from behind my water control center and of the pump after installing the check valve.

youroo · 02-07-2016, 09:08 PM

Turn off the pump,now unscrew the suction hose where it attaches to the check valve coming From the F/W tank! Now turn on the City water,you should NOT have water coming out the check valve you installed!

Youroo!!

IronCobra · 02-07-2016, 09:37 PM

Yeah, that is so full of common sense that you'd think I'd have tried it...... I'll do that next time out

. Thanks!

blwnsmoke · 02-08-2016, 12:54 PM

Did that red drain now have a cap on it? Mine has a cap on it that seals it closed. Now I know that doesn't solve your problem of it leaking in regards to it shouldn't leak but if you put a cap on it, it will at least stop draining onto the ground.

Or is it that you just removed the cap to show us how slow it is draining/leaking?

youroo · 02-08-2016, 01:01 PM

I thought the problem was the FWT filling,while on City water! If you block the tank drain all He-- will happen!

Youroo!!

IronCobra · 02-08-2016, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blwnsmoke

Did that red drain now have a cap on it? Mine has a cap on it that seals it closed. Now I know that doesn't solve your problem of it leaking in regards to it shouldn't leak but if you put a cap on it, it will at least stop draining onto the ground.

Or is it that you just removed the cap to show us how slow it is draining/leaking?

With the cap on, the Freshwater tank fills to full in about 12 hours. It then starts coming out of the overfill vent and drips from there. Then it looks real bad draining the entire tank to the ground along with the trickle from the overfill. So I just keep the cap off until the problem is resolved. I'm probably going to install a ball valve in the tank fill hose behind the water station if that's where the water is coming from (potentially a bad OEM ball valve seal).

IronCobra · 02-08-2016, 01:25 PM

Here is an idea of what I want to do to help solve the problem (or at least bypass it).

IronCobra · 02-12-2016, 10:26 AM

So, I spoke with both my dealer and a local Chaparral dealer who both claim they have very little knowledge of the plumbing in these coaches. I decided to take it upon myself and add a ball valve to the Waterfill hose to/from the Freshwater tank. Hope this resolves my issue. The plumbing back there is a nightmare.

The first and last pics are after pics. Middle one is the before. This should resolve any issue with water going into the Freshwater tank unwantedly. Chaparrals only have 1 hose (not including the low point drain) going to/from the tank. The valves control whether that single hose is used to fill or pull from the tank. The problem had to either been water back flowing through the pumps check valve (which I already added an additional check valve to with no luck) or a leak in the OEM diverter valve.

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