Water under the sink

[Coevers]

I was checking under the bathroom sink, and discovered some water drops. Probably 2 tablespoons in total. I dried it all up with one paper towel. Some of it is RED, perhaps off the hot water line? I have not discovered a source yet. I am hooked to city water, 55 pounds. By the fact that the water is in droplets scattered all over the compartment, and no pools of any kind, it would seem to be a pressurized spray from something, but I am just guessing. Any things I can check?

[NJKris]

When I saw the red, I was thinking diluted anti-freeze. Dry everything, then check the soft hose fittings. My trailer had FIVE improperly crimped/loose clamps, causing slow drips at every junction.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by NJKris

When I saw the red, I was thinking diluted anti-freeze. Dry everything, then check the soft hose fittings. My trailer had FIVE improperly crimped/loose clamps, causing slow drips at every junction.

I agree.


Also... see if the black tank flush vacuum breaker/check valve is under that cabinet. It could be dripping some left over antifreeze.

[CHICKDOE]

very hard to say. but i see drops on top of the black drain pipe. and the red does look like antifreeze. was it winterized with antifreeze before you hooked up to city water? could the drops have splashed all over the place with in movement? i just had a small leak in my drain pipe and had to retighten the connections.

[Coevers]

Unless they winterize it at the factory, it has not had anti-freeze. It was manufactured in March and purchased in Sept. I am in Florida, so 48 is as cold as we have seen so far.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Coevers

Unless they winterize it at the factory, it has not had anti-freeze. It was manufactured in March and purchased in Sept. I am in Florida, so 48 is as cold as we have seen so far.

When I spoke to a FR rep at a R/V show in 2018, he told me all units were winterized with antifreeze. Just to test, I opened some faucets on show models and ran my finger across the aerator and got pink residue. There was also traces of pink in the drains as well as a sticker stating the R/V had been winterized.

Look above where the droplets are on the floor and see what is up there such as plumbing connections or a black tank flush check valve, etc.

[Harkerr]

I had a problem with the kitchen sink hose sprayer leaking. Ended up blocking it off to fix leak.

[NXR]

I wonder how fast antifreeze evaporates.

Do you have a clear cylinder at the inlet to the water pump? If so, it’s a filter screen and is threaded directly on to the water pump. Mine was slightly loose and I ended up with a very small amount of water leaking out.

Do you have a separate hose for winterization, usually a short one connected to a valve on the pump inlet? It sucks antifreeze from the jug. Maybe it had some left in it and it leaked out and got bounced around by the RV movement.

Ray

[Bookumdanno]

x2 ^^

[Coevers]

Originally Posted by NXR

I wonder how fast antifreeze evaporates.

Do you have a clear cylinder at the inlet to the water pump? If so, it’s a filter screen and is threaded directly on to the water pump. Mine was slightly loose and I ended up with a very small amount of water leaking out.

Do you have a separate hose for winterization, usually a short one connected to a valve on the pump inlet? It sucks antifreeze from the jug. Maybe it had some left in it and it leaked out and got bounced around by the RV movement.

Ray

The water is coming out of the top of the water filter case- the “RCS” labeled clear canister. I will see if I can snug that up with the special wrench I was provided.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Coevers

The water is coming out of the top of the water filter case- the “RCS” labeled clear canister. I will see if I can snug that up with the special wrench I was provided.

I just went through that. I removed the water filter for a six-month sanitization and when I put it back in it leaked. I had to remove the clear housing entirely (again) and clean off the o-ring at the top and then it stopped leaking. Snugging it up did not help.

I ordered a spare filter and spare o-rings directly from the manufacturer and they arrived within a few days: https://waterpur.com/collections/all?page=3

Put a paper towel under the filter once you think it's tight. If the paper towel gets wet you'll know it's still seeping.

Ray

[Harkerr]

The o ring may need a little grease to seal reliably

[AbdRahim]

I always grease the o ring. You may not want to use the wrench for tightening - only for loosening. Especially if there is no grease on the o ring, these thing can get very tight when trying to remove them.

[kenandterry]

Originally Posted by 5picker

When I spoke to a FR rep at a R/V show in 2018, he told me all units were winterized with antifreeze. Just to test, I opened some faucets on show models and ran my finger across the aerator and got pink residue. There was also traces of pink in the drains as well as a sticker stating the R/V had been winterized.

I’ve heard the same because there’s no telling where an RV might be shipped, how long it may sit before being sold, and it’s a bit of a pressure test of the factory’s plumbing. Albeit a very small bit.

[Coevers]

Sorry if this is obvious, but I am still learning here. I don’t think the dealer installed the filter at all. I still have one in an accessory bag, and the canister is clear. I assumed I am ok with an external filter on the city water connection. I checked the clear housing and it seemed snug.

The pics below show the filter I have. I assume it goes inside that canister if I decide to use it?

The second picture shows where I found the most water.

The third picture shows the antifreeze inlet and vent stack. Both of these were wet as well.

Any more input on corrective measures?

[NXR]

Correct. Most dealers will not install the water filter because they do not sanitize the water system. Once the water system is sanitized you can install the filter, otherwise the filter will remove the sanitizing agent.

Have you sanitized the system or do you need some assistance? What RV do you have and what is the size of the fresh water tank?

It’s not difficult, just empty the water system, connect the fresh water hose to the RV, and pour the correct amount of plain old unscented bleach into the other end of the hose. Then connect the hose to the faucet, fill the fresh water tank, and flow every faucet including the toilets, shower and outside shower until you have a faint smell of chlorine. Then let it sit for about four hours, drain the fresh water tank and run fresh water through the system until the smell of chlorine is gone. Then install the water filter into the housing. Be sure to run the faucets with the water pump so the chlorinated water from the fresh water tank runs through the water pump. You’re done.

Many times there isn’t much room to get the filter housing out. If not, loosen the screws holding the fixed part and wiggle it in or out.

The KW1 filter is around 5 microns whereas the inline ones usually are 20 microns or so. I run both because I rely on the inline one to remove sediment and garbage to help extend the life of the KW1. After six months I still do not see any discoloration of the KW1 filter. I’ve seen some that were an ugly brown by then.

Ray

[Coevers]

I am in a Flagstaff 21FBRS. We have a 60 gallon fresh water tank. I sanitized it before our first trip, so that part is good. I may have had this issue under the sink before and just failed to check under the sink. This was only our third time put. I was inspecting for leaks after a heavy rainstorm and found it.

[NXR]

Good to hear. So unscrew the clear housing, drop the filter in after taking it out of the plastic , check the o-ring and finesse it back together. Sometimes the filter is a bit cocked as you screw the housing on and you may need to tap it to move it around. Your water seepage may stop when the filter is installed because the o-ring will not be quite as compressed.

Ray

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

I always grease the o ring. You may not want to use the wrench for tightening - only for loosening. Especially if there is no grease on the o ring, these thing can get very tight when trying to remove them.

I use silicone water valve grease from Home Depot. Packaged for use on potable water valves.

A small amount on my finger spread evenly on the o-ring. It's a good opportunity to make sure nothing foreign is on the O-Ring and it's properly seated. I also run a Q-tip around the sealing surface in the mounting bracket to make sure it's clean.

It's OK to use the wrench to tighten as long as one merely tightens the SMALL amount necessary to compress the O-Ring. It's a matter of feel, not "how tight can I get this".

It's also a good idea to have a couple of spare O-Rings on hand for "just in case".


As for Anti-Freeze evaporating, Propylene Glycol which is the main component of non-alcohol based RV antifreeze is hygroscopic. That means it absorbs water from any source, even the air. It will generally remain "wet" for a long time unless wiped up.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Coevers

Sorry if this is obvious, but I am still learning here. I don’t think the dealer installed the filter at all. I still have one in an accessory bag, and the canister is clear. I assumed I am ok with an external filter on the city water connection. I checked the clear housing and it seemed snug.

The pics below show the filter I have. I assume it goes inside that canister if I decide to use it?

The second picture shows where I found the most water.

The third picture shows the antifreeze inlet and vent stack. Both of these were wet as well.

Any more input on corrective measures?

In the upper left corner of your 3rd pic is the black tank flush vacuum breaker/anti-siphon valve. These things can leak, too. I wouldn't expect it to leak unless you used the black tank flush. Below is a pic of how they are installed.

Some people have reported them being installed backwards, but yours looks to be installed OK.