Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Joseph on August 04, 2021, 06:56:14 am
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2011….2552…..Presently in Bangor Maine. We’ve developed a water leak that has the floor soaked aft of the water tank. The tank isn’t leaking (full) I can’t feel any wetness under any of the hose or connections. Water pressure at the park is dismal low. I haven’t narrowed it down quite yet but it appears to only be leaking when we’re connected to city water. I pulled the connection at the hose connection outside and it’s tight as well. No leak at the or from the pump as well.
Does anyone know off hand the route of the water line from the city connection? Any ideas on what I may be missing in my search?
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Remove the bottom cabinet drawers to the right of the HWT and inspect the plywood under your 3 valves. If it is wet, find out which valve is leaking and tighten the hex behind the handle. 1/16 to 1/8 of a turn should do it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/8540/8613379015_68ccff2ac1_o.jpg)
If the plywood floor is dry, then the leak is elsewhere. Make sure your sink drain and trap are tight. The leak might also originate on the HWT itself, either at the inlet, outlet, or the 110V heating element.
I lean most toward things that can become loose from driving vibrations which is the drainage system.
Also, make sure your kitchen faucet isn't leaking up top under the handle when the water is flowing, getting on the countertop, then finding it's way down to the floor. Our faucet leaked from a build-up of hard water deposits, repaired easily. CLICK HERE (http://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php/topic,2906.0.html) for the repair process.
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Ron, my leak is to the reset of the motorhome. If your facing the pass side bed. The tank is under the bed. To the right of the tank is the pump, then the wall to the closet and bath. The leak at that end. The flit is only wet from the tank to the rear. I can see but assume under /behind the wall that goes to the closet. Front gal ., water heater Mitch sink area etc is all dry
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Ah, "fresh water tank", NOT the "hot water tank". :-[
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Ok another question for the masters. There has to be a check valve on the city supply side. Anyone know on a older 2552 where this might be located? There’s no leak when on pc pump pressure, only when on city supply so I’m wondering if this check valve might be the culprit?
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Ron, yes, sorry , its near the fresh water tank but the tank itself or surrounding pipes and fittings are not the culprit
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The joys of motorhome ownership. Part of the adventure, just not a fun part
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Ok another question for the masters. There has to be a check valve on the city supply side. Anyone know on a older 2552 where this might be located? There’s no leak when on pc pump pressure, only when on city supply so I’m wondering if this check valve might be the culprit?
Sorry to be worthless in older 2552 knowledge. But you did state that the park pressure is low, and this only happens on the city water hookup. You may be right on with the check valve being part of the problem, maybe the low water pressure isnt enough to fully seat it, giving it a leak-by condition that manifests itself...somewhere?
Almost thinking its not on the pressurized side, as when you pressure it with the pump it stops... do you have pump on AND city water on and the leak stops?
You stated tank was full, is it possible that the tank is over full and draining somewhere else? Again, I am ignorant of a 2011 spec, but in my 2006 the overflow from the tank is next to the tank water fill outside, and would be flowing out there.
Couple guesses. Prayers to St Anthony are with you for a diagnosis. :)(:
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Volk. The tank overflow etc is all fine. I think but have yet to verify that check valve , where it is located may be the culprit. It not seating however doesn’t explain it leaking unless it’s vented somehow. Tomorrow we leave for Portland Maine. I’m hoping the next campground has good water pressure to test your theory and my guess.
At least when I work off the tank alone I gave no issues so I can always complete the trip that way. Just a bit of a pain with the slow gravity fill is all.
Thanks all for the feedback. If anyone comes up with any guesses…. Scream
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Ok another question for the masters. There has to be a check valve on the city supply side. Anyone know on a older 2552 where this might be located? There’s no leak when on pc pump pressure, only when on city supply so I’m wondering if this check valve might be the culprit?
The check valve is in the water pump. It's part of the pump itself, not an add on
My *guess* is a leak on the output connector from the pump. The constant pressure from the city water line keeps the leak running whereas when you run the pump, there's only real pressure when you have the pump running. In particular, check the output hose connection from the water pump.
Don't know how handy you are, but that's the first thing I would very carefully check out and/or replace to be sure.
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Volk. The tank overflow etc is all fine. I think but have yet to verify that check valve , where it is located may be the culprit. It not seating however doesn’t explain it leaking unless it’s vented somehow. Tomorrow we leave for Portland Maine. I’m hoping the next campground has good water pressure to test your theory and my guess.
At least when I work off the tank alone I gave no issues so I can always complete the trip that way. Just a bit of a pain with the slow gravity fill is all.
Thanks all for the feedback. If anyone comes up with any guesses…. Scream
What gravity fill? On the passenger side? Run a hose into it.
https://www.campingworld.com/secure-fill-117769.html
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Don on 2011 it’s a very slow gravity fill. Trying to fill fast just has it forced back on you.
I wasn’t aware the check valve was built into the pump. That’s a problem then because the pump isn’t leaking. The pump itself and all the connections are dry. I’ll keep searching
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I had this problem, in my case 2 of the thumb tightening nuts located behind the 3 way valve where loose. Water was running in the channel aft and the across the back and presenting near the toilet - this only occurred when hooked up to city water. There is an access panel under the driver side bed about 2/3's of the way back. it's an easy fix, I had to secure the pipes to keep them from vibrating and working the nuts loose. hope this helps!!
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Joseph,
On my 2015 2551 (just a short version of the 2552) it came with a 4-way valve at the city water inlet (on the driver's side). Is that what's on your city water inlet? Or is it just a single hose connection with no valve selector?
Back when they used just the single hose connector and no selector, the city water inlet connected to a cold water line at some point AFTER the water pump. Thus, the check valve in the pump would block water from the city hookup flowing backwards into the fresh water storage tank and over filling it.
Typically, if the fresh water tank over filled, the vent hose in the fresh water tank would vent water (instead of air) to the gravity fill section on the passenger side and you'd get water dripping (or flowing) down the passenger side on the fiberglass.
If that overflow line had a leak, or bad connection to the fresh water tank, the leak could also, or only, be inside on the right rear (as viewed from inside the coach) of the water tank.
With "dismally low pressure" as mentioned by Volkemon, that check valve may not be seated properly and could allow some water to backflow, fill the tank and leak out the vent hose.
If that's not what's happening, then it sounds like you have a leak in the water line from the pump back into the bathroom toilet, sink and shower.
And that won't be easy to find or repair.
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Are you saying that the water flow from the hose bib is low, or the pressure inside the coach is low (posssibly because of a major leak)? if you always use a pressure regulator on the city water hose maybe remove it to test the open check valve theory.
If you have access to a tire inflator and winterizing blow-out cap try pressurizing the system with air at the city water inlet then listen for leaks and watch for bubbles in the fresh water tank.
If it really is a city water only problem that you can’t solve on the road pick up a hands-free filler to help with the slow gravity fill. Good luck!
https://www.campingworld.com/water-tank-filler-with-shut-off-valve-4674.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=%7BCampaign%7D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyfKdqfCa8gIVNRatBh2qnQIOEAQYAiABEgJVLPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Don, my unit is older. I don’t have the valve to switch from fill to city pressure on the drivers side. Mine is a gravity fill on the passenger side. It is vented but even with that if you fill too fast it burps back. Just a slower process is all. Right now we’re running off our tank. I’ll try booking up to city at one of our future stops. Once I find the leak I’ll deal with the fix, just an annoyance at this point.
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Cal, at that particular camp ground the water pressure was terrible. Hardly enough to rinse the shampoo from my Bald head. I guess my reference was that the leak wasn’t caused by too mu pressure. I carry a gauged regulator as well.
But alas one problem isn’t solved before another rises. On this last 200 mile run one of the house batteries boiled over making a mess of corrosion. I hit it with baking soda. Once m out of Maine I’ll find a Costco and exchange for new batteries.
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Joseph, my 2350 was burping water back through the vent on the outside fill. I don't have the four way valve being discussed in the thread in our 2013 model. I checked the vent hose and it had a kink in it which allowed water to overflow from the tank to stop the air from venting. I replaced the hose with one a wee bit longer and that helped. Still at times, ours still burps.
My solution to the burping is simple. I cut a piece of vinyl 1/2 inch tubing to about a six inch length. When it starts burping, I put one end of the tubing to the exterior vent at the fill and simply blow hard into it, forcing any water in the vent hose back into the water tank. That immediately stops the burping by clearing that vent line from the fill all the way back to the tank.
I have had to do similar things on other rigs for the same problem over the years and I guess when going down the road with a mostly full tank, sloshing probably puts water in the vent hose. Overfilling can also cause the same problem with water in the vent line. I just bend the six inch "blow hose" a bit and it fits right behind the door to the fill pipe. Easy, cheap and just takes a little blow to clear and stop burping water back all over me.
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Now that’s a great idea. I will give it a try. Thank you!
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So today I’m at the gas pumps and Maria runs water inside. When the pump finally kicked on the cap on the water connection outside popped off and a small amount of water squirted out. Don advised the check valve is on the water pump so I guess it’s time for a new pump. Obviously it seems the water leak was coming from the pump even though I couldn't seem to feel it. Apparently not leaking all the time. Now on a water connection with good pressure there is no leak so my guess is that the campground that had such low pressure caused the check valve failure to show.
So now I’ll search for a new pump. Possibly look for an upgrade from the original. Anyone who has upgraded, what did you find worth considering?
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Joseph,
The city water connector has its own check valve, a simple spring and rubber seal. It is to prevent exactly what you saw, to stop water from the water pump from coming out the city water connection.
That is a totally separate issue from the leak on the passenger side near the water pump itself.
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Oh aren’t you a bundle of good news. LOL. So now I need to locate that as well
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RV fresh water systems are susceptible to check valve issues because of hard water deposits. Consider soaking the on-board pump's check valve pieces in CLR, then reassemble with Teflon tape where applicable.
Our kitchen faucet leaked at the handle when the water was turned on, the culprit being hard water deposits. I disassembled the area, soaked the little parts in CLR, reassembled, and it's been working well for years.
Why replace perfectly good items because of hard water deposits. Clean them and reuse them. It's cheaper and much faster than buying a new pump that might have differences requiring modification.
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Oh aren’t you a bundle of good news. LOL. So now I need to locate that as well
Piece of cake.
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If the plug threads are just fubar ?
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Valterra/T1020-1EVP.html
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Don, so it’s built into the inlet itself. Well you are good news. Thanks. Right now it’s not bad so I’ll wait till I get home.
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Ron. I agree and when I get home I’ll check it out to decide which way to go. Don giving me the info that it’s simply built into the connection was a huge help.
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Don, so it’s built into the inlet itself. Well you are good news. Thanks. Right now it’s not bad so I’ll wait till I get home.
Yes, THAT inlet check valve is built into the inlet itself.
The inlet check valve prevents the built in water pump from pushing water out the city water inlet. The built in check valve in the pump, prevents city water pressure from flowing into the fresh water tank and overflowing it.
As to the city water inlet, you may have to get an inlet with a male connector on the inside. It's easy to get behind the inlet. Inside the compartment under the driver's side bed (hopefully it's not packed full), as viewed standing inside and looking over the compartment... On the rear left side of the compartment you will see an access panel held in by 4 screws. Remove the screws, open the panel and you'll see the inside of the city water inlet. Remove the feed line inside (probably will unscrew) and it should be just 3 screws outside to remove the city water inlet.
Just about any RV dealer or parts store nearby your home should be able to sell you a new one for under $20.
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Don, Thank you, very much appreciated!
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Don, Thank you, very much appreciated!
👍
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So this year I’m the Bug. Broken shock, house batteries boiling over and flat tires and of course water leaks. Finally found the leak. The overflow vent. The check valve is allowing water to slowly back flow into the tank when connected to city water. Eventually the tank over flows. At the top of the over flow it is leaking back into the motorhome soaking the floor and eventually out into the living area, allthough it isn’t happening fast. So we’re done, calling this trip a wrap and working our way home a month early. All in at about 9,000 miles or so plus 2500 on the jeep taking on excursions.We’re presently in West Virginia and will make a few stops on the way home but we’re done. Parts take forever to obtain right now so it’s better to be home where the delivery time isn’t important.
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That'd be the check valve built into the water pump. If I were you, I would just replace the whole pump. They are less than $100.
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Yup, not messing with repairs on a 10 year old pump. I’ll replace it
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I am so done with this trip. Now the starter on the generator won’t engage. No way to get to the starter and give it a tap either. Cant wait to get home and park this thing.
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I am so done with this trip. Now the starter on the generator won’t engage. No way to get to the starter and give it a tap either. Cant wait to get home and park this thing.
Yowwwie!
Damn!
For what it's worth, I had a similar generator issue way back, about 12 or 13 years ago.
Anyway, I traded that RV in on a new one, I was honest about the generator issue, the dealer said they'd accept my RV in trade if I would be willing to pay up to some dollar amount (I forget the amount, maybe $1,000) and I agreed.
They had to drop the generator to get to the back of it after taking the cover off. It was a dirty connector to the starter motor. My memory of the cost was about $300 or so).
Hopefully your fix is something you can do or at least get at without dropping the generator.
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I’m going to have to drop the gen. After market starters are readily available for about $40. Oem is about $110 and not readily available. Stuff breaks etc. it happens. Just been a lot on this trip . I have a friend in Tennesse that we’re stopping to see who has a good shop so I could do it there if I can get a starter in time
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I’m going to have to drop the gen. After market starters are readily available for about $40. Oem is about $110 and not readily available. Stuff breaks etc. it happens. Just been a lot on this trip . I have a friend in Tennesse that we’re stopping to see who has a good shop so I could do it there if I can get a starter in time
Here's a link to download the Onan 4000 service manual
https://www.rvwithtito.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Onan4000MaintenanceManual.pdf
Ebay might be a good source for new old stock Onan parts.
If you can't find a Shurflo water pump in stock anywhere try Camping World.
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I’m going to have to drop the gen. After market starters are readily available for about $40. Oem is about $110 and not readily available. Stuff breaks etc. it happens. Just been a lot on this trip . I have a friend in Tennesse that we’re stopping to see who has a good shop so I could do it there if I can get a starter in time
We'll, the bright side may be it could just be the relay.
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Guessing here but it’s spinning so it’s either the bendix or the starter gear that’s gone south.
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Oh well, I was trying to put a bit of positive spin on it. Anyway, looking in the service manual for my 2014 Onan, it looks like the hardest part is dropping the Gen cleanly and getting it out from under the RV, (and reverse to put it back). Putting and reinstalling the starter doesn't look too difficult.
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Don, that’s it in a nut shell. Hardest part is dropping the unit. That’s what makes it pretty difficult to do on the road. When I get home I’ll use a motorcycle lift to lower it. Lots of options for after market starters. Being it’s a task to lower it I’ll stick with OEM. I’ll be home so I can wait for availability. I will say I don’t care for being the bug. Being the windshield is so much better.
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Agree