Water draining back out through fill hose?

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MikeworX

MikeworX

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 23, 2012
Posts
84
Hey folks - I filled my fresh-water tank then disconnected the hose, now the water is dripping back out the same fill hose, causing the pump to run every minute to re-fill the lines. Any idea what might be causing this? I opened the fill door on the other side to relieve any pressure (after the fill) but that does not seem to have done anything. I just un-winterized - might I have missed something?  :-\

Mike
 
MikeworX said:
Hey folks - I filled my fresh-water tank then disconnected the hose, now the water is dripping back out the same fill hose, causing the pump to run every minute to re-fill the lines. Any idea what might be causing this? I opened the fill door on the other side to relieve any pressure (after the fill) but that does not seem to have done anything. I just un-winterized - might I have missed something?  :-\

Mike
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You are saying that after using a hose to fill the water tank it is leaking out of the fitting you used to fill the water tank. Not being shure with how your coach is made. Do you use the same water inlet for city water and use a valve you move to "fill" to fill your water tank?  My guess is a bad check valve. All coaches are different but I think if you are leaking out of the connection for city water it is the check valve.
Bill
 
Hi Bill, that's right. I switch from city to fill. I disconnected from the tap, and water trickles from the hose that's connected to the valve. Ok. I'll check that out first thing tomorrow. Thanks  :)
 
Yeah, sometimes the check valve just gets stuck.  You may be able to tap it to shake it loose, or poke it with a toothpick or the like.  At the worst it may need replaced, and are not too expensive at an RV shop.
 
More likely the fill valve itself is leaking.  Ours has for several years so I just cap it when not connected to city water.  Replacing the valve itself isn't an easy job on our coach.
 
Thanks guys - Ned - I think you might be right. I had a look at it last night before bed and it was dripping. Just waiting for it to get a bit warmer today to check it out.
 
If it drips/runs out the city inlet, it is the inlet check valve. Often they get a sec of sand stuck in the check valve, holding it slightly open. Use a  thin rod (something that won't break easily) to push in the outer end of the valve (center of inlet) and let water gush through for a few seconds. That often flushes out whatever is causing the problem. You might have to remove a screen from the city inlet connection to get at the check valve.  Another thing that might work is running some more water into the tank, but it takes a fairly high flow rate to flush it though.

If that doesn't work, you will need to replace the city inlet (the check valve is built in). They aren't expensive and not difficult to change if you can get your hands to the back side somehow.
 
Looks like i'll have to replace the city inlet with the check-valve. Still leaking after re-seating the connector and pushing in the value to attempt to clear it. I'll update after the repair.
 
If you've been switching the fill valve from city to fill, and then back to city with your hose pressurized, then you might have blown out the valve.  These valves are subject to failure if you do not release the water pressure on it prior to changing positions.
 
Cant Wait said:
If you've been switching the fill valve from city to fill, and then back to city with your hose pressurized, then you might have blown out the valve.  These valves are subject to failure if you do not release the water pressure on it prior to changing positions.
Click to expand...
Never heard of that before. I do it all the time and haven't had a problem.
Bill
 
If you've been switching the fill valve from city to fill, and then back to city with your hose pressurized, then you might have blown out the valve.  These valves are subject to failure if you do not release the water pressure on it prior to changing positions.
Click to expand...

Me neither. It's a simple mechanical valve and not subject to pressures any greater than a faucet and those get opened/closed under pressure all the time.

In any case, a fill valve failure simply lets water run into the fresh tank. It doesn't create any back-pressure on the city inlet. Just the opposite, in fact.
 
My fill valve is lower than the water tank, so it slowly siphons out the water if I don't cap it when not hooked up.  I don't believe there are any check valves in the plumbing from the city water inlet to the valve to the tank.  Hm, I may be able to insert a check valve to stop the siphoning.  Certainly easier and cheaper than replacing the valve.
 
Ned said:
My fill valve is lower than the water tank, so it slowly siphons out the water if I don't cap it when not hooked up.  I don't believe there are any check valves in the plumbing from the city water inlet to the valve to the tank.  Hm, I may be able to insert a check valve to stop the siphoning.  Certainly easier and cheaper than replacing the valve.
Click to expand...

Ned,
Are we all talking about the same thing? I believe we are talking about the port which the shore power hose hooks up to. That is where the check valve is. Right?  If there is no check valve there, when you run your onboard water pump, water would just gush out that connection. Don't you have a check valve there?  This is what I'm talking about:  http://www.rvplus.com/jr-products-city-water-flange-p-w-160-85-a-2p-a.html
 
My city water connects through my filter to an input that connects to the city/fill valve.  In the city position, it feeds the city water to the RV plumbing, in the fill position, it feeds the city water to the water tank.  I have no city water flange as you described.  If there's a check valve, it's elsewhere in the plumbing and I've never seen it.

The dripping occurs when not connected to city water and the pump is off.  It completely drained my tank twice before I saw what was happening.
 

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Ned, without seeing the actual parts, my guess is you have a check valve built into the hose inlet, but it's only sealing when it has water pressure behind it - i.e with the switch turned to the city position so the pump pressure reaches the hose inlet.

When you turn the switch to the tank fill position, or the pump is off, the backside of the check valve isn't pressurized and something is letting it come off of it's seat so water leaks out.  Might be a bad spring on the back of the diaphragm that isn't holding it closed when there's not pressure pushing against it.

Does the fitting leak if the switch is in the normal position, or only if you leave it in tank fill?
 
Lou, it leaks in the city water position.  I never leave it in fill position.  It's obviously siphoning the water out of the tank, so the valve must be leaking.
 
Then maybe you have two check valves, one for each outlet of the switch.  But why it leaks when the pump has pressurized the city water line is a bit of a mystery since the line to the tank should be isolated when the switch is thrown for city water.

Or is the leak when the pump is off just the water in the lines that's no longer pressurized?
 
It leaks whether the pump is on or not.  It drained the water tank in just a few weeks twice this winter while not in use and the pump off.  It also drips with the pump on, so I think the siphoning is through the fill line and the leaking valve.

It's only a minor annoyance as I cap the city water inlet with a shutoff valve when not hooked up and that takes care of it.

I do wish I had a plumbing diagram of this motorhome, but I don't think HR ever published on for the owners.
 
There were several threads on IRV2 about the valves going out if you do not depressurize the system before changing from City to Fill and back again.
 
Ned I don't know where it is on your system but I bet a cold drink you have a check valve and it isn't sealing any more. If you didn't any time, well as you know when the hose is disconnected it will drain back out the fill/city water connection.
Bill
 
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