Check valve in city water inlet??

[Merlinmurph]

Something new every day.....

I was at the trailer today cleaning up for an upcoming trip and testing for a water leak. With water in the tank and the pump on, the pump just kept running. I went outside and heard water splashing. Water was coming out the water fill. My inlet has a 2-way valve - city and fill tank. The lever was on city and when I flipped it to fill tank, the water stopped.

Isn't there a check valve on the inlet? I went inside the trailer to the other side of the fill tube, took off the city water connection and didn't see anything obvious.

This has never happened before. Am I being an idiot? You can tell me if I am.

TIA,
Murph

 

[DutchmenSport]

Inside the inlet garden hose connection is a little screen. Remove that cone shaped screen and behind it is a little white button. Take a pencil and with the eraser end simply push the middle of that white button. It's spring loaded pushing outward. That is the check valve.

The reason for the spring is to keep that little button closed to prevent back pressure doing exactly what you've experienced.

When you turn on the shore water to add water to your system, the water pressure pushes that spring and the button in.... just like you did with a pencil or a fine stick, opening the valve and allowing water to flow into the water system, if that be your water tank or your normal "run" from the garden hose.

What happens, sometimes that little valve on that spring sticks open. It doesn't sit right and when the water pump turns on, water flow out backwards. That's probably what happened.

By simply pushing that little button in, you reseat the spring and the button, making a solid enclosure again so water won't bypass backwards.

If that spring is broken or the valve is messed up, then that is what you need to replace. It's accessed from the back side of the camper water connection.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Inside the inlet garden hose connection is a little screen. Remove that cone shaped screen and behind it is a little white button. Take a pencil and with the eraser end simply push the middle of that white button. It's spring loaded pushing outward. That is the check valve.

The reason for the spring is to keep that little button closed to prevent back pressure doing exactly what you've experienced.

When you turn on the shore water to add water to your system, the water pressure pushes that spring and the button in.... just like you did with a pencil or a fine stick, opening the valve and allowing water to flow into the water system, if that be your water tank or your normal "run" from the garden hose.

What happens, sometimes that little valve on that spring sticks open. It doesn't sit right and when the water pump turns on, water flow out backwards. That's probably what happened.

By simply pushing that little button in, you reseat the spring and the button, making a solid enclosure again so water won't bypass backwards.

If that spring is broken or the valve is messed up, then that is what you need to replace. It's accessed from the back side of the camper water connection.

In addition, if you need a quick fix until a proper repair can be made, most hardware stores, garden shops, big box stores, etc, carry garden hose fittings that can be used as temporary shutoffs. If they don't have a suitable screw in plug, then an inline shutoff valve will work, or even a common 'Y' connector with both valves closed.

 

[CharlesinGA]

And stand off to the side when you push that plunger in the fill port!

Charles

 

[Rene T]

If you have a second person start and stop the pump, you’ll be able to push the valve in several times giving it a good flush without getting too wet.

 

[Merlinmurph]

Thanks, gang, I'll head out soon and play around with it. Never figured something as simple as a check valve would fail, but then again, anything can fail.

 

[Rene T]

Thanks, gang, I'll head out soon and play around with it. Never figured something as simple as a check valve would fail, but then again, anything can fail.

It may be just a spek of dirt stopping it from closing when your pump is on

 

[Merlinmurph]

Good point, I'm heading there now

 

[Kirk]

Isn't there a check valve on the inlet?

There is but if you use one of the screw-in plugs to keep the dirt out it will also take care of any problems like you are having.

 

[Merlinmurph]

I'm at the trailer now......

Let's chalk this up to Dumb User Error. I mean Really Dumb.

After checking the hoses inside the trailer for a check valve, I looked at the outside connection just like DutchmenSport said to do. I took the screen out and realized it was in backwards with the cone inside and pushing the check valve open. I probably did this last fall when I was in a mad dash to blow the lines out for winterization (family matter, very limited time).

So, thank you all for your help and input. You learn something every day.

Safe travels,
Murph

 

[gwinger]

In addition, if you need a quick fix until a proper repair can be made, most hardware stores, garden shops, big box stores, etc, carry garden hose fittings that can be used as temporary shutoffs. If they don't have a suitable screw in plug, then an inline shutoff valve will work, or even a common 'Y' connector with both valves closed.

Something like this for a temporary repair.

Sorry Kirk, you beat me to it.

 

[Rene T]

I'm at the trailer now......

Let's chalk this up to Dumb User Error. I mean Really Dumb.

After checking the hoses inside the trailer for a check valve, I looked at the outside connection just like DutchmenSport said to do. I took the screen out and realized it was in backwards with the cone inside and pushing the check valve open.

Safe travels,
Murph

I learnt something too. I didn’t know the tip of the mesh screen would reach in far enough to touch the check valve. Thanks for getting back to us

 

[gwinger]

It's not dumb. It's a learning experience. A lot of things came to be by first making simple mistakes.
I'll bet a lot of people are now looking at their screen