water pump issue?

[winona1]

I have a slight water drip from the hose / tubing used to winterize my Winnebago Trend. Enough to leave a wet spot on the driveway. The tubing is capped, and yes, obviously not a screw-on tight fitting. Right now, I’ve unplugged the basement compartment so the water drips thru the hole to outside because if I don’t let it drip outside, it starts to fill the compartment. It’s a plastic bin so there isn’t damage to any wood. All valves are in the correct position. I’m not hooked to city fill, just water in the tank.

My question is: what’s causing this? Faulty water pump? And how do I fix this? New pump?

 

[Rene T]

The hose you are talking about must be the hose that you would stick into a jug of antifreeze to winterize. If it is that hose, trace it as far as you can. It must go to a valve. That valve is probably the culprit. You would need to disassemble it and clean it or replace it. If it does lead to a valve, try cycling it several times

 

[Kirk]

If Rene is right, and I would think that he is, then the hose connects to the suction side of the freshwater pump so it would not be putting any pressure on that fitting. The valve in most such connections is one that changes the pump suction from the line from the potable water tank to one that you can insert into a jug of RV antifreeze. The only pressure on it would be from the volume of water in your potable water tank. The problem must be the valve.

 

[winona1]

My bad. I knew it was to stick in the jug of antifreeze because that’s what I do to winterize, but forgot to add that to my question. I’ll try cycling the valve. Then try tracing it to the valve — which is “conveniently” buried under a panel under the bed which pretty much requires someone the size of a 2-year old to get to.

Any harm in pulling off the cap and sucking in air or just leave the cap on and turn to antifreeze when I run the pump?

And Rene T and Kirk, oh for your knowledge. Thanks for the quick replies.

 

[Kirk]

which is “conveniently” buried under a panel under the bed

Is the valve remotely operated? All of them that I'm familiar with were manually operated and so have reasonably good access.

Any harm in pulling off the cap and sucking in air or just leave the cap on and turn to antifreeze when I run the pump?

I would not leave the cap off as doing so would allow dirt to get into the line and even a place for bugs to make a nest. Whatever is in that line would then be sucked into the water system with the antifreeze when you next winterize.

Are you telling us that it has been leaking with a cap covering the end of the suction tube? That strikes me as curious since the connection should be on the suction side of the pump so leakage would only be pressurized by the weight of water in the potable water tank. With the pump on it could suck air if leaking very much.

 

[winona1]

First off, Kirk thanks for your help on this. I appreciate it. And no, the valve is not remotely operated. It’s in the basement compartment with arrows for “winterize” and “normal,” and yes, it’s been in the normal position since I sanitized the system and have been camping. The valve to turn from winterize to normal is exposed, but the connection is thru a small hole, hard-pressed to get fingers in enough to tighten. I’ll tackle that if it continues to drip.

And no, I haven’t left the cap off the tube; it’s been dripping thru the cap, but since I’m parked at home, I left the tube to drip thru the hole and onto the driveway from the plastic basement compartment bin opening.

So today, I let the water in the tube drip out, tightened what I could, and turned the winterize / normal valve back and forth several times. I’ve turned on the pump which didn’t cause more water to fill the tube. I’ll be camping soon with city fill and see what that does.

And when the water spot under the camper dries up, I’ll see what it’s doing. That and check it again before I head off to bed tonight and then again in the morning.

Again, thanks for the help.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

If you turn the pump to normal operation, does it pressurize the water lines providing water from the faucets? And, doing this, does the water stop dripping from the winterization line?

 

[winona1]

All baffling. My go-to guy worked on it yesterday after I’ve tried my hand at it. Still a slight drip this morning. When the valve is turned to normal and the pump on, no water fills the winterizing tube. Wondering if I put the tube in a jug of water and activate to “winterize” if that will check the valve back to really closed. But guessing time to replace the valve. The odd part is it seems to drip when the temps drop at night then I find a wet spot in the driveway. Fine thru the warmth of the day. No drips. Contraction - expansion? In my favorite words: if it’s not ants, it’s grasshoppers.

 

[Kirk]

But guessing time to replace the valve.

I don't know what else it could be. The valve is a two-position valve that shifts the suction of the pump between the winterizing hose and the potable water tank. Since there is no pressure applied to it the valve must be failing and will only get worse.