slow drip from insulation around low point drains
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Topic: slow drip from insulation around low point drains
Posted By: Poddy
Subject: slow drip from insulation around low point drains
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 3:39pm
Folks, I was blowing out the lines with a shop vac ( i had hot and cold Fawcett taps on inside in the kitchen sink), collecting water from the fresh water tank drain and noticed a small drip coming from the insulation (foam) around the low point drains. There's no way to see whats happening because it's all enclosed. Another question too, why is there two low point drains (hot and cold?).
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2011 RP172
2015 Toyota Tacoma
Newfoundland, Canada
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Replies:
Posted By: Poddy
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 3:42pm
Forgot to mention, i had the caps off the low point drains as well
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2011 RP172
2015 Toyota Tacoma
Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 4:34pm
Mine drain when caps open. Lines are read and blue, hot and cold low point.
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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 5:44pm
Originally posted by Poddy
Folks, I was blowing out the lines with a shop vac ( i had hot and cold Fawcett taps on inside in the kitchen sink), collecting water from the fresh water tank drain and noticed a small drip coming from the insulation (foam) around the low point drains. There's no way to see whats happening because it's all enclosed. Another question too, why is there two low point drains (hot and cold?). |
Look from the inside and see if there is a leak at one of the tee fittings that feeds to the low point drains. Its unusual for a pex clamp fitting to leak but not unheard of.
There have to be low point drains for both hot and cold since they are separate systems.
How are you connecting the shop vac to your water system?
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Poddy
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 6:34pm
How am i connecting the shop vac to the water system? Not really connecting it, just putting the hose at the fresh water tank drain (underneath), the fresh water manual fill opening (on the side), and at the hot water heater drain (anode). Im hoping i didn't put too much pressure on any of the fittings/ lines.
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2011 RP172
2015 Toyota Tacoma
Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 7:55pm
No way a shop vac can create more than a couple of psi of pressure. That wouldn’t damage the plumbing. I was thinking the opposite, it might not produce enough pressure to blow out the lines.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Poddy
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 6:08am
Off grid, well that's a relief. But i will say the shop vac did collect way more water than i thought it would. Had to empty it while in the process (i also dropped the nose of the pod as far down as it would go, i found that helped too with getting "hidden" water.)
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2011 RP172
2015 Toyota Tacoma
Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 8:05am
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OK, I understand now that you are using vacuum from the shop vac to pull out water rather than the pressure side to blow out water. That might cause a problem I guess creating a weak vacuum in the fresh water tank because that isn't meant to handle pressure changes like that. I would suggest not applying pressure or vacuum to that in future.
Just use the pressure side of the vac or better an air compressor set to 30 psi or so to blow out the pressure lines of the trailer, leaving a faucet open. That way you're not asking any of the plumbing or fixtures to do something they're not designed to do. A little water left in the bottom of the tanks isn't going to damage anything when it freezes.
Have you determined the cause of your water drip yet?
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: poston
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 9:54am
Originally posted by offgrid
A little water left in the bottom of the tanks isn't going to damage anything when it freezes. |
True, but I did not blow out my fresh water tank, and over the winter I developed a hairline crack on the flex line coming from the tank. So, I will be blowing out the FWT this winter!
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Jim
Virginia City, Nevada
2016 R-pod 180
2015 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 10:27am
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Be careful how much pressure you put on the tank, it is not meant to handle anything more than about a foot of water column which is about 0.5 psi. Adhesives don't stick well to low density polyethylene (LDPE) which is what the fwt is made of, so its easy to blow the fittings out.
If you're concerned about the pump feed line freezing it might be better to just disconnect it than to try to apply pressure to the tank. I'm not sure how pressure would do better than just adjusting the tilt of the trailer and draining the tank anyway.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 12:02pm
+1 to disconnect the line if it's in danger of freezing.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
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Posted By: poston
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 4:58pm
Originally posted by offgrid
If you're concerned about the pump feed line freezing it might be better to just disconnect it than to try to apply pressure to the tank. I'm not sure how pressure would do better than just adjusting the tilt of the trailer and draining the tank anyway. |
Originally posted by lostagain
+1 to disconnect the line if it's in danger of freezing. |
Good advice, thanks. I'm never fond of disconnecting and reconnecting fittings, but if it'll avoid further damage, I'm willing to do it.
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Jim
Virginia City, Nevada
2016 R-pod 180
2015 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 22 Sep 2020 at 9:12pm
If you empty the tank and run the pump until it is just pulling air, there will not be enough water in the line to freeze. Then use the winterizing valve and hose to pump RV antifreeze through the lines. That will get the water that just air seems to miss. Be sure to bypass the water heater first. Drain the water heater by removing the anode rod after relieving the pressure. I use the air/RV antifreeze combo. This makes absolutely sure my pump and the various valves are protected from damage. Getting rid of the RV antifreeze residual taste in the spring is not that difficult. After sanitizing with bleach, follow it up with baking soda dissolved in water. That will go a long way to get rid of the odor and taste.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 6:28am
I can see getting water back in the pump suction line if the trailer is moved and ends up tilted toward the suction line after the tank is drained. Might want to get that end of the tank lower when you drain and then park it level afterwards.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Poddy
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 8:31am
I was just outside (in the rain) and i think (i hope) i caught the source of the leak above the low point drains. The ac outlet outside needs to be caulked- water was dripping down the wall inside and maybe finding it's way to the low point drains insulation and dripping to the ground.
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2011 RP172
2015 Toyota Tacoma
Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 8:38am
Sounds like you found it, that's great.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Poddy
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 8:41am
StephenH "(If you empty the tank and run the pump until it is just pulling air, there will not be enough water in the line to freeze. )" Will this burn up the pump, running it dry with no water to source?
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2011 RP172
2015 Toyota Tacoma
Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 9:59am
Originally posted by Poddy
StephenH "(If you empty the tank and run the pump until it is just pulling air, there will not be enough water in the line to freeze. )" Will this burn up the pump, running it dry with no water to source? |
These pumps can run dry without damage. as they use a flexible diaphragm for pumping, not a metal-on-metal piston. I wouldn't run it for extended periods, but for the brief time I suggested, it will not cause any damage.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 26 Sep 2020 at 10:37am
Maybe add half a gallon or so anti freeze into fwt, then run the pump to suck it into the line, should be good. You gotta sanitize the fwt in the spring anyway.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
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Posted By: Kingbro
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2020 at 1:30pm
I have an in and an out valve at the water heater. I also have a inline valve that goes to a short piece of plastic tubing that goes nowhere. what is this third valve for? I just purchased a 2018 180.
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Kingbro
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Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2020 at 4:00pm
The third valve is for the feed side of the water pump, it either allows flow from the fresh water tank below the flooring or it allows feed from the short hose "that goes nowhere". You can use the short hose to feed RV Antifreeze (the pink stuff) into the water system for winterizing the water system. The valve only controls the feed source for the water pump. Hope this makes sense to you. Have fun.
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Jay
179/2019
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