Water Pressure Woes

[Keith Moffett]

On the Marquis the fresh water tank fill switch is electric and inside the coach. 
Last year the switch would not activate the valve.  I believe it was due to the pink antifreeze sitting in it all winter making the valve sticky.  Eventualy it did come loose and worked ok or so I thought.  We had purchased a new "Red Hat" valve but since the old one was working I did not replace it.
This year we are having the same problem and more.  The valve seems to work and we can fill the fresh water tank but the city water connection slowly fills the tank even though the valve is off.
Today I replaced that valve.
An interesting side effect is that we now have huge water pressure when on the pump and better pressure when just on the city water.  The difference is so stark that I am wondering if many folks who have the manual knob fill valve might benefit by replacing that valve.  Our last coach was a Patriot with crap pressure city or pump.  The kitchen sink had very low pressure.
Now if I could just figure out why the pump burps so often.  I can not find a leak.

[Edward Buker]

Keith,

Sometimes the burp which I assume is the pump coming on then going off can be air in one of the lines beyond the pump. Run all the hot and cold water faucets and the ones to the washer until all air is cleared.

Later Ed

[Lee Welbanks]

Keith,
When you said that the city water slowly fills the tank it means that the valve is leaking through and probably has been since day one. These Red Hat solenoid valves are super easy to rebuilt. We used to use a lot of these valves in industrial gas service. Just remove the four cap screws and the top works pops right off. The valve has a rubber diaphragm and I have seen them stick, the leak through was probably caused by something stuck on the seat surface not allowing the valve to seal tight. If you still have the old valve take it apart and see what gives.

[Keith Moffett]

Thanks Lee, will do but not until we get back to home base so will update then.  Glad to know that I wasn't crazy in my figuring the problem.  I hope this helps someone else as we have a 40 pound regulator on the hose and a ton of water pressure both city and the pump is even better!

[Doug Allman]

This may not have anything to do with this exact water problem but we just removed the hose reel to replace the hose that was getting quite well used. In removing the hose I find at the location where the hose comes thru the drum Glendenning had used a U bolt to hold the hose to the reel so I imagine you could not pull it out of the drum. In doing so the 1/2" ID diameter hose was shrunk down to a 5/16" hole for the water to pass thru. You could have used the hose for an anchor rope they had it held so tight with the U bolt.

It is no wonder when you are trying to fill the 100 gallon tank that it takes so long.

I was supposed to get just a new hose from them but somehow they got wires crossed and sent me an entire new reel with hose on it. Somebody paid attention because the new clamp to hold the hose to the reel is an electrical rubber lined metal clamp that does not crush the hose at all. All of their hoses are special order due to the way it attaches to the inside of the drum to allow rotation. $110.00 for just the hose and nearly $200 if you get the replacement reel with hose. A little expensive for 35' of 1/2" hose.

I would suppose this restriction would have some impact on city or well water intake but should not on the pump system.

[Mike Groves]

On a related note to this thread - Up until this trip I'd always used a pressure regulator on the hose bib but the pressure was being limited too much at our lot at Pacific Shores so I removed the regulator.  Margaret was happy with the new found pressure, and I was too. 

This morning I decided to flip the FILL switch ON and did so, and watched the water tank go from 20% to 30%, then I switched it OFF.  I went back to my morning chores inside the coach and when I went to take Yusuf for a walk, well, there was water coming out of the overflow and I looked at the CMP and the water tank was now no longer 30% but instead it was FULL.

I quickly turned off the water at the source hookup, and the tank continued to dump out all over the pad.  I went for a 10-15 minute walk or so, came back and it was still draining.  I rechecked the hookup spigot AGAIN and it was off.  Then noticed after a couple more minutes the draining had stopped.  The CMP now showed 50% level in the water tank vs the full it showed before. 

I was afraid to turn the water back on and have it start filling the tank again (even though the FILL switch was off).  Margaret then piped up and said why not put the regulator back on because this has never happened before with that on.  So I did, then I turned the water back on, and the tank was no longer filling.  After having breakfast and seeing that the tank was still at 50% I took the regulator back off so see if water would again start flowing into the tank.  It wasn't and all was well, so my thought was that due to the higher pressure coming in perhaps the RED HAT valve could open but not close due to the pressure, and that if I want to fill it and have it automatically close in the future to make sure I limit the pressure using the regulator.

Thoughts?  And thoughts on why it overflowed and the CMP showed FULL, but after the overflow stopped we were at 50% (we are level). 

Mike

[Edward Buker]

Mike,

The Red Hat did not turn off as you suspected and pressure probably played a role. I prefer an adjustable regulator and set the pressure where I like flow wise and at a safe pressure like 50 -60lbs. I think you started siphoning action out of the overflow and that did not stop until it reached 50%. Should not be an issue unless you start the overflow process by over filling.

Later Ed

[Mike Groves]

Thanks Ed.  Also received an email response from Chuck Tyler.  Thanks to you both and it seems there is agreement so I'll make sure that Margaret knows she figured that one out as I panicked thinking yet another issue.

Mike

[David T. Richelderfer]

Somewhere I read (probably here on the Forum) that when you overflow the fresh water tank it will siphon out significant amounts of water.  But if you turn on your outside faucet for a minute or so, then the siphoning will slow and stop.  I always overfill my tank, shut off the filling and turn on the faucet to stop the siphoning.  It seems to work for me.

[Tim Schafer]

Does the pump need to be on to stop the siphoning?  Or just open the valve to break the siphon?

Thanks,

[David T. Richelderfer]

Leave the water pump turned ON and pump water out of the water bay faucet for a minute or so.  I can see the overflow start reducing almost immediately.  After a minute or so the overflow slows to a trickle and stops.  My guess is the act of pulling water out of the tank reduces the tank's internal air pressure in that small amount of air at the top of the tank when the tank gets full of water... and that pressure is what is pushing water out the overflow after the water fill is turned off.  Pulling a few gallons of water out of the tank gives that air at the top of the tank room to expand and reduce in pressure.

[Lee Welbanks]

Mike,
Did you actually put a pressure gauge on the shore water supply to see what pressure you are dealing with? I check every time and if it is over 70 psig I will use my Watts regulator.
Your Red Hat (Asco) solenoid valve is probably leaking through due to the inlet pressure. The one on our PT is rated for 100 psig differential. They (Asco)do have one that has a 40 psig dp which is probably the one you have and the water pressure is forcing the diaphragm open.