Is this ok/normal?

[wave man]

Noticed sometimes water flushing in the toilet will vary in appearance. This is on decent city water, normally clear as bottled.

Normally pristine, occasionally it will appear yellow or dirtied for very brief amounts of time then clear up, as if the water is going bad or being contaminated in the lines preceding the toilet. Overactive imagination??

Today I did a black tank dump and flush, successfully wrapped that up and went to put some water and chems back into the tank for a healthy base and the water was dark yellowish/brown for an easy 5-8 count.

What the heck? Ideas?

I had a situation where running the pump on city water very recently caused the fresh water tank to fill. Very definitely went from 44 to 100% without filling from the exterior. I tested the guage by turning off city water and using the tank and watched it go back to 0% over the following days...

Appreciate your feedback folks...thanks in advance

2018 FC25FB

[Paprika]

Try disconnecting from city water, then running water from the campsite faucet into a bucket. I'm guessing that there's sediment or contamination in the campground's water lines, and if so, you'll see it there. If so, notify the owners. I've seen water that looked like chocolate milk for the first ten seconds or so. Don't let that into your rig!

Solution: don't connect to city water. Instead, run water onto the ground until it's clear (I would have said run it into a bucket and use it to wash your vehicle, but you probably don't want to do that with water that contains sediment). Then, using an inline filter, fill your trailer's water tank. Use until empty and repeat.

Avoiding a direct water hookup has many advantages. It will minimize the chance of getting a load of crap from the cit water faucet. It will eliminate the likelihood of nasties growing inside a warm, sunlit hose that's lying out in the sun in warm weather. It will eliminate the chance of your hose freezing and bursting due to an overnight cold snap. And it will ensure that the water in your tank is always fresh, rather than months old ad stagnant, when you use it.

I haven't hooked up to city water in years. Neither have most of the long-time RVers I know. We just fill our tanks and draw from them. Give it a try.

[Bill M.]

Have you drained and refilled your freshwater tank? Are you hooked up to city water and running the pump at the same time? Do you have a water filter that may have mold in it? Did you find the cause for the freshwater tank filling when on city water? And fix it if it was the pump or the check valve? Sounds to me like one thing you need to do is to run a lot of water and flush all the lines while on city water.

I read the above post after writing mine. I do hook to city water. I do flush the faucet first. Then the hose. Then hook up. Have had little problem. I do avoid hooking up if there is a reason to suspect the water supply.

My guess is that at some point you got a dose of bad water that fouled the pump check valves and the lines. I would flush and refill the fresh water tank several times. And then check again to see if it is filling while on city water and fix that if it is a problem.

[wave man]

Thanks for the fresh perspective Paprika, I'll be considering your idea from here on out, some good points

[wave man]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

Have you drained and refilled your freshwater tank? Are you hooked up to city water and running the pump at the same time? Do you have a water filter that may have mold in it? Did you find the cause for the freshwater tank filling when on city water? And fix it if it was the pump or the check valve? Sounds to me like one thing you need to do is to run a lot of water and flush all the lines while on city water.

I read the above post after writing mine. I do hook to city water. I do flush the faucet first. Then the hose. Then hook up. Have had little problem. I do avoid hooking up if there is a reason to suspect the water supply.

My guess is that at some point you got a dose of bad water that fouled the pump check valves and the lines. I would flush and refill the fresh water tank several times. And then check again to see if it is filling while on city water and fix that if it is a problem.

Hmmm, well..
*I did drain the fresh tank. refilling now
*I only tried the pump on city water once or twice ever trying to increase water pressure in the shower.
*No mold in the water filter.
*No solid explanation for the fresh tank filling on city water just another reason to go to the dealer for a look see.
*A good system flush tanks and all is likely in my near future I'd say...including a sanitizing procedure..
*The city water here is outstanding seems to me...never noticed sediment before...and I do flush the faucet and hose every time I turn back on/reconnect
*The fresh tank won't fill just being on city water, it did so once when I ran the pump while on city water...

[kendrick.l.j]

As for your fresh water tank mysteriously filling on its own. Common issue and easy to fix. Disconnect city hook up and use the water that is now in your holding tank. Small particles can prevent the check valve from seating properly or fully. I’m in the habit of glancing at the tanks a couple of times a day just to make sure everything is good. I also use 2 in-line filters just to make it harder for weird things to get into the system. First filter is at the spigot before going into the white city water hose hook up and the second is just before I connect the hose to the Airstream. I also flush out the tank a couple of times before and after each trip. I figured my local water hasn’t killed me yet so it might be ok. I also had bleach to the fresh water tank and run that through the lines often. Cleans lines and holding tanks as well. I probably have the cleanest black water holding tank in town.
I admit I am a little neurotic about clean water, I flush every and change filters constantly. Never use the same fresh water hose for more than 3 months. I’m probably overthinking all this but it isn’t expensive and lulls me into a sense of safety. I have only once had the check valve problem and that was in the first month of ownership.

[wave man]

This is with being continuously hooked into clean city water, not changing sites moving around etc.

The bad/dirty yellow/brown is flushed out fairly quickly and it's pristine and clean again after being flushed through.

I've noted this many times, sometimes barely detectable after a few days away and returning.

But today this was particularly nasty looking... after a black tank dump and flushing... 5-8 seconds really dark yellow/brown immediately when I begin flushing to add water to the black tank... there was pristine looking water prior to the black tank flush this morning, and last night and every day for quite a while... this was a sudden change and I never see this phenomenon at any of the other water faucets or shower.

[wave man]

Originally Posted by kendrick.l.j

As for your fresh water tank mysteriously filling on its own. Common issue and easy to fix. Disconnect city hook up and use the water that is now in your holding tank. Small particles can prevent the check valve from seating properly or fully. I’m in the habit of glancing at the tanks a couple of times a day just to make sure everything is good. I also use 2 in-line filters just to make it harder for weird things to get into the system. First filter is at the spigot before going into the white city water hose hook up and the second is just before I connect the hose to the Airstream. I also flush out the tank a couple of times before and after each trip. I figured my local water hasn’t killed me yet so it might be ok. I also had bleach to the fresh water tank and run that through the lines often. Cleans lines and holding tanks as well. I probably have the cleanest black water holding tank in town.
I admit I am a little neurotic about clean water, I flush every and change filters constantly. Never use the same fresh water hose for more than 3 months. I’m probably overthinking all this but it isn’t expensive and lulls me into a sense of safety. I have only once had the check valve problem and that was in the first month of ownership.

I must say being thorough appeals to me, I did flush the fresh tank once after the first time it topped off the fresh tank using the pump on city water... I may conduct a test to see if I can duplicate the unexpected behavior but first...
..I suspect I'll be sanitizing the whole system after flushing the gray and fresh once or twice after this trip for work is complete.

Thanks for some more thoughts on ways to move forward with better practices taking care of my baby...

[kendrick.l.j]

Wish I had more to offer. Please keep us posted. I am curious and prefer to learn as much as possible from others hopefully to avoid a newbie mistake but this seems like more than just a mistake of some kind.

[wave man]

Phenomena has not repeated, I’ve flushed tanks couple times, sanitized, and gone to more fresh tank use to keep cycling fresher water through the system. Noticed city water hose was breeding algae that was deep green when I disconnected and ran water through it....
Will continue these practices while here in hothouse Houston... thanks for the sounding board folks, it helps!

[rmkrum]

Might want to consider uncoupling fresh water hose, putting some water and bleach in it. Couple the ends together and roll the coil around to circulate the bleach solution. Let it sit for an hour, then hook up and flush thoroughly to clean out the ‘stuff’. I’ll bet it comes out real ugly for a few minutes when you flush it...

[rowiebowie]

Good news. Thanks for the update.

[mbubbaca]

https://youtu.be/rIA0EzMN2ds

I'm sure none of our water hoses are this bad.

[OTRA15]

Buy a new potable water hose, and always use an inline filter like this, whether you are using city water for the trailer, or just filling the water tank:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-TastePU...er+filter+hose

The filter in your trailer is just added insurance down the line.

Before you connect to any hose bib/faucet, you should wipe it down with a dilute bleach solution. Then run the water for about 30 seconds, to make sure there is no lead-based solder contamination in the line [longer if you are not in an active campground location], then connect your hose, and run the water through that for about 30 seconds before connecting to the trailer.

The following should never have happened in a new trailer [model year 2018], so someplace along the line your hygienic practices went astray IMO:

Originally Posted by wave man

. . .
Noticed city water hose was breeding algae that was deep green when I disconnected and ran water through it....
. . .

A new hose and filter is a minor cost, when compared to the value of your family's lives, and the overall cost of your rig.

Good luck,

Peter

PS -- Best practice is to buy a new potable water hose every camping season, or more often in a location like Texas IMO. When the hose is in storage, do not connect the ends. If possible dry the hose out in the sun [laid out the long way on a slope if possible] before storing.

[TheGreatleys]

Originally Posted by wave man

Noticed sometimes water flushing in the toilet will vary in appearance. This is on decent city water, normally clear as bottled.

Normally pristine, occasionally it will appear yellow or dirtied for very brief amounts of time then clear up, as if the water is going bad or being contaminated in the lines preceding the toilet. Overactive imagination??

Today I did a black tank dump and flush, successfully wrapped that up and went to put some water and chems back into the tank for a healthy base and the water was dark yellowish/brown for an easy 5-8 count.

What the heck? Ideas?

I had a situation where running the pump on city water very recently caused the fresh water tank to fill. Very definitely went from 44 to 100% without filling from the exterior. I tested the guage by turning off city water and using the tank and watched it go back to 0% over the following days...

Appreciate your feedback folks...thanks in advance

2018 FC25FB

What you're describing sounds like iron deposition.

There are two kinds of iron found in water. Ferric (red) iron and ferrous (clear) iron. The difference between the two depends on the oxidation state of the iron.

A sediment filter will only remove ferric (red) iron sediment. Ferrous (clear) iron is dissolved in the water and therefore it will pass right through the filter.

Given time and exposure to oxygen, or in the presence of chlorine, ferrous iron will oxidize to ferric iron. You'll fill your tank with clear colorless iron bearing water, and a little while later you'll get a bunch of brown sediment or yellow water after the iron has oxidized and dropped out of solution.

How to fix it? Soften your water before you put it in your rig. A water softener removes ferrous iron in addition to hardness minerals.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by mbubbaca

https://youtu.be/rIA0EzMN2ds

I'm sure none of our water hoses are this bad.

That was funny, and an example of just because you can, should you?

[wave man]

Some great tips here and am taking the ideas seriously. Will implement some for sure..

I full time and I'm inclined to think the very warm temps have created perfect conditions for this.

Exacerbated by me leaving for work trips for days and leaving the hose connected, water still in the hose.

Gotta keep the water moving more frequently to keep fresh, and remove the hose perhaps when I'm going away for a bit.

Good videos... live and learn!
Many thanks folks

[wave man]

Originally Posted by TheGreatleys

What you're describing sounds like iron deposition.

There are two kinds of iron found in water. Ferric (red) iron and ferrous (clear) iron. The difference between the two depends on the oxidation state of the iron.

A sediment filter will only remove ferric (red) iron sediment. Ferrous (clear) iron is dissolved in the water and therefore it will pass right through the filter.

Given time and exposure to oxygen, or in the presence of chlorine, ferrous iron will oxidize to ferric iron. You'll fill your tank with clear colorless iron bearing water, and a little while later you'll get a bunch of brown sediment or yellow water after the iron has oxidized and dropped out of solution.

How to fix it? Soften your water before you put it in your rig. A water softener removes ferrous iron in addition to hardness minerals.

This sounds pertinent... would fit very well my circumstances by the description, thanks!