Where do these other water lines go?

[adwriter73]

I've looked at my service manual and some diagrams others have posted here, and I'm still not clear on some of the piping.

1. My water pump was not connected when I purchased my Airstream. I've since purchased a ShurFlo pump to install. I've located a black tube from the fresh water tank to the pump, but where the tube from the pump to the water line goes, I'm not sure. The confusion is there are two connectors (currently with stops threaded in them) right next to each other. I assume the tube from the water pump attaches to one of these, but why are there two? And does it matter which one?

2. I've traced the water line from the pump to the rest of the water outlet sources, like the kitchen, bath and water heater. But the water line splits two (or maybe 3) other times. Where are these lines going? I see a valve under the floor at one of the splits, but not for the other split.

[azflycaster]

Pictures would help.

The splits would be water going to things like a sink, shower, toilet or water heater. The valve is most likely for draining the system to prevent freeze damage.

[Splitrock]

This is how my 1976 Sovereign 31' looked with the cabinet removed.



The line in the floor is the city water feed. The valve in the floor is the city water drain.



Does this help?

Gary

[adwriter73]

Thanks. It does help. I guess I'm still unsure about a line that is going to the back of the trailer. I have a center, so it's not going there. Are there 2 drain lines? Maybe it's an auxiliary tank? Going to see what I can dig up.

[Splitrock]

By your blog, it looks like you have a center bath. That's what mine is. Mine has 4 drain valves (or did). One at the rear near the street intake by the regulator, one at the crossover under the kitchen sink, and two at the water heater. Since the pictures, I've removed the copper except the cross over under the floor and the rear supply. I may replace it all.

My pump intake comes right from the storage tank with an in-line filter installed, the pump discharge line ties right into the cold water system. The fresh water storage tank is isolated by the pump.

Gary

[adwriter73]

Here is a photo of the water line and my pump. That little brass fitting peeking up from the hole on the right is the line from the fresh water tank. The copper line you see is what I am connecting the "exit" pump tube to. Where this copper line goes to at the right is to the sink, bath and water heater. Where it goes to the left, I am not certain. It dips below the floor about another foot to the left. See the new, barbed brass fitting and the capped/stopper fitting? Why are there two connections? I put the barbed fitting in there. It did have a capped/stopper fitting.

[Splitrock]

Hi Kyle

The line to the left looks like the city water connection. I think I see the pressure regulator. There should have been a pop off and a drain valve right there. The pop off may have went where you have the barbed fitting on the main line. The other fitting next to it looks like the location for the drain valve with flexible tube attached through the belly pan. I can't tell from the picture.

Behind the pressure regulator should be a backflow preventer. Those are necessary, but according to my experience, plug up with debris fairly easily if city water isn't filtered/screened before the connection.

Your set up is like mine. The pump keeps the city water from flowing back into the trailer mounted storage fresh water tank, and the backflow preventer keeps the pumped storage tank water from flowing out on the ground when the city water is not connected.

Gary

[adwriter73]

So I guess I am attaching the pump tube in the wrong place, right? Where should the pump connect to the water line? Responded to a couple of you comments below...

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Hi Kyle

The pop off may have went where you have the barbed fitting on the main line. The other fitting next to it looks like the location for the drain valve with flexible tube attached through the belly pan. I can't tell from the picture.

KYLE'S RESPONSE: There was a brass fitting with flexible tube sticking out of the hole (you can see it in the pic, looks like a shadow), but it wasn't attached to anything on either end. Need to check that.

Behind the pressure regulator should be a backflow preventer. Those are necessary, but according to my experience, plug up with debris fairly easily if city water isn't filtered/screened before the connection.

Your set up is like mine. The pump keeps the city water from flowing back into the trailer mounted storage fresh water tank, and the backflow preventer keeps the pumped storage tank water from flowing out on the ground when the city water is not connected.

KYLE'S RESPONSE: This might be true. I will look at it again tonight.

Gary

[Splitrock]

Hi Kyle

Is this the trailer we're working on?



By your picture of the water line by the regulator I see a plug in the right side "T" and a hole right above it going into the wood floor. I'm pretty sure that's the drain valve location and the hole is where the drain hose drains through the belly pan.

Where you have the stem in the "T" is the location I'd expect to find the pop off valve. There should be another hole in the wood floor by that location as well. That's where the drain hose for the pop off valve discharges through the belly pan to the ground.

We need somebody with a 1978 31' Sovereign center bath to join this thread.

The city water intake for my trailer is way in the rear street side corner. The fresh water tank pump hookup is located right by the location where the fill spout goes into the tank under the kitchen range/sink area. My pump is located right under the kitchen stove. At this point I'm doing little more than keeping your thread alive until we get some better help:-)

If you can't locate a pop off valve or a drain valve with down hose, I'd advise you to add both of those items to OEM specifications. The pop off is a nice safety item and you'll need the drain valve to winterize.

Gary

[adwriter73]

I do appreciate your help. I think I am missing a few part is the problem. I have never used this trailer. Bought it and immediately started work on it, so I'm not sure what is supposed to be there and what isn't. A neighbor friend has a Sovereign with a center bath. Might be a '77 model. I will check theirs if no one else jumps in on this thread.