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PharmGeek · 04-17-2014, 02:47 PM

Soooo...its time for me to ask what I fear is a really stupid question. Im ok with that..so here I go.

I have a few times went to add water into my fresh water tank (I think it can hold up to 54 gallons) and when I put the water on high and put end into the opening and start filling, fairly soon, it seems to force air into the tank that then vents out back at me soon rather violently.

At first I thought perhaps I just need to slow down the inflow....but is there not a vent that should take care of that? or is it just that the vent can be overwhelmed by rapid influx of water as such?

BTW, 54 gallons is quite alot....last year, my very first attempt to add fresh water to the FW tank consisted of me adding water some...what I percieved as a significant amount...stopping, going back to check the monitor, and it was barely even at 1/8 (the drain was closed btw

).

Anyway, I may venture out for quick weekend boondoking trips just a tad this summer so I need to begin utilizing some restrictions on water practices, using my FW tank, etc...

Foiled Again · 04-17-2014, 03:08 PM

Pharm ---- the monitors are crap. Period.

I never cram a hose down the spout, I hold it a few inches away and aim it into the inlet. That way I can actually hear the tank filling. There is a slight whistling sound as the air comes out and the splashing of the water going in. The closer to the top the higher both sounds are pitched. There is a small vent about the size of a straw to let air out, but it doesn't work very well, and I never want to build up pressure inside the tank. I heard of one woman overfilling her fresh water tank to a point that it made the subfloor's plywood bulge and break!

You may already have a full fresh tank. Sounds like it. You could try draining it - or if you'd like to get some funk out of your gray tank, disconnect from city water, turn on the water pump, fill your kitchen sink and shower pan with water, then pull the plugs and drain em, a lot the old coffee grounds and skin cells and soap scum will be washed out of the gray tank. When the pump starts running hard, you're nearly dry. Stop it and refill, and don't forget to drain the gray tank.

happy trails, Paula

robert claus · 04-17-2014, 03:29 PM

I start the water flowing through my water hose to flush it, then crimp it near the end to stem the flow. I insert the end of the hose in the fill fitting, and the threads keep it place - I drape the hose over the open fill door. When the tank is full it starts coming back out through the little vent that is next to where the hose is inserted. I don't get any water back out in volume until it is completely full. Perhaps your vent is not working correctly, or the tank is full and the monitor is not working. Can you gain access to the tank to do a visual check? My tank is under a dinette seat, and i can see it through the drain access hole, and can see if it is full.

nvestysly · 04-17-2014, 03:31 PM

...to fill the fresh tank on ours from the external fill area. Ours has what appears to be a small vent hole (about 1/4" diameter) but that doesn't seem to let the air out.

So my approach is to use a water heater flush wand so I can get water down into the fill neck about a foot. From there it's a series of turning the water on, listening to the air escaping, anticipating the "burp", turning off the water, letting the tank burp, then turning on the water again. This can easily take two dozen cycles of this before water finally begins to consistently run out of the fill hole. That's when I know it's full.

On the other hand, I turn on the water relatively slowly (still using the water heater flush wand) an allow the tank to fill. This approach can easily take 30 - 40 minutes depending on how fast the water is running etc. It's a delicate balance between slow water and burping.

Then there's the third option - at least for our 1992 Classic - connect to shore water and turn on the Autofill switch. This allows water to enter slowly through a solenoid valve and presto - in 30 - 45 minutes the tank is full.

Inland RV Center, In · 04-17-2014, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Soooo...its time for me to ask what I fear is a really stupid question. Im ok with that..so here I go.

I have a few times went to add water into my fresh water tank (I think it can hold up to 54 gallons) and when I put the water on high and put end into the opening and start filling, fairly soon, it seems to force air into the tank that then vents out back at me soon rather violently.

At first I thought perhaps I just need to slow down the inflow....but is there not a vent that should take care of that? or is it just that the vent can be overwhelmed by rapid influx of water as such?

BTW, 54 gallons is quite alot....last year, my very first attempt to add fresh water to the FW tank consisted of me adding water some...what I percieved as a significant amount...stopping, going back to check the monitor, and it was barely even at 1/8 (the drain was closed btw

).

Anyway, I may venture out for quick weekend boondoking trips just a tad this summer so I need to begin utilizing some restrictions on water practices, using my FW tank, etc...

Whoa.....................slow the water flow down.

There is NO special vent as you assume.

Andy

idroba · 04-17-2014, 04:47 PM

All of my Airstreams and Argosy's over the years have had a water tank vent tube as well as the fill tube. If that vent gets crimped, or has a low spot in it, no venting will occur and the tank will fill slowly or very poorly. There was a thread last summer/fall about a 20' FC like mine which had a bad vent an the guy had the same problem of poor filling and blowback. He finally found the kink or whatever and fixed it.

I would say it is a dealer warrantee issue to be taken care of by them.

Phoenix · 04-17-2014, 05:45 PM

I think I recall someone previously posting that they put the end of their garden hose into the filler neck of the freshwater tank, turned on the water, and walked away to do something else while the tank filled. The hose coupler held the hose in the filler tube, and the tank overfilled and couldn't release the excess pressure, because it was blocked by the hose coupling that was still pumping in fresh water.

In any case, the freshwater tank ruptured and flooded the inside of their Airstream.

I used to fill our freshwater tank this way. However, I now hold the water hose 2-3 inches away from the filler neck; so I can see the water overflowing when the tank is full.

Filling the tank really doesn't take that long; but it's kind of like watching water come to a boil -- It seems like it takes forever...

SStar · 04-17-2014, 06:23 PM

Make you one of these simple filler attachments. Screw it onto the hose you are filling with, the cut off piece of hose extends down into the filler neck, you control the flow with the valve, or cut it off completely when needed.

SStar · 04-17-2014, 06:26 PM

Also, as you fill the tank a few times you will learn to estimate how full it is by the sound, then adjust the fill rate.

SteveSueMac · 04-17-2014, 06:31 PM

Do you have an outdoor shower? I sometimes disconnect the shower head an full the tank from the thinner shower hose. Leaves plenty of room for air to escape and no need to disconnect the city water connection.

streaminwild · 04-17-2014, 08:17 PM

Pharmgeek, Theirs no such thing as a stupid question on this website. I'm always learning from these threds. Nice ''backpack'' you have in your avatar.

PharmGeek · 04-17-2014, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Do you have an outdoor shower? I sometimes disconnect the shower head an full the tank from the thinner shower hose. Leaves plenty of room for air to escape and no need to disconnect the city water connection.

that is a fantastic idea assuming I guess that it is set up to allow that excess air to escape that way...ill be looking into that.

I am pretty sure mine has a vent right above the opening for the FW fill - and I am suspecting it is blocked...even moderate water flow produces this rapid and frequent “blowback”....then after that air escapes (its like a big burp with no sound like a burp) - I can resume filling for another 15-20 seconds)...then pause for the burp....its annoying...only a small trickle of water would not produce this...

It does this even when I give the water hose some distance and to not stick it a bit in the opening. I would never walk away from it!!

Sbb · 04-17-2014, 08:33 PM

Phamgeek, at least you have correct spot. Last year my daughter was helping me set up and I was not paying attention, long story short we filled the black tank, by hooking hose to wrong intake thank goodness we did not leave the trailer for a planned shopping trip. The trailer would have flooded with black tank overflow

, can't begin to tell u how close we came.

PharmGeek · 04-17-2014, 09:35 PM

Hahahahahahaha - that was close !!!

Ol Ron at Foley RV made that error - lucky for him it was in a tank never pooped or peed in and it shot the water up and out the vent on roof - he will appreciate me airing that out here

Kyle401 · 04-17-2014, 09:43 PM

I made a filling device similar to some of those above, but finally got tired of having to put up with the burp and wait routine.

I decided to add a tee and a valve into the cold water line down stream of the pump and tee'd that into my tank outlet. Now I hook the hose to the city water inlet, remove the filler cap, and open the valve. When water runs out the filler cap, I know the tank is full. The biggest advantage is that now I can do something other than hold the hose while the tank is filling.

Ag&Au · 04-17-2014, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SStar

Make you one of these simple filler attachments. Screw it onto the hose you are filling with, the cut off piece of hose extends down into the filler neck, you control the flow with the valve, or cut it off completely when needed.

Or buy one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-40003-Wa.../dp/B0006IX850

Water Tank Filler with Shut-Off Valve - Camco 40003 - Fresh Water Pumps - Camping World

They don't cost much and work fine.
Ken

PharmGeek · 04-18-2014, 07:00 AM

Nice - I can I has it?

MrUKToad · 04-18-2014, 08:38 AM

It's already been said but I reckon your vent is blocked. I fill using a homemade version of the filler thingy above and I can hear the vent giving up air, especially when I have the water on full blast. A little bit of investigative work is due I think

aftermath · 04-18-2014, 09:04 AM

I use the little device posted by Ag&Au. I have used one of these for about 30 years now and they work just fine. I slide it into the filler neck and turn on the water to a slow flow. The pressure of the hose on the ground keeps the filler in the opening. I can then move away to do something else while the tank fills.

I enjoy reading about all the engineering "fixes" out there for a problem that really doesn't exist. At least it doesn't exist in the cases where the vents and filler necks are not damaged or malfunctioning. Cutting a T into the water lines sounds like a nice idea but far too much work for me since the filler hose system works just fine.

Ag&Au · 04-18-2014, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Nice - I can I has it?

I had to think for a minute, but if I got it, it's really funny.

I thinks I can did got it.

Daisy

The smaller tube diameter and its length has the added benefit of allowing more air (and water when it reaches full) to escape back up the fill tube if necessary. With a larger diameter hose stuck in the filler it is possible to damage the tank with excessive pressure. I read about that happening somewhere here on Airforums. ( I'm pretty sure I didn't just make it up.)

Ken