HELP!!! Water leak inside 23D

[weirdstuff]

First day of trip, arrived at campground, hooked up water and electric.

Just noticed big puddle of fresh water by bathroom door! It looks like it crept there from just left of the door hinge , outside the bathroom, by the ledge that’s to right of bed at bottom.

We haven’t used shower, and shower and shower head are completely dry.

What the heck could this water be from??? I’m afraid I’ll go to sleep and wake up with big puddle again!

Sorry, photo loaded sideways.

[SteveSueMac]

Not sure but did you connect your city water to the black tank flush? Is there a disconnect in your plumbing? Was the toilet bowl full while traveling and maybe it sloshed out?

Definitely shut off the city water at the post, shut off your pump (for fresh tank) and you’ll have no source of water coming in. That should help you sleep a little easier and then check it all out in the light of day.

Good luck!

[weirdstuff]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Not sure but did you connect your city water to the black tank flush? Is there a disconnect in your plumbing? Was the toilet bowl full while traveling and maybe it sloshed out?

Definitely shut off the city water at the post, shut off your pump (for fresh tank) and you’ll have no source of water coming in. That should help you sleep a little easier and then check it all out in the light of day.

Good luck!

No, no water came from the toilet either. The puddle seems to have come from outside bathroom.

Puddle wasn’t there upon arrival, so wasn’t travel related.

Thx for suggesting we unhook water for the night.

Phooey!!! Not the way you want to start a trip!

[weirdstuff]

Here’s photo again. Red arrow pointing to where water seemed to come from. Blue arrow pointing in direction where puddle formed.

[Mattirs]

Originally Posted by weirdstuff

Here’s photo again. Red arrow pointing to where water seemed to come from. Blue arrow pointing in direction where puddle formed.

Look to see if the connection between the toilet and the plumbing is tight. Give it a little twist to tighten it.

Also put paper out to see where the leak is coming from.

[Boog]

Have you opened the rear hatch and checked the water lines there? Could also be a leak in the abs drain line that runs through there.

[billrector]

Originally Posted by Mattirs

Look to see if the connection between the toilet and the plumbing is tight. Give it a little twist to tighten it.

Also put paper out to see where the leak is coming from.

Ah, just be careful don’t this! Instead, may I suggest you put some Teflon tape on that connection and tighten firmly but not too much. I had a leak at the toilet input and hand tightened the connection and it popped off! Had to find a dealer that could install a new one! A slightly leaking toilet is better than no toilet! Btw....mine still leaks!

[GMFL]

A leak coming from that area on a 23D will either be one of the low point drains in rear storage compartment or a leak under the shower. Either one can be inspected from the rear storage compartment. Hope and pray it’s a low point valve and not under the shower.

If it is under the shower it can be fixed without removing the shower, but you will have to remove a large section of the plumbing to repair and then replace.

[weirdstuff]

Originally Posted by GMFL

A leak coming from that area on a 23D will either be one of the low point drains in rear storage compartment or a leak under the shower. Either one can be inspected from the rear storage compartment. Hope and pray it’s a low point valve and not under the shower.

Was too dark and cold out when we discover this last night, to look. Just getting up now,and will go out and look for signs of a leak in storage compartment.

We just left home yesterday. Haven’t used shower yet. Set up at campground, went out to dinner, came back (still no puddle), turned on hot water heater...and then about 1/2 later, noticed the puddle.

So then I turned off water heater. We did stay connected to city water though. Have seen no sign of water since then. Paper towels I put down, are bone dry.

Is it possible it’s related to the water heater?

Going out to check storage compartment now....

YES...wetness in storage compartment!! Will have to take everything out of there to see what is going on. But a couple of things that are in there are wet.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by weirdstuff

Was too dark and cold out when we discover this last night, to look. Just getting up now,and will go out and look for signs of a leak in storage compartment.

We just left home yesterday. Haven’t used shower yet. Set up at campground, went out to dinner, came back (still no puddle), turned on hot water heater...and then about 1/2 later, noticed the puddle.

So then I turned off water heater. We did stay connected to city water though. Have seen no sign of water since then. Paper towels I put down, are bone dry.

Is it possible it’s related to the water heater?

Going out to check storage compartment now....

YES...wetness in storage compartment!! Will have to take everything out of there to see what is going on. But a couple of things that are in there are wet.

Could be WH low point drain. Follow the plumbing and be sure all handles are all the way in line with flow.

[weirdstuff]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Could be WH low point drain. Follow the plumbing and be sure all handles are all the way in line with flow.

And this is where?? In the water heater compartment or inside the storage compartment?

[weirdstuff]

FOUND the source. Leaking from valve on this white pipe in storage compartment. What is it and how do I fix it?!

[Glenn T]

Originally Posted by weirdstuff

FOUND the source. Leaking from valve on this white pipe in storage compartment. What is it and how do I fix it?!

That's the low-point drainage valve. It's used to drain the water out of the pipes for winter storage. It should be closed all summer.

I suggest removing it, cleaning the fittings, and then reinstalling it. One of the clamps might not be tight, or there might have been water in the valve over the winter that could have frozen and caused a hairline crack.

If the valve is cracked or damaged, it's a cheap and easy repair. If you're not near an RV store, a hardware store would probably have a valve, or even an end cap, to stop the leak until you can get a proper replacement.

[PatLee]

Something like this happened to me in my new Airstream and it turned out to a loose fitting at the city water inlet port. I accessed it through the back of my closet and spotted a slow drip from it. After that, I stopped hooking up to water at city inlet and went off the fresh water tank and pump until I got it to an AS-authorized facility to do the fix. They confirmed my diagnosis.

[weirdstuff]

Originally Posted by Glenn T

That's the low-point drainage valve. It's used to drain the water out of the pipes for winter storage. It should be closed all summer.

I suggest removing it, cleaning the fittings, and then reinstalling it. One of the clamps might not be tight, or there might have been water in the valve over the winter that could have frozen and caused a hairline crack.

If the valve is cracked or damaged, it's a cheap and easy repair. If you're not near an RV store, a hardware store would probably have a valve, or even an end cap, to stop the leak until you can get a proper replacement.

Well, no winter problems here (SoCal and Arizona)! We’ve never winterized, and valves are in off position.

The technician said that on these new units, ours is a 2018, you need a special crimping tool for fitting the pipe and valve, you cannot just use a screwdriver to replace them.

Pissed off that the local dealer here in Tucson, Lazy Days is not willing to squeeze us into their schedule. Surely a water leak while traveling must be a priority...you’d think. Thanks for nothing.

[PatLee]

I know how upsetting it is to see a puddle or rivulet of water coming out from under wherever. I figured out I could use the pump and fresh water tank by turning on water and pump and watching the pump to see if any leakage occurred. And of course if any puddling occurred doing this. It didn't, it only happened when I had city water hooked up.

[CruizinDux]

Weirdstuff just a FWIW

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542...ml#post2176203

I'm sure your access on the inside to FW services are different than our 20, but you may want to thumb tighten all connections, especially the hard to get to. I now check the FW/BW connections on a regular basis.
B

Ps, congrats on tracking down your leak. I too have felt the panic.

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by weirdstuff

First day of trip, arrived at campground, hooked up water and electric.

Just noticed big puddle of fresh water by bathroom door! It looks like it crept there from just left of the door hinge , outside the bathroom, by the ledge that’s to right of bed at bottom.

We haven’t used shower, and shower and shower head are completely dry.

What the heck could this water be from??? I’m afraid I’ll go to sleep and wake up with big puddle again!

Sorry, photo loaded sideways.

Hi weirdstuff,*

We're very sorry to learn about the leak you have. For assistance, please send us a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can share it with our Customer Service and Technical Support team. We look forward to helping you get this resolved.

You can also reach Airstream Customer Service and Technical Support at*customer_support@airstream.com*

Thank you.*

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Mattirs

Look to see if the connection between the toilet and the plumbing is tight. Give it a little twist to tighten it.

Also put paper out to see where the leak is coming from.

Yes, this.

We had a leak behind the toilet, that stopped with tightening.

Sorry for your troubles, and good luck.

Maggie

[VaTravelers]

Originally Posted by weirdstuff

Well, no winter problems here (SoCal and Arizona)! We’ve never winterized, and valves are in off position.

The technician said that on these new units, ours is a 2018, you need a special crimping tool for fitting the pipe and valve, you cannot just use a screwdriver to replace them.

Pissed off that the local dealer here in Tucson, Lazy Days is not willing to squeeze us into their schedule. Surely a water leak while traveling must be a priority...you’d think. Thanks for nothing.

Weirdstuff, Sorry to hear of your troubles, but congratulations on your troubleshooting and running to ground the source of the leak. We're fairly new to Airstreaming with our 2017 28 Serenity. Fortunately we've had no serious issues, but did take advantage of a factory visit to take care of some mods and have some minor adjustments made. One thing though is that there are a lot of things we can take care of on our trailers with a few simple tools and patience. If you can do some of your own maintenance you can avoid dealing with the dealers and all the frustrations that come with that. I have yet to take my trailer to a dealer and, knock on wood. As you experienced, this forum is an excellent source for help. I am fully confident no matter what issue we may be experiencing there is someone (most of the time lots of someones) on the forum who have experienced the same thing and have worked through it. For your leak, you can go to Home Depot or Lowes and purchase a valve that will fit and work and a couple of small clamps and you're good to go. It won't have the factory clamp - but that's ok - the old band clamps will work just fine. Good Luck and Enjoy your AS!