Check valve question

[DiHrdBowTi]

Just purchased a 73 Tradewind from a close family friend. It has been sitting for several years and some issues. As I am going through this I am making my list of fixes, replacements, etc. One of these came about as I was getting the fresh water system working. The fuse to the pump was blown, replaced it and voila the pumps comes to life. Then the kitchen faucet starts leaking. The internal pieces were cracked. Replaced faucet. Everything appears to be good. not seeing any more leaks inside. yet.. The pump looks relatively new and doesn't shut off but I haven't tracked down the pressure switch (if there is one). That will be next.

My question goes to the city water hookup. As soon as I got pressure in the system I got a leak at the hookup location. When I looked at it, it appears that it's only a piece of pipe and not a check valve/backflow preventer with a cap on the end. I tightened the cap and it stopped. Shouldn't there be a check valve there? I did find in a box in the trailer what looks like a used/broken check valve. Can I run to the box store and replace it or are these RV/TT specific?

BTW I have spent more time in this forum over the past two weeks than anywhere else on the internet. THANK YOU for making my life easier.

[Farmer Dan]

My '89 Excella has a check valve built into the city water hookup. It is an RV part as it goes through the left rear corner outer wall of the trailer. It's kind of a flush mount assembly. I don't know what your rig may have had, but probably something other than what the pic shows now.

Dan

[HiJoeSilver]

Chances are there is s pressure regulator buried in the back rear street side corner. That pipe goes over then up through the floor then to a pressure regulator. Probably hidden behind bath cabinets/components. If you look back there either from the bath side or through rear access door you'll probably see it. It should have a check valve either right next to it or actually incorporated within it. A check valve won't stop a leak because the hose isn't tight.
To test this, run your water pump without the cap on the city water inlet. If water comes out of the uncapped city water inlet then there is no check valve or the regulator is not stopping back flow.
Easy solution is just cap the connection when you are using the water pump.
Seeing the regulator is one thing, getting to it is another. If you really want a check valve you can screw one right to the end of your city water inlet. You'll have to find one that has 3/4" hose threads which isn't easy. Hose threads are different than pipe thread. Another option, that should be 1/2" copper pipe. You can sweat a 1/2" hose spigot valve to the pipe. Let's you open and close the inlet and it has hose threads on it. Keep a cap on the connection when not in use to keep dirt out. BIg orange and big blue usually have brass hose caps that screw on to cover the hose end or boiler drain ends.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-and-...A3EB/205812079

[DiHrdBowTi]

Thats is what happens with the tank when I cycle the pump. The cap on the end wasn't on tight. I was able to tighten it and it doesn't leak.

I can see where the pipe comes in and it looks like there could have been something there but now it appears as if it's a way to connect the two pieces of copper together.

[DiHrdBowTi]

I did find the old check valve in a box of parts. It's about the size of all the adapters in the previous picture.
I'll look for something to either put inline where it's supposed to be or at the end of the line until I feel small enough to crawl under the cabinet.

Wonder if I can get my grandaughter under that cabinet with a couple of wrenches..

Thanks for your help

[HiJoeSilver]

The thing in the middle of that contraption could be an inline check valve. Could also just be a short piece of pipe. Try the run the pump with nothing connected to city water inlet to see if water comes out to see if it's a check valve. It may have an arrow on it somewhere if you can find that then it's going to be a check valve with the arrow pointing in the direction of flow.
Looks like they took out the regulator that would have been there.

[TG Twinkie]

The last 2 pics are of a check valve which looks bad. The PO. probably removed it and replaced it with a coupling and pipe nipples.
Simple solution is to cap the water inlet. It also keeps dirt and bugs out.

[Jammer]

It appears to me that you have a check valve as the middle component in the stack of fittings between the two pieces of copper tubing. It's probably stuck open, or at least leaking badly. It is common for them to fail.

You can replace it, or not, as you see fit. The current approach in the RV world is to integrate the check valve and pressure regulator into the freshwater inlet fitting, but you can still get parts to do it the way you're doing it.