fresh water tank drain problems

[bertro]

hello all,
Well its been a long time since I have posted. I have been lurking though. I have been having problems draining the water tank. tried everything and the only way to get it drained is to turn the pump on for a few minutes here and there. Is there a screen at the tank in line before the filter.
other than knocking sound when the a/c compressor kicks off everything in the 71 safari has been good.
Thanks all
Robert

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by bertro

I have been having problems draining the water tank. tried everything and the only way to get it drained is to turn the pump on for a few minutes here and there. Is there a screen at the tank in line before the filter.

I'm confused. You said draining the water tank. That refers to opening the drain valve on the bottom of the tank, which shouldn't require the pump to be on at all.

If you mean using the fresh water tank, then of course you need to have the pump on, but you'll never be able to use every drop of water in the tank; at some point the pump will start sucking air when the amount of water left in the tank is too low to completely cover the pump inlet opening.

Unless you mean something completely different and I'm missing your meaning…

But to answer your immediate question, there is not a screen that I know of. There should be a check valve, though, to keep water from back-flowing through the pump and into the tank when you're hooked up to municipal water. The check valve may be built into the pump.

[bertro]

no im trying to drain the fresh water tank. I open drain valve and vent with valve on hot water tank and only hot water tank seems to drain. have tried all valve options. can only pump it out drain valve with pump to empty it

[Minno]

Sounds like the drain hose is clogged. Ours was when we picked up our trailer 6 years ago. A small stick pushed up into the drain hose under the trailer started the water flowing.

[Cannonball]

Rather than a stick, which might break, i would suggest a piece of old coax cable, if it will fit in the drain hole on the drain valve. You can also try opening the faucets in the trailer when draining to help vent.

[Belegedhel]

Well...if your '71 is plumbed like my '73, the issue with the fresh water tank is that there is no drain valve that directly drains the tank from the lowest point, plus the tank has a wonky shape on the end that the fee lines come from, so it is easy to trap water in there. They try to get the feed lines as low as possible, but there will always be 1/2" or water or so left in the tank.

I decided to cut a 6" hole in the top surface of my tank and create a "clean-out" port that I will be able to stick a wet-vac into the completely empty/clean the tank. This was part of a complete refurb, but doesn't have to be.

Good luck!

[MittenKitten]

I'm hoping someone on this thread can help me. I have a 1965 AS Safari and I'm trying to drain the front fresh water tank, but I can't even see where the drain valve is. I've literally taken 2 days trying to figure this one out to winterize the thing. In the original owner's manual it shows a drain valve at the front, but there isn't one on this trailer.
Any advice as to how I should drain that?
I've emptied the sinks, shower and toilet already.
I thought it was all empty until I poured the Anti-freeze into the front intake and found it only took about 1/2 gallon.
Thanks...

[Farmer Dan]

Robert,
My '02 had a kink in the small hose between the FW tank and the drain valve. I replaced the hose with the proper length and solved the problem. I was able to find the kinked hose by removing the metal inspection cover on the bottom near the drain valve.

Dan

[Minno]

MittenKitten, you could probably drain your fresh water tank by pumping it dry, just run your water at a sink until the pump is sucking air. At least, then you're assured that most of the water is out. We also pull our low point drains after that is done, to get the most water out, and have started to blow our lines with an air compressor before we put antifreeze in. Yes, we do both. Something about all that plumbing work buried in the trailer we DON'T want to redo!
Good Luck!


Kay