Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-06-2017, 01:03 PM   #1
2 Rivet Member
 
Racheli's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
Casper , Wyoming
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
Winterizing problem

Does anyone know if improper winterizing would cause the sink faucet, toilet pipe and showerhead nozzle to leak? While dewinterizing and filling with water, we noticed the leak on the faucet. There were rags around the sink from the RV place that we had do the winterizing so they knew the sink was leaking and didn't even tell us. They fixed the toilet leak, which we find out about on our first trip out, we replaced the faucet because we were already leaving for the trip. Just noticed the shower. Very irritated. Also we didn't get it winterized until November but everything was empty and dry and really no freezing weather yet. I'm wondering if when they blew the pipes out something wasn't open. The kitchen faucet is fine. Thanks for any information anyone has!
Racheli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 01:58 PM   #2
Half a Rivet Short
 
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle , Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,674
Hi

If you have water in a fixture or pipe *and* it happens to freeze hard .... sure, whatever it is may crack. PEX tubing is unlikely to crack. Fittings and faucets do indeed crack on occasion.

Even a quick dip to freezing temps *can* hit a pipe. In general you need to have it get cold for many hours to freeze internal pipes.

Bob
uncle_bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 02:20 PM   #3
2 Rivet Member
 
Racheli's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
Casper , Wyoming
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle_bob View Post
Hi

If you have water in a fixture or pipe *and* it happens to freeze hard .... sure, whatever it is may crack. PEX tubing is unlikely to crack. Fittings and faucets do indeed crack on occasion.

Even a quick dip to freezing temps *can* hit a pipe. In general you need to have it get cold for many hours to freeze internal pipes.

Bob


Thank you! I'm just trying to figure out if it froze before we got it winterized and if so why the RV dealer didn't tell us the sink was leaking. I'm thinking they blew it out improperly which caused the fittings to break.
Racheli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 02:28 PM   #4
Rivet Master
 
lsbrodsky's Avatar
 
2012 25' FB International
Trent Woods , North Carolina
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,120
Your thought is possible but it would take a lot of overpressure for those fixtures to spring a leak. AS uses household stuff and that can easily handle more than 60 psi; I would have expected other leaks if that were the case. Exactly where are/were the leaks? Are there cracks in the fixtures? The frozen pipe idea sounds better. The weak spot in the toilet is the water flush valve on the side. It is sort of V shaped and traps water, then breaks when frozen. RV service guys replace a lot of these. If that was your toilet leak then freezing was probably the cause.

Larry
lsbrodsky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 02:33 PM   #5
Half a Rivet Short
 
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle , Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,674
Hi

It is not at all uncommon to find residential plumbing sitting at 120 pounds of pressure. Yes, that's way over what it should be. Based on my experiences with PEX, I'd bet it would separate sooner that you would see a random leak. A compressor used for blowing out lines is unlikely to deliver more than 40 pounds or so.

Bob
uncle_bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 02:39 PM   #6
3 Rivet Member
 
2016 28' International
2015 28' International
2013 28' International
Las Vegas , Nevada
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 234
Sorry to hear that you had to experience this! When these babies freeze, the toilet valve has a burst protection feature that will usually absorb all of the pressure and not rupture, but will not work thereafter. The Moen kitchen Faucet and shower valve will both crack the internal valve assembly making it seem that you can't turn the water off when pressurized, the shower will drip endlessly and may fill up your grey waste tank. Here is the repair kit for both kitchen faucet and shower:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00084R948...a-277855166132
Also the head of the water pump may leak after a hard freeze, so check that as well.
All this can happen even at 32 degrees, it doesn't take long either.
Good Luck!
vintagemotor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 03:28 PM   #7
Rivet Master
 
lsbrodsky's Avatar
 
2012 25' FB International
Trent Woods , North Carolina
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,120
Don't forget the housing for the inlet filter on the water pump; it cracks, too. Ask me how I know.

Larry
lsbrodsky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 03:31 PM   #8
3 Rivet Member
 
2016 28' International
2015 28' International
2013 28' International
Las Vegas , Nevada
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 234
Quote:
Originally Posted by lsbrodsky View Post
Don't forget the housing for the inlet filter on the water pump; it cracks, too. Ask me how I know.

Larry
Thanks! I forgot that one, and "How do you know!!"
vintagemotor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 05:57 PM   #9
2 Rivet Member
 
Racheli's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
Casper , Wyoming
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by lsbrodsky View Post
Your thought is possible but it would take a lot of overpressure for those fixtures to spring a leak. AS uses household stuff and that can easily handle more than 60 psi; I would have expected other leaks if that were the case. Exactly where are/were the leaks? Are there cracks in the fixtures? The frozen pipe idea sounds better. The weak spot in the toilet is the water flush valve on the side. It is sort of V shaped and traps water, then breaks when frozen. RV service guys replace a lot of these. If that was your toilet leak then freezing was probably the cause.



Larry


Thanks for the reply! The bathroom faucet, the toilet and the shower head were leaking. Hopefully that's it. The water pump is working fine (as far as we know)x The dealer fixed the toilet leak, we put a new bathroom faucet in and I just found out about the shower head. That will be the next repair! I just wish the RV place that winterized it would've let us know about the bathroom faucet leak. There were rags around it so they new if had a leak before winterizing.
So I guess it must have froze...
Thanks!
Racheli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 06:03 PM   #10
2 Rivet Member
 
Racheli's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
Casper , Wyoming
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle_bob View Post
Hi

It is not at all uncommon to find residential plumbing sitting at 120 pounds of pressure. Yes, that's way over what it should be. Based on my experiences with PEX, I'd bet it would separate sooner that you would see a random leak. A compressor used for blowing out lines is unlikely to deliver more than 40 pounds or so.

Bob


Thanks! It must have froze then.. hopefully we don't find anymore leaks..
Racheli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 06:07 PM   #11
2 Rivet Member
 
Racheli's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
Casper , Wyoming
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by vintagemotor View Post
Sorry to hear that you had to experience this! When these babies freeze, the toilet valve has a burst protection feature that will usually absorb all of the pressure and not rupture, but will not work thereafter. The Moen kitchen Faucet and shower valve will both crack the internal valve assembly making it seem that you can't turn the water off when pressurized, the shower will drip endlessly and may fill up your grey waste tank. Here is the repair kit for both kitchen faucet and shower:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00084R948...a-277855166132

Also the head of the water pump may leak after a hard freeze, so check that as well.

All this can happen even at 32 degrees, it doesn't take long either.

Good Luck!


Thank you so much! I was afraid we'd have to get a whole new showerhead! Luckily the kitchen faucet is okay. Do you know if there is a repair kit for the bathroom faucet? We already replaced it but I like the original faucet much better. It's a Grohe but internal Moen.
Thanks again!
Racheli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 06:12 PM   #12
Half a Rivet Short
 
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle , Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,674
Hi

A few things to check if there was a freeze:

Back flow valve on the water pump ( = fresh water tank fills when on city water).

Fresh water input line and city water input line. (They leak ... don't ask how I know about this one ....)


Bob
uncle_bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2017, 07:08 PM   #13
2 Rivet Member
 
Racheli's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
Casper , Wyoming
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle_bob View Post
Hi

A few things to check if there was a freeze:

Back flow valve on the water pump ( = fresh water tank fills when on city water).

Fresh water input line and city water input line. (They leak ... don't ask how I know about this one ....)


Bob


Thank you! We'll be sure to check!
Racheli is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Problem with de-winterizing Pearl54FC On The Road... 29 04-14-2016 03:37 AM
Winterizing Problem Larry49684 Winterizing, Storage, Carports & Covers 11 01-02-2016 10:56 PM
Condensation problem...big problem MonaxLisa General Repair Forum 16 10-31-2010 10:00 PM
de-winterizing problem Theo Winterizing, Storage, Carports & Covers 5 03-06-2004 04:50 PM
Battery problem or converter problem Paul Daugherty Airstream Motorhome Forums 31 07-01-2003 06:16 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.