Disaster Averted

[KelloggKid]

Reading this forum on a regular basis just prevented a disaster for us.

Most of our camping is boon docking so we seldom have the benefit of full hookups. That coupled with the fact that we just made our first trip of the season I guess I can claim I was just rusty rather than totally stupid.

We pulled into our site late Thursday afternoon, hooked up to city water and shore power. The next morning I kneeled in front of the shower and washed my hair. I left the shower head laying in the bottom of the shower, turned off at the head but not at the faucet. As most of you know the shower head is designed to continue to drip a little even when turned off. We left the trailer mid-morning and didn't return until dinner time.

A few days previous, someone posted on the forum that one should never leave their trailer unattended on city water so as we left I turned the supply spigot off. When we returned at dinner time I turned it back on. After dinner my wife noticed water backing up in the floor of the shower. The slowly dripping shower head had filled up the grey tank and because it was laying on the floor of the shower we didn't hear any dripping. Had I not shut the spigot off when we left that morning we would have returned hours later to a totally flooded trailer.

Many thanks to the individual who posted that sage advice. I've always been careful about turning off the pump when leaving but probably wouldn't have thought to turn off the city water had I not seen that posting.

[GCinSC2]

Title says it well.

I turn my water off too.

[Caffeinated]

Having a interior water line fail on my previous sob, while away from the trailer for a day, informed me that turning off the exterior water supply is a very good practise.

Mike

[Bob Blarney]

We always need to remember that an A/S is not a house (and in its way, that's a good thing!).

[Gallego]

Advised taken

[Adventure.AS]

I agree shutting off the water to the trailer is a good idea. I use a shut off valve between the hose and the city water connection. It is easier/quicker than turning the water off at the campground spigot.

[Hans627]

Thanks for your post as it is a great reminder.

You mentioned the shower head is designed to drip even when turned off at the head. I was not aware that this is a design feature. I was actually thinking I should replace the head believing it was defective. Just curious why is is designed to drip?

Thanks!

[n2916s]

Keeps you from being scalded or frozen when you turn the water back on.

[AtomicNo13]

The dripping or draining is a function of a vacuum breaker. It will not stop fresh water, rather only the residual water in the hose.

[StuartsDad]

Another thank you to the turning off city water author. We were out with our AS last week and it was the first time I remembered to turn it off every day we left. I have never had a problem and don't want to. Now, if I can just remember to turn it back on upon return before I hear "Hey, you forgot to turn the water on". I need to come up with a simple reminder gimmick.

[OTRA15]

Turning off the city water while you sleep is also a good idea, because pipes and fittings can fail in the middle of the night too. How was this discovered? When I got up to use the bathroom during the night, and was shocked to be standing on a very drenched and cold carpet!



Sure, the pump noise in the middle of the night, for flushing, might be annoying. Better than days and days of trying to dry out a soaking wet trailer though IMO.

Peter

[n2916s]

I pretty much run off the tank all the time. Yeah, I have to fill my fresh water tank every other day but it kind of "idiot proofs" the water system. The shower and sink faucets are always the same pressure and I never have stale water in my FW tank.

It is actually helpful when you are on two way -- I use less water so my grey and black tanks don't fill as fast.

Weird but it works for me.