Fresh H20 mystery fill

[3Ms75Argosy]

Hi all. We went out to the trailer this weekend. I hooked up to park water and flushed the water we had in the pipes out, and proceeded to play with the kids. I knew I still had antifreeze in the fresh water tank which was nearly EMPTY when I winterized, and decided I'd dump the tank just before we left.

However, when I went to empty the tank using the dump valve, it took FOREVER to empty! I'm pretty sure the tank was nearly full! Now how can that be? I thought there was a checkvalve between the pressurized supply water system and the tank. There shouldn't be a tank fill occurring when I'm hooked to the outside water supply, right?

But, thinking back on it, it would be pretty cool if I could fill my tank this way.....I wouldn't have to bother with a hose to the fill port outside.

Any problems if my check valve is NOT working.......do I have a check valve?......Where is it if I need to check it out......HOW would I check it out...
Thanks!
Marc

[Chas]

There should be a check valve on the inlet side of your demand pump. I have never checked myself but it sounds extremely logical to me. It will hold the pressure created by the pump in the system as well as keep the city water from going back into the tank.

I would like to have the fresh water fill valve and piping on my A/S, maybe the new ones do, I know my last "white box" had it and it was very convenient. Probably not hard to add it to yours or mine.

Chas

[john hd]

chas and marc

my manual sez it was an option in '92, i don't have it.

perhaps someone who does could post a pic.

sounds like it filled the fresh water tank 3/4 of the way then stopped automaticly.

john

[Chas]

Automatically stopped?

Pretty slick! Must be some sort of pressure sensing valve or maybe a simple float valve? The one I had on my "white box" just had an overflow pipe, when you saw it running over you stopped filling it!

Chas

[3Ms75Argosy]

As I was typing up the post, it did occur to me that it was strange that if the tank did fill by itself, why it didn't overfill out the fill spout in front. I'll have to look more closely when I get back to the trailer. It was hooked up to water for a good 5 hours or so. Pretty neat option, for a 1975, if it really is hooked up this way. thanks,
Marc

[schwabsters]

We have the same problem with our 2007 20' Safari. The Fresh tank fills when connected to city water. Our dealer states that a faulty AquJet pump allows the back filling. They repalaced the pump, but the condition remains with the new pump installed.
Over time the rising water in the fresh tank will actually run out the overflow.
I do not see any check vales in the system, which would certainly make sense to me! Any ideas on what is causing this or how to correct the problem would be appreciated. Thanks.

[thecatsandi]

The output check valve in the pump has failed. I had this problem with my 06. The pump failed. I was in Missoula. Bretz was no help. Two hour drive to AS of Spokane took my old one and gave me new one. I also got a check valve to put in the line after the pump. This way the pump will never see city pressure. You need a new pump and I recommend installing a check valve in the pump output line.

[thecatsandi]

Check your pump screen. You may have "crud" that is getting into the pump and keep the valves from closing.

[ScottW]

Schawbters is right. Had the same problem with a 2006 safari.. it would auto fill when attached to 'commercial' water and bleed out the overflow. Never did figure out the problem before i traded it in. Must be in the pump...that is the only common 'valve' between the two systems.
The manual states that if the local pressure is low, you can use the pump and the fresh water on board will augment the local pressure. There has to be a problem with the valve since the two systems are connected.

[2airishuman]

hi schwabsters...

welcome to the forums.

great job finding this zombie thread on your problem...

'bandit had this problem last year too and here is his thread/solution...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f443...h20-21678.html

sematics clouds the issue of what valve is inside the pump but regardless,

you need a replacement.

btw i had this problem last year too with my 2nd water pump...

now on #3...

i suggest turning OFF the shore water and just using the tank/pump until fixed.

constant backflow isn't a good thing.

cheers
2air'

[3Ms75Argosy]

Wow - a blast from my posting past! Yes, it was a bad PAR (original to the trailer) pump. A new one "deleted" this cool "feature." Luck was the only thing that kept the tank from overfilling!
Marc

[schwabsters]

Thanks to everyone for your quick replies and the welcome--glad to be here.
I guess it's off to the dealer for pump #3, and the additional check valve
certainly makes sense.
John and Anne

[ubuckster]

I have a 76' Excella 500. I have never run the water pump, because I am at a camping site with city water. I assume that since the pump is a compressor type that the inlet for fresh water should have a plug to build up pressure. Is this true or not? Also can the pump run from electric instead of or with the battery?

[CanoeStream]

Hi ubuckster -- Welcome to the Forums!

The pump pulls from the freshwater tank. It does not pressurize the freshwater tank to do this, so you don't have to block the water hookup. Any fans, the overhead lights, the fridge furnace & HW heater controls, and the water pump all run off 12 volts. Unless it was replaced with something newer, the hum you hear is the univolt converting 120V AC to 12V DC. So the pump does not run off the battery when you are plugged in -- but it still runs on 12 V DC.