Fresh Water Tank Drain Valve

[pmclemore]

I'll bet a quarter the plate is not riveted. Payable at Balloon Fiesta.

Pat

[Silver Otter]

Originally Posted by Ahab

I spray mine with silicone lube.

Thanks, good idea. I'll try a spray or two and see if I can turn the remaining nub with a pliers.

[Silver Otter]

Originally Posted by pmclemore

I'll bet a quarter the plate is not riveted. Payable at Balloon Fiesta.

Pat

Quarter and a complimentary adult beverage of your choice if so . . . !

[SilverGate]

Originally Posted by Ahab

I spray mine with silicone lube.

Thanks to 2air's advice ("Fresh water drain plug sticks") I found that Molykote 316 Silicone Release Spray is helpful here and, because it is food grade, it's safe for other uses, such as on refrigerator gaskets.

More information and photos are found in the AirForums post "Sanitizing the fresh water system".

[Silver Otter]

Originally Posted by gheuer

Quarter and a complimentary adult beverage of your choice if so . . . !

Pat,
Got my head under the AS last weekend. You are correct. What appeared to be rivets are in fact pan head screws. Got the plate open, and will agonize a little more about how to get the hose disconnected from the stub on the back of the valve. One 25-cent and beverage now due and payable...[gh]

[pmclemore]

Hee heee - can't wait!

Here's what I did: Remove the clamp from the tank side, and see if you can pull the valve, hose and valve-side clamp through the hole in the frame. If you can't get it through, use a dremel cutting wheel and cut the clamp. Find a smaller clamp (pex, perhaps) and attach it to the new valve and hose, then feed the hose and clamp through the hole. Reattach the hose clamp to the tank.

Good luck.

Pat

[Silver Otter]

Originally Posted by pmclemore

Hee heee - can't wait!

Here's what I did: Remove the clamp from the tank side, and see if you can pull the valve, hose and valve-side clamp through the hole in the frame. If you can't get it through, use a dremel cutting wheel and cut the clamp. Find a smaller clamp (pex, perhaps) and attach it to the new valve and hose, then feed the hose and clamp through the hole. Reattach the hose clamp to the tank.

Good luck.

Pat

That's a good plan of attack. Heck, it's not raining UNDER the AS, so I can get to work!

[pmclemore]

It's such a pain to replace the danged thing - and it's going to break every couple of years.

Wish we could just use a zipper, or something.

Pat

[wmarsha]

I was at ft stevens st park in oregon, in jan 2010. saw a very late model 25 fb with a nice ball valve that had a flex "choke control cable" attached and it could be operated by bending over at the waist and pulling said choke cable. It seems to me to leave the original alone and then make up a "flange" that will fasten to the tank, being sure to utilize the right sized hole to match the ball valve. I would put in at least a 3/8 or 1/2 inch valve-make a little brace for it so any movement of the handle did not translate into tank side flex. I think the owner of the above trailer said it was the best $45 he ever spent. I think it'd be a bit more than that, but you'd only do it once. ol' bill oh-point is I use this drain a lot.

[Barry Lynds]

https://www.airforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=425672&stc=1&d=1669167 279

[Barry Lynds]

I picked this water valve from Home hardware

[Julie-Bob]

I use FOOD GRADE silicone lube each time I drain my tank. Just spray it up into the valve and turn the valve while spraying up into the valve.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Just me...do it once & forget about it.

Bob
🇺🇸

[jftompkins]

IF….just the failure of the handle; did this 3 min fix; ordered new valve; popped out the old valve stem and tapped in the new one w/ olive oil….for an on/off valve not used very often has worked out just fine.