Tank Drain Questions

[Al and Missy]

We recently purchased a 2001 Safari 25A. We have been cleaning and organizing and now I am pulling maintenance on all the systems. Today's task was sanitization of the water system. All was well until I tried to drain the tank. The manual is less than clear on valve locations. I found two valves in the curb side wheel well. One is gray plastic with an operating lever and is mounted on a bracket at about the level of the tank bottom behind the front wheel. This valve appeared to be open as the lever was in line with the output spigot. With great difficulty (I was afraid it would break) I turned it in case I was wrong about it being open, but nothing happened. At the time, the tank was full and the pump was on. The second valve is made of brass, looks like a what I would call a petcock and appears to be coming from the bottom of the tank. At this point I noticed that the bottom of the tank was distended. When I opened the valve, water came out, obviously under pressure and the pump started running. When I turned the pump off, the flow rate decreased and the tank bottom got flat, but water continued to flow.

I don't think this is normal.

Can anyone tell me what the gray plastic valve is as it doesn't appear to be doing anything in the water system, and is the brass valve in the bottom of the tank pan the tank drain? Why would the water pump be pressurizing the tank? The plumbing diagram in the manual doesn't show any connections that would make that happen, even allowing for component failures.

I'm going to go see if the plumbing under the sink looks right, but I'm not sure I'll be able to tell.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Al

[SteveH]

The plastic valve is the fresh water tank drain, it is behind the curb side front wheel, and I believe you have to turn it so the handle faces the front of the trailer to open it. (might be the reverse)

The brass valve under the tank, there should actually be two, are the cold and hot water system drains, and are on the output side of the pump.

[Al and Missy]

There are actually two brass valves, right next to each other. Although they appear to be in the bottom of the tank, I think they are low point drains and what I think is the tank is actually the tank pan. If that is true, then the pump is not pressurizing the tank. I'm guessing that the gray plastic valve is the actual tank drain and it must be stopped up.

Reasonable?

Thanks,
Al

[SteveH]

The pump does not pressurize the tank, but pumps water out of it pressurizing the water system.

See my post #2.

[Al and Missy]

I guess I should have done a little more testing before posting. I still haven't gotten anything out of the gray valve but I turned it back rather than forward. Maybe that's why it was so hard. Hope I didn't break anything.

Al

[SteveH]

It is hard to turn. If it doesn't drain when turned toward the back, turn it toward the front. I think that's the open position.

[Al and Missy]

Sure enough, if I turn it forward, water comes out! However it takes more force than I am comfortable putting on a plastic part. I contacted JC and they suggested opening it and working it back and forth might loosen it up. No friction adjustment or way to lube it.

According to them, the valve has a hose on the back side and replacement involves cutting a hole in the pan to get at the screw on the hose clamp, replacing the valve, and then covering up the hole. Sounds like a job for JC. I'd probably cut a hole in the tank.

Thanks for your help.

Al

[dznf0g]

Food grade silicone spray will loosen up the valve.