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whitegs · 10-18-2016, 01:38 PM

How do you get to the fresh water pump to clear it out?

Nuvite-F · 10-18-2016, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitegs

I have done the same with my previous motor home with no problem. I plan on doing so this year with my new FC28. But I notice they put a water filter under the sink. Do I have to remove this and replace it with the clear plastic line or can I leave it in place when i blow out the lines?

Good point. I forgot to mention the water filter. I remove the cartridge and leave it upside down in the sink to drain the water out of it. After the rest of the lines have been blown out there's not much water in the lines to and from the water filter--I just let it drain out under the sink. Maybe put down a couple of paper towels to catch it.

whitegs · 10-18-2016, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuvite-F

Good point. I forgot to mention the water filter. I remove the cartridge and leave it upside down in the sink to drain the water out of it. After the rest of the lines have been blown out there's not much water in the lines to and from the water filter--I just let it drain out under the sink. Maybe put down a couple of paper towels to catch it.

What about the fresh water pump? I have no idea how to get to it or what to do with it if and when I find it. Do you bother with it?

OTRA15 · 10-19-2016, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitegs

What about the fresh water pump? I have no idea how to get to it or what to do with it if and when I find it. Do you bother with it?

See reply in your other thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f516...in-158450.html

Cheers,

Peter

dwightdi · 10-19-2016, 06:33 AM

You need to get the water out of the pump and the filter between the pump and the fresh water tank. Otherwise, it will freeze and cause a replacement charge in the spring. Drain the fresh water tank completely and run the pump. When it is completely dry, use the low point drains. Then put some antifreeze in the fresh water tank to treat the residual water that may be in the tank due to the trailer being out of level. I disconnect the inlet to the water pump and put it in a gallon of antifreeze and let the pump fill the lines (belt and suspenders). Then I use the low point drains again and put antifreeze in the traps and discharge tanks, after I have drained them.

cajohnson · 10-23-2016, 05:42 PM

Alright...everything blown out. Went fine. Went to pump antifreeze into the lines and the water pump won't come on. The light on the systems panel comes on so I know there's power. I did use the pump to force the last of the water out of the fresh water tank drains and the low systems drains but didn't run it any longer than I have in the past. The pump never smelled overheated or felt warm and it isn't running but not pumping water like the one in my truck camper would do when it needed priming.

Suggestions.

Adiredneck · 10-24-2016, 07:23 PM

You are in cold country, so I would go the "belt and suspenders" method. I'm in Mississippi, and I do as well, because a busted pipe or drain will soak the flooring and insulation, black mold comes next - and you can pretty much throw the dang trailer out.

To answer your first question, I'm guessing that if your Craftsman has a 20+ gallon tank, it has a cast iron cylinder pump with oil. A quick modification will make it water-system safe by adding a couple of filters. Your first inline filter is a "particulate" filter, followed by a "coalescing" filter. (My son-in-law the engineer explained what each does and how it does it, I just followed his advice - since he does this sort of thing for a living...

)
Anyway, a couple of filters and a couple of nipples and you are good to go. I've attached picture of my mods. Incidentally, using the big compressor with large tank works better than a smaller, oil-less compressor because you want more volume than pressure (I set my pressure @ 50 - 60 psi, same as normal water pressure) and just open each tap and let it run for a few minutes until all water is blown out. I carry a small, 12V VitalAire oil-less compressor with me when we travel to top off the tires, etc. - but I don't think it would do a good job on blowing out the plumbing.

I also bought on of those Camco bypass valves that I installed before the water pump. After I've blown the pipes as dry as I can get them, I use a siphon hose attached to the bypass to stick into the gallon jugs of anti-freeze and turn on the taps - the anti-freeze then flows through the pump (winterizing it), through the pipes/taps and into the drains. Overkill? You betcha!

But I won't have to throw away my Airstream next summer because it was devoured by mold and fungus!

Tim

Adiredneck · 10-24-2016, 07:40 PM

Whitegs - the ionic filter under for your drinking water needs to be replaced each season (as well as the battery that comes with it), so just twist it out before running the anti-freeze through the system and it will automatically bypass if the filter is out. When you replace with new filter in the spring, clean out all of the anti-freeze from the plumbing thoroughly before installing new ion filter. Then, per instructions, run fresh water through the filter for about 20 minutes so that it cleans out the charcoal and lets it do its positive/negative ion thingy...

slowmover · 10-24-2016, 08:21 PM

Nice, Adiredneck.

1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

SSquared · 10-24-2016, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajohnson

Alright...everything blown out. Went fine. Went to pump antifreeze into the lines and the water pump won't come on. The light on the systems panel comes on so I know there's power. I did use the pump to force the last of the water out of the fresh water tank drains and the low systems drains but didn't run it any longer than I have in the past. The pump never smelled overheated or felt warm and it isn't running but not pumping water like the one in my truck camper would do when it needed priming.

Suggestions.

This is a real stretch, but it did happen to me this year, maybe your problem is similar....

This is my fourth time winterizing the trailer, I have done the same procedure each time. I do both air and antifreeze. I blow out the lines with a 7.5 gallon compressor, adjusted to about 40 PSI. Then I detach the input to the strainer that is on the pump, and attach 4 feet of hose. The other hose end goes in a gallon of pink stuff. Open the kitchen faucet to cold, turn on pump, watch for pink, run sprayer, and so on.

But this time, when I turned on the pump, it just ran for a few seconds, pulling about a pint of antifreeze. Then it quit. I checked fuses (the pump has one on it's own power wire, and of course there's another fuse in the electrical panel). I got out my voltmeter and made sure the pump had 12V. Tore many hairs out. Calmed down and ate dinner. Came back and unscrewed the aerator on the kitchen faucet. Found a huge pile of calcite crystals. Cleaned it up, reinstalled it, then everything went as it should.

I also checked the aerator on the bathroom faucet. No calcite.

We spent three months at a hard water location last winter. When we realized we were getting calcium build-up, we gave water system a vinegar soak, flushed the water heater, and then installed a water softener. So I'm not surprised that I had some calcite in the system, but I didn't expect this problem. Apparently the action of the air pushed the crystals to the faucet in a way that just running the water does not.

The next day, I flushed the water heater again (with a plastic Camco flush wand), and got a bunch more calcite.

Bgibbs · 10-24-2016, 09:02 PM

I would recommend draining the moisture and any oil out of the tank before using it to winterize.

cajohnson · 10-26-2016, 04:11 PM

SSquared...
That didn't turn out to be the problem but it did, in fact, turn out to be the solution. Unlike your situation with the calcite, the pump didn't come on at all. So I opened the fitting on the outflowing side of the pump and PSSSSSSSSSSSSSST. The line was completely full of pressure. I let it come back down to normal and was able to pump antifreeze into the lines. For the life of me I can't figure out why the pressure didn't release when I opened faucets. Any ideas?
Anyway, thanks. I'm still confused but at least I'm winterized and confused.

SSquared · 10-27-2016, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajohnson

SSquared...
That didn't turn out to be the problem but it did, in fact, turn out to be the solution. Unlike your situation with the calcite, the pump didn't come on at all. So I opened the fitting on the outflowing side of the pump and PSSSSSSSSSSSSSST. The line was completely full of pressure. I let it come back down to normal and was able to pump antifreeze into the lines. For the life of me I can't figure out why the pressure didn't release when I opened faucets. Any ideas?
Anyway, thanks. I'm still confused but at least I'm winterized and confused.

I'm glad you got the winterizing done. Still a headscratcher.

I have two theories. The first came from some googling around when I had my problem. There was a discussion of kitchen faucet problems on a radio controlled model aircraft forum. Apparently the faucet diverter valve can get stuck. That's what controls whether the water comes out the faucet or the sprayer. Maybe it was jammed to the diverter side by the air pressure, and reset when you relieved that pressure.

The other theory is a chunk of debris in your water lines someplace that got jammed in a junction by the pressure, and moved when you released the air pressure. So it is still in there, waiting for another day....

My lesson from these experiences is, if you don't get water when you should, check one or all of the other faucets/toilet/etc.