Fresh Water Leak

[Ed in Montana]

This is one of those dumb things I should have known about, but had no clue. Late last fall, the fresh water pump started cycling everey two or three minutes. I couldn't figure it out, and it was the end of the season, so I just turned the pump off after using the sink.

This spring, the SMB started to get a slow fresh water leak from the area under the sink but below the living area on the driver's side here, right at the city water connection.



Taking a look underneath the connection, it appears to be coming from the pressure reducing valve here:



Sure enough, this hairline crack on the pressure valve housing was causing the leak and the pump to cycle every few minutes.



The dumb part about this, is that I never realized that you can drain the freshwater system from the small valve beneath the pressure reducing valve here.



I have always drained the fresh water tank from the valve under the bench seat in the EB-50, which does not apparently drain all the water from the lowest points in the fresh water system. I almost never use the city water connection, so I hadn't seen that valve beneath it. Low and behold, that valve is described in the Sportsmobile Owners Manual, but I had not studied the plumbing diagram close enough in previous years.

It looks like the pressure relief valve froze in a sudden frost early last September, which caused the crack.

The question is, has anyone else had this problem, and had to replace the ShurPro pressure reducing valve? I can't believe I didn't notice this drain valve before and that it took three Montana winters before it froze and cracked from a little residual water in the system.

[geoffff]

I just had the very same thing happen to me this winter:

Originally Posted by geoffff

We were out in the van for an overnighter recently, and we noticed that the water pump wouldn't shut off when water switch was on. The next morning, we found a big puddle outside -- and a big spraying leak from the water inlet (pressure reducing valve).

There's a big crack in the plastic. Perhaps another casualty of winter freezing?

The part is a "Shurflo Water Pressure Reducing Valve", model 183-020-04 (50 PSI). My local RV shop doesn't have a exact replacement, but sells 183-029-18 (65 PSI) which looks like it'll fit.



-- Geoff

-- Geoff

[jage]

My input is more for future searcher with a water issue, the exact same symptoms happened to me twice (pump constantly cycling) and both times it was that the grey shut off inside the van had frozen enough to no longer seal- once "winterized" and once while camping with water. Since the water was leaking into the tank it was hard to determine where the problem was.

[dabeloe1]

We had a very similar leak in our Sprinter as shown in Geoffs photo. The leak occured earlier this spring during our first year of ownership. The plastic area near the threads looked old, wrinkled and weathered and I would have thought a leak caused by freezing would have created a cleaner crack in the plastic? SMB-Fresno replaced the unit while I had other warranty work completed.

[Ed in Montana]

Thanks dabeloe1 for the note. I finally got the local RV shop to order a similar pressure reducing valve after four days of them fussing about it. I tried ordering one from Shurflo on the web, but they will only sell to dealers.

It should be here around July 1st and it should be simple enough to install myself, since the RV place is booked for weeks for repairs. I hate simple stuff like this that takes forever!

[Greggd]

Ed ,
It never hurts to have an exterior water pressure regulator in line prior to attaching your city water hookup on your Sportsmobile or any other RV . Years ago while managing Winnabago's western service center , we found that the single biggest cause of water leakage problems was from excessive city water pressures at home while filling up for a trip or at the hookups in some campgrounds . These regulators can be purchased from any reputable RV supplier and are $25.00 or less .
Greggde

[winvest]

Referring to the picture of the low point drain valve that Greggde posted, has anyone had to replace one of these valves? The little handle used to open and close them have fallen off of two of my drain valves. I've been using vice grips to turn them until I figure out a replacement.

[jage]

That whole drain valve fell out of my van... my test drive was actually to the hardware store where the PO replaced it. I don't know about the valve handle, except to make sure the replacement valve has a heavier duty one that is tight.

[Ed in Montana]

Good point about the external pressure regulator Greggde. Actually our leak started at the end of last summer, which was the first summer where we used the outside front garden faucet to fill up the freshwater tank, rather than to drag 3 gallon plastic tanks out to refill inside the van.

The extra water pressure could have cracked the internal pressure valve.

[winvest]

Jage - Did you have the special tool to remove the collars on the valves, or did you use a sharkbite? I remember from an earlier post that those tools are expensive, but sharkbites are a good replacement.