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+--- Forum: Plumbing (/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+--- Thread: Flooded SOB (/showthread.php?tid=10458)
Pages: 1 2
Flooded SOB - davidbrady - 04-25-2015 12:41
This thread has been making the rounds on the forums. The owner took delivery of his brand new 2015 Newmar King Aire only to have a water connection fail 3 days after delivery. The connection under his kitchen sink unleashed gushing 50 gallons of water into his RV.
There are differing points of view represented in the long thread, but most expect Newmar to eventually step up and replace the coach.
For my entire RV history I've always relied only on my water pump for domestic water delivery. When at a CG I fill up my tank and disconnect from shore relying on my water pump. When leaving the coach I always turn off the pump and I always make certain it's off before retiring. This unfortunate event happened while driving down the road. With a wife and three kids running around we almost always have the water pump on when traveling; I'm hoping that one of my little rascals will spot trouble in this case!
RE: Flooded SOB - mpierce - 04-25-2015 12:57
That is what we do too. Fill the tank, then use the onboard pump. Turn if off when not in use.
However, if we were to become longer term residents somewhere, say a couple months at a time, it would be a LOT easier just to use the water pressure from the hookup, like one does at home.
RE: Flooded SOB - GregOConnor - 04-25-2015 14:56
I leave the pump on all the time. in my 94pt it has been on for 11 years. Most times I don't even shut it off while I am filling up. My objective is to keep air out of the lines. In the refer upgrade I just did in my LXi I installed a tee in this tube close to the ice-maker and added 3 foot of ice-maker tube to a dead end valve so I can drain this line also. The line comes out the bottom of a closet close to the refer. Incoming water regulated back to 30 psi will compress air trapped in the line to greater than 30. often over 200 psi so those inline regulators only help static pressure. I often think of installing a light to come on when the water-pump runs to warn issues, but that would involve opening up the pump to get to the pressure switch.
RE: Flooded SOB - davidbrady - 04-25-2015 17:45
Yes, but isn't it true that water hammer pressure spikes also occur in the absence of air in the line? You have a column of water rushing thru a pipe and a valve is slammed shut. It's an f=ma problem. It's because water is incompressible that the hammer is so hard. Put a column of air at the end and now we've lowered the deceleration and hence the peak pressures; we've given that bullet of water a place to go. I never worried too much about it in a motorhome because the piping branches are typically short, the static pressures low, and the water velocities are low.
Pex can handle static pressures up to 160psi and I'm sure transient pressures quite a bit higher than that, and it has a natural ability to expand so in effect it's acting as a shock absorber to water hammer.
RE: Flooded SOB - Urnie-Medie - 01-05-2021 19:46
Hopefully some one can help me a little with this repair. I just got back from a trip to Denver. On the wat back I stopped for fuel and saw I was loosing all of my water. We had planned on a nice slow trip back taking showers etc. The water was gone so needless to say we stopped at a rest area to get water for the toilet and used wet wipes. We rushed home to get a shower. I just looked for the leak and found that the two fittings behind the AquaHot (had to remove the panel) were gone where the drain lines for the hot and cold water goes thru the pan into the drain valve. Looks like the piece where the transition is made for the copper to plastic is gone. When I added water it just poured out.
Has anyone replaced this fitting? any suggestions?
Hopefully someone with a LXi can understand what I am trying to explain and help.
Thanks Urnie
RE: Flooded SOB - Arcticdude - 01-05-2021 23:01
Urnie,
Are these fittings inside the Aquahot box or on the outside of the box? I have 2 water drains behind the Aquahot box, one warm and one cold. There aren't any drains inside the Aquahot box, to my knowledge. But it has been a year or so since I was inside the box.
Any chance for a picture?
RE: Flooded SOB - Urnie-Medie - 01-06-2021 01:08
They are outside of the box - I will try to get a picture tomorrow.
Thanks
RE: Flooded SOB - Urnie-Medie - 01-06-2021 15:47
Hi
I took a couple of pictures. Really not sure how to fix. May have to re-plumb.
Open to any suggestions.
Thanks
Second Picture
RE: Flooded SOB - Arcticdude - 01-06-2021 22:37
That’s a very strange break. Did you unscrew the nuts to the right (in the picture) of the star washers? It’s just a pass through fitting for the Aquahot.
If you haven’t already, turn off the breaker to your water heater! It may be too late already. I can’t remember if the element is in fresh water or coolant. If it’s in fresh, it’s probably now bad.
You should be able to unscrew the pipes from the fittings and just replace the fittings. You shouldn’t have to go to Aquahot for them. At least Roger Berke, Rudy Leggett or John Carillo (A-H service folks) should have them, but McMaster-Carr should also have them.
I’d take a really close look at tension on those fittings from the pipes to the left (in the picture). Those fittings should never have broken.
RE: Flooded SOB - Urnie-Medie - 01-07-2021 00:46
Hi John
1- Yes I did unscrew the nuts to the right - this is a "Bulk Head" fitting
2- I hope I turned off the breaker for the hot water heater in time. Hopefully it just heats the coolant. Maybe someone can verify.
3- The broken fitting is plastic- male pipe on the end that goes into the Bulk Head Fitting - Socket - glued on the other end that attaches to plastic. Will have to cut off the broken fitting. As you can see there is very little room.
4- I am thinking that because of how tight everything is I may use pex tubing with crimp on fittings. This should make sure there is no tension on the fittings.
I am open to any suggestions.
Urnie