BB Flood-Could Have Been Much Worse-"FIRE"

[Tom Warner]

Leroy with the PEX tubing and heat tapes at 120VAC I would be more
worried about someone getting electrocuted if ever it shorts and
melts thru the tubing and hits the water. Not a good idea unless
everything is connected to a ground fault breaker. Is it?

tom warner
vernon center,ny
1985 PT 40

At 10:12 PM 4/30/2007, you wrote:
>I donno, yet to be determined. In my case when I find out they will
>never be plugged in again. My greatest fear in a bus is fire.
>
>Leroy Eckert
>1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>Niceville, FL
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bob Lawrence
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 8:14 PM
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: BB Flood-Could Have Been Much Worse-"FIRE"
>
>
> Soo,
> Where do the heat tapes plug in or are the hard wired?
> Bob Lawrence
> 84 PT 36
> Tacoma, Wa.
> >
> > Leroy,
> >
> > Thank god you found the problem like you did & not after it started
> a
> > fire. I had one of those old heat tapes short out & actually burn
> the
> > plug connector completely off a heat tape in my coach last winter.
> > Ernie Ekberg told me he had had the same type of experience too
> with his
> > PT40.
> >
> > Good plan for everyone with one of these coaches is to check all of
> the
> > heat tapes on their coach & replace any that look marginal.
> >
> > Myself, I am replacing all of mine. They are all original & after
> 25
> > years, they are bound to be just waiting to bite me.
> >
> > Terry Neal
> > Bozeman, MT
> > 82PT40 6V92TA
> > 74FC34 6V53T
> >
> >
> >
> > smquandt wrote:
> >
> > > Leroy
> > >
> > > I have my drawings at home tonight; the only thing that is shown
> on
> > > mine is
> > > what pipes are heated. The manufacturer is listed as Easyheat,
> web site is
> > > http://www.easyheat.com/ <http://www.easyheat.com/> My guess is a
> bad
> > > thermostat on the tape. Glad no
> > > worse than it was. If you want I can scan the drawings at work
> > > tomorrow and
> > > send them to you.
> > >
> > > Steve Quandt
> > >
> > > 1993 PT 40
> > >
> > > Iron Mountain, MI
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > >
> > > [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > > ] On Behalf Of
> jwasnewski
> > > Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 6:30 PM
> > > To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > >
> > > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] BB Flood-Could Have Been Much Worse-
> "FIRE"
> > >
> > > For some time now I have listened to G. O'Conner's Cause and
> Affect
> > > theories, have agreed with them because it is how I think. Every
> > > problem has a specific cause. Here is mine. I am a very happy
> > > camper today because it could have been much worse with the
> family in
> > > the bus.
> > >
> > > Pulling into Talladega Superspeedway staging center about 8PM
> > > Thursday evening I smelled a heavy rubber or plastic smell. I
> > > checked out all the systems and everything was normal. So I passed
> > > the smell off to the numerous campfires at the Superspeedway. Who
> > > could have known?
> > >
> > > I asked the wife to turn on the waterheater to get the grandkids a
> > > bath while waiting to get into the infield. Genset running
> everything
> > > A OK. I go outside to talk with people milling around while the
> kids
> > > take their shower. It is dark thirty and a cold beer will do
> after a
> > > 5 hour drive. Then I hear what sounds like rain. The guy next door
> > > says it's your a/c. I think it sounds like a flood. In fact water
> > > was running out of all the the bays onto the ground. I ran inside,
> > > shut off the water pump thinking that either a line broke at the
> pump
> > > or the water heater failed. When I walked on the bedroom carpet it
> > > was hot water. I looked at the water heater, an that ain't easy in
> > > the dark an nothing. Pulled up the mattress and the bottom was
> > > soaked about half way across. My hearing is not good so I asked
> the
> > > Grandson to come back and listen.. Turned on the water pump and
> found
> > > where the leak was, then took out the night stand, pulled the
> carpet
> > > and found the problem.
> > >
> > > Winter protection strips. I do not know what else these wires
> could
> > > be. Maybe there are other names, heat tape etc. but true to form
> in
> > > my Royale conversion these things are not on my drawings, didn't
> > > think I had any because of the Wabasto Hydronic heat but I do.
> Only
> > > from the water pump to the water heater(I hope) encased in the
> > > insulation that surrounds the Pex tubing. They are 1/4 in width,
> > > copper or brass mesh with two wires inside of that. They have a
> > > vulcanized grey tip(I cut one apart)where the two wires are
> > > connected. Inside of the two 16 gauge wires are a white fiber
> > > substance circular wrapped with hair sized copper wiring similar
> to
> > > what one would have seen in an early 50's toaster except smaller.
> > > One or more of these wired failed for reasons unknown and fried a
> two
> > > inch long portion of the Pex tubing with water in it. There was
> > > evidence this had occurred before because one of the strips was
> > > stuck to and had imprinted the Pex tubing all along where I
> > > inspected. As well another wire had been capped off and a patch
> had
> > > been installed in the Pex. I have cut the remaining wires in half
> so
> > > this cannot happen again. When I get time I will trace them to the
> > > source and see how they are hooked up.
> > >
> > > I wonder this? Why did the fuse system fail?
> > > Why did the system operate at 87 degrees F OAT?
> > >
> > > I know this is windy but had to be detailed. I am convinced this
> > > event could have been very serious, burning the bus down and/or
> loss
> > > of life if it occurred at a different time.
> > >
> > > There will never be another heat strip in my bus under any
> > > circumstance.
> > >
> > > I will post pictures of the damaged parts when I get them
> developed.
> > >
> > > Leroy Eckert
> > > 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> > > Niceville, FL
> > > Got the water pipe hooked up with a little help from the good
> friends
> > > at Talladega. I'll repair it later.
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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