City Water fill leaks into fresh water tank

ravenbuck · 11-19-2010, 09:10 PM

I think I am having a senior moment. While parked and hooked up to city water our fresh water tank is also being filled and overflowing. Called Winnie and they say the only way for water to get in to the fresh tank is thru the fill/normal valve. I have played with it for over a week and the valve appears to work normal and feels like it is getting the full throw of the valve, but over a period of 2-3 hours The fresh tank refills with about 20 gallons. I finally replaced the valve today. The old valve looks ok but looking down the inlet the ball is not fully opened. So I figure it was the culprit. But it has been 2.5 hours on the new valve and the fresh water tank is full again. I just drained it down to the 1/3 light for the night and will see what happens overnight. Is it possible I have hit another valve open or there is a hidden valve I don't know about?
Hand in hand with this when I turn the water off at the spigot and try and use the pump I am not getting water. The pump is running but nothing pumping out of the fawcetts. Any input appreciated.
05 Itasca Meridian

Chief · 11-19-2010, 10:11 PM

ravenbuck, do a search for HWH check valves and read through them. I have the same problem, although it takes a long time for my fresh water tank to fill. I too have replaced the city water inlet valve as well as the city water input check valve and the hot water heater check valve. Someone mentioned a check valve on the fresh water demand pump but I haven't been able to find it as yet. Not real sure where to go with this problem next. Throwing parts at it has not been productive thus far. Keep us posted .

Midniteoyl · 11-19-2010, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Hand in hand with this when I turn the water off at the spigot and try and use the pump I am not getting water. The pump is running but nothing pumping out of the fawcetts.

That would be a clue... look at the check valves mentioned, but, take a good look at your pump.

DAN L · 11-20-2010, 02:11 AM

weird thing happen when you don't turn off both faucets on your outside shower.

Jackm · 11-20-2010, 03:17 AM

We had an identical problem. It turned out to be a faulty check valve in our ShurFlo water pump. In effect, water was leaking past the pump into the fresh water tank. There's supposed to be a check valve in the pump to prevent this but it was faulty. Try temporarily blocking the line that goes from your water tank to the pump. Then see if the problem persists. Best of luck.

Jack

Workshop · 11-20-2010, 06:23 AM

Here is an article on the check valve. On my unit I have a valve between the tank and pump that can be turned off to prevent this problem. ShurFlo also makes a small check valve that can be added to the line at the output of the pump, which can be used to make the repair if the pump if operating correctly and you don't want to remove it.

BucknJeff · 11-20-2010, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workshop

Here is an article on the check valve. On my unit I have a valve between the tank and pump that can be turned off to prevent this problem. ShurFlo also makes a small check valve that can be added to the line at the output of the pump, which can be used to make the repair if the pump if operating correctly and you don't want to remove it.

+1. This is likely your culprit.

ravenbuck · 11-20-2010, 07:09 PM

Well I didn't have to wait overnight for results. Two hours after replacing the city water fill fill valve the freswhater tank was full. I am leaning towards the pump and a check valve. HOWEVER...I wonder if low voltage could cause the pump ck valve not to operate properly. I do ck my house batteries and bring the water up to proper level on the first of every month...without fail. The panel says they have 13.3 volts but the batteries are 5 years old and still working good. We are in the southwest presently and there are signs of sulphating (bulging) just starting. I'm giong to unplug tomorrow and see what the batteries do. Any good battery man think this is a possibility?
Thanks for all the input...and it isn't the outside shower left on.

Midniteoyl · 11-20-2010, 09:08 PM

Um.. I do believe the check valve is manual (no power) and automatic...Just a spring loaded/flap valve... I could be wrong on your coach though...

Workshop · 11-20-2010, 10:10 PM

This is the check valve for another shurflo pump...It is part of the pump and doesn't require power. As the output of the pump and the incoming 'city water' share the same supply lines, the check valve that is built into the pump is designed to keep the city pressure from affecting the pump/tank.

Not sure which pump you have, but on my Shurflo....it has an internal check valve.

smlranger · 11-21-2010, 06:41 AM

I had the same issue on a recent trip. I also replaced the valve that switches from 'city water' to 'tank fill' and that did not cure the problem. Other RV folks at my location also suggested the pump internal check valve (which would explain why my pump would periodically run for short bursts when all faucets were off).

Rather than remove the pump for repair, I shut off the city water and ran the pump for a full day, hoping that some trash in the check valve might be the problem. That cured the problem for now.

I still plan to install a check valve at the pump outlet.

ravenbuck · 11-22-2010, 04:06 PM

Well I unhooked city water and with a full fresh water tank (which filled up overnite) started running the pump and 30 minutes later water started out of the kitchen and bath fawcetts. Yesterday I did find a loose hose clamp on the pump and tighten it up to stop the dripping.The compartment is soaked under the slide out tray. Drained the tank down to the 1/3rd light,ran some errands and two hours later the fresh tank is up to the 2/3rd light again. Looks like a pump is in order next.

ravenbuck · 11-26-2010, 11:36 AM

I finally gave up and bought a new 3.7 shurflo pump to replace my 5.7. There was none in town and I wasn't waiting any longer to see if this was the problem. After replacing it...it pumped properly and the fresh tank quit filling. I kick myself for listening instead of thinking about it. Winnie said there was only one way for the water to get in the tank. I had no ck valve inline from the pump, and the pump literature does not say there is a internal ck valve,so never considered the pump as we have never abused it. Now I am going to tear it apart out of curiosity. I did call Winnie and had them ck their engineering and they finally said it could be the pump.I should have thought of that a couple of weeks ago. I guess it points out...think as wellas listen.
Thanks everyone