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harleyman134 · 11-14-2011, 10:05 AM

I went to winterize the mh this morning, since I had a full tank of fresh water I needed to run the water our of the tank first, I hooked up a hose to the outside water faucet, turned on the water pump and started pumping, when I almost had the tank empty I was walking around the mh, and noticed some water dripping under the bay on the curb side, so I opened the bay where the outdoor entertainment center is and saw some water blotted on the carpeted floor in the front corner, so I opened the bay in front of this and saw some more water blotted on the carpert of the floor on the rear of this bay, didn't see anything from the top of the bay(s) or walls. Best I can figure out right now is I have some kind of leak in the fresh water tank or one of the holding tanks. This is what I'm trying to figure out

1) How are the water tanks configured, is the footprint of the fresh water tank the width of the motorhome and how are the grey and black water tanks configured
2) What's the best access to these tanks to look for a water tank, I'm thinking I need to remove the outdoor entertainment system and look behind it
3) What's the best way to hunt down a water leak of this nature.

The dripping water is below the kitchen sink and bathroom area and I didn't see any water on the floors in this area.

This is on a 2005 MADP 4304, any help would be appreciated

Perry White · 11-14-2011, 11:19 AM

I have an Essex but I think they are close to the same. all three tanks fit up almost to the back of the entertainment cover. The black and grey tanks are made like the letter "W" so as to fit up into the frame rails. The fresh water tank is sitting on the basement floor and the grey tank is hung above it in the front part and the black is above it in the rear part. I can take my entertainment center back board off and you can see the back of the tanks. One question. Why don't you just use the drain valve on the bottom of the fresh water tank to empty it? I believe if you reach down and to the left in the water compartment, there is a gate valve that is the drain for the fresh water.

Perry White · 11-14-2011, 11:24 AM

Name: Grey water tank 23.5 X 7835382.jpg
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Name: Fresh watwer tank dimesions105 gal24781.jpg
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Name: Black water tank17.5 X 78 35383.jpg
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Center one is fresh water top is grey bottom black.

Can you see the drawings? I can see them in Internet Explorer but I can't see them if I use Firefox. Weird.

harleyman134 · 11-14-2011, 12:22 PM

Perry,

Thanks, I'm using IE and can see some drawings, still trying to figure out what I'm looking at. I did try to to use the drain valve on the fresh water tank (it was labled low point drain, totally different than the low point drains for the hot and cold water lines) but it was draining painfully slow, I guess the line was clogged with something. This drain was attached to a corner of the fresh water tank, there was about 6 inches of line going to the valve then another line about 6 inches long going from the valve thru the bottom of the bay where the fresh water control are located.

Sonny

Perry White · 11-14-2011, 12:27 PM

That's the valve, it is slow.Takes mine a couple of hours to drain when full. Do you have the bath and a half or just one? and is the crapper and the wash machine above the intertainment center? Did you pull the cover and check your icemaker lines?

Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43' · 11-14-2011, 12:30 PM

The valve you are looking for to drain the tank is just inside the white cut out toward the tank...usually black.

harleyman134 · 11-14-2011, 01:09 PM

Perry, I just have a one bathroom layout and the crapper and washer dryer is above the entertainment center. I checked for water under kitchen sink, around washer dryer and around toilet and lavatory on that side, all of them were dry as a bone. I found the water on the curb side of the mh and it doesn't look like there are any water lines attached to the water or holding tanks on that side, the fresh water vent and overflow are on that side, but since my fresh water tank was only 3/4 full I don't see how that could be the problem. I need to figure out how to remove the entertainment system and backboard to see if I can locate the problem, I hope I don't have a leak in one of the tanks. Temps have gotten down to the high 20's (28,29) for a couple of hours so I don't think anything has frozen.

PS. The only icemaker I have is in the freezer, I winterized it last year and never hooked it up this year, so it doesn't even have water running to it.

Perry White · 11-14-2011, 01:51 PM

Do you have 4 thumb screws on the back board of the Ent center? If you have flush valves on your grey and black tanks they are piped to that side of the tanks. Might be the toilet flange above the black tank? Is the valve shut off for the Icemaker under the sink? Sometimes it will leak thru . Loose hose on washer? I give up. You didn't run thru rain and one of your basement doors leak is it?

harleyman134 · 11-14-2011, 04:38 PM

Perry, thanks for the brainstorming, now that you've given me the orientation of the tanks I just need to get access to the tanks and visually inspect the tanks. I don't have thumbscrews on the board of the entertainment center but I'll figure something out. Thanks for the help.

"007" · 11-15-2011, 06:21 PM

Here is instructions for winterizing your MH.
You do not run pump or hook up city water line to empty tanks they have low point drains and if tanks are split each one will have its own drain.
The excess water maybe from over flowing one of the tanks and you may have popped off the overflow drain vent from one of the tanks.