Fresh Water Issues

GreatWhite · 07-24-2010, 04:12 PM

Geez, I haven't been on here since 2006.. can't believe it.. iRV2 has changed a bit

Anyhow, here are a couple of questions..

1. I have a 32' Hitchhiker DA.. don't remember the exact model but it has a kitchen on the driver side.. midship.. L shaped. I've looked thru the manual and, for the life of me, I can't see how to drain the freshwater tank. There is a clear vinyl tube that has a globe valve, as I recall, under the kitchen counter at the FW pump.. doesn't seem to do anything in either position. Also, in the storage area under the bedroom, inside drivers side compartment door.. there are two valves.. in line.. one red and one blue (hot/cold seems to make sense) The manual shows nothing.. I really don't know what these are for.

2. Now for the big question. when I last tried to use the RV after sitting some time, I could not get any flow into the toilet. Also, the cold water in the bathroom sink does not work other than to drip.. same with the cold water in the kitchen. Hot water seems fine. The pump also seems fine with decent pressure on the HW side.

I started by removing the aireator filters. There was a little stuff in there.. but I tried to just let the water flow.. very poor in all CW sides. HW fine.. all coming thru the same pump and the filter at the pump is clean with no junk in the clear body.

I'm planning on taking out all the faucets and reverse flushing them and running the hoses connected to them into a bucket while my better half turns on/off the pump switch. While this is a pain in there posterior, the really tougher one.. and expensive.. will be the toilet if I have to replace the valve due to crud in it.

Is there some sort of in-line filter I can install in the line to the toilet.. inside the bathroom area that will be small and easy to clean? I'm thinking of something like the glass inline filters you see for a fuel line? I remember having a similar thing happen in another RV where I had to replace the valve due to not being able to clean it out. Cleaning an easily removable filter that is easily visible should make that quite easy.

Any suggestions before I try to tackle this crazy issue.. Never had it happen before.. even after an RV has sat for a while.

If I can find out how to drain the FW tank.. I wouldn't be adverse to putting something like a water hardness liquid in it if I could easily flush it out.. but I doubt that is a recommended way to dissolve lime.. if that is indeed the problem. I just don't understand what could have gotten by the pump filter. Or what could have grown in the plastic lines.

I would have thought the RV would have had a simple valve that one could open to dump the FW tank such as when adding antifreeze for winterizing.

Anyhow, good to be back and hope to get this resolved soon.

Bill, aka GreatWhite

**Hitchhiker** · 07-24-2010, 04:31 PM

Hi Bill,

Welcome back to iRV2, we have changed a bit but some of us are still around.

Underneath the trailer below the FW tank there should be a 3/8" vinyl drain hose with a plastic valve on the end. This would be the drain for the FW.

IRT the flow question, post that one over on the NuWa Owners Forum and I have a hunch someone there will know what the problem is.

GreatWhite · 07-24-2010, 04:53 PM

Thanks HH.. I'll look again.. never found one.. but, doesn't say one isn't there...... grin

Bill

**Gary RVRoamer** · 07-24-2010, 08:05 PM

It does not seem likely to me that all your cold water valves suddenly clogged up, but none of the hot water faucets. I think you should be looking for a crimp or other problem in a cold water line that feeds the bath area and kitchen. Note that the water feed for the heater is a cold line as well, so the water system must be ok at least that far.

Ask the question in the Nuwa Forum - somebody there may have first hand knowledge of how the plumbing lines run in your trailer.

RVhauler · 07-24-2010, 08:55 PM

Does the problem exsist just when using the pump or also when hooked to city water or both

GreatWhite · 07-24-2010, 09:32 PM

Thanks folks.. found the drain valve for the FW tank.. just not where I'd usually look..

I tried hooking up the city water line.. no different.

The first thing that comes off the pump is the "pressure tank" (Shurflo) then down to the "T" where it splits to the kitchen and the bath area. I'll first follow the line from that initial T to the closest outlets.. the kitchen area. From that first T it goes to another T that splits the line to the HW tank and the kitchen sink.

Since the kitchen sink is the first CW line, other than the HW tank, I'll disconnect that tomorrow were it attaches to the faucet drop line. I may even remove the faucet entirely and blow it out from the topside. I don't know if I can take that faucet apart like one would a quailty faucet or not. We'll see. If I find something. I may be able to disconnect all CW lines at the faucets.. including the toilet and blow out the lines with my compressor.

It is entirely possible that I got some grit or whatever in the lines at an RV park that I pulled a shortcut by not attaching my inline filter.. That would be a great spark to curtail my speedy connects.

I'll keep you posted in the next few days.. tomorrow will probably just be the b'day party.. that's good and bad.. grin.

GreatWhite · 07-26-2010, 09:57 PM

Spent the day working on the water system. The longest process was removing the single handle water faucet in the kitchen.. some mistakes, @#$%^, caused minor floods that were sopped up with towels.. happened twice. After removing the faucet and taking it apart, i found a plug that was easily removed. I didn't even have to remove the faucet to fix that...

Next proceeded to the bathroom sink.. just took it apart from the top and flushed it out.. works fine now.

Finally, went to the toilet. I had to remove it and disassemble the water valve. It had a huge plug in it.. size of a cigarette and about 5/8" long. Reassembled it and works fine after flushing the line.

What was the culprit? I think it was the hardened oxide that flaked off the hot water heater's anode... BUT.. for the life of me... I have NO idea how it could have migrated into the cold water line.. the only place I found the crud.

Took the anode out and it was in pretty bad shape.. less than 25% left. Replaced it and hopefully I'm good for another 1000 miles