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KenGar · 09-07-2019, 12:42 AM

So I just got my first coach.. Wanted something like an RV Starter-Kit so the wife and I could see if we'd like the life and use it.. Ended up getting into a super clean 1999 Mountain Aire... It's been stored for the last 2 years winterized and I'm trying to get it up and functional. Been a laundry list of things to get her roadworthy, but today was De-Winterization of the water system. I've got all the pipes purged and running clean and whatnot. Everything works fine on the pump or on city water. ..-so I figured I'd fill the freshwater tank, then let it drain overnight and tomorrow do a sanitize cycle and clean the hot water tank. HOWEVER, when I'm trying to drain the fresh water tank now that i've filled it until it's running out the overflow.. open the low point valve and Nothing!.. Not a drop. It's a black oval handle inline plastic ball valve an the line is only about 3 feet long. it runs straight back to the bottom of the tank and is fitted to a brass 90 fitting on the tank. I've read about checkvalves going bad that could create a vacuum in the tank..(is there a checkvalve on the top of the tank on the over-flow plumbing?) . or Running a plastic ziptie to act as a pipe snake into the drain line to see if a mud dobber's made a nest.. or kinked lines (like I said the pex is short & straight and I can see the whole thing - no kinks) or that maybe because it's sat so long there might have been enough water left in it to grow a pond scum that's plugged up the exit hole in the tank..

Everything I've seen guys just open the low point drain and poof water starts to drain out of the tank... but thats not happening for me right now..

Anyone ever had this happen or have any ideas? it's dark now and this will keep me up all night pondering... I'm probably missing a critical step somewhere..

Thanks in advance for any words of experience or wisdom here..

cavie · 09-07-2019, 02:33 AM

LOW POINT DRAIN will not drain a FW tank.

Low point drain is usually different than FW tank drain. Low point drain is just that. A low point drain in the piping system. You should have 2, hot and cold. 2 valves.

FW drain is on the FW tank only. It is very close to the FW fill port It should have a valve on it. There should be a FW overflow/vent line with no valve.

My 2011 Sportsman TT has no Low point drains. Non needed if installing Antifreeze in the piping system.

Kountry 2SUM · 09-07-2019, 05:13 AM

There should be a separate drain from the tank. Does the plastic handle seem like it’s actually turning the valve? Ours was stuck and the handle was actually stripped. My son is a machinist and carved one out of metal and it now works fine. Have to be careful with metal handles as they can mess things up if you force it.

DENSHER · 09-07-2019, 05:24 AM

My low point drain valves have an oval handle but need to twist and pull up/out on handle at same time.

hewebb · 09-07-2019, 05:50 AM

Ours did the same thing.
The brass 90 in the line was plugged.
I removed the line from the valve and replaced the line and 90 with new plastic elbow and line.

ACE Hardware had the necessary items to re-do the line.

mfredm · 09-07-2019, 07:08 AM

the plastic handle is probably stripped. mine is the same. just unscrew and remove. you can open the valve with a pair of small vise grips.

wildtoad · 09-07-2019, 07:15 AM

One more place to look. On my Bay Star Sport, the fill valve is on the driver side where the pump is. The drain valve is on the passenger/curb side in a storage bay. If what you are turning is labeled low point drain, that ain’t it.

KenGar · 09-07-2019, 08:19 AM

OK.. Problem Solved. I was inspecting the valve knob to make sure that it is indeed turning the shaft and it is.. When (wow, DAYLIGHT really makes a difference) I notice that the 3 inch pex after the vavle and before the 90 that goes through the floor pan and to water freedom Looks much DARKER than the rest of the pex. Took a stout zip tie and started snaking the drain from below.. Sure enough some sort of insect larva started to exit in pieces with drips of water as I plunged back and forth.... removed Zip tie and poof I have the drain on "full flow".. Out of a 1/2 pex..lol. probably take 2 hours to drain 105 gals..

I guess this is what happens when you don't know what you're doing on with a new toy and working in the dark with a headlight..

Thanks to all my online support staff brothers !!!

Until the next malfunction when I need to summon your powers....

Spk64 · 09-07-2019, 08:23 AM

Mud Daubers pretty common problem on all the low point drains. I flush some water thru every couple weeks.

cavie · 09-08-2019, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenGar

OK.. Problem Solved. I was inspecting the valve knob to make sure that it is indeed turning the shaft and it is.. When (wow, DAYLIGHT really makes a difference) I notice that the 3 inch pex after the vavle and before the 90 that goes through the floor pan and to water freedom Looks much DARKER than the rest of the pex. Took a stout zip tie and started snaking the drain from below.. Sure enough some sort of insect larva started to exit in pieces with drips of water as I plunged back and forth.... removed Zip tie and poof I have the drain on "full flow".. Out of a 1/2 pex..lol. probably take 2 hours to drain 105 gals..

I guess this is what happens when you don't know what you're doing on with a new toy and working in the dark with a headlight..

Thanks to all my online support staff brothers !!!

Until the next malfunction when I need to summon your powers....

I do not believe you have 105 gal of fresh water. If so, it's the first time I have heard if it in my 4 years of forum perspiration. That's 876 LBS of water!

Qwert66 · 09-08-2019, 05:09 AM

Yes our 1999 MADP has 105 fresh tank. Typical for a 40’ pusher in the Newmar lineup.

bioguy · 09-08-2019, 07:50 PM

That was what I was thinking when I first started reading this thread. Darn mud dobbers or the darn bee's that drag small grass into anything with a hole in it like you awnings and even under the awning guards. I finally stuck a small solid plastic tube into the spare ends to stop that part but not easy to stop them in the armor guards. Heck, I have had those things plug up my sprinklers in the garden.

twogypsies · 09-08-2019, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavie

I do not believe you have 105 gal of fresh water. If so, it's the first time I have heard if it in my 4 years of forum perspiration. That's 876 LBS of water!

105 gal fresh water is typical. A diesel can take it!