where IS this drip coming from?

davelinde · Oct 29, 2009

I just noticed a slow drip coming off the door side front tire cover... I traced it back to a pair of copper gas lines that go into the sub-floor above the tire. I assumed it was coming from the HWH but the HWH and all plumbing above the finish floor is bone dry... It seems like clean water so it's either condensation or from my plumbing. The AC is making plenty of condensation but I cannot find a path from the roof to my wheel well that makes sense. The fridge seems OK. Leaving a plumbing leak (crud).

Any ideas? This is an area ouside the frame (eg cannot get at it by pulling the plastic sheet) under the finish floor and sealed by a metal subfloor panel that's tack welded in place. Before I go nuts... where else can I look? If it really IS in that little space, YIKES how do I get to it? I can post pictures if that would help anyone help me.

imchud · Oct 29, 2009

davelinde said:
I just noticed a slow drip coming off the door side front tire cover... I traced it back to a pair of copper gas lines that go into the sub-floor above the tire. I assumed it was coming from the HWH but the HWH and all plumbing above the finish floor is bone dry... It seems like clean water so it's either condensation or from my plumbing. The AC is making plenty of condensation but I cannot find a path from the roof to my wheel well that makes sense. The fridge seems OK. Leaving a plumbing leak (crud).

Any ideas? This is an area ouside the frame (eg cannot get at it by pulling the plastic sheet) under the finish floor and sealed by a metal subfloor panel that's tack welded in place. Before I go nuts... where else can I look? If it really IS in that little space, YIKES how do I get to it? I can post pictures if that would help anyone help me.[

Dave,
Just a thought, did you have anything running that took gas when you noticed the drip? Sometimes your gas lines can sweat if it's warm outside and you are using gas for the stove or HWH - Just like your supply tank does..

Tommy

TXBobcat · Oct 29, 2009

Dave
Just a thought.. The other day I was taking a shower and the bottom of the shower started collecting water. The Gray tank was full. So I went out to drain the tank and I saw water running down around the area near the UDC. It was raining and water was draining off the trailer. I haven't had the courage to fill the tank all the way yet to see if I have a leak in the shower drainage. So just a thought that you might not stop looking at other possibilities..

BC

wdk450 · Oct 29, 2009

Use Toilet Paper

I heard what sounded like good advice for tracking down a leak so slow that it is hard to see. Use a single sheet of toilet paper held between your fingertips and trace back to the source of the leak. The dry toilet paper is a good wetness finder.

Ray LeTourneau · Oct 30, 2009

Could there be A/C condensate coming off the roof near the slide out and running down the trim for the slide and coming in under the side of the trailer? We get that right behind the door through a small gap in the drip rail over the door.

davelinde · Oct 30, 2009

color me perplexed... all good ideas but none seem to be panning out yet.

When the heat breaks (and the AC goes off) I'll know for sure if it's AC condensation. There's only a little gas use for cooking and this drip is continuous.
I've had holding tank leaks on other RV's and the first think I did was drain the tanks (and sniff the water... it's clean thank goodness).

This is a odd place to be leaking for sure. At least it's a very minor drip...

newbie · Oct 30, 2009

I had a similar leak that turned out to be a pin hole leak in the ice maker water line. It was hard to find since the 1/4" water line was in a 1" black plastic wire loom.

Good luck- John

davelinde · Oct 31, 2009

newbie said:
hard to find since the 1/4" water line was in a 1" black plastic wire loom.

The gas lines this is dripping from are in black wire loom too... I figure the water is following the loom and could be coming from anywhere above where I see the drip. The aggravating factor is that the lines are going into a sealed up area... floor on top, frame on one side and the outer skirt on the other, with a metal sheet tacked on for the bottom of this box. No easy way to inspect.

I guess when I get the motivation (of if the slow drip goes faster) I can open a hole in the metal to look - I really hate to start cutting holes though...

davelinde · Nov 4, 2009

Well... I used a classic debugging strategy here -- do nothing and wait for it to go away or get worse. It got worse.

I can now tell that the source of the leak centered around the refrigerator. Plenty of dampness showing up on the OSB under the fridge, and behind my furnace. That dampness was following the gas lines to drip outside where I saw it.

So the good news is that I don't need to pull panels off the underside of the RV to access the issue. The bad news is I have no idea HOW to get access to the back of the fridge to see what's up. I have checked the drip pan (there's only one right?) and associated hose for condensation and it's OK and operating to direct the water out. I suspect the ice-maker (as noted above) but cannot inspect the tube beyond where it's pinched into a cutout for a drainpipe and disappears behind fridge. For now I turned it off at the sink to see if the drip stops. If it dries up I know the cause... then I'll need a solution. (might be time to call a plumber)

jmgratz · Nov 4, 2009

Remove the access panel on the outside of the trailer behind the fridge to access the rear of the fridge. You can inspect the back from there.

cookie · Nov 4, 2009

As Jim said take the access panel off on the outside. Make sure you see the white drain hose protruding out the vents on that panel. They do get brittle and break. Yours may be broken off up inside somewhere. You sound like you are on track, as you now have narrowed it down to the refer area. Let us know what you finally find as the source of the water leak.

Peace
Dave

davelinde · Nov 4, 2009

yep... more clues under the outside panel... lotsa damp in there. It all seems to be drying now that the ice maker is shut off. Still unclear on the source though, seems to be somewhere after the clear tube connects to the fridge itself (eg inside the fridge between the access panel and the freezer.

Will wait a few days to let it all dry up and then see if I can trace it further.

jbeletti · Nov 4, 2009

Dave,

Based on your findings, my guess is that the heating wire that is along side of the ice maker line from the water solenoid to the freezer, has caused the 1/4" line to become brittle, crack, then leak. My guess is based on reading about this happening to another owner here on the forum a while back.

The refer may need to be pulled out into the room to be repaired, unless the line can be accessed through the upper/top refer vent.

Call Dometic if you are still within their warranty (2/3 years parts/labor) and they can direct you to an authorized repairer.

Jim

Tom of Ypsi · Nov 4, 2009

I had the same problem and had to pull the refer. If you cannot get your arm up to the top of the water line where it goes into the back of the fridge from the outside then you have to pull the refer.

davelinde · Nov 5, 2009

So after 24 hrs with the icemaker off the exterior dripping stopped and the various damp patches are drying up - I'd put this at very high probability it's the icemaker.

From a visual inspection I cannot find signs of a leak in the tubing from the shutoff under the sink to the connection in the outside access panel for the fridge. That connection has me a little stumped - it's a compression fitting the enters some kind of solenoid that's wrapped in foil and hanging from a bracket. I honestly cannot figure out where the water goes from there, but I suspect the leak is between there and the icemaker itself.

I was suspecting the fridge might need to come out to get at this... though I was surely HOPING that maybe it could be done by just pulling the icemaker out. crud.

jbeletti · Nov 5, 2009

davelinde said:
...enters some kind of solenoid that's wrapped in foil and hanging from a bracket. I honestly cannot figure out where the water goes from there...

Dave,

The solenoid is a electrically actuated water valve. When the ice maker calls for water, 110 VAC is applied to the solenoid and water is pushed through to the ice maker.

You should see a water line coming out of that solenoid. It will likely be made of a different material than the line coming in. There is likely a heating wire that travels with the line from the solenoid to the ice maker.

Remove the top refer vent to see if you can see or reach the top of the refer case.

Jim

newbie · Nov 5, 2009

I would buy a 1/4 compression shut off vavle and install it at the farthest most accessible place in the line (as close to the refrigerator as possible). Then turn on the first water shut off valve with the one you just installed off. This will help you narrow down the leak location.

4ever · Nov 5, 2009

This is another reason why I disconnected my ice maker. Also had the supply line disconnected. Now have more room in the frezer, no need to worry about leaks and don't need to winterize the ice maker, pump and line.

Ted

davelinde · Nov 5, 2009

jbeletti said:
Based on your findings, my guess is that the heating wire that is along side of the ice maker line from the water solenoid to the freezer, has caused the 1/4" line to become brittle, crack, then leak....

Call Dometic if you are still within their warranty (2/3 years parts/labor) and they can direct you to an authorized repairer.

hmm... Dometic warranty - that would be nice. The problem does seem to be isolating itself to that section of tubing and it does look like I'd need to pull the refer to get to it.

davelinde · Nov 16, 2009

I got ambitious today and put a sheet of plastic under the refer, then turned the water back on. After about 30 seconds the control valve hummed and shot out a few drops of water from somewhere under the tin foil wrapping. A minute later it dripped again.

I hate to pay someone to tighten connectors... but with all that tin foil on the valve I cannot figure out what's up -- just made an appt with a Dometic repair guy.

where IS this drip coming from?

Well-known member

Well-known member

Fulltime

Well-known member

Senior Member - Past Moderator

Well-known member

Northern Virginia

Well-known member

Well-known member

Original Owners Club Member

Administrator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Northern Virginia

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads