Emptying a fresh water tank.

[CoveredWagon]

If I may ask a dumb question, we haven't yet purchased the rv but I like to know as much as I can in advance. if you have a large amount of water in the water tank and want or need to drain it, where do you do that ? Forgive me if this too dumb.

Thanks

 

[jbeletti]

There will be a fresh water tank drain valve below the underbelly that you can rotate to the open position to allow it to gravity drain. It will drain slowly but it will drain.

You can also use the water pump to pump most of the water out using a sink faucet. Then empty the gray tanks, then open the fresh water tank drain valve to drain any residual.

 

[sjandbj]

If I may ask a dumb question, we haven't yet purchased the rv but I like to know as much as I can in advance. if you have a large amount of water in the water tank and want or need to drain it, where do you do that ? Forgive me if this too dumb.

Thanks

Depending on the RV there is a drain valve underneath the trailer that can be opened. This will allow all the fresh water to drain.
BTW there are no dumb questions.

 

[CoveredWagon]

There will be a fresh water tank drain valve below the underbelly that you can rotate to the open position to allow it to gravity drain. It will drain slowly but it will drain.

You can also use the water pump to pump most of the water out using a sink faucet. Then empty the gray tanks, then open the fresh water tank drain valve to drain any residual.

Thanks. That's what I was guessing, but wouldn't that be excessive use of the water pump, or are they pretty much bullet proof.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Water pumps are like anything. " If it will drive around the block...it will go a million miles" or maybe not. If you do leave some water in the tank....add some bleach to the water. This way you can run the water/bleach through all the lines to sanitize them after setting in storage. JMHO

 

[JohnD]

The fresh water drain valve should be behind the wheels on the off-door (drivers) side of the trailer and should look like this (note the blue tube):


click to enlarge

Excuse the rust . . .

 

[Oregon_Camper]

When we dry camp and I bring water in the tank, the last thing I do before leaving camp is to open the water valve and let all the water start to drain.

Water is cheap in Oregon, so I'd rather have fresh tank every trip.

 

[jbeletti]

Thanks. That's what I was guessing, but wouldn't that be excessive use of the water pump, or are they pretty much bullet proof.

They won't last forever, but I use my water pump for 100% of my water usage and it's still working after over a year of 3/4 timing in the RV.

 

[JohnD]

I use my water pump for 100% of my water usage and it's still working after over a year of 3/4 timing in the RV.

Is it because it makes the water pressure better?

I've used the pump along with park/city water hooked up when the pressure is low to help out with the shower, but not all the time.

 

[jbeletti]

Is it because it makes the water pressure better?

I've used the pump along with park/city water hooked up when the pressure is low to help out with the shower, but not all the time.

I use the pump 100% of the time as I am drawing all my water from my tank. Reason being is that I am generating RO water for 100% of our needs. I have a pretty efficient system in the coach to minimize the brine percentage (likely 2 to 1 / brine to product). We really like the water. Less dry skin, no water spotting etc.

 

[CoveredWagon]

They won't last forever, but I use my water pump for 100% of my water usage and it's still working after over a year of 3/4 timing in the RV.

i suspected as much, that's why I wondered about using the pump to transfer water from the fresh water tank to the gray water tank. Seems like that would be a lot of extra wear and tear on the pump. I'd think one would want to haul as little water as possible to reduce hauling weight. I can't imagine drawing water on a paved camp ground site.

 

[danemayer]

i suspected as much, that's why I wondered about using the pump to transfer water from the fresh water tank to the gray water tank. Seems like that would be a lot of extra wear and tear on the pump. I'd think one would want to haul as little water as possible to reduce hauling weight. I can't imagine drawing water on a paved camp ground site.

At 3 gallons/minute, you could pump 60 gallons in 20 minutes. Or you could take 2 or 3 showers to run the pump for 20 minutes. I wouldn't think that occasionally using the pump to move water out of the fresh tank would put undue wear and tear on the pump.

I think the most common pump problem we read about is the internal check valve getting stuck partially open, probably due to crud in the water supply.

 

[CoveredWagon]

At 3 gallons/minute, you could pump 60 gallons in 20 minutes. Or you could take 2 or 3 showers to run the pump for 20 minutes. I wouldn't think that occasionally using the pump to move water out of the fresh tank would put undue wear and tear on the pump.

I think the most common pump problem we read about is the internal check valve getting stuck partially open, probably due to crud in the water supply.

Thanks guess I'll tell the wife she can have a long hot shower on the last day.

 

[Lynn1130]

I may be long but it probably won't be hot after the 12 gals in the hot water tank runs out.