Fresh water leaking in underbelly

[Cross.Country.Schrons]

Hello all,

We have a 2013 Silverado Bighorn 36tb. It’s leaking fresh water somewhere in the front underbelly. I have removed some of the coroplast (I think that’s what the plastic base is called) but cannot locate the leak. It does seem to be coming from a spot that does not drain on top of the insulation.

Any likely spots to search? Any usual suspects?

thanks,

Cameron

 

[danemayer]

Hi Cameron,

Have you been driving through the rain recently? That's one possibility.

Also, if you have tank heating pads, and leave them ON while a tank is empty, the heat can burn a hole in the tank. If you have the coroplast down enough that you can see the heating pad, press on it to see if any water comes out.

Others will no doubt have additional thoughts.

 

[sengli]

First thing you need to do , is remove the walls in the basement to see what going on in there. There are so many points where the water could come from, most of the likely connections are behind the walls. The screw on connections on the water heater, or on the back of the UDC. I even had a bypass valve for the water heater that had a crack in it, cause my leak.

 

[Cross.Country.Schrons]

Hi Cameron,

Have you been driving through the rain recently? That's one possibility.

Also, if you have tank heating pads, and leave them ON while a tank is empty, the heat can burn a hole in the tank. If you have the coroplast down enough that you can see the heating pad, press on it to see if any water comes out.

Others will no doubt have additional thoughts.

Honestly I have no idea if we have tank heaters. There is no switch for them in our control panel. Where would the on/off switch be located?

- - - Updated - - -

Hi Cameron,

Have you been driving through the rain recently? That's one possibility.

Also, if you have tank heating pads, and leave them ON while a tank is empty, the heat can burn a hole in the tank. If you have the coroplast down enough that you can see the heating pad, press on it to see if any water comes out.

Others will no doubt have additional thoughts.

First thing you need to do , is remove the walls in the basement to see what going on in there. There are so many points where the water could come from, most of the likely connections are behind the walls. The screw on connections on the water heater, or on the back of the UDC. I even had a bypass valve for the water heater that had a crack in it, cause my leak.

i removed the wall where the water connections come in. No water there. It seems to be contained to the underbelly. No wet wood anywhere.

We were driving through heavy rain recently. I think that could add to some of the water down there, especially towards the back, but there seems to be a constant drip in the front. I would pull down the coroplast and more fresh water would come out. Wait 15 mins and a little more would come out. Plus when I’m in the master bedroom at night I can sometimes hear a dripping noise. Thought it was the ac but I guess it’s not.

 

[danemayer]

Your water heater may have a plastic fitting where hot water comes out of the tank to go into the plumbing lines. The plastic fittings can deteriorate and crack, leading to leaks that start out slow and get worse. Look on the backside of the water heater - find the cold going into the bottom and hot water coming out the top. Put some tissue paper on the top fittings to make sure it's not the source of a leak.

 

[kdubinwa]

In my case the plastic 90 degree elbow fitting from my fresh water tank to the fresh water drain line had cracked. This was caused by the fresh water tank support straps rubbing against the fitting when underway. I suggest you fill your tank to the brim and then check for leaks after taking your trailer for a short drive. The fix was a $3 fitting and new R-11 insulation from Home Depot.

 

[Ace11]

My money is on the Ice maker / refrigerator line. I've had (2) leaks on mine before I went yo the Stainless Steel Line ( via Jestalk'n ! ! )

 

[jbeletti]

My money is on the Ice maker / refrigerator line. I've had (2) leaks on mine before I went to the Stainless Steel Line ( via Jestalk'n ! ! )

Great upgrade. I'm not a fan of the typical 1/4" poly line used. I'm a big fan of this upgrade!

 

[david-steph2018]

Your water heater may have a plastic fitting where hot water comes out of the tank to go into the plumbing lines. The plastic fittings can deteriorate and crack, leading to leaks that start out slow and get worse. Look on the backside of the water heater - find the cold going into the bottom and hot water coming out the top. Put some tissue paper on the top fittings to make sure it's not the source of a leak.

Dane that is the issue we are having now with the Road Warrior. Since I just had another knee replacement this year, I am getting a mobile repair guy out on Friday to see what is going on. We are hoping this is the issue. I hope it will be easy fix.

 

[danemayer]

Dane that is the issue we are having now with the Road Warrior. Since I just had another knee replacement this year, I am getting a mobile repair guy out on Friday to see what is going on. We are hoping this is the issue. I hope it will be easy fix.

I think Heartland moved to low-lead brass fittings around 2015, so you may have something else going on.

 

[david-steph2018]

I think Heartland moved to low-lead brass fittings around 2015, so you may have something else going on.

Not sure, when I talked to customer service on Monday he even suggested it could be a plastic check valve issue. One thing for sure I hope to know by noon on Friday what the issue is with the Road Warrior. I'll let you know after repairs are made.