Where the heck is my water really coming from?

[G_Hage]

An instruction manual explaining how this works would have been helpful! Hehehe

Based on the attached photo showing the four valves in my basement, there is a contradiction in the actual valve orientation (on/off) and the instruction sticker. I'm on city water hooked to the city connect on the fiver. So based on the current valve pattern, I should be drawing from the fresh water tank, not the city supply. At our walk-thru the dealer told us we were currently setup for city water use.

According to this photo, I should have run out of water by now as the tank should be empty. Yet it shows 3/4 full on the probes. So I ask, where the heck is our water coming from?

Also, is it normal for there to be extra water lines that are not connected to the valve manifolds in the wet compartment on the Mount Rushmore?

Sorry these Newbies are so RV stupid!

 

[danemayer]

G_Hage,

I'm not familiar with the valves on your rig, but lets ignore valves and gauges for the moment and approach it logically.

If you are hooked up to city water and your water pump is not turned on, the water is coming from the outside hose and the valve position is misleading - either one or more valves are rotated out of their original position, or the drawing is wrong.

If you are hooked up to city water and your water pump is turned on, you're probably getting most of the water from the hose and you should turn the pump off - you don't need both sources. The valve position is an unknown - could be rotated or the drawing is wrong, or maybe there's a point where the incoming lines are teed together, as is the case on our 2011 Landmark.

If you are not hooked up to city water, and your water pump is turned on, your question is about capacity of the fresh tank and accuracy of the gauges. If you have found the old sales documentation, you'll know the capacity. Current units are around 100 gallons. Gauges are notoriously inaccurate. The fresh tank gauge may be better than the black tank gauge, but they all leave a lot to be desired.

I'll guess there also could be a valve problem where it passes water when turned off. So maybe you're hooked up to city water and the valve is turned off but is still passing water. But I don't know enough about the valve configuration to give you ideas on how to check it out.

Hopefully this will help.

 

[jbeletti]

G,

There was an error in some of the early produced plates that mark those valves. While the replacement plates are likely no longer available, you will likely be able to figure this out through some deduction.

Also, those valves were hard to turn through the holes in that wall. Some owners cames up with a solution. They took a short section of 1/2" (or so) diameter PVC pipe and cut a notch across the end. This allows the pipe to slip in the hole. The notch allows the pipe to fit over the valve thumb turn and allow you to more easily turn the valve.

 

[G_Hage]

G_Hage,

I'm not familiar with the valves on your rig, but lets ignore valves and gauges for the moment and approach it logically.

If you are hooked up to city water and your water pump is not turned on, the water is coming from the outside hose and the valve position is misleading - either one or more valves are rotated out of their original position, or the drawing is wrong.

If you are hooked up to city water and your water pump is turned on, you're probably getting most of the water from the hose and you should turn the pump off - you don't need both sources. The valve position is an unknown - could be rotated or the drawing is wrong, or maybe there's a point where the incoming lines are teed together, as is the case on our 2011 Landmark.

If you are not hooked up to city water, and your water pump is turned on, your question is about capacity of the fresh tank and accuracy of the gauges. If you have found the old sales documentation, you'll know the capacity. Current units are around 100 gallons. Gauges are notoriously inaccurate. The fresh tank gauge may be better than the black tank gauge, but they all leave a lot to be desired.

I'll guess there also could be a valve problem where it passes water when turned off. So maybe you're hooked up to city water and the valve is turned off but is still passing water. But I don't know enough about the valve configuration to give you ideas on how to check it out.

Hopefully this will help.

Water pump is definitely off, and if I turn off the city water at their end of the connect I get no water, verifying the pump is off. As with you, I question whether the two valve assemblies orientation matches the other two. Much of the old sales documentation disappeared from the unit while at the RV sales lot prior to our purchasing it and are now non existent. No help there.

The good news is that the original owner has contacted me and we are working on meeting for a walk thru to aid us in the operation of the many systems we are not familiar with.

 

[G_Hage]

G,

There was an error in some of the early produced plates that mark those valves. While the replacement plates are likely no longer available, you will likely be able to figure this out through some deduction.

Also, those valves were hard to turn through the holes in that wall. Some owners cames up with a solution. They took a short section of 1/2" (or so) diameter PVC pipe and cut a notch across the end. This allows the pipe to slip in the hole. The notch allows the pipe to fit over the valve thumb turn and allow you to more easily turn the valve.

Great idea with the 1/2 pipe with a notch!

 

[Bob&Patty]

If you have a hose that is not connected to anything at one end. It is the winterizing hose to suck anti freeze into the lines.

 

[G_Hage]

If you have a hose that is not connected to anything at one end. It is the winterizing hose to suck anti freeze into the lines.

That would make sense, I wondered how you get the anti freeze into the tanks!

 

[JohnDar]

That would make sense, I wondered how you get the anti freeze into the tanks!

You do NOT want to get antifreeze into your fresh water tank unless you want to spend a lot of time and water flushing it out. The sewage tanks will get all they need by simply pouring some into the sink or open toilet. If you're getting antifreeze in the fresh water tank when you winterized, then there is something wrong with the pump check valve.

 

[jbeletti]

G,

Compare the label near your valves to the label below. If they differ, try them as indicated below. If it turns out the label below is accurate for your coach, Customer Service has the label in stock.

 

[For20hunter]

Another suggestion is to make sure that your valves are completely parallel (flat) or perpendicular (straight up and down) when they are in whichever of the two positions they are supposed to be in. A slight deviation one way or the other can allow water past when its not supposed to.

Rod

 

[G_Hage]

G,

Compare the label near your valves to the label below. If they differ, try them as indicated below. If it turns out the label below is accurate for your coach, Customer Service has the label in stock.

View attachment 23198

Thats the same label as in our fiver. Vales were: Left two vertical, right two horizontal. Changed them to all horizontal since on city water as stated before. No change low pressure especially at kitchen sink. looking for kinks in lines now.