Plumbing Question...

[Dawn Michelle]

Alrighty!  I'm finally off the roof (yay!) and starting to trace my systems and I have a plumbing question if anyone can throw their two cents in?  

My tank is under one of the dinette seats and I think I got that all figured out.  The pic is from above and shows tank on the left and wall of the camper on the right.  The big hose with the green stripes is the tank fill, the pex from the wall is the city water fill (and it curves down and out along with the top left pex from the tank) to the other dinette seat where the water pump is housed (pic #2).  Then the center white top hose out of the tank that goes straight down and out is the overflow and I assume the lower bottom hose that also goes down and out is a way to empty the tank without running it through the system.  Found both those connections bottom side of the RV.  This pic doesn't show it but the tank at one time had sensors - but someone clipped the wires down to the bolts (grumble).  Well, that's okay.  If I find I really need them, I'll make it project next year to pull it out and put new ones in.

But, to my question - next shots are an overview and then closeups of the water pump and the connections (left and right).  This is where I'm a little confused.  In my old Bounder I don't remember switching anything (and certainly not plumbing connections) in order to use water from the tank rather than the city water.  But looking at this - it appears the tank pex hooks into the water pump and then the water pump hooks into one line heading off towards the bathroom (and the lines appear to go under the shower pan (shower uses the sink faucet as its supply) and behind the toilet and then under the kitchen cabinet where the water heater lives.

And the city water connection comes out and has two end points, both capped (one loose - the gold one which is laying up against the pump - and which I assume is what I'd hook to the line that goes on into the bathroom if I want to use city water, completely bypassing the pump).

So my questions are - what is that tube coming off the valve going into the water pump?  And, shouldn't there be a way to plumb this so I don't have to manually keep switching connections each time I want to switch systems?  Also, if this is what it is, is there something like a quick disconnect like they have in propane?  I can't imagine constantly rehooking plumbing lines is a good idea....

And yes, I'm going to clean out in there - YUCK! - and ensure all the wires (the 12volt wiring runs through here - and the converter -is here which just seems a bad idea, too) are out of the way, and maybe even try to isolate the converter by rigging up some way to separate it from the possibility of a water leak in this area.

[Lakota Wolf]

Looking at that plumbing headache,, I have a couple ideas in the brain, but have to stew on it some,, has to be some logical madness to it,,, and as far as your inverter being that close, is a bone chilling shutter.

Its a What was they thinking? You definetly need to isolate that inverter away from that water supply connection.. Electricity and  water dont play well together. Just remember, Dont fully enclose your inverter,, it needs air around it for cooling.

[Dawn Michelle]

Thank you for verifying my concern!!  I guess I am learning something from all my research!.  If a water pump goes out any chance it will "spurt" or am I more concerned about a leak/wet carpet?  I figure I got two directions I can go...either rehouse the converter in something like a battery box, sealing the mounting holes well, or I can build a platform and bring it up higher than the floor.  I like the latter because then I don't have to figure out how to maintain the waterproofing integrity and still vent.

 Course, I also have the box from the electrical housing jutting in.  Maybe I should just build me another wall separating the components, take up that carpet, apply caulking and some sort of paint on weather proofing - and then lay back down some carpet tiles just under the components to help muffle vibration....

Or I could mount it on the sides of the dinette walls maybe.  There really isn't any other place to put it - behind the dinette is the door to breaker box so would block that in the lower cabinet would end up wasting a lot of needed easy access space. 

Thanks for thinking on my conundrum!

[Richard W. Cobbs]

I'm guessing that the pump is a quick and dirty replacement and doesn't have a check valve to prevent city water from going into the water tank.  As to the separation of the water and electric, I would guess that it would be easier to move the plumbing than the electric.  A pan under the pump and much of the plumbing may be possible and a leak alarm.

[Dawn Michelle]

Now "quick and dirty" I won't disagree with!  But it looks to me that the city and tank systems are always completely separated....

...or am I misunderstanding the plumbing lines?  Okay - let me talk through this - I was assuming that the city water which had two ends would replace the connection from the pump when I wanted to use that.

But if it has two ends, then maybe one hooks to the pump and one hooks to the line leading to into the wall and into the plumbed system?

So if it doesn't have a check valve - why that long tube?  And shouldn't the tube go somewhere if sometimes water ended up in it?

And thank you for the thoughts on a pan for the plumbing (as opposed to the converter).

[Dawn Michelle]

I guess I'm not understanding why currently "just" the pump is connected - if the city water hooks to both the line in and the pump, then why even reroute it like this - I mean it's not part of winterization is it?

[Lakota Wolf]

The single line with 2 hoses on a split, (one being plugged looks as thos it should have connected to the main water line AND water pump, with a CHECK valve,,That way it does not fill your fresh water tank. The idea is to have BOTH water supplies incorporated into a single line, The fresh water having its own pressure to push thru the lines,, and the water pump, to push the water from the holding tank. In the case of combining, The fresh water has to be installed AFTER the water pump, Thus no chance of just filling your holding tank. A T fitting like you already have on the back side of the pump is the idea.

On your inverter, a battery box would OVERHEAT the inverter. Your idea of elevating it a little and putting up a *Splash wall is practical.. isolate the water pump area.

[Dawn Michelle]

Ah, okay, now I'm starting to visualize this.  

Currently both ends of the city water line are plugged - the top one with a regular pex style cap would go into the waterline that moves into the rv (outgoing for something to call it) and then the second extension has some brass fittings (you can just see in the pic, but it's laying next to and partly hidden by the water pump).

Could the check valve be that brass fitting?  On Amazon I see different types and they don't all look the same...but assuming that is what it is (or I need to get), then that one attaches to the water pump where it currently connects to the outgoing waterline in the pic.  

What about the line that comes into the water pump from the tank - what is  that connection with the clear hose coming out of it (and going nowhere)?

Or is THAT the check valve on that side - and if it is or isn't - what should I be plumbing that hose into?

Splash wall and elevating the inverter it is :-)  That seems doable with my newfound skills.

[Lakota Wolf]

A real common,,, check valve is the male to male type coupler, (meaning the coupler has MALE threads on both ends, It also has a little rubber stopper inside,, meaning water can only flow through it one way,, water pushes in,, little stopper gets pushed open and viola,, water flows,, But if water comes from the other direction,, it pushes the stopper closed. Home Depot and Lowes carries them, (last time I looked anyways) They are also called one way couplers or even unions, The check valve goes on the Out put side of the water pump, so when city water is turned on, the *stopper doesnt allow water to go backwards through the water pump into your holding tank, And when your NOT using city water, allows the water to be pumped from the water tank through the water pump into the water lines going to the sinks,toilet,shower. Just mentally remember the water flowing in ONE direction,, But from 2 available sources,, That check valve is like an automatic water switch..  Hope I didnt confuse you..

[Dawn Michelle]

Nope, no confusion - that means the check valve needs to be on the outgoing side of the water pump.  Got it.  I'll look closer at that brass attachment based on your description and research - and take it in someplace if I need to get it identified.

Of course if anyone figures out the tube on the incoming side that sticks up from the other brass fitting - I'd love to hear it!  

[Lakota Wolf]

You tube has a couple video's on the RV water systems,, not extreme detail,, but helps a lil,

[Rich Thomas]

Hi Dawn,I think the brass fitting that looks like a shut off is if I'm correct a diversion valve I have them on my hot water tank to bypass for winterizing . when the handle is in line with the fitting the flow goes straight and flipped it is in line with the T and the flow diverts. it looks like someone didn't trust a check valve and instead went manual. Hope this helps and if its old news I apologies. I didn't have time to read all the threads.

[Lakota Wolf]

Great Advice Rich,,, I didnt even think about that,,, excellent point...