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Old 10-10-2017, 05:04 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 30.1
State: Colorado
Posts: 388
THOR #5190
I guess it would do that...

Normally when I winterize I blow out the air lines with a compressor. Our ACE has a built in connection for an antifreeze bottle so this year I decided to try it.

It worked really well for the first few lines, then the pump decided not to be a pump. The pump would run, but would not suck up anything from the bottle. I didn't want to get into pump troubleshooting at the time, so I pulled out the air compressor and blew things out though the city water connection like I usually do.

All clear, so the next morning I decided to take a look at the pump. Pulled the suction strainer and found it to be full of white plastic chips. Same plastic as the fresh water tank, so I presume this is an artifact of Thor's "craftsmanship". When they drilled the holes for the water fill and supply lines they just left the chips in the tank. I wonder if I have a couple of plastic coupons still in the tank.

So after cleaning up the filter, I decided to test whether it was going to be a pump again. Hooked up an antifreeze bottle, and turned on the pump. This time no response - pump would not even run.

We were pressed for time to get the coach back to its storage location, and troubleshooting looked like it would take awhile. So we took it back to the storage lot and the problem got assigned to background processing.

Later that day (now the coach is 10 miles away), I realized the the likely problem is not the pump, but a result of the blow out. When I blew out the lines, I opened and closed every faucet, shower, toilet and outside shower, then shut down the compressor. I had the regulator set to 45 psig, so now I have 45 psig of air locked up in the lines. The pump was very happy and pressure switch was telling it not to run. At least I know that there aren't any leaks in the water system and that the check valves work.

So once our early October snow melts and temperatures get back to normal fall levels, I have to run back out to the coach and make sure. Sometimes things are working exactly as they were designed to do.

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Old 10-10-2017, 07:01 PM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 25.2
State: Oregon
Posts: 272
THOR #6934
yep, another reason I will just blow everything out as I have always done.....
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Old 10-10-2017, 07:21 PM   #3
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Brand: DRV
Model: 44' Santa Fe
State: Montana
Posts: 392
THOR #2053
Were you aware that the vast majority of tanks supplied to rv manufactures come with all of the fittings molded into them? Fresh, gray and black tanks included. Very rarely does any manuf. ever drill holes in them for anything. Not saying no one does but the old days of finding a 3" piece flouting in a tank are all but gone.

Bill
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Old 10-10-2017, 08:13 PM   #4
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 30.1
State: Colorado
Posts: 388
THOR #5190
Quote:
Originally Posted by Porkchop View Post
Were you aware that the vast majority of tanks supplied to rv manufactures come with all of the fittings molded into them? Fresh, gray and black tanks included. Very rarely does any manuf. ever drill holes in them for anything. Not saying no one does but the old days of finding a 3" piece flouting in a tank are all but gone.

Bill
I wonder if Thor has heard of such things. The material I found in the strainer was definitely fresh water tank chips. I'll have to pull the cover and see what they really did. My tank is located under the bed below a plywood cover. I do see what look like some pre-formed knockouts on the top of the tank. I wouldn't put it past them to have installed it upside down and then decided to cut new holes.
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Old 10-11-2017, 08:02 PM   #5
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 30.1
State: Colorado
Posts: 388
THOR #5190
Got over to the coach today to test the pump. Opened the sink faucet and got a blast of air, so the water system was pressurized. Once the water system was depressured, the pump ran. The water system held 45 psig for 4 days, so I guess I don't have any leaks. Pump sucked up antifreeze so the problem with no suction was the plastic chips in the suction strainer.
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