Manufacturing "fresh" water.

[wayneroe]

I filled my fresh water about 2/3 full before leaving home four days ago. WE hadn't used it much and it was still showing 2/3 full when we stopped last night. This morning it was full and venting water through the overflow. I opened the fresh water fill port and water flowed out for about a minute. Have any of you had this happen and have an idea where the extra water might have come from? I am not a water system expert, but am wondering if maybe there is a valve that didn't shut off when we started the city water at the RV park and city water was flowing into the fresh water tank as well as into the coach's water system.

[axis earl]

Originally Posted by wayneroe

I filled my fresh water about 2/3 full before leaving home four days ago. WE hadn't used it much and it was still showing 2/3 full when we stopped last night. This morning it was full and venting water through the overflow. I opened the fresh water fill port and water flowed out for about a minute. Have any of you had this happen and have an idea where the extra water might have come from? I am not a water system expert, but am wondering if maybe there is a valve that didn't shut off when we started the city water at the RV park and city water was flowing into the fresh water tank as well as into the coach's water system.

Yes, this issue has been discussed in length in this forum. The consensus is that the check valve in the water pump has a problem with most likely a plastic shaving obstruction. There is a strainer before the pump with a clear plastic cover you can look at to see the plastic shavings that are there because they were left in the plastic tank when they drilled the fittings. You can clean that strainer, run the water and then it should keep this from happening. You can also just shut off the water intake to the tank when hooked up to city water. It happened to me once in our 2016 Axis too.

[wayneroe]

Thanks, axis earl. I am pretty new to the forum and hadn't seen that. I'll check out the strainer tomorrow morning.

[Tupelo Kid]

Originally Posted by axis earl

Yes, this issue has been discussed in length in this forum. The consensus is that the check valve in the water pump has a problem with most likely a plastic shaving obstruction. There is a strainer before the pump with a clear plastic cover you can look at to see the plastic shavings that are there because they were left in the plastic tank when they drilled the fittings. You can clean that strainer, run the water and then it should keep this from happening. You can also just shut off the water intake to the tank when hooked up to city water. It happened to me once in our 2016 Axis too.

Is it possible to add a few photos of the areas you are pointing out?
I have not had the issue (yet) but would like to also inspect the area you mentioned.
Thanks.

[carboss]

Originally Posted by axis earl

Yes, this issue has been discussed in length in this forum. The consensus is that the check valve in the water pump has a problem with most likely a plastic shaving obstruction. There is a strainer before the pump with a clear plastic cover you can look at to see the plastic shavings that are there because they were left in the plastic tank when they drilled the fittings. You can clean that strainer, run the water and then it should keep this from happening. You can also just shut off the water intake to the tank when hooked up to city water. It happened to me once in our 2016 Axis too.

I have same problem on my 2018 challenger

[bevedfelker]

I've had this happen to me in my Vegas about 4 times. It is caused by a small piece of debris getting in the check valve built into the water pump.

I turn off city water. Run the pump for about a minute or two. Turn off the pump and open the low point drain on the fresh water tank to drain it. After the tank drains down for a while I turn the city water back on and listen down near the pump to see if I can hear water back flowing into the tank. If there is no backflow I finish draining the tank and then close the drain.

When I am camping in improved sites (which is just about all the time), I periodically check the monitor panel to see if the level of water in the fresh water tank is increasing (meaning water is back flowing through the pump into the tank). If the tank water level is going up, I repeat the description in the second paragraph.

I could replace the pump but why have the cost of the pump plus labor when All I have to do is periodically drain the tank. (Yankee frugality -- I may not have the first dollar I ever earned, but I do have the change from it)

[wayneroe]

I partially drained the tank and used the fresh water tank to do everything except drink for the first two days of our long trip west. I also opened the drain and, combined with water usage, got it down to about 2/3 full. I then started using city water again and closely monitored the water level in the fresh water tank. That was almost a week ago and I haven't had any further problems.

[Bob Denman]

Problem solved...

[MIKEERWIN]

We are trying to winterize our new thor aria. Still getting aquainted with our new rv, can anyone tell me where the fresh water tank drain/valve may be? We have looked underneath and have found nothing but an enclosed area where the fresh water tank drain should/would be. Any help on emptying this using gravity and low point would be helpful.

[Mwild]

Not sure what model but mine was in outdoor kitchen cabinets under fridge,

[Bob Denman]

You'd think that they'd want to mark these things better...

[Techn0]

I keep experiencing the same issue. I have replaced the check valve on my water pump and that didn't resolve my issue. I replace the Kantleak 4 way switch and that resolved the issue...for a while.

I am camping at a new location and my fresh water tank is filling up again plus I do not have very good water pressure on city water. The water pressure starts out good but the PSI slowly degrades. I have ran my pump a lot and cleaned out the filter but it keeps happening. A couple of questions.

1. Any recommendations on the degrading city water? Could it be the Kanktleak 4 way switch not correctly positioned allowing water to flow or would the check valve on the water pump cause low pressure?

2. Since the check valve on the water pump seems to be a reoccurring issue, has anyone added a separate check valve and if where?

TIA

[bevedfelker]

I'm not familiar with the Kantleah 4 way switch since my Vegas doesn't have anything like it. I've had this happen about three times. Every time I just turn off city water and run my pump for about two or three minutes. Turn off pump and turn city water back on and the problem usually goes away.

I think there is a check valve in the pump that sticks and allows city water back pressure to get through the check valve and flow through the pump backwards into the fresh water tank. The check valve is not external to the pump and mounted in the cold water supply line. The check valve I think is sticking is internal to the pump. The only way to change this check valve is to replace the pump. Since the problem usually corrects itself for a while before repeating, I've just learned to live with it and to periodically check the fresh water tank level on the monitor panel to see if the check valve is stuck again. That's way cheaper than changing the pump.

If one of the positions on that 4 way switch allows city water to fill the fresh water tank, that is where I'd start looking if nothing else is stopping the backward flow of water into the fresh water tank.

[sky_blue]

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

...
The only way to change this check valve is to replace the pump.
...

Ed, That is not true. They do make a check valve repair kit for the pump. BUT, I could not find any local dealer that had one in stock. AND you have to remove the pump to work on it.

So I just replaced the pump. It is simple to do.

[Techn0]

I've replaced the check valve on the pump before. Pretty easy to do. If you call Shurflo, they will send you one for free.

[CSR]

Originally Posted by MIKEERWIN

We are trying to winterize our new thor aria. Still getting aquainted with our new rv, can anyone tell me where the fresh water tank drain/valve may be? We have looked underneath and have found nothing but an enclosed area where the fresh water tank drain should/would be. Any help on emptying this using gravity and low point would be helpful.

The Aria gravity drain is located in the lower left corner of the wet bay (see attached pic).

[Miramar Owner]

The low water pressure on city water is because the valve you refer to is partially plugged with debris and not switching completely. At least that was my case. I changed the filter and switched the valve back and forth several times and that solved my problem.

[Submansd]

Seems from all these messages that the pump gets debris in it and that keeps the check valve from closing properly. Changing the pump or replacing the check valve seems like the problem would recur eventually unless the tank and lines were flushed or blown out. Couple of questions:
1. Is there a flushing procedure that would bypass the pump?
2. Is there a filter that could be placed into the line prior to the pump that would capture any debris and could be cleaned out?

Thanks for sharing!

[Miramar Owner]

Originally Posted by Submansd

Seems from all these messages that the pump gets debris in it and that keeps the check valve from closing properly. Changing the pump or replacing the check valve seems like the problem would recur eventually unless the tank and lines were flushed or blown out. Couple of questions:
1. Is there a flushing procedure that would bypass the pump?
2. Is there a filter that could be placed into the line prior to the pump that would capture any debris and could be cleaned out?

Thanks for sharing!

The Miramar does have a small "screen" filter inline before the pump. If yours does not have one I would think it should be easy to install. It's about a half dollar in diameter and an inch or so long, so doesn't take much space.

[RV Pirate]

Had (have) to the same problem in our Challenger. Had a little less than 1/2 in the fresh water tank when we hooked up at FW, when we were leaving I noticed we were over 2/3. Will check out the check valve, thanks! [emoji6]