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SLE's avatar
SLE
Explorer
Aug 19, 2013

Ultraheat Melted Black Water Tank!

So, I come back from fishing to a prominent sewer smell. Look under the Cedar Creek and noticed a drip from the belly pan. Figured a fitting or something was leaking. Pulled the belly pan and insulation (which was a bit of a nasty job when it's full of sewage!) and start inspecting for a leak. Notice a very slight drip coming from the tape pad that holds the Ultraheat tank heater to the tank. I reach up and touch the tank heater and notice the darn thing is hot! WTH, I get out from under and go into the RV expecting one of the kids flipped the switch on and see that everything is off as it should be. Of course I grilled everyone and nobody had touched it. I went back out, snipped the wires and pulled it off to find it melted a fairly significant hole in the tank (that sucks).

This is where it gets interesting. I pull the pan for the grey tank and touch the heater and notice it's warm but not near as hot as the one I had just removed. Go back in and check the switches to see that they are indeed still off. Start checking a few things with my limited tools and decided I must a have a short somewhere and decide to just remove the 15 amp fuse that runs the tank heaters and the monitor panel. Low and behold and hour later the damn pad is still warm! At this point, I decide I better check the galley tank. Pull the pan to find that one is cold. Well this makes some sense as this heater is on a separate switch from the other two. At this point I clip the wires to the grey tank heater and taped off all of the wires to make sure I don't burn a hole in the grey tank also.

I'll be taking the multi-meter with me back to the lake next weekend to do some checking. If anybody has any suggestions where to start I'm all ears! Second, has anybody had any luck patching a tank? I am hoping to epoxy or jb weld the hole shut as a temporary fix until I can get it home to be worked on. If anyone has some advise, feel free.

Thanks
  • jnharley's avatar
    jnharley
    Explorer
    Aug 20, 2013
    We found that our fuses were mislabeled. We pulled a fuse and found it did not shut off the item it was supposed to. We took lots of time checking to see what went with each fuse and printed out our own list. Now we can tell at a glance what each fuse is for. You may have the same issue with your fuses.
  • SLE's avatar
    SLE
    Explorer
    Aug 20, 2013
    The more I think about this, does anybody know where the switches are all located for our 2008 Cedar Creek. Buying it as a used unit maybe I'm missing something? Near the Kitchen sink we have the tank level indicators and in the same panel we have a switch for the water pump and the tank heater. Both light up red when switched to on. There is also a single stand alone red switch that is simply labeled tank heater that also lights up when turned to on. Near the entry door, we have a 4 switch panel that runs 3 exterior lights and the living room lights. We also have a single switch (not labeled) that apparently is a master switch for the slides as the rocker switch for the slides won't work without this flipped to on. We also have the rocker switch that actually moves the slides in/out. Of course we have the awning switch in this location also. Out side of this area, the bathroom only has two switches below the medicine cabinet, one for the lights and one that powers the fan. I'm just wondering if There's another switch or something that powers the tank heaters that I'm missing? I may have to call cedar creek today to see how they are suppose to operate. Maybe they are perfectly fine and I just don't know how to use my camper, lol.
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Aug 20, 2013
    If it is black ABS plastic I recommend Plasti-Mend. Search amazon or get direct. With a sheet of ABS any leak can be permanently fixed.

    Please let us know what you find electrically. Most my UH are 120v and the circuit breaker stays off.
  • SLE's avatar
    SLE
    Explorer
    Aug 20, 2013
    Orion, your spot on for my first plan of attack. To be honest, this is our first year with the camper so for all I know it's been doing this forever. What may have not been an issue for the previous owner may have reared its head as we hook up to facilities at our seasonal site so the sewer remains open to drain dry. I expect this is why the problem just showed up as if the tank held any water I doubt it would heat it up enough to melt it. When I pulled the fuse and it didn't shut off I was kind of baffled, so I sat back and poured a whiskey and thought about it for a while, lol.
  • 0rion's avatar
    0rion
    Explorer
    Aug 20, 2013
    not only that but depending on the draw, which I'm not sure of, you would probably pop a fuse due to the current anything that heats or cools demands. It being wired incorrectly makes the most sense really. Have you used it in the past during warm weather? Perhaps it's always done it and just never gotten hot enough to melt the tank. To me at least that makes the most sense. Any easy way would be to put a meter on it and have someone topside start pulling fuses until you lose power and see what circuit it's on.
  • Weldon's avatar
    Weldon
    Explorer
    Aug 19, 2013
    A second vote for WATER WELD.......I had a leak in the seam of my galley tank, the bottom side. Has held for 2 years with no problem.
  • SLE's avatar
    SLE
    Explorer
    Aug 19, 2013
    Thanks for the info! All I know is they are powered up with the switches in the off position and the 15 amp fuse removed! Obviously they are tied to something else or have a short causing a hot connection. Thinking about this a bit make me wonder if I have a short with a hot connection why the light on the switch isn't lit?
  • lakeside013104's avatar
    lakeside013104
    Explorer
    Aug 19, 2013
    My problem with our new 2014 Bighorn was not exactly like yours, but this may give you an idea. To make a long story short, when you turned on the inside panel switch for the 120v electric water heater, the current went to the YETTI cold weather heating pads on the holding tanks. When you turned on the switch for the YETTI heating pads, the electric water heater was powered up. In behind the switch panel on the inside of the 5er there are five relays that are connected with color coded wires. Two of the relays had the wrong color wires on them. I swapped out the two wires and put them with their corresponding colored wires and everything works as it should. Good luck and keep us informed.

    Lakeside
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Aug 19, 2013
    Hi,

    A double layer of Eternabond will work. One patch to cover the leak, and then another larger piece to cover the patch.

    I would still let the ultra heat folks know that under certain conditions their unit can melt the tank.
  • SLE's avatar
    SLE
    Explorer
    Aug 19, 2013
    The unit is 5 years old so I'm pretty sure I'm on my own.

    Thanks for the input on patching the tank, especially the Water Weld Suggestion. I may use a combination of things but the water weld should get me started since it may be slightly wet even after it's been drained. I was thinking some 3000 psi marine epoxy as a final smear on product. The stuff is tough as nails but it has to be dry to apply. I'm pretty handy as far as electrical goes but without my trusty multi-meter I couldn't do much out side of clip a couple of wire, tape them off, pull the fuse that it's suppose to be tied to and hold off until I can be properly prepared. I'll know more next weekend when I get back down to the lake with some tools. FYI, the camper is set up on a season site and typically only comes home at the end of the season.

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