water leak near city water hook up

ugh....my hopes have been dashed for a quick fix.....I continue to drip out of the water tank drain hose...so at least the problem has been identified, if not the cause....I am dripping about a quart every 3 hours...so it must either be the pump or the valve that switches from city water to tank water....As I look from the outside at the switch that switches city water vs tank, there is a Philips head screw that looks like I could remove and the control switch would come off....Now I am wondering if there is any gain to doing that and then perhaps find something to tighten up

On 2 trailers I've found hose directly on the backside of the city water connection to be extremely loose and leaking so anyone finding this thread might check that as well. There should be a panel that unscrews to gain access - often from inside the main storage bay of your fiver.

So, I toggled the switch which takes the water source and either sends it to my fresh water tank or to my fixtures....I did this about 4 or 5 times and heard the 'click' each time... I kept the drain for the tank open during the entire process....Then left the switch on the city water setting and waited to see what happened/ My luck had it that it rained all day yesterday . Anyway, I put a measuring cup under the drain last night and this morning had about 12 ounces of water in the cup....I am hoping that this was residual water still seeping out and that perhaps the problem has been solved. I will watch it today and report back...I may still look into adding that extra calve into the water pump flow, just as a precaution. Our 5th wheel was in storage for almost 6 months, so I suppose the non-use of water might have dried a seal out or something ….

Sometimes simply using the water pump (disconnect from city water) for a day will clear any obstruction that is allowing city water to backflow into the freshwater tank.

shug23 wrote:
ok I am to have to go see how all the plumbing lines are set up...I haven't had to mess with them ever....Is a check valve easy to identify ? I may have to call one of the mobile repair guys because I am starting to get over my head

It's a pretty easy fix, if you can get to your water pump. If not, then yes, by all means have someone do it for you.

So, RV water pumps already have a 1-way valve built in so that pump can build pressure, and shuts off. You cannot see it, because it is inside the pump housing. When you hear folks that are not on city water connection, say that their pump runs for a second or so every few minutes with no water usage, its usually because the one-way valve built in the pump is leaking back into the tank, causing the pump to lose pressure. The remedy is to either replace the pump, or add one of these one-way valves to the inlet/suction side of the pump:

One-way Valve

This assumes your water pump connections are the standard 1/2" threaded barb fittings. You would unthread the line coming from the water tank going to the pump, and insert this in between and reconnect. Might need some teflon tape, to ensure there is no air leak or the pump won't work correctly.

I hope this helps.

Dave

ok I am to have to go see how all the plumbing lines are set up...I haven't had to mess with them ever....Is a check valve easy to identify ? I may have to call one of the mobile repair guys because I am starting to get over my head

Yes, water pump check valve is a possibility too. Even though on city water, there is still pressure to the pump (at least on my rig there is). You could close your tank drain, let some water accumulate, and switch over to pump, and run that for a bit too. Sometimes the pump check valve can leak back into the tank. Otherwise you can add an inline check valve in the suction side of the pump, or replace the pump entirely.

I haven't used the water pump this year....do you think that still remains a possibility ? I am trying to 'exercise the diverter valve and see if that leads anywhere.....I may have to wait a few days for the drip (if it continues) to wind its way down the drain hose.....hopefully the 78 sunshine degree weather without a cloud in the sky doesn't distract me from the task at hand.

The water pump check valve could be leaking city water back into the fresh water tank. I had that problem so I installed a one way check valve on the water pump output line. Cost less than $10.00

Well, that's progress! Probably will be a simple fix in the end. At least it's something manageable being able to leave the tank drain open. I don't own a DRV (I wish I did), but it sounds like the diverter valve needs a new seal. You might exercise that valve a bit, switching back and forth. Could be something as simple as some debris in it, although probably not...doesnt hurt to try.