Water tank question
Hi everyone, I'm working on my very first DIY camper conversion, using a 2010 extended Ford E250. I have some questions about the clean water tank. I don't want to install a 12v level indicat...
Forum Discussion
Assuming the bottom is flat, any corner is basically as good as the bottom. If you know which corner, you can even park with the van angled that way a bit to help it drain. It's not essential to get every last water molecule out of the tank, but just the same it's good to drain as much as possible.
For the city water connection, there are two things you might want it for. One is just running the water system with city water pressure (without using the pump), and for that it should tee in after the pump. There's a check valve built into the water connection port (usually) so that the pump doesn't expel water out the city water connection when you aren't hooked up. (If your connection doesn't have a built-in check valve, you can add an inline one.)
The other thing that you might want to do with city water is fill the tank. Often that means moving the hose to the gravity fill connection and putting water in that way. Sometimes a valve is added between the pressurized side of the system and the tank so that opening it lets the water flow into the tank. Sometimes, in the latter case, there is no gravity fill at all and that valve is the only way to fill the tank.
You might want to consider adding a tee to the suction side of the pump and valves, with the other input going to some sort of a hose connector. That would enable you to pump antifreeze through the lines for winterizing (if you care to use antifreeze rather than blowing out the lines with air pressure), and if a pressurized fill valve is used, it also allows you to pump water into the tank from some outside container.
And yes, a sight glass sort of arrangement is very effective and simple for determining the water level.
For the city water connection, there are two things you might want it for. One is just running the water system with city water pressure (without using the pump), and for that it should tee in after the pump. There's a check valve built into the water connection port (usually) so that the pump doesn't expel water out the city water connection when you aren't hooked up. (If your connection doesn't have a built-in check valve, you can add an inline one.)
The other thing that you might want to do with city water is fill the tank. Often that means moving the hose to the gravity fill connection and putting water in that way. Sometimes a valve is added between the pressurized side of the system and the tank so that opening it lets the water flow into the tank. Sometimes, in the latter case, there is no gravity fill at all and that valve is the only way to fill the tank.
You might want to consider adding a tee to the suction side of the pump and valves, with the other input going to some sort of a hose connector. That would enable you to pump antifreeze through the lines for winterizing (if you care to use antifreeze rather than blowing out the lines with air pressure), and if a pressurized fill valve is used, it also allows you to pump water into the tank from some outside container.
And yes, a sight glass sort of arrangement is very effective and simple for determining the water level.
