Wierd bathroom water problem

[dshinnick]

Hey all-

It's a 2015 Itasca Sunstar, aka Winnebago Vista.

The flow of COLD water to our bathroom, the water closet, has gone down to almost nothing, perhaps 1/4 of its normal flow. Here are the facts:

- The slow flow appears at the toilet and in the sink, both in the same "closet".
- The HOT water in the sink, right next to the toilet, appears normal.
- The shower, directly opposite on the other side of the coach, seems normal, both hot and cold.
- The kitchen sink seems normal, hot and cold.
- Water pressure from the park is normal.
- Turning on the pump had no effect; cold water in toilet room still slow.
- This just started this morning. Outside temps are in the high 50's.

So it would seem that the cold water line, common to the toilet and toilet-room-sink has become clogged or restricted somehow? Not sure what else could account for this.

I may have to call a pro on this unless someone here has an idea. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance-

Dave

[rgatijnet1]

I always used one of those inline filters connected to the hose whenever I filled the fresh water tanks or whenever I hooked up to RV park water. This is in addition to the filters that I have inside the coach for drinking water, etc. I usually have to change that inline filter every 6 months or so because of the accumulation of debris that I stop from coming in to my coach.
Even with the filters, hard water will leave more crud as it evaporates and leaves the minerals behind.

[dshinnick]

SOLUTION:

As most of you said, it appears to have been simple debris accumulation from the hard water we're hooked up to.

About 3 months ago we were getting low water pressure at the home where we're parked with full hookups. So, figuring that water in a residential neighborhood would probably be ok, I removed our water filter. Not much change in pressure, but I left it off.

And then the problem, as I described above.

I removed the easy-to-remove filters at the end of the nozzle on both sinks and it was thick with white gravel-like material. Cleaning that improved the flow somewhat in the bathroom, but not completely. As I was disassembling the bathroom faucet I broke a part and so had to buy a new one. When I installed it, flow was fine. So I have to figure something in the old faucet was blocked.

Now, what about the potty?

Mounted to the rear of the bowl is a disc with holes in it, through which flows the water which fills the bowl, and which had become so slow. I had to remove the toilet, but I found the bolt which holds that disc in place. I removed it, shook the disc, and some white particles fell out. I couldn't disassemble it, but the wife soaked it in vinegar for an hour, and said that when she rinsed it, quite a bit of white junk came out. I reinstalled the disc, and the potty, turned the water on, and the flow is fine. We're fixed.

So....moral is, don't remove that external water filter. And when something like this happens, think first of the *easy* solutions. I just didn't realize we had such "hard" water, and that buildups like that were possible. And to have two unrelated outlets slow down at virtually the same time? Well, I probably should have bought a lottery ticket. Thanks much to all who contributed ideas and suggestions.

dave

[atsrmf]

There is blockage at the faucet, disassemble and clear it out. It could be small a piece of gasket or something similar. It doesn't take much!

[All_I_could_aff]

I’m curious if this problem was resolved, and if so, how.

[Beverley_Ken]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

DFord wrote:
The first thing I'd check is to see if there's a check valve in the outlet of the water heater. If you have just one valve to change to winterize, you probably have a check valve. The check valve has a small disk that blocks the flow of water back into the water heater. That disk is plastic/nylon and is held in place with a spring. I've seen several of them come loose from the spring and lodge in the outlet of the water heater. It's hard to get to the back of the water heater to get at the check valve. There's no maintenance. You must replace it. I found a replacement with a metal disk right next to ones with the plastic disk. Choose carefully.

HOT water works....OP has issue with COLD to bathroom sink and toilet



OP....
Tolet sprayer works (as desgin---only when toilet is flushing)
but you have low flow to toilet.
That suggests toilet inlet to bowl/rim is plugged up with minerals/debris
Same with that cold side of faucet.

X2 Probably minerals/debris in system has broken loose and those were either the first two used.

Ken

[All_I_could_aff]

I had a similar situation with sudden low cold water pressure in one fixture. I turned off the water spigot outside, opened my cold low point drain, disconnect the cold feed pipe tp the problem faucet, and shot compressed air into the pipe. Upon reconnecting the faucet, full water flow was restored, but it happened again a few days later, so I had to repeat the process. Some crud was restricting flow, and then it made its way to faucet screen

[down_home]

This is one reason the primary reason for good or great water filters for every bit of water that enters the Motorhome not just the the drinking water spigot.Every new Motorhome has a built in filter system but older ones,, some don't, and mny times no body changes them and they bypass dirty water into the Coach. I've trying to figure out how to intall a filter inside our bay with limited space

[down_home]

This is one reason the primary reason for good or great water filters for every bit of water that enters the Motorhome not just the the drinking water spigot.Every new Motorhome has a built in filter system but older ones,, some don't, and mny times no body changes them and they bypass dirty water into the Coach. I've trying to figure out how to intall a filter inside our bay with limited space

[Old-Biscuit]

DFord wrote:
The first thing I'd check is to see if there's a check valve in the outlet of the water heater. If you have just one valve to change to winterize, you probably have a check valve. The check valve has a small disk that blocks the flow of water back into the water heater. That disk is plastic/nylon and is held in place with a spring. I've seen several of them come loose from the spring and lodge in the outlet of the water heater. It's hard to get to the back of the water heater to get at the check valve. There's no maintenance. You must replace it. I found a replacement with a metal disk right next to ones with the plastic disk. Choose carefully.

HOT water works....OP has issue with COLD to bathroom sink and toilet



OP....
Tolet sprayer works (as desgin---only when toilet is flushing)
but you have low flow to toilet.
That suggests toilet inlet to bowl/rim is plugged up with minerals/debris
Same with that cold side of faucet.

[DFord]

The first thing I'd check is to see if there's a check valve in the outlet of the water heater. If you have just one valve to change to winterize, you probably have a check valve. The check valve has a small disk that blocks the flow of water back into the water heater. That disk is plastic/nylon and is held in place with a spring. I've seen several of them come loose from the spring and lodge in the outlet of the water heater. It's hard to get to the back of the water heater to get at the check valve. There's no maintenance. You must replace it. I found a replacement with a metal disk right next to ones with the plastic disk. Choose carefully.

[Oasisbob]

I wonder if a pipe folded over on itself in a tight turn womewhere? Other thoughts are good. Just what I had dealt with a qhile back. Please let us know what you8 find

[doxiemom11]

Low flow in our toilet is our first clue that it's time to change our water filter.

[dougrainer]

The problem with mineral build up is how it seems to suddenly happen. Since Lavy Hot water flow is normal, that points to the calcium chunk in the cold water inlet valve of the Lavy faucet. NOT the exit strainer since the hot water is normal. You need to pull the Cold water valve body of the lavy faucet. You need to pull the water line off the input of the toilet. You will probably have to pull the toilet and look at the water valve inlet of the toilet. It probably has Mineral build up. You either pull the toilet water valve and rinse it out or just replace the toilet water valve. PRESSURE is not your problem. FLOW is. Doug

[dshinnick]

Update:

The toilet has an attached hose and a small hand-held sprayer. With nothing else on, the sprayer produces no water. But when I hold down the toilet flush pedal, the handheld releases a full-strength spray, and the toilet continues its poor flow. When I release the toilet flush pedal, the handheld stops, and the poor toilet flow continues.

Not a solution, but interesting. Seems to show that the water pressure to the toilet is ok.

Suggestions have included checking filters and water valves, but:

- I can't imagine two completely separate filters becoming clogged overnight. Not gradually, but suddenly.

- If valves had gotten turned, wouldn't I seem some leakage/draining of some type under the coach? Nothing.

Thanks.