Filling fresh water tank?

[Burwoods]

Before I begin, yes I have used the search and looked for my answers. So if I have this right please let me know.
We tried to fill our fresh water tank at home before leaving. Should be simple...One inlet for water, a pull handle to switch to city water hookup to filling fresh water tank to boondock. 1. we put handle in proper position and hooked up our hose from our house to MH with a purchased pressure valve.
2. Husband asked me to turn on tap to see if water running, yes with air. 3. We stopped hearing water running into tank, kept checking for sensors to show water levels...nothing there. 4. After what we feel was a lengthy time and no sensor changed we stopped filling. Worried we may over fill, not sure if there is an overflow..1999 Rexhall aerbus (I have tried searching that also) 5. We left for campground. Turned on pump, but not sure of the water level, we did not leave on. (someone said do not run pump if no water) I think now we should have let run until pressure was there and it would shut off its self?. 6. If we want hot water tank to fill, we turn on hot water tap to replace air in tank with water. Perhaps this is not a concern but we were concerned about over filling and no where for the water to go, and pop, we have a problem. If anyone has a 1999 Rexhall aerbus class A and knows if there is an overflow that would be great. Now go boys...let me have it.

[Burwoods]

Found the friggin tank. Small 4inch or so hole inside the propane tank compartment. Shine a flashlight in there and hala, there is the fresh water tank, with a tiny little white valve, in the shut off position. Not to mention 2 other little white valves, I will find out what they are for later.
thanks for the help

[Burwoods]

We have water in the RV, the pump kicks on, but board still says the tank is empty. I found inside the hot water compartment two valves to empty the fresh water tank and the hot water tank I believe. There seems to be no over flow for the frest water as the hose has now been hooked up for about 2 hours and no over flow. No idea if I have a full tank of fresh water or not, or if the pump is just picking up some water that is in the pipes or what. The Motorhome has the quick fill system. Staight up for city water and then turned sideways for fresh water tank. We have been under the MH and see one large tank, so we are thinking is this divided inside the tank into three? If so then we are looking at some small tanks.

[Harvey51]

Often the freshwater fill port is covered by a small locking door about 4 inches square. Open the door and you see a hole large enough to put the end of a garden hose into. Above it is a small overflow hole. You run the hose until water squirts out of the overflow hole.

Sometimes the pump cannot draw water from an under vehicle tank without being primed - particularly when the tank is not full. This means the pump must have water already in it in order to work. In my MH, I have a winterizing kit - a valve on the inlet side of the pump so it can be switched from the pipe coming from the tank to a tube that I put into a jug of RV antifreeze. To prime the pump, I fill the tube with water and stick it into a jug full of water, run the pump until it visibly draws water from the jug, then switch it to draw from the tank.

There should be a freshwater tank drain tap, usually low down on the back of the tank. A neat solution to the unreliable tank level indicator lights is to attach a clear plastic tube to the drain tap, long enough to extend up to the top of the tank and attach or hang over something under the RV. Then you can open the valve and clearly see the tank fill level in the tube. In your situation, you could just leave the freshwater drain open while you try to fill the tank - water draining out will tell you water is going in. Or not.

[Burwoods]

1775 wrote:
Reading the procedure that you used to fill, this has me wondering - ".One inlet for water, a pull handle to switch to city water hookup to filling fresh water tank to boondock. 1. we put handle in proper position and hooked up our hose from our house". Are you sure you have that pull handle in the correct position?

We have very different rigs but I also have a city water hookup that can be used to fill the fresh tanks. On mine there is a valve to turn rather than a pull handle - but that valve has to be in the same position if using city water or the fresh tank. The only time it is in its turned position is when actually connected to fill the tank. After that the valve is turned back. In mine if that valve is not set properly, no water comes out of the filled fresh tanks when the water pump is on.

Check that pull handle and make sure it is in the correct position. Also, does the water flow to the sink, etc. just using the hose on city water? It is often easier to fill your hot water tank that way than to fill it from water in your fresh tank. Once the hot water tank is filled it will refill whenever you use hot water by the water pump pushing water into it from your tank (or on City Water just getting water from the hose). The only way to actually empty the hot water tank once it has water in it, is to use the drain on the HW tank (drain varies by make of hot water heater/tank).

I don't think that you have anything broken - just not set properly.

In the one manual that we do have it shows a picture and the position that the handle should be in for each procedure. I am not above checking all that again..lol. We have never hooked up to use a continuous city supply of water. Perhaps I will do that first on Monday at the house and then switch to trying to fill the tanks again. I am also not above saying this could all be the operators fault..lol. Doing something for the first time with no manuals, and trying to search out on 36' of Mh where everything has been tucked away (or hidden) is an adventure for sure. Thank you for your help

[1775]

Reading the procedure that you used to fill, this has me wondering - ".One inlet for water, a pull handle to switch to city water hookup to filling fresh water tank to boondock. 1. we put handle in proper position and hooked up our hose from our house". Are you sure you have that pull handle in the correct position?

We have very different rigs but I also have a city water hookup that can be used to fill the fresh tanks. On mine there is a valve to turn rather than a pull handle - but that valve has to be in the same position if using city water or the fresh tank. The only time it is in its turned position is when actually connected to fill the tank. After that the valve is turned back. In mine if that valve is not set properly, no water comes out of the filled fresh tanks when the water pump is on.

Check that pull handle and make sure it is in the correct position. Also, does the water flow to the sink, etc. just using the hose on city water? It is often easier to fill your hot water tank that way than to fill it from water in your fresh tank. Once the hot water tank is filled it will refill whenever you use hot water by the water pump pushing water into it from your tank (or on City Water just getting water from the hose). The only way to actually empty the hot water tank once it has water in it, is to use the drain on the HW tank (drain varies by make of hot water heater/tank).

I don't think that you have anything broken - just not set properly.

[JaxDad]

First, no hot water, if your unit has a hot water bypass system you will not have hot water, or any water from the hot water tap if it's set to the 'winter' position.

Second, if you didn't turn the hose on very high it would take a long time to fill the tank. The fact you had some water, and a lot of air, coming out tells me you put some in.

Finally, I too am in the GTA, if you'd like some help PM me, im always willing to offer some assistance if you're not too far away.

[Burwoods]

phenrichs wrote:
By any chance have you checked the handle you described to be sure it is connected on the other end? Perhaps it isn't switching and you only have city hookup or it is not switching all the way?

I have thought of this just lately, that perhaps it is sticking or something. We are finding, and I think I have said this before, the previous owner did not give a******about anything...just drove it. Have a list of all the suggestions here, and on Monday I am going down the list until I get it right. Thanks

[phenrichs]

By any chance have you checked the handle you described to be sure it is connected on the other end? Perhaps it isn't switching and you only have city hookup or it is not switching all the way?

[Burwoods]

opnspaces wrote:
Sounds like it didn't fill the tank. When you said the sound of water filling stopped and the sensors didn't change, what did they read? Did they read empty the whole time, or did they read full?

There will be an overflow for the tank, they all have one or we'd be reading about ruptured fresh tanks all the time. Don't turn the hose on too hard so the overflow can keep up and not let the tank over pressurize. I usually turn my hose on just a little bit and let it slowly fill the tank. It take a while (maybe 15 minutes to fill), but I'm doing other things at the same time and don't want to cause any damage if I forget to turn it off.

I wouldn't worry about it, RV water pumps can run dry without any damage. Yes if you have water in the tank the pump can run for a few minutes while it fills the system including the water heater. Pump flow rates vary between 2 - 4 gallons per minute. So if you have a 10 gallon water heater it might run for a while.

I would hook up the hose and use city water to fill the water heater and bleed the air out of all the faucets. Then flip over to fill the fresh tank and wait until the water starts coming out of the overflow.

I think you are right that somehow it just did not fill for whatever reason...the sensor read empty all the time. I have all day Monday to figure this out before we leave. Oh and I don't think there was any water in the hot water tank...nothing came out of the hot taps...not even air. Thanks your advice and help is appreciated.

[opnspaces]

Sounds like it didn't fill the tank. When you said the sound of water filling stopped and the sensors didn't change, what did they read? Did they read empty the whole time, or did they read full?

There will be an overflow for the tank, they all have one or we'd be reading about ruptured fresh tanks all the time. Don't turn the hose on too hard so the overflow can keep up and not let the tank over pressurize. I usually turn my hose on just a little bit and let it slowly fill the tank. It take a while (maybe 15 minutes to fill), but I'm doing other things at the same time and don't want to cause any damage if I forget to turn it off.

I wouldn't worry about it, RV water pumps can run dry without any damage. Yes if you have water in the tank the pump can run for a few minutes while it fills the system including the water heater. Pump flow rates vary between 2 - 4 gallons per minute. So if you have a 10 gallon water heater it might run for a while.

I would hook up the hose and use city water to fill the water heater and bleed the air out of all the faucets. Then flip over to fill the fresh tank and wait until the water starts coming out of the overflow.

[Burwoods]

bukhrn wrote:
Where is your fresh water tank? Mine is under the rear queen bed, I have a small access panel so I can see if the tank is filling/full if I don't trust the sensor.

Way under the Mh and you cannot see in to it.

[bukhrn]

Where is your fresh water tank? Mine is under the rear queen bed, I have a small access panel so I can see if the tank is filling/full if I don't trust the sensor.

[Burwoods]

gbopp wrote:
Are you sure the pressure valve is working?
Just because it's new doesn't mean it can't be bad.

Nope did not cross our mind that could be a problem. We are driving over to the RV storage tonight will bring valve back home and check that. Thanks

[gbopp]

Are you sure the pressure valve is working?
Just because it's new doesn't mean it can't be bad.