Prudence or Paranoia?

[byways]

I shut off my water to the TT every time we leave. I just don't trust the system to hold, and I certainly don't want to clean up a mess when I return. Is this unwarranted paranoia, or is it prudence? Do you shut your water off?

What other things do you do every time you leave?

[BobR]

byways wrote:

downtheroad wrote:
It's prudence...or else I'm paranoid.

Have used one of these right at the spigot before my regulator for years.

Like!

I have seen hoses burst! Best to turn off at spigot.

[jnharley]

We also normally just use the onboard fresh water tank and pump and we always turn off the water and water heater when we leave.

[jjjandrbaker]

Tothill wrote:


When we leave the sticks and bricks the water is left on. If we are going to be gone more than a week, we shut off the water heater.

This reminded me of something. One summer I went to put the trash at the curb about 30 minutes before a cab was coming to take the family to the airport for a trip to Grandma's. Water was running from the water heater, through the garage like a stream, and down the driveway.

I turned the water going to the water heater off, and purchased, and arranged for installation of a new water heater over the phone when I got to my destination, for the day after we got back home.

If that doggone leak had happened the next day, it would have been a bigger problem, as we did not have anyone watching our house.

Since then, our neighbor has a key for emergencies, but I still don't turn the water off.

[jjjandrbaker]

Padlin wrote:
Never thought about it till you mentioned it, guess now I'll be paranoid too.

Ditto for me. Makes a lot of sense, though. I'll try and put it in practice starting on tomorrow's trip.

When I am not using the water connection, I always turn the pump on and off when needed. I don't like those occasional groans I hear when the pump is left on. May be perfectly normal, but I just don't like it.

[mr__ed]

I don't even use the city water connection. I always run off the on-board tank and pump. I never have to worry about leaks because if I hear the pump running with all faucets turned off I know I have a leak somewhere. Besides, it's so easy to just flip off the pump switch than turn off the city water spigot every time I leave the RV. And to boot, the water pressure is always the same...

[PegLW]

We were at a RV Rally one time when an announcement was made regarding water pouring out of someone's motorhome. Turned out it was across from us. Something in the toilet had broken, the water began to run and in less than an hour the motorhome had water running out of every opening and crevice! The storage bays were soaked, as was all the carpet in the rig. If they had simply turned the outside water off, they wouldn't have had a flood and hopefully would have found the issue while present in the rig.

[byways]

othertonka wrote:
Years ago I was in Valley of the rogue, Oregon, state park and new to RVing did not have a water pressure regulator. Came back one afternoon and saw water pouring out of the front door, high pressure or a surge blew a fitting off the kitchen sink. Now I only operate from my tank and use gravity fill to fill the tank. I never hook up to the campground "city water". I have a good water pump and get the same water pressure each and every time I need water. Just turn the pump off when not using any water. Believe me if you ever have a flooded RV you will never leave the water ON when you leave for any length of time. Lesson learnd

Thanks for the story! THAT is the nightmare I have had so many times!

[portscanner]

I turn off the water on the TC when I go off for for a few hours. I go even further than turn off the water heater - I have a timer on the water heater that automatically turns it off after one hour.

I turn off pump on the well for the S&B when we go off for a week. Came home one time to find the pump running because the switch that turns off the pump when the pressure is high enough failed - so the pump could have be running continuously from a few hours to the entire week. Fortunately it did not burn out.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you

[R12RTee]

wbwood wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
If I had a rig that couldn't survive/withstand ordinary water pressure in its plumbing, I'd fix it.

ALL RV's are plumbed with plastic tubing with plex fittings. It's NOT your house 'pipe' plumbing by ANY means! And the cost of the coach does not change they way in which they are plumbed.

My house is plumbed with plex piping. The traps under the sink are plastic. Basically no different than our RV. We never shut it off. We also don't shut off the water heater. Once we arrive on site (which all have been water/electric minimum) and the water is turned on and the hot water heater is going, they are both left turned on. Might start turning the water heater off though as it does seem to light a lot more easier (on first time) as apposed to the travel trailer. TT water heater was gas. MH has both gas and electric.

So those that turn off the water, do you also turn off the electric?

You beat me to it. I was ask the same 'bout the electric so that you don't catch fire. Electrical wiring is not as good in a camper as is in a S&B house.
And don't y'all forget to shut your grey water valves so the sewer monsters don't crawl into your sinks while you're away.
I full time. I've yet to see water pouring out of any camper at the parks I go to. Can it happen? Sure, but I have better things to concern myself with.

[wbwood]

rockhillmanor wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
If I had a rig that couldn't survive/withstand ordinary water pressure in its plumbing, I'd fix it.

ALL RV's are plumbed with plastic tubing with plex fittings. It's NOT your house 'pipe' plumbing by ANY means! And the cost of the coach does not change they way in which they are plumbed.

My house is plumbed with plex piping. The traps under the sink are plastic. Basically no different than our RV. We never shut it off. We also don't shut off the water heater. Once we arrive on site (which all have been water/electric minimum) and the water is turned on and the hot water heater is going, they are both left turned on. Might start turning the water heater off though as it does seem to light a lot more easier (on first time) as apposed to the travel trailer. TT water heater was gas. MH has both gas and electric.

So those that turn off the water, do you also turn off the electric?

[rockhillmanor]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
If I had a rig that couldn't survive/withstand ordinary water pressure in its plumbing, I'd fix it.

ALL RV's are plumbed with plastic tubing with plex fittings. It's NOT your house 'pipe' plumbing by ANY means! And the cost of the coach does not change they way in which they are plumbed.

It's designed to fail. Can only stand a certain amount of pressure. And if you ever really looked at it all within any RV it's a spaghetti platter of tubing and multiple crimped connections at every turn. Installed in an assembly line fashion by hand.

The law of averages with that many connections says they will leak. I choose not to increase those numbers in my coach. Flipping a switch on a HTW heater does not take a chunk out of my life nor does reaching down and shutting off the water valve at the site on my way out. They don't sell RV water pressure regulators for their health.

BTW: It doesn't take hours to cause water damage in an RV, it takes minutes to soak thru a carpet into cheap wall paneling, plywood, and particle board, and mold seemingly appearing before the days end.

When you full time you are out there in CG's 365 days a year. We see way more of these water leaks than the average weekend, vacation RV'er. While most have never seen it happen, don't think it will ever happen to them.....the full timer can tell you about at least 4 or 5 that they see 'a year'. That is why you see half of the responses being "PROACTIVE" not paranoid. It's from experience.

I'd rather have my MH burn to the ground, before I'd want water damage to it. It's costly and you never can really get all the moisture out.

[Tothill]

I thought OP was talking about a seasonal site.

If we have hook-ups, we attach the hose when we arrive and leave the water on the entire time. We do use a pressure regulator.

The water heater is turned on the the morning for showers and dishes, then turned off until supper dishes. I do not leave it on as it is gas only and is really loud.

When we leave the sticks and bricks the water is left on. If we are going to be gone more than a week, we shut off the water heater. Someone is by each day to feed pets, water plants etc.

[Francesca_Knowl]

If I had a rig that couldn't survive/withstand ordinary water pressure in its plumbing, I'd fix it.

[othertonka]

Years ago I was in Valley of the rogue, Oregon, state park and new to RVing did not have a water pressure regulator. Came back one afternoon and saw water pouring out of the front door, high pressure or a surge blew a fitting off the kitchen sink. Now I only operate from my tank and use gravity fill to fill the tank. I never hook up to the campground "city water". I have a good water pump and get the same water pressure each and every time I need water. Just turn the pump off when not using any water. Believe me if you ever have a flooded RV you will never leave the water ON when you leave for any length of time. Lesson learnd

[wny_pat1]

byways wrote:

IAMICHABOD wrote:
Always turn it off while in FHU site also turn off pump when dry camping.

Not to hijack the thread BUT,I have to ask when you leave home for a camping trip do you do the same in your Stick and Bricks?

I do since a neighbor that left for the weekend and had a fitting come loose in the bathroom and flooded his house!!!

Not paranoid just trying to not have that Murphy's Law kick in.

I don't...but now you have me wondering. We do when leaving for a road trip overnight, but not for a day long trip.

I'm paranoid too, but the stick house, yes when going on a extended trip I turn it off at the entrance before the meter. But now I'm wondering too. How about when I go shopping with the dw??? It doesn't take long. A lot of water damage can happen in a couple hours. But don't think I'm going to get to concerned. I figure I'm on borrowed time anyway, so whats it matter?