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Water tank and fill issue

Yahoo Message Number: 76988
We were parked and plugged in to city water for about 10 days at the same location. The fresh water tank went from half to almost full , in those 10 days. I have " auto-fill ", so the water must have been leaking by the solenoid valve. There was a discussion some time ago and , I can't locate the responses. I have had a " burp " in the pump , since new , that I have not been able to resolve . I suspect that, when I have the pump on and not hooked up to city water , pump pressure is forcing water back through the solenoid , back into the tank. This would cause the pressure to drop slightly at the pump and then the pump " burps ". Has anyone had the same problem ? I am guessing that the solenoid is the problem , as the " burping " on the variable speed pump, is not always consistent.
Any other ideas ?

Ron Baran 09 Magna 7025

Re: Water tank and fill issue

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77010
I've had the same problem and it turned out to be the water pump. When using city water there is pressure on the output side. If the pump leaks internally, it allows water to pass thru the pump into the tank. There was no way to repair the pump so, a new one fixed it.

Greg Jones

'03 Intrigue 11571

Re: Water tank and fill issue

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77020
Similar problem, but different diagnosis. Our pump started to give a periodic burp every once in a while when we were not hooked up to city water. It would not burp when on city water. I did not believe the solenoid valve would be the problem. Instead, I suspected the pump diaphram. When on pump alone, water could leak by the diaphram thereby reducing line pressure in the coach cabin...the pump would burp periodically to re-raise the line pressure. When on city water, no need for the pump to re-raise the line pressure, because city pressure was adequate...However, the diaphram continued to leak and eventually filled the fresh water tank until it overflowed...and created a puddle under the coach.
I replaced the pump, and problem has gone away. But I also bought a repair kit for the old pump diaphram assembly... only about $26 online. I intend to fix the old pump and use it as a spare should the problem recurr.

Re: Water tank and fill issue

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77021
I had my pump replaced under warranty, and the "burping " problem remained. At some point,a long time ago , in the forum answers , to similar problems , I seem to remember that , someone else said they had a problem with the gasket/o-rings on the solenoid valve. If the diaphragm is the problem , the solenoid for the " auto-fill " is after, the pump diaphragm , and if the solenoid is fully closing , it seems the water pressure to fill the tank has to be after the solenoid. Again, can someone confirm this?

Ron Baran 09 Magna 7025

Re: Water tank and fill issue

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77029
Either a leaky solenoid, or a leaky pump diaphram can cause the water tank to overfill. Think about it this way: There are water lines in the coach that go to faucets...let's call them the "house lines". There is a water line that enters the coach...let's call it the "street line". The house lines need to be pressurized, and they get pressure from either city water or the pump (if city pressure is high enough, the pump hi pressure limit is sustained, and the pump does not turn on.... if city water pressure falls, then the pump takes over to pressurize the house lines.)
The pump draws its water from the fresh water tank and uses that water to pressurize the house lines. If the city water has enough pressure, then city water from the street line pressurizes and supplies the house lines.
The fresh water tank gets filled (normally) when a water fill solenoid is activated, it draws water from a pressurized line...most commonly, the street line. Since both solenoid, and pump diaphram are always exposed to the pressure in the house line, either can be the source of the problem....and the symptoms for either form of failure will be the same: periodic burping of the pump as water pressure leaks down from the house line, and eventual overfilling of the fresh water tank when hooked up to city water.

Hope this helps.
-skip-

2000 Magna 5778

Re: Water tank and fill issue

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77030
Just aa point of clarification... The street line connects to the house lines at a "wye" junction somewhere inside the coach. Usually, there is a ball valve that allows the house lines inside the coach to be isolated from the street line. (This valve is closed when there is no city water connected to the coach.) There may also be a one-way valve that prevents coach water backflowing to the city water connection. If there is no one-way valve, or the one-way valve has failed, or the solenoid is tapped into the pressurized water line on the house side of this one-way valve, then a leaky solenoid would indeed exhibit the same symptoms as a leaky diaphram.
In any other configuration (I.e. functioning one-way valve and solenoid is on the street side of such a valve) then the only source of the problem would be a failed diaphram in the pump...
However, the number of people who've identifed failed solenoids as the issue make me believe that Country Coach did not isolate the solenoid on the street side. Instead, it is connected to the house lines...and hence either pump failure or solenoid failure can be a source of the problem.
As a footnote: If I were plumbing coaches, I'd have isolated the fill solenoid to the street side, and done so to be sure there were no backflow possibilities of coach water into city water...

Thanks
-skip-

2000 Magna 5778
 

Re: Water tank and fill issue

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77048
Thanks to those that responded. I took delivery of my coach about 3 months before CC closed shop, and so got no factory help. Initially, I got help from the forum about potential air getting in between the pump intake and the tank. I subsequently changed the line from the tank to the pump. CC had used the fittings from the red and blue lines , which are a slightly different smaller diameter than flex hose. The barbs on the red/blue fitting are smaller than regular plastic flex hose. The pump manufacturer replaced the pump under warranty and got back to me that the pump, I returned, tested okay. At that point , the burping was such that i could live with it. However, recently it has got worse, and that is when I connected the facts that the filling of the tank meant that the solenoid is probably leaking. You all have confirmed my thoughts on the matter. When I get at the solenoid valve, I will report back. The coach is parked most of the winter in Indio, and I will look at the valve just before I get on the road, as the tank will have to be drained. Again thanks to the responders.

Ron Baran 09 Magna 7025