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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Dick S on December 02, 2012, 02:04:32 pm

Title: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Dick S on December 02, 2012, 02:04:32 pm
Looking for ideas as to where this is coming from.
Water is dripping from one or both of the copper lines at the right front corner of this bay. I have had this area wet before, but here on the north Oregon coast in heavy rain it is much worse. In the last 24 hours we have collected almost an inch of water in our collection pan.
We are also seeing wet area on the floor under the cook top, at the back by the coach wall and the right (rear) side by the wall under the fridge.
I shut off the water supply to the ice maker and water filter faucet a couple days ago, so I think that is ruled out.
I resealed the screw holes in the fridge vents on the roof, which looked like they could be leaking. Apparently they weren't causing this leak.
The area behind the fridge behind the access panel is dry.
All plumbing to and behind the toilet is dry.
I don't know where else to look... >:(
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: J. D. Stevens on December 02, 2012, 02:30:01 pm
Consider a leak around a window. We had an obvious leak around one window and easily fixed it with a bit of silicone caulk. Our window leaked to the interior of the coach. A window that leaks into the wall could send water almost anywhere along the side of the coach.
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Gayland Baasch on December 02, 2012, 02:55:11 pm
Could it be condensation?  Especially on the copper pipes.
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Wattalife54 on December 02, 2012, 04:59:38 pm
Dick,

We are in Crescent City, Ca and can relate to the heavy rain. The wind/rain last night was extreme.
One place to check is the dryer vent, if it is in the area. This morning I found a small amount of water in the wash bay. It appears that the plumbing vent on the roof was holding water between the pipe and the vent housing. I drilled a small hole at the base of the vent housing on the gutter side.
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Michelle on December 02, 2012, 05:19:26 pm
Are those copper lines perhaps for propane, rather than water?  I don't recall seeing copper water lines anywhere in our coach.

If propane, could they merely be a path for the water to follow?  Is the fridge drain possibly blocked and could the dripping be defrost runoff?


I shut off the water supply to the ice maker and water filter faucet a couple days ago, so I think that is ruled out.

Oh - warning - if you mean you shut off the cheap saddle valve under the kitchen sink, those are notorious for leaking/dripping from the valve "stem" if you try turning them on or off (ask me how I know ::)  ).  Really poor choice of valve and something we keep meaning to replace with a more robust design.

Michelle
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: John Haygarth on December 02, 2012, 05:31:44 pm
Dick, another place  (although you did say no water was visible in the rear inspection cover for fridge) I found a while back that with heavy rain the bottom of the cover (with vent lines in) have a few slots and water was going in there and migrating past the plastic frame then onto the wood floor under fridge. I fill all across rhe vent opening with silicone untill it was higher than the outside edge so water could not get in. It worked for me. If you need a photo let me know and I will take one. If as Michelle say's it is not the tap (cheap crap) try checking around the top of window seal for any gaps as JD suggested. Check again the roof vent for cracks in cover and were it meets roof.
John H
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Dick S on December 02, 2012, 05:45:08 pm
Thanks John, that photo would be nice. FOT had that frame out when we were there and it was while we were there that we first noticed this problem. I hadn't thought about that frame having been removed.

Dick On Dec 2, 2012 2:31 PM, "John Haygarth" <jhaygarth@aol.com> wrote:
Quote

Dick, another place (although you did say no water was visible in the rear inspection cover for fridge) I found a while back that with heavy rain the bottom of the cover (with vent lines in) have a few slots and water was going in there and migrating past the plastic frame then onto the wood floor under fridge. I fill all across rhe vent opening with silicone untill it was higher than the outside edge so water could not get in. It worked for me. If you need a photo let me know and I will take one. If as Michelle say's it is not the tap (cheap crap) try checking around the top of window seal for any gaps as JD suggested. Check again the roof vent for cracks in cover and were it meets roof. John H

2000 U295 36' Cummins 350 c/w banks Stinger, resonator upgrade, Solar, LED lites. 2001 Tracker

jhaygarth@aol.com
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Dick S on December 02, 2012, 06:20:17 pm
Yes, those copper lines are for propane and I believe they are just a path that the water is following. I can see the one from the fridge where it goes through the floor, but it seems dry at that point. But somewhere between where it goes into the floor behind the fridge and reappears in that bay, it is picking up the water.
And I did have some problem getting that valve under the sink (seems to be part of the filter assembly) to shut off. But leaving the filter faucet open it is not dripping into the sink so I think that line is closed now.
I was wondering if water could leak from the roof where the vents contact the roof and come down outside of the flue. The inside of the flue vent is dry.
It has been too wet to do much on the roof for now.
We did discover another leak today under the rear corner of the large window in the living room on the passenger side. Maybe all the same problem although they are a long way apart.
Probably wasn't a good decision to spend holidays in Oregon. :'(
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: John Haygarth on December 02, 2012, 07:15:47 pm
I just took these and they give you an idea of what I meant. The little slots allow water in and if the area behind is left as original water can migrate into wooden flooring and cause a problem. I piled silicone along the inside so it is higher than the plastic so no water can get in. (Not very neat I know but no one sees it!!). If you have water leaking also at the bottom of a window trim then it is pretty certain that the top (or sides) have a gap behind flange and sealant is not protecting it.
Another place I have found is the top trim strip with all the screws in and the one along the floor line, if they do not have any (a fine line of it) sealant along the top edge that is another point of entry. The screws back out slightly over time so are not holding the strip tight. I check mine about three times a year and almost allways have to tighten a bunch (all of the strips). The water follows the screws. It takes a bit of sluething but I bet you will find some of these things causing trouble.
John H
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Michelle on December 02, 2012, 08:04:14 pm
I just took these and they give you an idea of what I meant. The little slots allow water in

Another place I have found is the top trim strip with all the screws in and the one along the floor line, if they do not have any (a fine line of it) sealant along the top edge that is another point of entry.

Thanks John!

I've added these to Steve's "list" :) .  And one of the things we had taken care of at Xtreme last month was cracking in the sealant of the "belt moulding" (the one at floor level). 

Michelle
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: John Haygarth on December 02, 2012, 11:19:36 pm
The one thing about owning an RV is that you MUST at least once a year go over the  whole exterior checking joints, screws, and flanges around all the appliance exterior parts because you WILL get seperation and then leaks happening. I have totally rebuilt 3 RVs- the last one for my Brother and we took the walls off from the outside in , the floor reframed and all the cabinetry/ appliances etc out, rewired the whole thing. There were multiple points of water entry that we had to get rid of. It was bought that way-dirt cheep- but now after all the work is worth 5x the cost (labour not included as I was teaching him how to do it) and has gone from a mid 90s era to modern day. Leaks are the quickest way to the scrap heap if not checked, and yet it is in my opinion the cheapest and easiest thing to do on an RV.
John H
Title: Re: Help - water leaking into Manifold (P4) Bay
Post by: Dick S on January 18, 2013, 06:52:34 pm
Just to follow up, John you were right on. The water was coming in the access door behind the fridge (see photo). We got it cleaned up and dry and put enough urethane sealant on to stop the leaks. I will seal it better after we leave FOT. They will have to remove that frame to repair, again, some cracks in the fiberglass that extend out from both top corners. I noticed that after that repair last year they replaced the frame, but didn't put the screws in the original holes, nor did they seal the original holes.
It is good for now.