I am in process of re-doing the plumbing around pump/filter/fill valve and could use some experience type advice.
Also brand new to using forum and not sure how all this works.
I plan to replace hard pex connections to pump with braided stainless lines for a softer connection. I have the newer style variable pressure sensing pump and wonder if the tiny little accumulator is really serving any purpose now or could just be eliminated in this process.
My electric fill valve also is bleeding through causing pump to continually short cycle and slowly filling tank while hooked to city water. Thinking since new valve from Foretravel is so expensive might just put manual ball valve in.
Any ideas/advice on this project from others would be appreciated.
Hi Mark, we met at the GrandVention. Glad to see you here on the Forum.
If you want you can got to your profile, then click on Modify Profile and then Forum Profile. There is a signature box where you can add some info about yourself or your coach. Year and model are helpful. As you know there are quite a bit of differences over the years and between modes.
The electric normally closed solonoid valves are not terribly expensive. Here is a brass NC 3/4 one for about $22. You want one that uses 12 volts to open. No 12 volts it is closed. I used a plastic valve in a hot water recirculation project (no wasting water while waiting for it to get hot) that was $15. Three years, no leaks. For the fill valve that is under pressure all the time I would use the brass one.
Vktech 2W-200-20 3/4 Inch Brass Electric Solenoid Valve Water Air Fuels N/C... (http://amazon.com/Vktech-2W-200-20-Brass-Electric-Solenoid/dp/B00ETPGB8M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445697426&sr=8-2&keywords=3%2F4%22+12v+solenoid+valve)
The accumulator reduces the amount of time the pump runs. Using SS braided hoses will work fine. There are many different end connection styles, just find the right one. You probably only need to do the connections on either side of the pump. As I recall looking at your water bay it was pretty open and should be easy to work on. Pictures make it easier to answer questions sometimes. It will be helpful to see the final result. Keep asking. Lots of help here.
Roger, I appreciate the info on the valve. We had a great time at Columbus and met a lot of wonderful folks. I'll also take your advise about updating profile. Safe travels.
Mark,
Some of the water fill valves have rebuild kits that are available. With more info on the valve you may just be able to repair it as Foretravel used good parts in the water system rather than disposable parts.
Pamela & Mike
Mark,
Welcome to ForeForums. It is good to see you here for advice. And it was good to meet you and Celia at the Grandvention as well.
I also did your water bay project a few years back. Everything you need is available at one of the big box hardware or home improvement stores unless you'd like to replace the electric water fill with a manual. Not knowing the electrical configuration of all the water valves, my advice is to keep the electrical water fill for convenience. When you are hooking up, it is nice to have that water valve switch right there on the street side of the coach. With a manual valve, you will need to walk around to the water pump bay to open the manual valve. Just a thought to consider. Also, you may not need to replace the solenoid valve. It may just need cleaning with CLR. Just remove the valve and clean & replace.
I don't know enough about that small surge tank to tell you if the performance of the water system will be the same without it. Someone else will chime in if they know,
Good luck with your project.
Valve has manufacturer tag on it. Google the model and manufacturer. I found it online at a great price. As I recall I somehow cleaned the grit out of the OEM one and didn't replace. Has been 4 years
The water fill valve on our 03 would leak very slowly and cause the pump to cycle about every 20-30 minutes. After using it to fill the tank several times quit leaking. I had planned to take it apart to clean it, but is now ok
Sand or grit or rust particles in the incoming supply can play havoc with many downstream components. If cycling the fill valve clears the problem then you likely would benefit from an incoming water filter. The one I use came from Dripworks. Five years now. If you need to add bleach just unscrew the bowl and add it there. Then everything gets the bleach treatment.
Drip Irrigation | Dripworks | Amiad Tagline Filters (http://www.dripworks.com/product/Q_FAMCP)
Mark,
Welcome to the Forum. I enjoyed our time together in our walkaround of your new-to-you coach. There are pump connection kits available in the correct lengths with the right fittings. They might simplify your project.
Having the same problem a year or so ago I ultimately removed the fill valve, cleaned it, removed some small pebbles, reinstalled and all has been well. Should have done that first. Until I got to that point I got a 1/2" Shark Bite 1/4 ball valve and inserted it in front of the water manifold. It worked well until I pulled the Fill Valve and cleaned it out. I now carry that ball valve in my spare parts box. I replaced the Shark Bite 1/4 turn ball valve with a Shark Bite connector. Thanks again to Roland B. for the exposure to Shark Bites. I always carry a variety of Shark Bites now.
I use a 5 micron canister filter between the street water and water softener before it gets into the coach.
Good luck - :D
Mark, i found a picture of a water pump setup similar to yours with flex lines to and from the pump to isolate it for noise and a brass water fill valve about where yours is. Clean crud free water really reduces all of the downstream issues.
My guru buddy replumbs dishwasher equipped coaches with manifold plumbing systems to tap the dishwasher feed line into the line for the sink faucet.
The amount the dishwashers uses is low enough that hot water from the manifold never gets there.
So he instructs the customer to turn on the kitchen faucets hot side first right before turning on the dishwasher until hot water comes out of it.
Obviously only the first fill will be hotter.
I think the splendide draws enough water to get hot water into the unit but I wonder if starting with the temp selector set to hot might not end up with better temp for washing cotton type clothes than selecting warm and having 1/2 cold and 1\2 cold then hot to mix?
Easier to add the ability to get the hot water to the washer in the replumb?
Might have to use my IR thermometer pointed at the washer door just to see.
Not sure if the splendide detergent works as well in different wash temps?
I hate wasting water especially when you have a limited supply waiting for hot water. Here is what I did. Works very well, no wasted water, hot water from the manifold in just a few seconds.
Hot Water Recirculation (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=23736.msg185394#msg185394)
Thank you to everyone for the replies and advise on this project. I will attempt to re-cap my process now that it is completed and pass on some valuable lessons learned.
First I did before ever posting here take out the fill valve and contact Spartan Technical about it. Was told that it was designed for irrigation and never intended for this occasional use and is now obsolete and with nitrate diaphragm he was not surprised it might be leaking. Also talked with James at FT and he was very helpful and suggested in past that a small amount of debris has been found to keep diaphragm from sealing and to dismantle and check.
So, I first made up a ball valve replacement section as someone above has suggested and yes it will stay in my repair kit as emergency back-up now. With ball valve in place and positive seal there the pump still continued to short cycle although not as quickly. After again checking all lines for leaks and finding none realized pump was most likely next problem. Having a new in the box pump in bay for emergency I started the re-plumb to flexible lines using it. With new lines all in place everything worked great and also made it easy to test system both with and without the tiny surge tank. With the new style variable pressure sensing pump the surge tank made no difference and served no useful purpose like it would with and older on/off pump and so was eliminated. If there was room for a larger pressure tank like I had in a previous RV it would be nice to keep pump from coming on until after 1-3 gallons of water had been used. In reality with new pump it is so smooth and quiet running only at speed required to maintain pressure that it is not a big deal.
Now it was time to tackle electric valve issue. On tearing it down I indeed found very tiny PVC shavings such as would be produced when sawing off pipe end. Carefully cleaned it all, re-assembled, two minutes to take out ball valve assembly and put it back in line, tested and all worked fine now.
Checked about replacement diaphragm for older Shurflo pump and can only buy full assemblies rather than simply getting small parts needed and cost exceeds value considering relation to cost of new pump. Nothing to loss so time to take pump apart anyway and see what is going on in there. Had earlier also found small PVC shavings in filter screen ahead of pump which should have set of alarm bells but figured they should/would never get through screen. Pump all apart and sure enough 4 of 5 diaphragm cups have little curl shavings preventing them from completely sealing and of course causing pump to short cycle forever.
End of story is that bay is re-plumbed with flexible stainless lines from big box, makes soft connection to pump and quiets things down considerably. Tiny surge tank is gone but with the flexible lines it or larger tank could easily be put in, although no real need. Old pump is now in bay as back-up since it's ready to go again, but like new one better.
Lesson: I have always used an in-line filter at all water supplies when filling coach however this doesn't mean previous owner also did. This experience is good reminder just how valuable even those cheap blue in-line filters can be as it would have caught all of those shavings. Likely some park had installed new lines and shavings were floating around in system and previous owner of our unit hooked up without filter. Hopefully I have found and eliminated all of them now and with filters both on fill line and whole coach filter canister after pump won't have any more problems.
Thanks again to all and sorry this is long winded but wanted to wrap it up and perhaps save someone else same problem down the line. Look forward to spending more time with all the Foretravel family we've met.
Mark
Mark,
Great Job!
Mark, glad it works better. Some of these plastic bits could be left over from the original manufacture. Good thing to check all of your faucets too. They have screens in then to catch crud. A fine particulate filter at the water source helps to protect everything in the coach. There was some very fine sand like stuff on our system when we bought it that took a couple years to finally clear out of the main tank. i am really glad you found the help you needed on the Forum. That is its primary function and it works well.