Does the water pump itself retain the pressure in the pressure tank, or is there a pressure valve associated with the tank? My tank used to hold pressure for days if not consuming water, but now after a water system vinegar treatment, the tank won't hold pressure overnight.
Thanks, Mike
Don't know about days, but mine will hold overnight at least.
There is a check valve in the pump that holds pressure to the tank if it is working properly. Any small leak would cause loss of pressure.
The pressure tank has a rubber diaphragm in it backed up by air. If the rubber diaphragm gets a hole in it the pump will cycle many times. To test the pressure tank all you have to do is press on the air valve at the very end of the tank if any water comes out diaphragm is leaking. Home Depot or Lowe's will have a $30 thermal expansion tank that will probably match yours exactly. The pressure tank will not have a check valve going into it the only check valve will be on the discharge side of the pump.
After doing an extensive vinegar treatment last summer I now find a whole lot of calcium crystals coming thru our system and creating havoc. Our faucet nozzle screens slowly plug up with the crystals. The water pump backflow valve apparently got blocked open by a crystal (or more) and malfunctioned for awhile. It "self-cleared" a few days, after I cussed it, emptied all the lines and the fresh water tank, cussed it again, and then proceeded to refill the entire system after removing the nozzle screens and running water full force thru the lines.
I do plan on doing another extensive vinegar treatment when we return home this spring.
Mike,
After your acid wash you may have a drain valve or fitting that is leaking. You need to check your hot and cold low point drain valves and see if one of them has a seep. Your coach should have 4 low point drains (2 under the house batteries and 2 in the water pump area). You also need to check around your whole water system in the coach to see if you have a crimped fitting that is seeping. The suspect places is around the water pump area, water manifold, and the domestic water lines to the Aqua Hot. These key areas have lots of fittings that can seep.
This kind of problem can happen due to the cleaning removing the calcium that has been clogging up the leak.
Mike, too
I had a slight leak in behind the wet bay wall. There are hidden connections there and a water inlet pressure regulator.