Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 02:45:42 pm
Title: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 02:45:42 pm
Hya all, I have water dripping, from underneath rear driver side wheel arch, il attach photo, directly in front where generator is situated, I've lifted the settee that opens up into a bed which is behind the driver seat expecting to see wet somewhere cause that's where the water pump is, but totally dry it's a real mystery, if you look at the photo underneath the wheel arch there are 2 pipes, just dripping from 1 of them, it must be some kind of over flow or something I don't know I've checked the water tank area at the front in the middle of driver and passenger seat all dry there, also no leaks in bathroom sink shower and toilet, and kitchen sink is all off and no wet patches anywhere, but this water is coming from somewhere, real mystery, haven't had any rain for a couple of days, any one have any advise thanks kev
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: wolfe10 on July 18, 2020, 02:56:08 pm
Rear or FRONT left (our driver's side)??
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 03:09:47 pm
It's the front driver side wheel arch at the rear, if you look at the photo there are 2 pipes it is drip drip drip, the generator is directly behind the arch
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: craneman on July 18, 2020, 04:25:28 pm
It's the front driver side wheel arch at the rear, if you look at the photo there are 2 pipes it is drip drip drip, the generator is directly behind the arch
What Brett is asking is it Australian drivers side or our drivers side.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: wolfe10 on July 18, 2020, 04:56:51 pm
With the mention of settee and water pump, the pipes are in the driver's side (our driver's side) just behind the front wheel.
It will probably take someone with the same vintage coach to answer, as I know our 1993 U240 had no drains there-- our fill was in the wet bay and overflow up in the nose.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 05:03:50 pm
With the mention of settee and water pump, the pipes are in the driver's side (our driver's side) just behind the front wheel.
It will probably take someone with the same vintage coach to answer, as I know our 1993 U240 had no drains there-- our fill was in the wet bay and overflow up in the nose.
I'm just thinking I filled my water tank up yesterday, I'm not parked on level ground, so it's leaning towards the left, as my hydraulic leveling is not working, I've never noticed this leak before though, my tank is also up in the nose between passenger and driver seats, but cannot see where the overflow is, maybe its up the front of the tank in which case I cannot see it without removing it completely, i can only see 2 pipes one where you can fill when opening one tap and also drain to the right and the other pipe goes to the pump, so maybe it is an over flow pipe like you have in any water system, but can't work out the route and why the outlet would come out where it does, looking at the photo I took their are to pipes coming down but only one is dripping, so that is still a mystery what the pipe next to it is for,
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: Twig on July 18, 2020, 05:20:53 pm
The overflow on your motorhome is out the firewall, (our) passenger side. This looks like drainage pipes to drain your tank and lines. You may have a bad valve.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 05:31:19 pm
The overflow on your motorhome is out the firewall, (our) passenger side. This looks like drainage pipes to drain your tank and lines. You may have a bad valve.
Yeah your probably right, however whenever I drain my tank I use the right hand tap but the water comes out somewhere at the front bulkhead, no where near where this two pipes are
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: nitehawk on July 18, 2020, 08:27:03 pm
Duh, just willing to make a guess. I think your system drain valves (two) are under the couch and one is for draining the hot water system and the other is for draining the cold water system. Both are at the lowest point of your coach--when sitting level. Lift up the couch, look way towards the outside wall, on each side of the system water pump you will see a blue fretwork faucet valve handle. Try these. They are prone to leaking when the rubber washers get hard over time.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: Olde English on July 18, 2020, 09:19:06 pm
Kevin, nitehawk nailed it, under the couch are the drain taps. I take it that is still doesn't freeze down in Cornwall ? Only reason I know where they are is because I have to blow all my lines out for winter, -20 centigrade and those are the taps.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 11:25:16 pm
Kevin, nitehawk nailed it, under the couch are the drain taps. I take it that is still doesn't freeze down in Cornwall ? Only reason I know where they are is because I have to blow all my lines out for winter, -20 centigrade and those are the taps.
Yeah I have noticed these two taps exactly where you and norm said they are, I understand that now like you said one for hot one for cold, but the only thing I can't understand Is, I've never touched them and whenever ive emptied the main tank I've always used the drain tap which is just to the right of driver seat underneath a lift up flap, there I also have 2 taps, the one on the left I turn counter clockwise when I need to fill the tank and then to the right of this tap the other one has a label on it saying drain which I turn counter clockwise and the water seems to come out somewhere directly below that cause I've seen it coming out, I remember ages ago I noticed these two taps and I thought they were there if ever I needed to change the water pump, then I could shut off the water flow on either side of pump, remove and replace it without the need to drain the system, later on when I get up, il take a photo of my system, both sets of taps, and upload them to you, its 0418 hrs at the moment not sure how many hrs you are behind me, think it's 6 or 7hrs, oh yeah and the last time we had a big freeze down here in Cornwall was 2010 and the one before that was in the 1990s, even when they had what they called the beast from the east about 3 years ago here we had about 2 inches of snow and then it rained a day later woke up next day and all the white had gone again, anyway catch ya tomorrow, thanks for yours and anyone elses help on this, cheers man
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 18, 2020, 11:33:07 pm
Yeah I have noticed these two taps exactly where you and norm said they are, I understand that now like you said one for hot one for cold, but the only thing I can't understand Is, I've never touched them and whenever ive emptied the main tank I've always used the drain tap which is just to the right of driver seat underneath a lift up flap, there I also have 2 taps, the one on the left I turn counter clockwise when I need to fill the tank and then to the right of this tap the other one has a label on it saying drain which I turn counter clockwise and the water seems to come out somewhere directly below that cause I've seen it coming out, I remember ages ago I noticed these two taps and I thought they were there if ever I needed to change the water pump, then I could shut off the water flow on either side of pump, remove and replace it without the need to drain the system, later on when I get up, il take a photo of my system, both sets of taps, and upload them to you, its 0418 hrs at the moment not sure how many hrs you are behind me, think it's 6 or 7hrs, oh yeah and the last time we had a big freeze down here in Cornwall was 2010 and the one before that was in the 1990s, even when they had what they called the beast from the east about 3 years ago here we had about 2 inches of snow and then it rained a day later woke up next day and all the white had gone again, anyway catch ya tomorrow, thanks for yours and anyone elses help on this, cheers man
Oh and also I have another drain tap where the water boiler vent is which I access from the outside by lifting up the flap, it actually looks more like a pressure relief valve, they certainly think of everything over there when building these fine coaches, goodnight all
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: nitehawk on July 19, 2020, 08:43:11 am
OK, here goes. In the compartment between the front seats are two valves. The left valve should only be turned on to fill the fresh water tank, then SHUT OFF. If you leave it open the fresh water tank will continue to fill then overflow if your supply hose is still supplying water to the coach. Also, if the supply hose is disconnected and the valve is left open your 12V onboard pump will keep pumping/trying to build line pressure, not knowing that you have left an open line to the fresh water tank. The right valve is only opened to drain the fresh water tank buried just forward of the little compartment. The drain hose is almost directly below this valve. Label these valves: Left valve TANK FILL. Right valve: TANK DRAIN. On the water heater (or boiler as you call it) the top right valve IS a pressure relief valve. Down to your left, tucked behind the gas supply line is the heater drain fitting, should be a white nylon plug. If you have a petcock instead you run the risk of shorting the coil on the gas control unit. A new one cost me $87 plus shipping (US) so yours will probably be a lot more. Might I suggest you get a 1/2" x 3" pipe nipple and an inline coupler and install them. I used white Teflon tape and I ground the outside diameter of the coupler so I wouldn't have to bend the two bayonet fittings down very far to clear the coupler. You can then reuse your nylon plug and this new arrangement will just clear the inside of the louvered compartment cover/door. Now, your two mystery hoses. I extended the hoses on our coach down below the compartment bottom to prevent what I see in your picture. RUST!! I hate rust even tho we live in the rust capitol of the US. I also labeled the system drain valves under the couch with tags reading: HOT WATER DRAIN and COLD WATER DRAIN.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 20, 2020, 07:26:19 am
OK, here goes. In the compartment between the front seats are two valves. The left valve should only be turned on to fill the fresh water tank, then SHUT OFF. If you leave it open the fresh water tank will continue to fill then overflow if your supply hose is still supplying water to the coach. Also, if the supply hose is disconnected and the valve is left open your 12V onboard pump will keep pumping/trying to build line pressure, not knowing that you have left an open line to the fresh water tank. The right valve is only opened to drain the fresh water tank buried just forward of the little compartment. The drain hose is almost directly below this valve. Label these valves: Left valve TANK FILL. Right valve: TANK DRAIN. On the water heater (or boiler as you call it) the top right valve IS a pressure relief valve. Down to your left, tucked behind the gas supply line is the heater drain fitting, should be a white nylon plug. If you have a petcock instead you run the risk of shorting the coil on the gas control unit. A new one cost me $87 plus shipping (US) so yours will probably be a lot more. Might I suggest you get a 1/2" x 3" pipe nipple and an inline coupler and install them. I used white Teflon tape and I ground the outside diameter of the coupler so I wouldn't have to bend the two bayonet fittings down very far to clear the coupler. You can then reuse your nylon plug and this new arrangement will just clear the inside of the louvered compartment cover/door. Now, your two mystery hoses. I extended the hoses on our coach down below the compartment bottom to prevent what I see in your picture. RUST!! I hate rust even tho we live in the rust capitol of the US. I also labeled the system drain valves under the couch with tags reading: HOT WATER DRAIN and COLD WATER DRAIN.
Ah thanks a lot for that norm, I finally understand now, sometimes it takes a while, it all makes sense, I was thinking once I drain the main tank that will be it if I wanted to change any other hoses, but obviously there is still water left in system once main tank is Mt, so obviously either the hot drain tap or the cold drain tap is seeping water through one of the taps, I'm learning all the time, thanks to this forum I wouldn't have been able to get as far as I have, kev
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: nitehawk on July 20, 2020, 08:20:24 am
One last thing (I forgot). When you open the two system drains under the couch and the water "boiler" drain, open all the sink and tub faucets, along with holding the royal commode lever so the water drains. Doing this lets air into the lines and the water out faster. DON'T FORGET to close all these faucets & valves before hooking up a water hose to pressurize the system!! Those shutoff faucets with the fretwork knobs use round faucet washers that deteriorate with age and use. Then they leak. Sound familiar? The tank fill faucet up front in our coach leaked so bad under pressure that the tank would overflow and water would pour out. I replaced the shutoff faucet style with a simple ball style gate valve about six years ago. No leaks since.
Title: Re: Mystery water leak on my 1990 Granvilla
Post by: kevo0000 on July 20, 2020, 09:18:38 am
One last thing (I forgot). When you open the two system drains under the couch and the water "boiler" drain, open all the sink and tub faucets, along with holding the royal commode lever so the water drains. Doing this lets air into the lines and the water out faster. DON'T FORGET to close all these faucets & valves before hooking up a water hose to pressurize the system!! Those shutoff faucets with the fretwork knobs use round faucet washers that deteriorate with age and use. Then they leak. Sound familiar? The tank fill faucet up front in our coach leaked so bad under pressure that the tank would overflow and water would pour out. I replaced the shutoff faucet style with a simple ball style gate valve about six years ago. No leaks since.
Yeah no exactly what you mean about leaking pipes, I'm waiting for a couple of brake pipe unions, can't do a lot so decided to sort leak under kitchen sick, needs a new part, it's the main pipe that goes up into the tap, which I will order but for now insulation tape and marine mastic, brilliant stuff for temporary repair until I get the new parts, however on saying that about 9 years ago I had a leak on the inlet pipe going onto the toilet, job and a half that was, couldn't get in behind it to undo it, had a mirror and light so was able to see the leak, I just couldn't undo it, so got the old Faithfull mastic out, and eventually it stopped, waited for that to set and put more on 3 more times, it hasn't leaked since, so sometimes a temporary repair can be permanent if you have the right sealing stuff, I swear by marine mastic, for emergencies, it's actually called marine flex, or sycoflex, if I could have done the job with easy access then, I would have just ordered a new pipe and fitting, but it worked and still works,