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Topic: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours  (Read 1069 times) previous topic - next topic

When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Most of you know the story if not all. You start on a easy project in this case putting filters in my new filtration system I designed. Three 10-in in diameter water filter housing set up so that not only do they filter the water going into the tank but they filter it coming out of it as well. While it's generally easy enough plumbing it took a little while to design and build it. I installed it on the passenger's side with bang on top of the water pump. Since these guys are 10 in in diameter and need space to be able to turn them I had to install two on the forward bulkhead and one on the aft bulkhead. I personally feel the water tank to make sure everything was okay and of course there was a leak but I fixed that easily enough. Getting to the campsite I knew I was going to have to use that water in the tank so I wanted to put in the actual filters. The way it's set up the first one is a sedimentation filter the second one a carbon block filter and the third one is a ceramic Dalton filter. To fill a tank all you have to do is turn one valve on the driver's side what day and the water goes through those filters across the top of the tank and into the tank at the top. Once you're done filling the tank turn the valve again and you're all set to use the pump. Easy enough. The problem became when I tried to install the Dalton ceramic filter it wouldn't really go in I couldn't get the thing to screw on I tried for 45 minutes kneeling on a asphalt driveway 95° out 85 to 90% humidity no fun. Finally the only thing I could do was to take the top of the housing off the bracket once I did that I was able to see that the Dalton filter wasn't fully seating in to the top I was able to get that the seat and then screwed it in meanwhile I'm out of my pex connections came off where filter number two and filter number three connect at an elbow. Don't know why it came off but I was cranking down on that tubing a little bit so that's probably what it was. It's so tight in the back there that I could not get the PEX tubing back on with a new PEX lock ring. So I had to take the other two filter canister heads off but I didn't have enough space to unscrew them so I had to take the actual brackets off the wall. Once I got that back on and the PEX connection tight then I had to put them all back on again. Three hours after the start of this whole thing and I was able to fill the tank through the filters no leaks! Woohoo. Next it was time to draw from the tank to make sure that the filters were working okay. I went into the coach turn the pump on ran the faucets nothing what the heck? Went back down looked everything over went over to the other side forgot to turn the valve. Turn the valve went back over went back inside ran the faucets again nothing. Wait a little bit and finally some water start trickling out and then a good amount so I guess the filters just had a fill up a bit. It's been two days now and everything's working just fine. I'm sure there's a little bit of reduction in flow then what it was before but now I know that I have filtered water to every outlet in the coach including the toilet. Not that I need a toilet filter to mine you but it's okay maybe you'll leave less rings around there.
So I'm sure many of you can relate I laugh about it now but that day was pretty frustrated. Of course I failed to take a picture of the setup I have to try to rectify that soon and I'll post it. I got rid of the little filter underneath the sink when I redid the countertop so the only thing there now is the kitchen faucet and a soap dispenser. Since I have such a deep sink now I put a remote sink soap dispenser tubing on it so you can put that on any size container and it's easy to change out. Otherwise you would had to contort yourself and reach into a 10-in deep sink to add soap. That wasn't fun.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #1
And that's why I hate plumbing!

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #2
Yeah so today I try to to make another go at a different project. Change out my dump valves for the new electric ones I purchased recently. I'm in a campground and I have to check out tomorrow at noon. But I figure how  bad could it be?. I figure 45 minutes per valve so I give myself 3 hours. Remember there's only two on replacing. well getting two or three of the nuts off is relatively easy but the third or fourth one is really difficult I have big hands so trying to get them into that small of a space was really tough. Plus I seem to have a ground leak somewhere so when I was leaning up against the heater in that compartment I was getting a small shock of 12 volts. I finally get all the nuts off and I get the whole piece off that connects to gray and black valves. So far so good. Put the new valves on after lubricating them with the new gaskets everything lines up fine. Put the interconnecting pieces in and struggle with it for an hour to get all the nuts in and snug down. My son and his girlfriend are coming over for dinner in an hour and I had a shower I've been working with a toilet system so I'm anxious to get finished. Finally everything seems tightened down everything looks good from what I could see. my water pump switch is disconnected at the wet bay currently so I have to go up to turn the pump on and run some water but I figure what the heck I need to shower. So I take a nice long shower. Felt great. Afterwards I take my time I get some clothes on I go down to look at the wet bay and there is water dripping out of the back of the coach. Yeah my shower water. At least I didn't take a dump in the toilet. I can't figure out like first what the heck's going on until I realize that part of the gasket is sticking out through the gray tank valve. Out come all the bolts. Get the waist valve out put the gasket back in place try to put the valve back in gasket pops out repeat. Finally after the third try it seems to stay in amazingly enough this time the nuts and bolts weren't too bad. Got everything snug down with time to spare to go get dinner for my son. Had a lot of mopping up of water to do. I came back and tested everything and it seemed to be okay. Now I have to do is install the electrical. That's another story.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #3
I don't think you can feel a 12 volt dc shock. My crane was 24 volts dc and I worked on the wiring in the rain many times as I had no choice on a job where a solenoid would quit and the crane had to be fixed to put the boom away.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #4
It sounds like you might have overtightened the bolts for the gaskets. From my experience, they just need to be snug.
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #5
It sounds like you might have overtightened the bolts for the gaskets. From my experience, they just need to be snug.

Nah. Didn't overtighten, just didn't realize that the gasket had come off the flange part way. All fixed now. 😁
Craneman maybe it's 120 but didn't feel like it. Need to put a voltmeter on it. Felt like if you put your young on a 9 volt battery only stronger.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #6
If you got a shock I don't think it was 12 volts and as Craneman said, I've never got a shock from a 24 volt system. I've welded in
the rain and the only time I got a shock was from an AC welder. Are you plugged in or your inverter on when you got the shock.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #7
Only 3 hours?? Come on over--my projects stretch out to three days!!
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #8
Plugged in.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #9
JRE Bob,

Did you double the potable water capacity with those Giant filters?
Tim Dianics
Pam Sapienza
Vader PupZilla Labrador Canine Beast (AKA Pup)
Columbia, MO
1996 U320 4000
2021 Jeep Gladiator, Diesel

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #10
I don't think you can feel a 12 volt dc shock.


On two occasions I have had very noticeable jolts from large amperage 12 volts systems.  One time on my sailboat I laid a very sweaty forearm across the terminals of the house battery bank (4 Trojan 105's) and felt a very significant rumble.  The other time, I was aboard a Dutchman's steel hulled sailboat that we were attempting to save from sinking.  The house battery bank was in the bilge, which at that point was about two feet under water (sea water).  I was tasked with removing the main power wire from the positive terminal of the substantial battery bank.  The only tool available was a 6" crescent wrench.  The space was so confined that I could only turn the nut on the cable clamp one flat at a time.  It took at least 5 to 8 turns of the wrench to loosen the clamp enough to remove it from the battery.  Reaching under water each time I put the wrench on the nut, I received a very uncomfortable shock.  It was not life threatening but it was not pleasant. 

So in my experience you definitely can get a non-lethal very uncomfortable shock from a high amperage 12 volt battery system. 

Richard
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #11
Salt water would be the conductor. Rain water is deionized.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #12
Boy, I don't know about that. To me, wet is wet when it comes to batteries.
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #13
We had just come back from a trip to Mexico and had stopped in Yuma or Blythe at what looked like a nice motel. They had a pool and with the summer heat, it looked great for the evening. I'm not much of a swimmer so got in the shallow end and walked toward the deep end with the big underwater light. As I got to within about 15 feet, I could feel a tingling in the water. At ten feet, it felt like I was in the electric chair. Sure glad I didn't dive in the deep end.

Probably not the best idea to lie on concrete and work under a coach with the battery charger connected.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #14
I asked if you were plugged in as it could be a 110 or 220 volt problem. Salt water is much more conductive than fresh water.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #15
Boy, I don't know about that. To me, wet is wet when it comes to batteries.
At Rocketdyne we used deionized water to clean all the T boxes (terminal boxes) including 440 volt systems.

Is Deionised Water Conductive?
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #16
Water is a non conductor but and a big BUT the minerals in the water are great conductors. Some radars on US military vessels used water as coolant. But it sure weren't tap water.

Roland
1993 U280 4341
2010 Jeep Liberty
The Pied Pipers

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #17
I asked if you were plugged in as it could be a 110 or 220 volt problem. Salt water is much more conductive than fresh water.

I answered. See #8.

I've been shocked with both 120v and 12v.
You can feel the difference. Your body is a excellent conductor of electricity 
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #18
Craneman, I agree about the Deionized water but I don't think JRE was anywhere beef that type of water.
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

 

Re: When a 20 minute job turns into 3 hours

Reply #19
Craneman, I agree about the Deionized water but I don't think JRE was anywhere beef that type of water.
Old Guy was welding 24 volt dc in the rain and I jumped terminals on my 24 volt system on the crane with wrenches in the rain. Never felt a thing. Maybe different bodies have different sensitivities to dc voltage.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean