Motor home water tanks. - Open Roads Radio forum for Ham, Amateur Radio and RV camping

Dizzy-Dick · 07-22-2013, 07:45 PM

I got a question that I, so far, haven't been able to find an answer to. I can find no way to drain my fresh water tank in my RV. All my other RVs had a valve and a way to drain the fresh water tank. The one I have now doesn't seem to have one. I have a Newmar Dutch Star diesel pusher. It seems to have all the whistles and bells but I can't find a way to drain the fresh water tank. Does anyone have any ideas except for using a hand pump down the fill tube? BTW, the fill tube is just a hose connection.

NN5I · 07-22-2013, 07:50 PM

Why not just disconnect the city water and turn on a faucet? Then your pump drains the fresh-water tank into the grey-water tank.

The problem of draining the grey-water tank is left as an exercise for the reader.

Radio · 07-22-2013, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NN5I

Why not just disconnect the city water and turn on a faucet? Then your pump drains the fresh-water tank into the grey-water tank.

The problem of draining the grey-water tank is left as an exercise for the reader.

Or use the outside shower, if equipped. And welcome home, been awhile since we've heard from you.

W5DOK · 07-22-2013, 09:46 PM

Might be time to read the book. I had an 01 DS and it had a drain in the plumbing bay that was marked "low point drain". My Monaco has the drain directly below the tank.
Doc

wa8yxm · 07-23-2013, 09:19 AM

I have had to search and search on occasion to find the drain and frankly never did till I removed the tank.

On my current coach there are two quarter turn valves just off the tank outlet, one is the main tank valve and cuts off water to the pump, no water comes out of the tank if it's closed, the other is (Depending on iof you hook anything to it) either the winterization intake or the tank drain (As configured from factory tank drain, they could not even gut a dual purpose valve right).

Of course the other thing they screwed up, the outlet is 1" above the tank floor.

wa8yxm · 07-23-2013, 09:21 AM

I have had to search and search on occasion to find the drain and frankly never did till I removed the tank.

On my current coach there are two quarter turn valves just off the tank outlet, one is the main tank valve and cuts off water to the pump, no water comes out of the tank if it's closed, the other is (Depending on iof you hook anything to it) either the winterization intake or the tank drain (As configured from factory tank drain, they could not even gut a dual purpose valve right).

Of course the other thing they screwed up, the outlet is 1" above the tank floor.

Dizzy-Dick · 07-29-2013, 10:32 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have been tempeted to just turn on the facit or outside shower and let it pump out, but with 100 gallons of water, I was afriaid that it would burn out my water pump. I guess I could pump it out a little at a time. Dang, they should have a better way. I went through all my information and users guides but it didn't mention draining the fresh water tank.

N3LYT · 07-30-2013, 07:06 AM

Got to be a drain some where that would be crazy to have to pump it out. Just go to the Gulf coast for the winter. I would stop by an RV shop and let them have a look.

wa8yxm · 07-30-2013, 07:28 AM

Re Burniung out your water pump... That pump is water cooled, you won';t butn it out, it should be able to pump several hundreds of gallons of water.

If you are anywhere near me I'd be willing to take a look for it. Currently near Port Huron, MI.. Next week near Flint.

But next week I'll be busy spending all my money on the new used car. (Or as one Capt. Picard might say... Make it TOWable)

NN5I · 07-30-2013, 08:39 AM

The water pump can pump just about forever without overheating. It can do so even after you run out of water. I once left mine on (in a small camper) and had a small leak I didn't know about. A week later the tank was empty and the pump still running dry. If I hadn't been on shore power the battery would have run down. The pump wasn't harmed in any way. Just as the manufacturer claims, it can run until it wears out, which might take years.

The pump isn't water-cooled. The motor is air-cooled, and the diaphragm that actually does the pumping doesn't develop significant heat. Neither do the valves.

Dizzy-Dick · 08-17-2013, 01:11 PM

I live near the Texas Gulf coast, so don't have to worry about freezing. The tanks are in the basement, so would get some heat if the furnace was on. All the years that I have had it, I have never used the furnace. The heating elements in the AC units are sufficient to take any chill out of the air.

Dizzy-Dick · 09-10-2013, 07:04 PM

I found a low point drain in the water system. That would drain everything, which would not be a bad idea. I will do that, flush everything, re-drain, and then fill with fresh water. Thanks for all the replies.

NN5I · 09-12-2013, 07:19 PM

Don't forget to turn the water heater off before draining everything.

KC1BUD · 11-04-2013, 07:15 PM

I bought a 12 Winnebago Adventurer, because it was new with an ice maker and drinking water filter, I decided to have the RV dealer winterize it last year, the first year I owned it. The guy that winterized it failed to drain the water heater. That cost the dealer a new one.
It also made me decide to have them do it again this year. I figure they have to get it right.

NN5I · 11-05-2013, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC1BUD

It also made me decide to have them do it again this year. I figure they have to get it right.

There are some surprises in store if you think RV dealers can learn from their mistakes.

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