texasclarks
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
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Last weekend I de-winterized our TT and sanitized the fresh water holding tank. As I was running all the link stuff out and then running the pump to get the sanitized water through the system I noticed that the water pump would just run and water pressure was weak in the galley. Afterwards I noticed water flowing out from the enclosed underbelly. Am I correct in thinking that even though I winterized I have a broken water line somewhere? I am assuming that I will have to take off the underbelly and find the leak. How much work am I looking at to take off the underbelly and then reinstalling it? Since the lines are not standard PVC and are the water lines how difficult will the lines be to repair the lines.
Thank you all in advance for your help.
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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Unfortunately it does sound like there is something damaged in the interior of the trailer... The only way to know for sure is to open up the belly and look...
Most modern trailers use PEX tubing for their water systems... Assuming you have a bad length of tubing, you can simply cut it out and splice in a new section... You can use standard PEX crimping tools and connectors or use connectors like shark-bite or similar fittings...
The underbelly more than likely is screwed on or stapled on... Either way, you will have to CAREFULLY remove the fasteners so as not to damage the underbelly... Then repair the damage, and re-staple or re-screw the underbelly back up...
Good luck and let us know what you find...
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downtheroad
Pacific Northwest
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Probably PEX water lines...not all that hard to repair, especially if you use Shark-Bite fittings.
Getting to them is the problem...removing the Coroplast underbelly while worming around underneath on you back....check carefully inside can find and access the break without removing the belly.
Good luck with it.
(gosh Les...you know what they say about great minds).
I guess you can delete my post because it looks like I cut and pasted yours....
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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Sorry to hear of your trouble!!
Inquiring minds wonder if you used air or antifreeze to winterize?
Chuck
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skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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I'd do some GOOD inspecting inside the trailer first as often times they run the Pex above the floor. Also make sure you don't have a low point drain left open or the hot water tank leaking into the belly. I'd make yanking the belly pan the LAST place to look because it's not an easy job. Hopefully if you DO have to pull the pan it was installed in several pieces which would make it easier.
Good luck / Skip
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pasusan
PA
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I'd look for your plumbing lines inside before I'd tear apart the underneath. Not too many plumbing lines run under the trailer. They should be under beds and inside cupboards. At least that's where mine are.
Good luck!
Oh... And definitely come back and tell us what you found and how you winterized...
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texasclarks
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
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Well I winterized with the link stuff. I did the standard winterization as before. Y first draining everything from the hoses through the low water drain (reinstalled before running through the pink stuff). Cut off the hot water heater from the main lines after it was drained. Then using the standard pink stuff I bled it through the system using the Rockwood Installed winterization kit (nothing more than a valve that allowed me to pull in pink stuff vs pulling off of the fresh water holding tank).
When I did the winterization it was each water point in turn - bathroom sink, shower, toilet, galley, and even the outside shower. It is the same I had done for the last few winterizations with no problem.
Other than the galley everything is real close to the pump and unfortunately getting to the galley lines requires pulling out a lot of appliances. I will have to work my way around them all too see where the leak is located. If (and I hope I don't have to) remove the underbelly, I guess I am lucky that it is in a few pieces and not one big underbelly.
Oh the joy of a house on wheels. Of course DW says that this is why she likes to live south of I-20.
I will report back after I figure out the problem if I need help with a solution.
Any idea where to find the 'shark-bite' kits?
Again, thank you all for the help!
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Fabguy
Auburn, Washigton
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Even if the break is above the floor level you are probably still going to have to remove the belly pan and replace the insulation. That stuff just does not dry out.
Sorry.
Jeff
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texasclarks
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
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Fabguy wrote:Even if the break is above the floor level you are probably still going to have to remove the belly pan and replace the insulation. That stuff just does not dry out.
Sorry.
AWESOME! I didn't even think about that...I guess it just adds to the excitement.
Thanks, I guess after I find the problem area and determine which type/size of shark-bite fitting I will then determine how much (and type) of insulation.
DW will love this repair!
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wbwood
Mooresville/Troutman, NC area
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Lowes/Home Depot has all your plubming stuff. My house was built 5 years ago. All our water lines under the house are PEX. I installed a whole house filter in the line and found that the PEX was very easy to work with.
Just go to your local home improvement store and ask the plumbing specialist. They will point you in the right direction.
You sanitized the fresh water tank before getting the pink stuff out of the lines? Perhaps there is a problem with the fresh water tank. Did you remove the water from it before winterizing? Perhaps since you didnt put the pink stuff in the fresh water tank and pump it out that way, that maybe there was water in the line bewtween the fresh water tank and the pump and maybe that is where the problem lies?
Brian
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