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Topic: What is this valve for?
Posted By: sonicsix on 12/04/09 09:08am

This valve is placed before the water pump. The line that comes out of it that appears to be coming straight at you is 2 feet long but doesn't go anywhere, it is just capped. What is this valve for?

[image]

* This post was last edited 12/07/09 01:14pm by sonicsix *

Posted By: Doug63 on 12/04/09 09:11am

I could be totally wrong here, but it almost looks as if you have your "IN" and "OUT" reversed. From what I can see the line you have labeled "OUT" is actually pulling IN from the water tank, because it looks to me like the larger filler tube goes down into the tank.

I that is in fact the case, then that "mystery" line is probably what you'd stick into a bottle of antifreeze for winterization. After draining your fresh water tank, you'd turn that valve, stick the line into a bottle of antifreeze, and open your water valves at each faucet until you see the pink stuff suck through.

Doug Thompson '63
Ford Expedition 5.4L '03
No rig at the moment!

Posted By: shadoow on 12/04/09 09:14am

my last rv had a setup like that except the line and valve were on the suction side of the pump. The line was to be used to winterize the water system by sticking into a container with winterizing fluid. The suction of the pump when it ran would draw fluid from the container and the fluid would then mix with water from the pump suction and be discharged to the trailer water lines to fill them with winterizing fluid.
You sure you have the pump inlet (suction) and outlet (discharge) label right in your diagram [emoticon]

Posted By: brirene on 12/04/09 09:34am

Doug63 wrote:

I could be totally wrong here, but it almost looks as if you have your "IN" and "OUT" reversed. From what I can see the line you have labeled "OUT" is actually pulling IN from the water tank, because it looks to me like the larger filler tube goes down into the tank.


I agree with Doug; I think you've got your captions reversed. Have you used water from your fresh tank? Does it work correctly? If that's the case, then your "out" is actually the in line from the FWT. Assuming that, then turn the valve (???) to change the line from the tank to a bottle of antifreeze to winterize the lines. By turning the valve you will close off the line from the tank while opening the line for the bottle. Just make sure you turn it back. Happy trails!

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Posted By: sonicsix on 12/04/09 09:49am

I went back out and took some more pictures, and now I am more confused. In my original image, the IN and OUT were reversed (I corrected the image), but that just leaves more questions.

Here's a complete shot of the setup. In the first picture I had the IN/OUT labeled wrong (I corrected that image). But looking at this setup, I have a water inlet from the fresh tank going into the pump on left side and the city water inlet coming into the pump from the right side (with a side tube that goes to a low drain point). LOL, I don't see how I get water to my faucets, yet it does.

[image]

[image]

[image]

* This post was edited 12/04/09 10:04am by sonicsix *

Posted By: shadoow on 12/04/09 10:06am

Ok, the pump setup looks fine. The suction is on the right side in your pics and the discharge is on the left. The city water connects to the discharge line of the pump so either can supply water to the trailer. There should be a check valve in the discharge of the pump to prevent city water from going backwards thru the pump to the fresh water tank when the pump is off or prevent the pump, when running, from pressurizing the city water fitting on the hookup panel.
In your pics you labeled the line coming off the discharge of the pump 'through the floor then capped'. There has to be a connection on the pump/city water discharge line somewhere to provide water to your trailer faucets. Have you checked the lines to/from the Hot Water heater to see how they run??

Posted By: pacificnw on 12/04/09 10:18am

shadoow wrote:

my last rv had a setup like that except the line and valve were on the suction side of the pump. The line was to be used to winterize the water system by sticking into a container with winterizing fluid. The suction of the pump when it ran would draw fluid from the container and the fluid would then mix with water from the pump suction and be discharged to the trailer water lines to fill them with winterizing fluid.
You sure you have the pump inlet (suction) and outlet (discharge) label right in your diagram [emoticon]


I think this is the answer.

Posted By: sonicsix on 12/04/09 10:30am

There must be a "T" in the floor that feeds the faucets and the line that feeds the faucets must be inside the floor framing. I'll have to see if I can get a look behind the furnace (which is under the kitchen sink) to see where the water line comes out of the floor.

All that being said, the mystery valve is for sucking up antifreeze during winterization?


EDIT: Hopefully my confusion and pictures along with your helpful replies helped someone else out as well. [emoticon]

Posted By: pete42 on 12/04/09 11:47am

Sonicsix: Now you got it
turn handle on "mystery valve" so it points toward the 2' capped line;
remove the cap stick the hose into a bottle of pink RV antifreeze
open the faucets that are the futherest from the pump (bathtub) turn on the pump and when pink antifreeze comes out turn off faucet
go to next faucet untill all have been opened and closed with pink antifreeze coming out.
just crack faucets it does splash.
turn off pump cap 2' hose return handle to water tank position.
go skiing...
oh you did drain the water heater didn't you and set the WH valves so the antifreeze bypasses the WH.
Having someone to turn the pump on and off or open-shut the faucets helps.

PETE




Posted By: yardmaster on 12/04/09 11:49am

Yes...if you turn the "mystery valve" to point at 3 o'clock...right now its pointing at 12 o'clock...and then turn the pump on it will draw from you 2' mystery hose...which you will stick into the anti-freeze bottle first.

Edit: Pete42...you were a hair quicker than I on the post button...[emoticon]

Scott B.
1985 Coleman Sun Valley
2004 Chevy Silverado 1500 - Cowboy Cadillac

Posted By: redwake on 12/04/09 11:53am

i have one of those its for putting the tube in the anti freeze bottle when winterizing and pumping strait from the container rather than putting it in your FW tank.

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Posted By: big dave on 12/04/09 12:19pm

I'm guessing that the line thru the floor is your low point drain, and that there's a tee in the line that you can't see.

Dave & Rose C
90 Safari Ivory 34' DP
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Posted By: HappyTrails2U2 on 12/04/09 12:34pm

Off topic here just a little bit...with me being new to TTs, I was just wondering shouldn't there be some pipe hangers or some kind of tubing support on these water lines other than just having them hanging off the end of the pump connections or is that the way they do it on these things. Looks to me like after a few thousand miles of shaking and bouncing you'd have a bunch of lose fittings if they're not supported.

2010 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8315BSS
2003 Chevy Silverado 1/2 Ton Extended Cab


Posted By: big dave on 12/04/09 12:34pm

pete42 wrote:

Sonicsix: Now you got it
turn handle on "mystery valve" so it points toward the 2' capped line;
remove the cap stick the hose into a bottle of pink RV antifreeze
open the faucets that are the futherest from the pump (bathtub) turn on the pump and when pink antifreeze comes out turn off faucet
go to next faucet untill all have been opened and closed with pink antifreeze coming out.
just crack faucets it does splash.
turn off pump cap 2' hose return handle to water tank position.
go skiing...
oh you did drain the water heater didn't you and set the WH valves so the antifreeze bypasses the WH.
Having someone to turn the pump on and off or open-shut the faucets helps.

PETE
Bypass and drain the WH first, or it'll take 5 gal. of antifreeze.

Posted By: mikem1945 on 12/04/09 12:47pm

they are right it is the way to pull anti-freeze into the pump.

MMiller
2005 Starwood SL 29ft RKS FW
2004 GMC 2500HD Ext Cab Duramax

Posted By: brirene on 12/04/09 01:28pm

HappyTrails2U2 wrote:

Off topic here just a little bit...with me being new to TTs, I was just wondering shouldn't there be some pipe hangers or some kind of tubing support on these water lines other than just having them hanging off the end of the pump connections or is that the way they do it on these things. Looks to me like after a few thousand miles of shaking and bouncing you'd have a bunch of lose fittings if they're not supported.


Lines are firm enough that they don't move. If not cut right you'll have a hard time connecting them! Doesn't hurt to check the connections once in awhile in case they work loose.

Posted By: LarryJM on 12/04/09 01:38pm

sonicsix wrote:

This valve is placed AFTER the water pump. The line that comes out of it that appears to be coming straight at you is 2 feet long but doesn't go anywhere, it is just capped. What is this valve for?

[image]


Looks like the winterizing line and that line that goes nowhere is put in the jug of antifreeze and when you turn the valve it shifts the pump suction from the tank to that line.

Larry

2001 standard box 7.3L E-350 PSD Van with 4.10 rear and 2007 Holiday Rambler Aluma-Lite 8306S Been RV'ing since 1974.
RAINKAP INSTALL////ETERNABOND INSTALL


Posted By: LarryJM on 12/04/09 02:59pm

sonicsix wrote:



[image]


What has me concerned is that line that you say goes thru the floor and is capped. If that line goes thru the floor and is capped outside the trailer then it might be a low point drain and if so it looks like it might be very ineffective to actually drain your cold water lines. However, I don't see where the rest of the cold water line goes to the rest of the plumbing system (i.e. WH and cold water faucets). The low point drains should be T'd into the lowest point in your water lines.

Larry

Posted By: Lugnutz on 12/06/09 08:18am

Can't get pictures anymore due to preference setting. I must have changed something and didn't know it.
thanks

Posted By: glazier on 12/06/09 08:37am

shadoow wrote:

my last rv had a setup like that except the line and valve were on the suction side of the pump. The line was to be used to winterize the water system by sticking into a container with winterizing fluid. The suction of the pump when it ran would draw fluid from the container and the fluid would then mix with water from the pump suction and be discharged to the trailer water lines to fill them with winterizing fluid.
You sure you have the pump inlet (suction) and outlet (discharge) label right in your diagram [emoticon]


That is the answer. That makes it very easy to get the pink stuff in your lines, good set-up.

2017 Grand Design Momentum 328M
2015 Chevy 2500HD LTZ Duramax CC/SB/4X4
B&W Companion Slider

Posted By: Terrydactile on 12/07/09 08:01am

Am I missing something here. After he re-labeled the ports on the pump it appears to me that the "mystery valve" and the "line to nowhere" is on the output side of the pump. How can that be used to suck anti-freeze out of a jug. Its on the output side, there isn't any suction on this side of the pump just pressure.

Again what am I missing. It seems that the consensus here is that its for sucking anti-freeze for winterizing and I would agree if it were on the otherside of the pump. Just seems to me that its on the wrong side of the pump.

Scott & Theresa Boyd
2 Daughters (Cassie & Brittany)
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2008 Keystone Passport 280BH
2013 F 150 Supercrew EcoBoost XLT


Posted By: livoniaben on 12/07/09 06:52pm

If the pink stuff doesn't draw out of the bottle you will have to pour some of the pink stuff from the bottle into the 2 foot hose to prime it then start the pump and shove it back in the bottle.

Posted By: sid1 on 12/09/09 12:12pm

I believe it is for winterizing the trailer. Rather than having to disconnect the water pump inlet so that an adapter can be attached to drain anti-freeze from a bottle, you just need to operate the valve and put the capped line into the anti-freeze bottle. Wish mine had the same hookup.

2006 Ford F250 Crew Cab 6.0 Diesel 4X4
2008 Keystone Hornet 31RLDS
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Equalizer 1200 WD Hitch


Posted By: pete42 on 12/09/09 12:35pm

sid1 wrote:

I believe it is for winterizing the trailer. Rather than having to disconnect the water pump inlet so that an adapter can be attached to drain anti-freeze from a bottle, you just need to operate the valve and put the capped line into the anti-freeze bottle. Wish mine had the same hookup.


almost every rv shop sells such a valve/hose setup.

Posted By: crab80 on 12/09/09 01:47pm

My TT has a hose with a valve in it coming off the suction side also. It is about 3 feet long. I just used it yesterday when winterizing. You just stick the end of the hose in the jug, turn on the valve, and the pink stuff is drawn right in.There is also a valve on the suction side to turn off the water to the pump when using the winterizing hose/valve. It was standard on my TT and is called the "winterizing kit". My guess is that is what we are looking at in your pictures.

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