Does Your Fresh Water Tank Keep Filling When Connected to City Water?

Are you having the situation where you attach your RV to the city water supply at an RV park (or maybe in front of your home) and after a few hours you notice water is coming out of the vent line from the Fresh Water tank? What could be causing this? The most common cause is a leaking Check Valve inside your water pump. This Check Valve is a one-way valve which only permits water to flow from the Fresh tank through the pump and into the RV plumbing. It prevents water from travelling in the opposite direction.

However, when this valve starts to fail, it allows water to move from your plumbing, backwards through the pump and into the Fresh tank. Over several hours it will fill the Fresh Water tank until water comes out the vent line of the Fresh tank. The temporary solution is to turn off the City Water supply and use your water pump until you've emptied the Fresh tank. The proper solution is to replace your water pump.

Clicking on "water pump" will take you to the appropriate section in my online parts catalog. Parts will be shipped directly to you and you can pay with a credit card. If you need me to install the pump and leak test the entire plumbing system, please call me (Howard Chadwick) toll free at 1-866-783-6286.
 

Did you know that some water heaters will die years prematurely for lack of a $15 part? It's true!

Water heaters made by the Suburban Manufacturing Company use steel tanks. Water rusts steel tanks. To prevent the rusting, an anode rod is inserted into the tank. The anode rod is made of a material that is more "rustable" than the steel walls of the tank. Hence, the rusting action of the water eats the anode, not the tank. However, once the anode is eaten, the water starts oxidizing the tank. To prevent the tank rusting you must periodically remove and inspect the anode rod. If it's more than 75% rusted, you must replace it. The rod costs about $15 and it's easy to replace.

Here's how you replace it:

• Unplug your shore cord (in case you have an electric heating element in your water heater)

• Turn off the water supply (city water or water pump)

• Open a faucet to bleed down the water pressure in the plumbing

• Use a 1-1/16" socket and remove the anode rod. The anode looks like a 1-1/16" metal bolt located near the bottom of the water heater when viewed from outside the RV, with the water heater cover open

• The rod is about 9" long and (when new) is almost the same diameter as the threaded section of the "bolt" end

• If the anode rod is 75% eaten away, replace it with a new one

• Wrap Teflon tape on the threads of the new rod and screw it into the threaded hole that the original rod was in

• Turn on the water supply (city water or water pump)

• Open a hot water faucet while the water heater tank is filling with water. This will bleed the air from the tank. When no more air is coming out the hot faucet, close it and check for leaks around the new anode. Tighten if leaking.

• Plug in the shore cord if you previously unplugged it.