|
|
Post by johnr on Sept 6, 2017 8:34:19 GMT -5
Hi all!
Ok, I've got one that has me stumped! For 10 days we were camping with only electric. We have 2 - 55 gallon water barrels that gets us through the period. I filled the tank on Monday and Wednesday from the barrels without issue. As soon as I see a dribble from the overflow, I turn off the pump.
Friday I go through the same exact procedure. I put in about 1/3 of a barrel (18 to 20 gallons) until water dribbles out the overflow and I turn off the pump. I notice that the water doesn't stop coming out of the overflow, it is pouring out. A friend helps me grab a bucket to salvage the water and we pump it from the bucket back into the barrel. I pumped 18 to 20 gallons of water back INTO the barrel before it finally stopped! I re-pumped that water back into the tank, but didn't allow it to overflow and everything worked ok.
Sunday, I repeat the process, wait until the water dribbles out the overflow and turn off the pump. Once again, the water starts pouring out the overflow and using the bucket, I pump it back into the barrel. Again about 18 to 20 gallons came out of the overflow before it stopped. Again, I pumped that water back in, but stopped short of full and everything worked ok.
It is worthy to note that the first time it happened, I opened spigots and switched valves thinking that I had some sort of vapor lock happening and trying to get air into the tank. I turned on the pump and pumped water out through the shower. I even turned the water heater bypass on thinking that maybe it was siphoning water back out of the lines. Nothing stopped the flow. This year I did switch from a 12 volt RV pump (2 gpm) to an electric pump (5 gpm).
This one had all of us scratching our heads. Anyone have any thoughts?
|
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Sept 6, 2017 9:58:49 GMT -5
WOW If it would have been a vapor lock or air lock I would have thought that you could not have pumped in any water to you tank to begin with. On the other hand thinking of when I use to siffin gas out of a gas tank or barrelthe gas would flow as long you had suction an this may be what is happening. So I believe some how you are creating a suction by letting the water fill till it overflows out the vent tube ... I would fill the tank a little at a time giving the tank time to breath, maybe stop every so often for a minute maybe two an then start again thus not creating that vacuum ... Hope this helps, let us know  Chuck |
|
|
|
Post by johnr on Sept 6, 2017 12:27:28 GMT -5
I almost feel like the tank was compressing to push the water out, then once it reached maximum compression the flow stopped and sucked air back in through the overflow.
Could the new electric pump be pushing the water in too fast for the overflow to react properly causing an over-full situation?
|
|
|
|
Post by lynnmor on Sept 6, 2017 14:10:34 GMT -5
I would help to know exactly what you are doing. Do you have a portable pump to send the water in the city water port, or into a gravity fill port? When you speak on an overflow, is it a vent out the bottom or a vent next to a gravity fill port? Are you using the onboard pump? Photos would be a big help.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnr on Sept 6, 2017 15:26:36 GMT -5
I have an electric portable pump to send the water to the city water port. It has a set of switches to divert the water to the fresh water tank. The overflow is on the bottom of the camper from a simple rubber hose that goes through the underbelly, I don't know how it's connected to the tank as I've never seen it.
|
|
|
|
Post by lynnmor on Sept 6, 2017 16:36:33 GMT -5
It sure sounds like a simple siphon action. Was the trailer level when filling? Usually a pressure fill system has more than one vent, do you have a gravity fill port with a vent next to it? There is a chance that the tank is sagging on one side, so it would be a very good idea to open the bottom and take a look. Without seeing how or where the vent is attached, all we can do is guess. One thing that I know for sure is that KZ seems to think that water runs uphill.
|
|
|
|
Post by 2ndchance on Sept 7, 2017 4:44:31 GMT -5
I'm having trouble grasping how you could siphon 18 -20 gallons of water from an overflow. I have no idea how your water tank is constructed but the opening of any overflow would have to be at the top of the tank or it wouldn't be an overflow. Sounds like something else is going on. If the overflow hose runs through the tank could it have possibly come loose and dropped down to a lower level?? Is there room in the undercarriage for the tank to have dropped down on one side?? It really sounds like a structural problem to me, good luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnr on Sept 7, 2017 6:55:54 GMT -5
No gravity fill port, just the city water inlet with diverter switch. The trailer was level, or as level as it had been during previous fills.
Sounds like I'll have to open her up and take a look at the structure.
|
|
|
|
Post by lynnmor on Sept 7, 2017 9:38:22 GMT -5
I'm having trouble grasping how you could siphon 18 -20 gallons of water from an overflow. I have no idea how your water tank is constructed but the opening of any overflow would have to be at the top of the tank or it wouldn't be an overflow. Sounds like something else is going on. If the overflow hose runs through the tank could it have possibly come loose and dropped down to a lower level?? Is there room in the undercarriage for the tank to have dropped down on one side?? It really sounds like a structural problem to me, good luck. You are correct that a hose connected to the top wouldn't siphon. We continue to call the vent an overflow, the purpose of the hose is to allow air to escape when filling and air to come back in as the water level drops. Usually two vent lines are used for safety, because one may not allow adequate flow when using high water pressure. Many supply lines are connected to the side of the tank making the water below that level unusable. I wonder if KZ also connected the vent to the side rather than the top. If the tank lost support on one side the vent could act as a siphon and the tank is on the verge of falling out. Yes, I had to redo everything water related on my KZ. |
|
|
|
Post by joecamper on Sept 7, 2017 14:10:42 GMT -5
I had a similar thing happen to my Durango (2012). The tank would literally siphon out the water when traveling. On one trip over a winding road I noticed a water trail whenever I would go around a left hand turn. I had brought 2 15 gallon water jugs as I was going to be dry camping. My level indicator said I had one third of a tank. Using the same system that johnr uses, I pumped almost all but a couple gallons from my jugs.
After some discussions with KZ I learned that they had attached the overflow hoses below the top of the tank. After 2 "fixes" my issue was resolved ... they put two overflow lines to the top of the tank and the outlets were about half way up the side of the camper.
Not saying that's your issue as it appears this is something new to you. But, yeah, without proper overflow set up you can certainly siphon the water out of you fresh tank.
|
|
|
|
Post by 2ndchance on Sept 9, 2017 4:52:30 GMT -5
My spree connect has no overflow, just a gravity fill and a vent but there is also no fill connection to city water. I did a google search asking why no fresh water overflow and tons of posts from many rv forums popped up addressing your very problem dating way back. You might find what your looking for with a similar search.
|
|
