City Water Inlet Fitting

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whemme
Posts: 2110
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

City Water Inlet Fitting

Post by whemme »

I have developed a intermittent leak in the check valve in my city water inlet fitting. Most of the time when using water from my fresh water tank with the pump turned on, water will drip out of the inlet fitting down the side of the coach causing a water (mineral) stain.

If I press in on and release the internal valve several times, sometimes I can get the valve to seal and not drip. It appears that the fitting is part number RV-318C manufacturered by US Hardware - photo below.

My question is if anyone has had experience with this problem and if the valve in the fitting can be repaired or if it is just best to replace the fitting with new?

From looking at the part of the fitting that protrudes inside the coach, it is sealed against the inside surface of the fiberglass body with what appears to be white RTV. So replacing the fitting will require breaking this seal and then re-sealing.

Any advice from someone with experience with this problem would be appreciated.
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RV-318C Water Inlet Fitting.jpg
RV-318C Water Inlet Fitting.jpg (9.86 KiB) Viewed 16288 times
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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bcope01
Posts: 1290
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 6:55 pm

Post by bcope01 »

Bill, if you end up needing to buy one, Ace Hardware Outlet has them in stock for $10.19 plus shipping.

Follow this link:
http://tinyurl.com/dlb9k4

Bill
Last edited by bcope01 on Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:42 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA
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Mike Jean Bandfield
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Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:43 pm

Post by Mike Jean Bandfield »

BIll,

I had a similar problem 3 years ago. After disconnecting from city water it would dribble or spray until I poked the valve a few times. I had to give it a good cleaning and worked the valve mechanism to smooth a catch. It's worked OK since then. YMMV.

Mike
Mike & Jean
2005 26' RSS Diesel
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

Mike,

Could you explain in further detail how you cleaned the valve and fixed the catch in it. Were you able to disassemble the valve in some manner?
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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bcope01
Posts: 1290
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 6:55 pm

Post by bcope01 »

Bill, if you can't repair the check valve on the existing city water inlet fixture and you don't want to replace the fixture at this time, how about adding a shut-off ball valve like the one shown below (providing your city water inlet fixture is behind a hatch door and there is adequate space)? This should stop any leaking (and streaking).

Bill
Attachments
shut-off valve
shut-off valve
shut-off valve.jpg (5.85 KiB) Viewed 16186 times
Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA
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Mike Jean Bandfield
Posts: 513
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:43 pm

Post by Mike Jean Bandfield »

Bill,

My unit looks very similar to your photo. However, it is mounted from the outside surface of the fiberglas body with 3 screws and the mounting flange was stuck down tightly with RTV. I had to cut thru the RTV with a putty knife to get it off. From your description it sounds like your unit is mounted from the inside of the coach which may make it more difficult to remove.

Initially I was just going to replace the valve until I priced it at our local parts store. I don't remember the price but it was enough that I decided to try the repair first. (I'm sure a Camping World would have it for a couple of dollars but we're far from a CW and locally they charge what the market will bear and the market can bear a lot when the alternative is a 170m round trip. :roll:

I had to remove the unit from the coach to repair it. I had to extend the spring to put more pressure on the valve and cleaned deposits off the valve and used a little plumber's grease to insure a smooth action. The spring was turning to the side and wedging with water flow (or air pressure when blowing out the lines). I am unable to remember if I was able to effect the repair without disassembly or even if the unit was capable of disassembly without destroying it (sealed unit). I went out to check mine in storage but forgot that I had it winterized with the pink stuff instead of blowing it out last trip. That meant taking it out and photographing the valve for you was more trouble than I wanted to undertake. Sorry.

Mike
Mike & Jean
2005 26' RSS Diesel
mi99amigo

Been there done that

Post by mi99amigo »

I broke my check valve winterizing the unit one year. I had the pump on and when outside to press on the check valve to allow the antifreeze to flow thru. I guess I pressed too hard and broke the valve. It is such a flimsy piece of plastic.

Yes, I had to cut and pry off all the sealant from the inside. it was VERY time consuming, but not difficult. Once that was done, I can remove the screws and replace the entire assembly. Then I put sealant all over it again.

Until next time, sigh.
dsfriday

Post by dsfriday »

Wait a minute, "press the check value to flow anitfreeze for winterizing". I missed this one. Is this point covered in factory manual on winterizing. This winter in Florida, the wife was complaining about mositure under the Kitchen sink and it seemed to me she only complained after we had been hooked to city water. Looked several times but I didn't see any water but I know that during winterization I did nothing about making sure antifreeze had filled this space and I don't remember reading about this point in the manual. At what point do you ever know all that is to be kown about these animals?
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Roger H
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Post by Roger H »

I broke the valve in mine last year winterizing... it was my own dumb fault. It's easy to replace the entire inlet... remove the screws and unscrew it from the pipe. Screw the new one in, secure the screws and it's done. It took more time to clean the old sealant off than it did to actually do the valve replacement.

Roger
'06 Born Free 32 RQ Kodiak Chassis
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
Claudiaj

Post by Claudiaj »

I had the same problem and have purchased a new check valve. However I haven't attempted to repair it. My question is, if I get the metal plate off after doing all that scaping can I unscrew the old valve and screw on the new one. Is there enough line? The guy at the RV store told me this is a very common problem.
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

Well, I learned something not to do concerning the pressurized city water inlet connection on the Born Free coach. Mine started to leak when pumping water from the fresh water tank using the coach's internal pump and the inlet not connected to an outside pressurized water source. I thought the internal one-way valve had just worn out so replaced with it with a new inlet fixture - actually some work to accomplish.

These inlets use a round white plastic spring loaded valve equipped with an o'ring to effect the seal. Water pressure into the inlet pushes the spring back and opens the valve to let water in. When the coach's pump is used to supply water from the fresh water tank, that pressure works against the o'ring valve holding it closed so water can't leak out the inlet.

However, my research including the rv.net forum shows that I caused this valve to fail - it did not wear out. Here is how to break your inlet's valve easily as I now understand. With water in your fresh water tank and your pump turned on, just go out side and push in on the little white plastic shaft that you see when looking inside the hose fitting to this inlet fixture. Water will splash out into your face, but worse is that your doing this has a great chance of causing the o'ring on the internal white plastic valve to unseat itself. There is no way to re-seat this o'ring that I could ever figure out.

Then you will get to buy and install a new inlet fixture like I had to.
Last edited by whemme on Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
mi99amigo

Post by mi99amigo »

Bill, this is exactly how I broke my valve. Now, when winterizing, I turn OFF the pump, go outside and push in the valve without any pressure in the lines. THEN have my wife or daughter turn on the pump, thereby allowing the antifreeze to flow up and thru the valve. Live and learn!
bill crommett

Water valve

Post by bill crommett »

After struggling through many winters of anti-freeze installation I decided to take a new approach. Because in the upstate of South Carolina we don't get many nights below freezing ( I think our lowest last winter was 15F) I decided to take a new approach. I drained the water heater, packed a layer of foam insulation in the access port and turned on the electric heater to give a nominal temp in the coach of about 40F. I propped open all the access doors and made arrangements to displace Lois' car in the unheated unattached garage if the temps were going to drop drastically (which occurs here about every fifteen years). So far I have lucked out.
dsfriday

Post by dsfriday »

I'm confused, doesn't draining the holding tank also remove any water at the back side of the city water inlet?
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whemme
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Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Post by whemme »

Chris Ng,

You are correct. Your procedure is the only way during the winterization process using pink antifreeze to make sure the water line up to the city water inlet is protected without the danger of damaging the spring loaded valve by dislodging the O'ring in it.

And the statement by dsfriday; I'm confused, doesn't draining the holding tank also remove any water at the back side of the city water inlet? I can't really see well enough back there as to how the plumbing is routed in my 2002 26' RSB coach to tell if the water in the line up to the inlet would drain out if the fresh water tank was drained. But, for sure, it would not drain out by draining either or both the gray and black water holding tanks.
Last edited by whemme on Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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