Water system questions

[hoyden]

While I'm trying to find schematics of the whole system for a 2015 Fleet, I have some questions.

1) anyone have link to schematics of the whole system for a 2015 Fleet?

2) isn't the trap supposed to be going down? (hope pic permissions are correct and y'all can see it) (answered)

3) what's the tank behind the pump/trap there? Hot water tank?

4) Is there a water line /behind/ the hot water tank?


I'll add more questions soon, but here's current ones. TIA!

 

[rando]

I would agree that the strainer should be installed with cup facing down, otherwise you can't clean/empty it without dumping the water in the cabinet. It maybe as easy as loosening the wing nut and rotating it.

Yes, that is your hot water tank.

 

[hoyden]

Thanks, rando!

Is there water line behind the hot water tank?
Because it seems that water leak came from hot water tank or behind it - but I've never once used the hot water tank.

 

[Old Crow]

It does seem logical that the cup should be down and photos of the strainer in parts listings appear to support this idea.

I found a 2011 installation manual covering the Shurflo 4009-101-A32 pump but it doesn't mention the strainer orientation. That at least led to a model number for the strainer-- i believe it's a Shurflo 255-315 Swivel Nut Strainer.

The photo of the 255-315 strainer on Amazon gives us a closer look at the connections.

However, there's also a very interesting question in the Customer Questions and Answers section...

Question: Can this strainer be mounted upside down so that it would be self-draining?

Answer: Hi
You can mount it in any orientation but any big lumps of material will not be sitting in the bottom of the bowl when you take it off for cleaning. It would also be a little bit messier to empty in my opinion. It will however still work as a strainer.

Also-- a second person answers yes.

The problem, of course, is we have no idea whether 'Amazon Customer' and 'kelly2006' are reliable sources.

The answers appear to give us a reason FWC could have chosen to mount it with the cup pointed upward.

Then again, the 2017 FWC Owner's Manual has a photo on page 46 showing the strainer mounted cup-down.

Edited to add- Found another photo in the manual- the strainer is mounted with the cup pointed upward at a 45-degree angle in the photo on page 45.

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[CougarCouple]

Dawn
I have always seen those strainers with the basket down, for reason mentioned earlier. I would suspect the white fitting does not spin and the reason basket up top. I could be wrong so an easy fix would be to loosen and rotate. Does not look like there’s a clearance problem.
Russ

 

[hoyden]

I'll probably rotate it just so it catches better, and is easier to take off/clean.
Thanks y'all!

I edited my OP a little for further questions about the system as a whole. TIA!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I'll probably rotate it just so it catches better, and is easier to take off/clean.
Thanks y'all!

I edited my OP a little for further questions about the system as a whole. TIA!

Between you and me, I wouldn’t mess with it until you need to. Some wise person once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” More than once I’ve improved things so good they never worked again.

 

[hoyden]

Oh, true on the catch. That does make sense. I'll leave it alone.

 

[hoyden]

My real need is to know if there is water line behind the hot water tank.
and if there is schematics of the whole water system, not just the pump.

Anyone?

 

[Old Crow]

esimmers' very interesting post "Inside Cabinet Take-Apart" from 2010 may be helpful to you, hoyden. It's of a 2009 Hawk and that's a different water pump than yours but at least it has the hot-water bypass piping that FWC started installing in their campers in 2008 or so. And it has the optional water-heater and shower connections. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to learn your system doesn't have the coil of clear hose shown in the diagram but rather a pipe going back to the fresh-water tank.

I believe that diagram at the bottom of post 2 is the only schematic I've seen of an FWC water system.

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I'm not sure what you're asking in your question about a pipe behind the water heater tank. If you're asking if there's a pipe behind that foam insulation we see, then, no, there's no pipe there. That's the insulation covering the back of the aluminum water tank. Photos of an Atwood 6-gallon DSI water heater on the Panther RV Products site. (And of course if I've misunderstood the question, please clarify)

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I imagine you suspect you have freeze damage because of the water or ice you found on the floor and you're trying to figure out where the break is.

Freeze damage is often a split pipe or a fitting pushed off by the expansion as water turns to ice. Water could also have come from a split in a water-pump or strainer housing and of course a split in the water-heater's aluminum tank.

I see you say you've not used the water heater. I wonder, though, if the tank was filled, perhaps inadvertantly. That of course doesn't matter if your winterization process drained the tank. What I'm getting at is you may want to think back through your winterization this year for a clue as to what component may have frozen.


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[nikonron]

Dawn, you can see the other side of your water heater from outside by removing the exterior panel, there is no water line on that side. If you have water coming from behind it you may very well have a ruptured tank. Ron

 

[Old Crow]

Uh-oh. That valve on the left functions as the water-heater bypass valve. In the open position (aligned with the pipe), it allows water into your water heater tank. If that's how the valve was set as you used the camper and you didn't drain the tank in your winterization process, your problem could very well be a split water-heater tank.

If you can envision it, the water pump draws water from right to left. It's drawing from your fresh-water tank (through that strainer on the inlet side of the pump) and pushing it on to that tee there on the left. From the tee, the water going up goes to your cold-water taps. The water going down is headed for your water-heater tank (before being pushed on to the hot-water taps). Closing that valve would prevent the water from going there.



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[Backroad Joe]

Is that picture upside-down? Because as stated earlier the strainer should be down to collect sediment. But the pump should be mounted with the motor above. That way should the pump impeller housing ever leak it won't flow into the pump motor, causing shorts or corrosion.

 

[takesiteasy]

Picture disappeared... That's odd, I saw it earlier.

 

[PaulT]

You could test for a hot water tank leak by closing the cold water tank return valve and hooking up a hose to the city water inlet. Open the hot water tap and turn on the city water. In a couple of minutes, the hot water tank will fill and water will come out the hot water tap. If the hot water tap is turned off then, pressure in the hot water tank will rise to the city water pressure level. By then, if the hot water tank is damaged, you should hear or see any water exiting the leak.

You may want an assistant to yell at to turn off the city water supply in case tank is ruptured.

Paul

 

[hoyden]

That image with the valves is straight out of the FWC Owners manual that includes my year camper (2015)

All images I posted are right-side-up

Old Crow - I have my valves set as per this picture from the manual.

 

[CougarCouple]

Hi Dawn
I would look for the leak in the lines. If you can isolate the tank with the valves in the system, it will shrink the area you have to look for the leak. I have seen more than one split in a length of pipe. Was there a lot of water, or a little. Was the system pressureized. You could inspect what you can get to with a mirror and flashlight. If it turns out to be a fitting or the pex tubing I have some tube and the crimping tool could ship to you if needed. Pretty easy to work with if you can access it. Good look.

Russ

 

[Argonaut20]

If you are going to try to isolate the leak with city water, shut off the inlet to the hot water heater first. If there is no leak with the tank shut off, then the tank is likely the problem. If that is like every other water heater I've seen, the outer 'panel' is a door with a simple latch. Open it up and the propane connections are visible along with the burner and flue. Replacing the thing is not that tough: undo the water and propane connections and undo screws around the outside frame. Getting it out is sometimes a problem getting around the propane feed. Otherwise, it comes straight out from the outside (unless FWC has their own special mounting )

 

[hoyden]

Thanks Russ! Hopefully, I won't have to take you up on that offer

Argonaut20 - It's supposed to be in the low 50's on Thursday(!!!). Maybe I'll play hooky and see about testing this and opening that panel

 

[hoyden]

So, how do I shut off the hot water tank so that I can just use (test) the cold water tank and lines?

I don't think it's the internal valves that I posted pic above?