Fresh water tank drain dripping

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Steve: Put the lead free version on today. Four wraps of Teflon tape. Don’t want to overtighten because the valve bottoms out on a ridge.

Very Good, Dave! Thanks!

[StarvingHyena]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Steve: Put the lead free version on today. Four wraps of Teflon tape. Don’t want to overtighten because the valve bottoms out on a ridge.

Boy! I don't think I would like to have that valve on my tank. It looks like the valve extends below the tank bottom surface and should you hang up on a rock or tree branch or other road debris you could rip out the valve + threads or worse a section of the tank itself. Perhaps a "skid plate" attached around the valve to deflect any road debris. Suggest fastening the 'skid plate' to tank with 3M 5200 only - no fasteners.

Tom

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by StarvingHyena

Boy! I don't think I would like to have that valve on my tank. It looks like the valve extends below the tank bottom surface and should you hang up on a rock or tree branch or other road debris you could rip out the valve + threads or worse a section of the tank itself. Perhaps a "skid plate" attached around the valve to deflect any road debris. Suggest fastening the 'skid plate' to tank with 3M 5200 only - no fasteners.

Tom

Could see that happening ......
That’s why I’d stick with the original or even just a plastic plug��

[gbaglo]

I don't understand what is being accomplished by this mod. My plastic valve is ten years old and if I ever need to replace it, I'll get the same.
Meantime, I just spray it every couple years with some sort of lube.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I don't understand what is being accomplished by this mod. My plastic valve is ten years old and if I ever need to replace it, I'll get the same.
Meantime, I just spray it every couple years with some sort of lube.

I did it because I never liked the idea of such a cheap plastic valve on the fresh tank. If I’m boondocking and it starts to leak I have a very big inconvenience.

The clearance is also a non-issue. It might be just slightly lower than the axle tube, but if this gets hit by something I have no business being there with the trailer. An easy quarter turn counter-clockwise with a wrench would rotate it up out of the way if someone was really concerned. Road debris seems like a really low risk as well. How many drain valves have we heard about getting hit?

[davidmurphy02]

All this discussion has inspired me to pick up an extra one of these and add to my spare parts kit for our new 5.0TA - an inexpensive and small part to carry, but would be very welcome to have with me if the valve either started leaking or was damaged on the road. I think if a metal valve got hit by road debris it could damage the plastic tank, I'd rather the valve just broke and could be easily replaced with another.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Road debris seems like a really low risk as well. How many drain valves have we heard about getting hit?

I wouldn't worry about road debris breaking the valve off, either, but small stuff blasting the valve seems likely. Since the nice new valve has external threads (presumably the standard garden hose size), it might be wise to screw a plastic cap on them - that way they're more likely to be undamaged (and clean) if you want to use a hose to direct draining water to somewhere more convenient than right under the trailer.

[Allan Bornestig]

Brian B-P.
Exactly what I had in mind.Protecting that thread, maybe even put a very short piece of hose on it.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I wouldn't worry about road debris breaking the valve off, either, but small stuff blasting the valve seems likely.

My old trailer had the fresh water tank inside under the couch. Once when we stopped for lunch we went inside and found water all over the floor. A similar plastic fitting for the drain at the bottom of the tank had apparently snapped just from road vibration, maybe the plastic became old and brittle. I was able to rig up a plug that stopped the leak and got us home...if that ever happens again I'll have an extra plastic fitting handy.

Of course, the basic law of nature that I always found true was that whatever spare parts I carried to be able to repair something breaking in our travels, it was always something else that broke...

[cpaharley2008]

Here you go, a match set

[Rossue]

The handle to the fresh water valve broke a few months back when I tried to open and drain. Been wanting to fix it and am glad this thread gave me an alternative to the funky low-end standard RV part. Like others I first sourced Home Depot, yet the tag indicated lead content so ordered a lead-free one from Amazon which arrives today. Hmmm- Sunday US Postal service delivery....whoda thunk? Jeff B.

[richardr]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

All this discussion has inspired me to pick up an extra one of these and add to my spare parts kit for our new 5.0TA - an inexpensive and small part to carry, but would be very welcome to have with me if the valve either started leaking or was damaged on the road. I think if a metal valve got hit by road debris it could damage the plastic tank, I'd rather the valve just broke and could be easily replaced with another.

Did you pick up a plug for your fresh water tank? If so, is it a 1/2 inch pipe thread? Having a plug sounds like a good thing to carry in a spare parts kit.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by richardr

Did you pick up a plug for your fresh water tank? If so, is it a 1/2 inch pipe thread? Having a plug sounds like a good thing to carry in a spare parts kit.

Or a spare valve...
https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Mold...HZ76GY02P9F2WF

[richardr]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Or a spare valve...
https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Mold...HZ76GY02P9F2WF

Thanks for the spare valve URL. I just ordered one.

[cpaharley2008]

I assume those ordering replacements do not have the optional foam spray, because my valve is surrounded by foam which would have to scrape before the valve is damaged.

[Eggscape]

Now that I have installed my winterizing valve outside I guess the plastic one can be removed and plugged. The dust cap with its rubber seal will act as a safety in case the valve gets snagged open with road kill or the tap starts to drip.
Edit...on further thought I will have to see if actually does drain the tank. Water may not flow in that direction...maybe if the valve is set halfway.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

Now that I have installed my winterizing valve outside I guess the plastic one can be removed and plugged. The dust cap with its rubber seal will act as a safety in case the valve gets snagged open with road kill or the tap starts to drip. I like when one mod does double duty.

Double check that. Your common port is currently towards the pump. The valve likely allows you to flow from the tank to the pump or open end of valve to the pump, but not the tank to the open end of valve.

I see you already realized it likely won’t work. Halfway position doesn’t work because the port is closing to the one as it is opening to the other. I have a bypass valve in my hand to prove my theory because it’s tough to visualize.

[Eggscape]

Dave we must have had the same thought at the same time. I edited my post and think this valve is not going to allow water to flow from the tank out. I wil give it a try in the spring with the valve in the halfway position.

[SWCO]

Last summer I replaced our fresh water tank drain valve so that I could empty the tank with a hose (to a tree instead of directly on the pavement). I am not a fan of metal male threads installed in female threaded plastic fittings, but I wanted something durable. I also wanted a ball valve design, not a gate valve. I used a 1/2" gray plastic valve intended for mobile home washing machine connections:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Less than $6 delivered. We have the exterior insulating foam, I had to scrape off about 1/4" of the foam on one side of the tank recess to install the valve. It has held up well and is essentially flush with the bottom of the foamed tank.

[Great Eggstrications]

We're finally taking our E19 out of hibernation, and in the course of the fresh water & bleach / rinse & wait Kabuki Dance routine, decided that this would be a splendid time to get rid of the old drain valve and install a new one. I had found and ordered the same valve that's referenced in the preceding post - 1/2" MPT inlet, garden hose outlet - and while not a nice ball valve (so sadly there would likely not be any speed increase in draining the tank), it should mark a real user interface improvement. My 69 year old knees and the 51 year old herniated disc in my lower back all cry out for mercy every time I get down on the mechanics creeper and roll around under there to open / close the drain valve. I have no inkling why the Amazon seller thinks that it's reasonable to be asking $18.89 while it's easily available on the interwebs for a whole lot less money: mfgr QEST, item nbr QV514R.

I could find no listing that revealed what material it's made of - ABS, PVC, that semi-mooshy plasticy nylon-ish stuff, etc., and am wondering if any of the nice knowledgeable factotum-ish members of this forum might have any good suggestions regarding what sort of sealing should be used: "teflon" tape, gooey sealer compound, definitely stay far away from any solvent-based stuff, etc. Didn't really want a heavy brass valve flogging around in the relatively soft tank threads. There are, of course, dangers associated with messing with the original valve - the tank threads might come out with the old valve when it is unscrewed, when the new valve is nice and snug and not leaking the outlet might be pointing upwards instead of downwards or sideways (so keep tightening at your peril). But if all goes well, I'll have on/off valve that rotates along a horizontal transverse axis of the trailer instead of a vertical axis, and can simply make an oval "socket" out of a chunk of wood into which the oval valve handle fits. The hope was that lying beneath the oval would be a nice fat 3/8" square which could be easily turned using my all-too-seldom-used 3/8" 8-point socket, but alas, the valve stem and the knob mate using a spline drive - too much trouble, or maybe look for a replacement handle with webbing holes in it and just make a flat piece of 1/4" plywood with a couple of small machine screws pointing out and located so that they engage a couple of holes in the webbing. Or just drill a couple of holes in the solid oval handle. Then just engage and rotate and it's open or closed and done.

Am eagerly looking forward to retiring my old DIY aluminum bar stock multi-position "wrench" that I used with the original valve - 4 positions for on and 4 positions for off, 1/4 turn in each position, but at least usable from a crouched - not prone - position.