Water leak under floor

[Wetwilly2223]

Sent: 10/4/2005

I have a 88 Elandan, when I pressurize the water system it leaks under the floor and when you look under the coach the leak seems to travel along the frame and you cant see where the leak or even where the pipe is.  Does anyone know where the access is,with minimal damage to interior?  thanks; Bill

[denisondc]

Sent: 10/5/2005 6:32 AM

Sorry I have no insight. The structure of our early 70s Winne has the plumbing above the floor, running inside the backs of the cabinets, seating, etc. We can see most of it by removing cushions, drawers, etc. Mine has several places where a length of copper piper has been replaced with a foot of rubber automotive heater hose. All of the low points I think.
All I could advise would be to drain the water system, and pressurize it with air - to listen for the hiss from the leak, and follow the sound.

[Elandan2]

Sent: 10/5/2005 11:15 AM

Try looking inside the cabinets.  The water lines usually run along the walls.  Often there is false backs on the cabinets to cover up the pipes.  Good thing it is a pressure leak though.  That pretty well eliminates the water tanks and your water heater.  They would leak as soon as they were filled up.   Rick

[Cooneytoones]

Sent: 10/5/2005 10:51 PM

WetWilly.......also another thing to check is make sure you don't have a drain valve open...(to drain the water lines)  Drain valves were usually installed under the stove.. or near under the sink ...if a drain valve is not closed all the way, it may only drip, until pressure is applied, then will shoot out like a leak......I do not think there is any piping under the floor or in a location that would be impossible to get at.....all manufactures would keep all the plumbing in heated areas, even more so with the newer rigs....just follow your lines from the inlet....from the pump.....from the sinks and the toilet.....there will be two main lines....one from the portable water tank, and one from the city inlet....these will join usually after the pump, and the pump has a one way valve in it that will not allow water run in reverse, *through the pump and fill your portable tank.... this also keeps the pump from going on while your hooked to city water or a garden hose from your house.....but like Rick said..they are in false bottoms of cabinets usually toward the rear or an outside wall.... and maybe large squared base moldings.....hidden and hard to get to, but not impossible....unless your rig has a false floor, between the floor and the frame like mobile homes do, usually a black papered fiber...which I doubt because that stuff wouldn't like the road tar and grease and hot cold and wet... So the piping would be in the interior....except for a short run of the pipe for a drain, and another for the short run of the city inlet.....
Just keep looking you'll find them.....

Timmy

[OldEdBrady]

Sent: 10/5/2005

As Tim said, the plumbing is almost always inside the coach.

My older rig has two drains.  One is at the water tank to drain it when I no longer need to haul water.  The second is forward of the hot water heater, right under the sink.  It's one of those small petcock-type connections.  I have a small piece of hose (that I attached myself) that runs through the floor to the outside so that the lines can be drained.

Trace your water line from the heater.  There should be a tee that feeds the water heater, and feeds the cold water lines.  Somewhere there, there should be one of those little valves.  It could be partially open, or it could be damaged, which would require replacement.

But, as far as I know, ALL of them drain to the outside.  Since you don't have a steady stream, but, instead, it runs on the rails, etc., I'd say it is either partially open, or damaged.

[Wetwilly2223]

Sent: 10/11/2005 9:19 AM

thanks for the replies.now that I have had time to look at it again,it has a sub floor and the leak is between the the sure flow pump and whatever it connects to forward .From that point it goes forward and must tee off to both sides.the pump is mounted on the floor by the tank under the bed in the of the coach,where the plastic pipe goes forward under the sub floor is the only place I can see water.  Under the coach the water comes down from all over and it not possible to see where it comes from.I was hoping there was some access to the pipes but I cant any way around cutting the carpet/flooring. any others options?
Thanks; Bill