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JustinChase · 01-28-2022, 12:49 PM

My water heater was leaking, so I replaced it.

I was hoping the leak was the problem, but it was not, the situation continues.

My RV is a 2003 Carriage Carri-Lite, which has no water panel. I have a cap I remove to fill the tank, then replace the cap when full. There is an air inlet hose at the top of the tank, which appears to run to an opening next to the filler cap. As a test, I removed the hose and fitting from the top of the tank, in case it was clogged. No improvement.

I removed the hose from the inlet on the pump and lowered it below the outlet at the bottom of the tank, and water flows, but very slowly. I can't tell if this is an issue with a clog/partial clog, or a function of the tank being close to empty.

The only thing I can think to try next is to remove the hose and fitting from the bottom of the tank and replace it all; the fitting, the hose, the shut off valve and the hose to the water pump inlet.

Seems extreme, but I'm out of ideas. If the water doesn't flow from the bottom of the tank, what else could be the issue?

While testing this, I opened the shut off for the winterization hose, which is tee'd off after the tank shut off, so it shouldn't have any effect, but when I open it, the water surged out of the tank line for a second, then went back to a trickle. I'm not sure if this even matters, but I did find it weird.

I've opened every faucet, outdoor shower, and laundry hoses and bled off any air (as best I could.)

When I removed the inlet from the bottom of the pump, there was no water in the line from the tank to the pump, which surprised me. I assumed (I know) that once the system was pressurized, it would hold that pressure, but perhaps that's only after the pump and it's normal for the water to drain back into the tank from the inlet of the pump.

When the tank is full, the pump comes on almost instantly when I open a faucet and shuts off almost instantly when I close the faucet. Once the tank gets below the level of the inlet on the pump, it takes longer for the pump to kick on, and runs longer after I shut off the faucet. When it drops below 25% full, I have to leave the faucet running until there is almost no flow (a minute or more) before the pump finally kicks on and it takes another minute or more for the pressure to get to "normal".

It sure feels like this isn't normal, but maybe I'm just expecting too much and this is just how it is.

I'm tired of having to fill the tank every day, and I can' t leave it hooked to city water since it gets below freezing regularly here now.

Appreciate any more help or suggestions.

01-28-2022, 12:49 PM	#4
JustinChase Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 34	My water heater was leaking, so I replaced it. I was hoping the leak was the problem, but it was not, the situation continues. My RV is a 2003 Carriage Carri-Lite, which has no water panel. I have a cap I remove to fill the tank, then replace the cap when full. There is an air inlet hose at the top of the tank, which appears to run to an opening next to the filler cap. As a test, I removed the hose and fitting from the top of the tank, in case it was clogged. No improvement. I removed the hose from the inlet on the pump and lowered it below the outlet at the bottom of the tank, and water flows, but very slowly. I can't tell if this is an issue with a clog/partial clog, or a function of the tank being close to empty. The only thing I can think to try next is to remove the hose and fitting from the bottom of the tank and replace it all; the fitting, the hose, the shut off valve and the hose to the water pump inlet. Seems extreme, but I'm out of ideas. If the water doesn't flow from the bottom of the tank, what else could be the issue? While testing this, I opened the shut off for the winterization hose, which is tee'd off after the tank shut off, so it shouldn't have any effect, but when I open it, the water surged out of the tank line for a second, then went back to a trickle. I'm not sure if this even matters, but I did find it weird. I've opened every faucet, outdoor shower, and laundry hoses and bled off any air (as best I could.) When I removed the inlet from the bottom of the pump, there was no water in the line from the tank to the pump, which surprised me. I assumed (I know) that once the system was pressurized, it would hold that pressure, but perhaps that's only after the pump and it's normal for the water to drain back into the tank from the inlet of the pump. When the tank is full, the pump comes on almost instantly when I open a faucet and shuts off almost instantly when I close the faucet. Once the tank gets below the level of the inlet on the pump, it takes longer for the pump to kick on, and runs longer after I shut off the faucet. When it drops below 25% full, I have to leave the faucet running until there is almost no flow (a minute or more) before the pump finally kicks on and it takes another minute or more for the pressure to get to "normal". It sure feels like this isn't normal, but maybe I'm just expecting too much and this is just how it is. I'm tired of having to fill the tank every day, and I can' t leave it hooked to city water since it gets below freezing regularly here now. Appreciate any more help or suggestions.