Can't disconnect fresh water hose

[Wayne and Carolyn Mathews]

I posted this under another topic dealing with the failure of black tank flushes to work, but I also have another problem that didn't get any responses yet. The two problems may be related. Here's the original post:

We are having the same problem [failure to work] with our back flush in the black water tank. Would anyone know where the check valve is on a 2007 3585SA? And would that valve have anything to do with our not being able to disconnect the fresh water hose from either the outside faucet or the convenience center unless we open a faucet in the rig first (which apparently bleeds off the pressure, allowing us to finally disconnect the hose)?

Carolyn

[Phil P]

Hi

The black tank flush I can’t help you with but the fresh water hose I can.

The water pressure causes the hose to expand so even with the supply shut off you cant remove either end of the hose without taking a shower.

I put shutoffs on the trailer end of my hoses. You can get them ant any hardware store. By shutting this off you can unhook the hose at the trailer with out the shower.

This also helps with hooking up your fresh water. Hook the hose to the supply faucet and with the valve on the trailer end shut off. Turn the water on and then open the valve on the trailer end of the hose. This clears all the air out of the hose instead of flowing thru the trailer. You still get a little air but not like you do with out using a hose end shutoff.

Phil P

[sreigle]

Carolyn, I don't know why that happens. Must be pressure related. I've never had that happen to me.

However, most of the time I use a cheap Y-adapter. I screw it on the park's spigot, then attach my hose to one side. When ready to disconnect, I just open the valve on the other side of the Y adapter after shutting off the water. That releases the pressure. I do it more to keep from being sprayed while disconnecting the hose! The Y also lets me attach a hose for washing the rig without having to disconnect the hose to the house.

Sometimes the park's spigot location doesn't give me room to screw on the Y even though it will fit once screwed on. So I have the Y connected to a quick connect. I can then just screw the male side of the quick connect onto the park's spigot, then just plug in the Y to that. Actually, I have quick connects on all three corners of the Y and use them to connect my hoses as well.

[Crossthread]

Wayne, As to disconnecting the water hose,I turn the faucet off, then open the tank filler valve and bleed the pressure into the tank.
The back flush anti-siphon valve could be stuck closed. I don't know where it could be located in your model. Some are behind the shower unit, in the wall. Bill

[dieselguy]

You must be hooked up to some kinda water pressure! Aside from the previously mentioned methods ... you can always open a low point drain valve and relieve the pressure that way. I'm not sure where they are on your fiver, but once located under the belly pan, they are just a twist open and a twist back closed.
As for the flush ... on the black tank flush fitting that you screw the hose onto ... there is a spring loaded check valve there besides the vacuum breaker I believe you've been referring to usually near the bathroom sink. If you look into the fitting you'll see it ... take a screwdriver and gently push on the black plactic poppet to be sure it isn't stuck.

[ols1932]

Not to hijack this thread but how many of you use an anti-siphon device on the park water source? I've seen many RVers not use one and stand and rinse out their sewer hose with their fresh water hose. Also, many who have the built-in black water flush device should also be connected through an anti-siphon device.

Orv

[HamRad]

Carolyn,
You certainly have some 'entertaining' situations! I've never heard of anyone having trouble disconnecting their water hoses! I'll be on the look out for this problem! I've only been doing this for 12 years or so! Hope everything else is going well for you folks! Dennis and Mary Kay

[BB_TX]

Like Steve, I use one of the "Y" connectors. I connect the fresh water hose to one side and my green black tank flush hose to the other. That makes flushing easy every time I drain the black tank. When I am getting ready to leave a park, I use the flush side to flush out the black tank. Then I remove the green hose, turn the water off, and open the side of the Y that was connected to that green hose. That relieves the pressure off the white fresh water hose and no problem disconnecting.
Actually have not had much problem disconnecting the fresh water hose any way except for some spray when I loosen it. A little harder to unscrew, but not too much.

[Carl n Susan]

Like Steve, I use a "Y" at the spigot. One side feeds the fresh water supply, the other can be used for watering and the black tank flush. But I use quick disconnect fittings on my water supply lines. I have one semi-permanently installed in the fresh water supply female receptacle. The "Y' fitting has quick disconnects as does all the fresh water hoses. You can disconnect any connection without worrying about pressure, they *WILL* disconnect. As a side benefit, I have no problems with gaskets leaking.

Steve: Ace has a nifty "Y" with a swivel coupling. No need to turn the "Y" to tighten the connection.

[Rondo]

Like Steve I also use the Y fitting with the water pressure regulator on the end at the parks water supply. Again like the others I hookup one side of the Y to the park water connection on the Monte with my water filter between them. The other side I use for filling any water containers if I need to and also for the blackwater tank flush. I also put an L extension on the flush connection and a single shutoff connector on the L and can turn on or shut off the flush without having to go all the way to the parks water supply. Shutting off the park water end and opening the flush shutoff also releaves the pressure on the freshwater hose again. I have used a Y instead on the L and connect a short hose to it for any possible filling of buckets, water balloons and anything else. Just don't get to busy and forget to turn that valve off while flushing especially if the main dump valve is closed-- I can talk from experience on that one and so can some of the Central Plains Rally attendees while we were sitting there.