2017 3791RD, equipped with the FLojet #03526144. Came out to my big front bay and found that water had managed to get from the left side to the right side, right along the wall covering for the inside of the bay. Not completely flooded, but enough to damage some camping gear. We are full timers/camp workers, our Montana is equipped with a stackable washer and dryer. As is my common practice, I open the gray tank whenever I do laundry so as to not over flow the gray tank. Prior to opening the tank, both my wife and I took short showers, what I believe hardly enough to over flow. So pulled the interior panel to expose the plumping and notice that there is fresh water under the flojet. And because the flow jet is mounted on the flooring, that is roughly 6 inches above the gray tank, there is no way for the water to get up from the gray tank area, vertical six inches, then on the interior platform where the flow jet is mounted. If you look at the picture, you you will see what I'm talking about. Since a new matching pump was only $60, I went ahead and bought it, but I can't find where the old one is leaking from. My question is, does the water run through the pump at all times? We are hooked to city water with a pressure regulator, and all the hoses running into the flojet are dry, however, many are above the flow jet, meaning on the same level where the water ended up. Is it possible the pump cracked inside, the diaphram failed? The tubing (Pex) is possibly cracked? I plan on just doing a straight across swap for pumps, making sure to use teflon tape on the threads. Anyone else have any ideas? I hate the idea of water getting into my storage bay.
I can't answer your question on if water is always flowing thru the pump. I think not but not positive. Just a thought and a question, have you recently used the black tank flush?
I would be looking at the internal check valve on the water pump itself.. city water pressure is present at all times to the output side of the water pump.. only the internal check valve prevents water from back flowing form that point into fresh water tank
We had several water leaks early on, and discovered they were coming from the barely tight to loose fittings attached to the backside of the convenience center wall. Also found the connections at the pump were also not as tight as they should have been. After tightening all those connectors, had no more leaks. Of course, as time went on, occasionally there were other leaks, but not from those connections and never had a pump leak from the pump itself. Unless your rig was exposed to freezing conditions which might have cracked the pump housing, I'm not sure where the pump would be leaking from, except for a connection to the water lines.
Glad my drawing is still working for everybody
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
I've checked all the lines and fittings and lines leading into the convenience center. The only place I'm finding water is around the pump, but the fittings all look and feel good. But when "whatever leaked", it put a significant amount of water out, enough to get stuff in the bay wet all along the aft wall of the bay. But it's not a constant leak, more a supply leak. I'm wondering if the washing machine lines are the issue.
UPDATE - I think I found the source. Went back in with a better flashlight to check the convenience center again. This is where I finally saw a drip of water. What looks like is happening is that the pinch point (yellow circle), where two pieces of PEX are touching so tight that it's actually bending a small section right at the fitting (red circle). If you look closely, you can see how the very end bending out of the threading portion, bending. This is also directly supplied off the city water supply line. Where it drips at is just on the bay side of an aluminum cross brace. So it drips down and follows the cross brace from the left side to the right side of the bay (I'm not quite level).
I have never worked with PEX before, so this is uncharted territory for me. It would seem that I need to remove the section and move it all just past the other piece of PEX that is the pinch point.
Any suggestions on PEX? Since this entire place is plumbed in PEX, I may just bite the bullet and get the tools.
Pex is really easy if you have the tools (inexpensive). YouTube videos. I would make a new line (purple) and bend it around the others. Heat it to bend it to the curve you want.
I installed shut off valves to the washer lines. Now I don't have to worry about winterizing those 2 lines.
PEX is very flexible. It actually comes in a roll from the store as well as sticks. You can bend it much easier than PVC. Years ago, I could bend PVC conduit a little by heating it in the exhaust of the truck for a few minutes. PEX is even easier than that, just don't force it and pinch it off.
Your stainless flex hose should work fine. I would use it as a temporary fix and replace it with pex when you have a chance. I carry a section of 3’ blue and red pex hose as well as a couple in line couplers and couple of L couplers, plus some stainless hose clamps. Also have a pipe cutter. These are all very inexpensive and make relatively quick fixes if you have pex water leaks, especially if you are in the middle of nowhere! Pex is easy to work with and very flexible and bendable when you use heat to bend it. A hot hair dryer usually will work. I helped a guy repair his pex, and bend it using the exhaust from his furnace one cold fall day. Thought that was pretty creative! Dah, could have had a v8 moment! I don’t boondock but if I did, I would definitely carry these back up supplies. Better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.
Update - Replaced the city inlet water line behind the convenience center with braided hose, put some teflon tape just in case. See first picture. This cleared up ONE of the leaks. In following the lines, it does in fact appear that the inlet side of the flojet is pressurized directly from the city water. See second picture, if you follow the arrows, starting with red, then yellow, then white, you will see there are no valves stopping that flow. For the moment, I have a very small dish under the inlet fitting to catch the water. New pump will be here Monday, so I plan on replacing it, again using teflon tape.
Someone mentioned that PEX is very flexible. If that is the case, than this isn't true pex, this stuff is rock hard and barely flexes at all, in fact it feels more like pvc.
Based on your pictures, that is, in fact, PEX pipe. It is quite flexible, but not nearly as flexible as the braided line you installed. You can see several of the lines are bent to fit where needed in your picture, for example, the blue and red lines near the braided hose you installed. There's no way PVC could do that without being compromised.
Incidentally, the blue lines are cold water and the red are supposed to be hot water lines, at least in my experience with my unit. I have found white lines also, which feed the water to the black tank flush. I haven't been throughout the underbelly and I haven't removed the coroplast, but so far, that is the only white line I've found.
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