Persistent water leak.

[david lloyd]

Hi, shortly after taking possession of our Chausson Welcome 717GA in December (it was only 5months old then) we set off for our winter trip to Spain. After about five days travel we noticed the pump running intermittently, especially during the night. Knowing this may be a sign of a water leak I looked around and found several in fact - all around the new 3M water filter we had had fitted before collecting it. The jubilee clips were tightened but not too much and a day or so later I found it was not enough so did them a bit more. Luckily they are all accessible.

 

We have heard the pump run momentarily since then but whoever I checked there was no trace of a leak until this week when we heard it running more often and agin during the night. Sure enough this morning I found myself walking barefoot on a soggy carpet. Quickly I established it was just one of the same joints ( the outlet from the filter to the cold tap - the filter sits in the cold feed just to the kitchen tap) and was able to tighten it again.

 

We were returning home today and one thought I had was that perhaps the journey was helping to slacken off the jubilee clips a little but just checked and it is not leaking at the moment. I am about to try tightening once more to see if that stops it permanently but wondered if any of you good souls had any hints if tips on how to tackle troublesome leaks of this nature?

 

David

[Robinhood]

..David, not a direct answer, but something else to check.

 

The 3M filter comes with a variety of output fittings (several sizes of push-fit, and barb outlets) which are screwed into the filter head.

 

As you mention jubilee clips, I assume whoever fitted it will have selected and screwed in the barb connections.

 

It would be worthwhile checking that these have been properly tightened into the filter head, as weeping from here could possibly be confused with a leaking jubilee clip joint, and it is much more likely that these would "back-off" than a re-tightened clip..

[david lloyd]

Thanks for tha Robinhood - I think it was you who originally pointed me in the direction of 3M as I had alway used Naturepure before. Have to say I really like this one and it has the added bonus that you can take it out in winter but put in a plug that allows you to continue using the van without the filter.

 

You are right in assuming I didn't fit the filter - it was done by the dealer so I don't have any of the spare fittings or even instruction that came with it unfortunately. However, I take your point and have tried each time to test around the screw on fittings and the different jubilee clips to ensure I have found the right place.

 

I know for sure that the original leak(s) were not from the screw on couplings as once I accessed behind the drawers I could a) see the drips as it had worsened by then and b) ALL six jubilee clip joints were leaking to some extent or other! There are so many as the original cold feed had to be cut then extended to accept the filter so there is a clip on the inlet to the filter and another to the outlet then at either end of the cut cold feed pipe there is a jointing piece with two clips on each. So, I can safely say, at the moment, it has been the jubilee clip joints that seemed to have loosened. This could either be through movement in transit or through expansion and contraction of water in the system/filter as these pipes and the filter itself are in the cavity between the rear of the oven and the near side wall. It may just be coincidence but this last episode dud take place after we had cooked a meal using the oven. Of course, we had used the oven other times when the leak occurred before but had not taken particular notice as to whether it started to leak again only after using the oven. But it is a thought.

 

Thanks again, David

[Charles]

Sounds to me like the tails are too small for the pipe, or they aren't the serrated type. Take the clips off and see if the pipe is loose, ideally it should be tight before the clips go on.

[Tracker]

This probably does not apply here, but there have been occasions in the past where I have discovered two plastic pipes push fit one over the other and tightened with a jubilee clip that has leaked.

If the inner pipe is hard or thick plastic and the outer a soft tube you might get away with it but best practice is to insert a tightish fitting metal sleeve lining to the inner pipe to prevent it distorting before clamping tight with a jubilee clip.

[david lloyd]

Tracker - 2016-05-14 4:55 PM

 

This probably does not apply here, but there have been occasions in the past where I have discovered two plastic pipes push fit one over the other and tightened with a jubilee clip that has leaked.

If the inner pipe is hard or thick plastic and the outer a soft tube you might get away with it but best practice is to insert a tightish fitting metal sleeve lining to the inner pipe to prevent it distorting before clamping tight with a jubilee clip.

 

Richard, the two cut end pipe connections are indeed the softer blue water pipe over a piece of harder black tube with a clip at either end. These were leaking before but after tightening seem to be holding now.

 

The recent leak is where the softer blue water pipe fits over the (I presume) serrated ends of the inlet and outlet ports of the water filter. These are both hard plastic. The clips do seem to be far enough along these spigots to form a good seal and the clips are so tight now that they are actually embedded in the blue tubing but not all the way through obviously?

 

David

[Charles]

Also check if the serrated tails have got any Stanley knife lines on them from being used before and the old pipe cut off with the knife.

[Tracker]

Some Jubilee type clips have a seat radius that is too large for the diameter tube they are clamping and that can encourage leaks because they don't clamp up evenly all round and can distort the pipe as they tighten.

Smaller fuel line clamps can be a better bet sometimes?

[Charles]

Yes absolutely, we used to use clips called 'eunoch clips' when I was in the soft drinks (Britvic) and brewery industry. They tighten equally 360 degrees bit they've got a 5mm grub thread sticking straight out from them about an inch.