Fresh water tank drain

[Pete-B]

 

Good evening all,

 

We've got a 2015 Bessacarr E462, the drain off tube which is convoluted and flexible, push fits on to the short plastic pipe which is screwed into the fresh water tank.

 

Can't seem to stop the water dripping where the flexi pushes on, even with sealant and the jubilee pipe fairly tight. I never use this for draining I always just pull the rubber bung out from the bottom of the tank. So, I would be quite happy to bung the hole up perhaps with a plastic screw bung or even a plastic tap. My question is does anyone happen to know what the internal tank thread is likely to be?

 

Thanks for any help.

[witzend]

Different van but I use a wine bottle cork which I put inside the tank thru the large top hole but you could also put one in from underneath

[Keithl]

Why not change the convoluted hose for smooth bore hose?

 

I purchased a length from CAK Tanks when the convoluted hose on our fresh water drain split not long after buying the MH.

 

http://www.caktanks.co.uk/

 

Keith.

[flicka]

It's virtually impossible to stop leakage from a convoluted hose with a jubilee clip & overtightening will cause damage to whatever is within the hose.

Generally the corrugated hoses are used when a tight radius bend is required

I'm not familiar with your model Bessacarr but dont understand why the convoluted hose is necessary on a fresh water tank drain. So long as the tank spigot extends below floor level, it alone should be sufficient. If not (as already suggested) a short length of smooth bore hose or plastic waste pipe would seem the practical solution.

 

However IMHO it's not about the hose to spigot joint where the problem begins. The problem is prior to that.

The bung within the tank OR the tank outlet spigot, is allowing water to pass.

Unfortunately it appears that it may be the spigot, which makes it appear to be the hose connection. The spigot outlets are usually welded, not screwed, in position & may need removal of he tank fir repair.

As a check I suggest removing the convoluted hose, then wrapping a paper kitchen towel around the outlet exterior to see if it shows water seepage. 2nd check the spigot internal by putting kitchen paper towel inside.

[Derek Uzzell]

Pete

 

As flicka says, it’s commonplace for the drain outlet of a plastic waste-water tank to be welded to the tank rather than attached with a threaded fitting.

 

I was going to suggest that you liberally apply an adhesive/sealant (eg. Sikaflex type) to the outside of the outlet-pipe, push the drain-hose over the pipe and let the adhesive cure before fitting the jubilee-clip -. but I note that you’ve already tried sealant and water still drips from the drain-hose-to-tank-outlet joint. If the outlet is indeed welded to the tank, this would suggest that the weld is cracked.

 

If the tank’s plastic outlet is screwed into the tank, there still could be a crack where it screws in. I doubt it will be possible to say what the thread might be without removing the outlet and I‘m also wary of the idea that, even if the outlet is not welded to the tank, it might just screw in. It’s more likely that the threaded part of the oulet would pass through the tank’s wall and be secured by a nut inside the tank. If you can reach (or, better, see) inside the tank where the outlet is, you ought to be able to decide whether that’s so.

 

If access inside the tank is sufficient, it might be practicable to remove the outlet completely and replace it with a large-bore tap of the type shown in the attached photo. That should avoid your rubber-bung method.

[MartinP]

I always carry a tube of Plumbers Mate "plumbers repair putty" or similar. This is ideal for emergency repairs to pipes/ joints/ tanks.

A couple of years ago we had been camping for weeks on grass before heading for the port to go to France and Spain. Just in the queue for the boat when a helpful soul said - "Do you know you've got a leak mate?".

Steady drip from the water tank outlet. Very visible on aires or hardstanding!

 

While waiting for the boat I crawled underneath with a rag and a big gob of putty and, after a quick wipe to remove any soil, applied it liberally and firmly around the small crack I could see where the pipe joined the tank.

 

A quick look that evening in France-no sign of a drip. I confess that with all the excitement of the trip I forgot all about until I was underneath the van about 12 months later. It still appeared sound.

 

This is the kind of product- Ok for potable water, apply when wet if need be, rapid setting.

 

https://www.bes.co.uk/quick-leak-repair-putty

 

I rate this up there with WD40 and duct tape (and one below HarryPotter's wand) :-D

[Pete-B]

 

Thanks for all the help and suggestions very much appreciated.

It is a screw in spigot so I guess it would be a good idea, as suggested, to remove the pipe and replace it with a tap.

Thanks again.

[Derek Uzzell]

If the spigot screws into the waste-water tank (in fact, having looked at my Rapido’s tank, I think the outlets just screw in) and water is leaking through the spigot’s threads, you should be able to fix that easily by wrapping PTFE tape round the spigot’s threaded section.

 

 

 

Even if you replaced the spigot with a screw-in tap, you’d still need to ensure that water could not leak through the joint between the tap’s threaded male end and the tank’s female threaded fitting.

[Pete-B]

 

Definitely not the thread, I wrapped some self amalgamating tape around the pipe and that seems to have stopped the leak. We're away on site at the moment so when we get back home will look into fitting a tap.

 

Again, appreciate help and suggestions.

[Derek Uzzell]

If you haven’t seen it, there is a DIY article in the current issue (May 2018) of MMM about improving drainage from a motorhome’s waste-water tank by replacing the tank’s small water-butt-type tap with a larger-diameter outlet and adding a wide-bore extension hose and drain tap.

[monique.hubrechtsgm]

How low sits the pipe work? Any valves under the floor if any are critical to frost. They should not be there. But in the heated area of your van or motor home.

[Pete-B]

 

Hi, The vans in storage at the moment,, would anyone have any idea what size the thread would be if I were to unscrew the tank spigot and replace it with a tap as suggested?

 

Thanks.

[Alanf1]

I have a leak on the fresh water tap which is similar to the one Derek has posted above.

I'm struggling to track down a replacement - Derek (or anyone else) could you point me in the direction of a replacement tap?

[Alanb]

Pete-B - 2018-03-22 7:04 PM

 

 

Good evening all,

 

We've got a 2015 Bessacarr E462, the drain off tube which is convoluted and flexible, push fits on to the short plastic pipe which is screwed into the fresh water tank.

 

Can't seem to stop the water dripping where the flexi pushes on, even with sealant and the jubilee pipe fairly tight. I never use this for draining I always just pull the rubber bung out from the bottom of the tank. So, I would be quite happy to bung the hole up perhaps with a plastic screw bung or even a plastic tap. My question is does anyone happen to know what the internal tank thread is likely to be?

 

Thanks for any help.

 

You could start with 1/2" BSP, which will be about 3/4" over the male thread. For a rough guide BSP pipe thread sizes which were adopted as an ISO standard, are about 1/4" larger over the thread than the nominal size. I believe that the size originally referred to the pipe bore diameter, with an 1/8" nominal wall thickness adding the extra 1/4".

 

Alan

[Keithl]

Alan,

 

Have a look on CAK website. They stock a lot of plumbing accessories.

 

Keith

[Alanf1]

Thanks Keith,

 

I've had a look on the CAK site but can't see anything. I've also contacted leisure lines but they don't stock anything like that unfortunately. Does anyone else know of a source?

[myshell]

This might be a daft question but where is this pipe connected to on the tank, Top or Bottom ? on my fresh water tank the black convoluted flexi pipe is the overflow sited approx 3" from the top of the tank the drain off is a rigid 1.25" plastic pipe with a drain valve..

Phil

[flicka]

Alanf1 - 2018-07-02 6:37 AM

 

Thanks Keith,

 

I've had a look on the CAK site but can't see anything. I've also contacted leisure lines but they don't stock anything like that unfortunately. Does anyone else know of a source?

 

Any plumbers merchant will have a selection.

Have a look at the J.Guest website for a larger selection & local distributors.

[Alanf1]

I've managed to track one down to a camping accessories site in Spain.

Awaiting a reply to whether they will deliver to the UK.