Hymer water leak not from open valves

[Helen M]

Good afternoon everyone. We have a Hymer Blue Evolution (2021). Whenever we turn on the taps, there is a short delay before water starts to come out from underneath the van. I read through the post from 5 years ago about one of the valves being open and was hopeful. Unfortunately they are all closed. The water is coming out along the nearside of the van. There is a metal gutter with rubber plugs all along the side and the water is coming from there.

I have checked the area around the boiler and there is no sign of water leakage from there. Nor from the area by the two drain valves. I have also checked the shower head tap is connected properly and no water is coming from there. When I open the two drain valves water comes from a different place. The same is true when I open the fresh water tank drain. There is no water in the toilet cassette compartment either.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can check next?

[Brian Kirby]

I am not familiar with this van.  However, what your description suggests to me is that the leakage may relate to drainage side, rather than water supply side.

I don't know where the waste water tank is installed on your van, but I'm guessing underneath.  If that is correct, then the wash basin waste, shower tray drain, and kitchen sink waste, all have to connect onto the main waste water tank.

As you seem to be getting the same results from all likely sources, then water leaking from the point/s at which these waste pipes connect onto the waste tank seems a possibility, as does water leaking from the waste water  tank drain outlet, particularly where that connects to the tank itself, or even damage to the waste tank that holed it.

[Helen M]

Thanks Brian. My tank is indeed underneath. Now I need to work out how to get to it.

[Robinhood]

On 21/09/2023 at 15:37, Helen M said:

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can check next?

I'm not familiar with the particular Hymer PVC conversion, but I think it has a Truma heater (possibly diesel).

You mention checking two valves - are these screw top valves located in the hot and cold pipes?(red and blue traced respectively possibly underfloor - internal, that is).

If so, there is most likely an additional, third, drain (automatic, blue, near the heater, and with a "turnbuckle" on the top and button on the side). May be hidden under/behind a flap, but even then it should be easily accessible fro internally.

Your description matches the two inline valves I have on my Hymer. If that is so it's worth looking for the boiler dump valve, which may well be open 

If not, it may be a bit more serious.

I'm on a Stellplatz in Germany at the moment. Someone with a better connection might be kind enough to post a picture to help you identify if you have one.

[colin]

Let's see if I've got the hang of this new phone.

https://youtu.be/PNAoASr4MBI?si=kvZLZeA7YBFhIC0l

[Robinhood]

Thanks Colin. If that's been found and checked, then I'm on a wild goose chase. But my Hymer coach-built has both that and two additional inline drains. (The boiler also appears to be mounted nearside and fairly forward from pictures)

[Thai Bry]

14 hours ago, Robinhood said:

I'm not familiar with the particular Hymer PVC conversion, but I think it has a Truma heater (possibly diesel).

You mention checking two valves - are these screw top valves located in the hot and cold pipes?(red and blue traced respectively possibly underfloor - internal, that is).

If so, there is most likely an additional, third, drain (automatic, blue, near the heater, and with a "turnbuckle" on the top and button on the side). May be hidden under/behind a flap, but even then it should be easily accessible fro internally.

Your description matches the two inline valves I have on my Hymer. If that is so it's worth looking for the boiler dump valve, which may well be open 

If not, it may be a bit more serious.

I'm on a Stellplatz in Germany at the moment. Someone with a better connection might be kind enough to post a picture to help you identify if you have one.

 

 

 

We're up on a site in Lochgilphead at the moment. We have had a new Trauma combi 6e boiler installed a couple of years ago on our Hymer 700G

We have a manual "Dump valve" rather than an auto drain one. Again this is a little yellow lever near the boiler. In the horizontal/ sideways position, the system is closed, in the upright/vertical position the system is open and drains from the main boiler.

As Robin Hood has said, there are also a couple of valves on the "Blue / Cold" line and similar on the red/ hot line.

Have you checked these options.

Hope this helps.

[Robinhood]

Helen,

I note you still seem to be logging in, but you haven't confirmed whether you've resolved your problem yet.

I have a better internet connection now, and as I still think there's a good chance that the boiler "dump" valve is the source, I'll try to be a bit clearer (reviewing my original, I find it less than exact reading).

You mention that you have found two drain valves. Your description leads me to believe that these are the two screw-turn valves in each of the hot and cold pipe runs that vent through the floor. They seem to be a Hymer thing. Mine have a blue screw top to them, and are much as shown here:

If these are the only two you've checked, then you need to search for a/the additional boiler dump valve (there will definitely be one) and conventionally it will be close to the boiler (which is on the nearside in your 'van - coincidentally where you think water is escaping).

It is odds-on you'll have the type referred to by Colin's link above (a Truma automatic frost valve in black, with a blue turnbuckle switch and reset button).

It may be hidden in furniture near the boiler or under a flap in the floor (but should be reasonably accessible as it's a regularly used item). Finding this, and checking that it is closed, is absolutely the first step before anything more drastic.

[MikeF]

On 21/09/2023 at 15:37, Helen M said:

There is a metal gutter with rubber plugs all along the side and the water is coming from there

Since your vehicle is a van based motorhome it sounds as you are describing the van sill, this has many plastic/rubber like plugs. This means the water is flowing inside the van and making it way out via the vehicle sills. I suggest tracing the hot and cold pipe  runs and searching for leaks on the near side. As the leak only occurs when the pump is active it must be in the pipework and connections after the pump. Best guess is a failed connector.

Since the tank is under the van, the problem won't be there, its inside.