We have a Bailey Pageant Bordeaux S6. I drained the water system as illustrated in the manual - lifting up the yellow valve located in front of the water heater and ensured all taps were open.
On Tuesday we visited the van for an over night stay. Closed the yellow valve and turned the pump on and everything sounded fine. However it did seem to be pumping for a while so I lifted the bed and discovered there was a split in the head of the pump and also in the damper from where water was being spurting out. I called Roger from RAE Caravans who came over later in the afternoon and sorted things out.
My point is I drained the system as detailed in the handbook but apparently that may still leave water in the pump and damper. After the event I learnt that by removing the shower head and blowing in the pipe will shift the water (this will need a good set of lungs).
I read that the Whale pump I replaced a couple of years ago will not be damaged if run when dry so I removed the water inlet pipe and ran the pump hoping that would get the remaining water from the pump head and damper. If any one has any othe tips on this I would like to hear them.
I am not recommending it because I haven’t tried it myself but I have heard of a number of people who use something called the Floe Drainage system which attaches to your outside water inlet and from what I can make out, blows pressurised air into the system, clearing out any residual water.
Someone here may have experience of this.
We drain down our system at the end of every trip by opening the yellow drain valve before we leave the site and then, on the journey home, the jiggling of the caravan seems to dislodge any remaining water and we have never had a problem. The only time we had a problem was the year when we used a mobile service engineer and therefore after the service (in January) the caravan wasn’t towed back to storage and the water didn’t get jiggled out and we ended up with a damaged tap.
Hi Pixie,
The Floe Drainage system seems interesting, I will google it and learn about it.
Where the van is went down to -11 and I guess if any residue was left it wouldn't stand a chance. The only consolation is the water heater wasn't affected and as it was able to change the pump head, it all ended up less than the price of a complete pump.
Thank you for your reply.
We do as Pixie suggests, however, for winter draindowns I use the Floe system. I found a new one rather expensive so I bought a near new one second hand but the same thing can be achieved with a home-made version, there are plenty of examples on YouTube
The basic idea is to inflate the water system to a low safe pressure with air and then release it through each tap in turn, (both hot and cold sides) any water trapped in kinks and corners gets blown out. I can normally get an extra 3/4 of a pint plus out by doing it.
Also remwember to drain the toilet flush tank and on some models, the flush pump too. Often overlooked is the shower tap.
Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
For such a routine and ESSENTIAL task, caravan plumbing seems designed to thwart the unwary and leave them with frost damage!
On my van there is an external shower fitting, this is supplied via a push on (standard JG type plumbing couplings) rigid plastic 'bridge' connector from the water inlet to the shower outlet, now in their infinite wisdom, Truma have designed this with a mini 'sump' which does not naturally drain, therefore to remove risk of it freezing and splitting (it's far from an unknown event!), it's necessary to remove this bridge piece and manually drain it and the adjacent plumbing - it's a pig of a job for a able bodied technically savvy person to achieve on my van due to it's inaccessible location! You need to depress TWO JG plumbing coupling releases simultaneously to draw the bridge piece straight off the fitting stems, anything but straight off and it binds and wont release, now this has to be done blind and with one hand due to it being partially behind the heater, heating ducts and a support for the bench seat!
Leave it to freeze, and apart from the guaranteed leak into the interior of the van on next connecting water, a new bridge piece itself is around £40, BUT you may also need a new water inlet at over £120 as well as that is at risk, plus fitting costs of course!
Having disconnected the exterior shower bridge piece for my first winter, it's never gone back on, the water inlet now bypasses it, the exterior shower may be useful for walking boots and muddy dogs but I really can't be asked to go through that rigmarole each year, and the fittings are not really designed to be routinely disconnected so would likely suffer from repeatedly doing so.
As a design engineer who's working in some quality conscious industries, so much caravan equipment in general seems to have been designed by chimps with not much of a clue as to it's final use.
As with Pixie I drain my system on site, and leave the journey home to jiggle any residual water out of the system (external shower plumbing aside! ), so far, so good, it's always proved adequate.
Dave and Monty15 many thanks for the replies and all points noted.
Just looked at You tube as suggested.
I have an electric tire inflator so I am going to get a tire valve, remove the water barrel filter and hopefully trim down the tire valve and fit it in the inlet. Sounds like a good plan to me. Going back to the van for the new year so will hope to complete it then. If successful I will upload a couple of photos.
Seasons greetings to you and anyone else who reads this post.
Rich
Some caution required with a tyre pump, it's capable of generating pressures (up to 150psi on some!) far in excess of the capacity (maybe 15psi) of a typical caravan/MH plumbing system! Essential that at least one tap is open BEFORE applying pressure to system to get air flow rather than pressure build up.
Think I'd favour using something like a awning/tent airbeam pump, likely never going to achieve over 15psi, but also far higher air flow volume which would be advantageous at scavenging last dregs of water in natural sumps like dips in piping. Tyre pumps are high pressure, low volume, airbeam pumps are high volume at modest pressure (there ARE some high pressure ones, but most are not!). Something like a airbed pump would probably lack enough pressure to purge the system.
You could do it in reverse, with a wet and dry vacuum cleaner applied to inlet and 'sucking' residual water out of the system.
I didn't consider the pressures, I will have to keep that in mind. I only sold off an air beam pump in the summer. Thinking about different ways of connecting up the air pressure, I have a Whale mains hose with a reducer that would fit straight to the inlet and the tap end being approx 15mm would be easier to connect to an air beam type pump.
Interesting reading this as my father in law has a Bailey Unicorn and always gets me to do jobs like this for him as he isn't really mechanically minded!
If I happen to be there on his final trip of the year I usually open the drain valve for the journey back to storage and all the taps so all residual water gets shaken out and then close the valve when back at storage.
However if I have to drain it at the storage compound, which is often the case, i open all the taps with the power turned on but without the submersible pump connected which means the pressure valve is still detecting any pressure still in the system then I open the drain valve. There is usually a quick burst out of the drain and the taps drip for about 5 minutes. Then I turn the power off and leave the valve open for about 30 minutes.
The only issue we have ever had was a cracked filter which you should change at least yearly anyway so ideal time to do it is when you first use it the following year.
------------- Loving the DUB life and the campervan vibe
I made my own years ago using a tyre valve and car electric pump.Always when finished then leave drain valve all taps and shower then in open position all Winter.
Campermark71 and Birdman101,
Thank you both for your posts - and seasons greetings.
I am going to get something made up hopefully on Tuesday.
Up until now I have put all taps open including the drain valve and thought everything would be fine! Never thought any more about it - so wrong.
I think I was so lucky to have got it sorted in a few hours and that the head of the pump could be replaced plus the damper - for less than the price of a pump.
Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 25/12/2022
I made my own years ago using a tyre valve and car electric pump.Always when finished then leave drain valve all taps and shower then in open position all Winter.
I did think about leaving the drain open through the winter but was advised against it.
------------- Loving the DUB life and the campervan vibe
Quote: Originally posted by Campermark71 on 25/12/2022
Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 25/12/2022
I made my own years ago using a tyre valve and car electric pump.Always when finished then leave drain valve all taps and shower then in open position all Winter.
I did think about leaving the drain open through the winter but was advised against it.
Why was you advised against it. In a months time I will of had caravans for 50 years,and in all this time I have left every caravan drain open, 11 caravans in total,and never had any problem.
I also have made my own I got a used Truma pump off ebay and bought a tyre valve, trimmed it down glued it in and used a jubilee clip, when I pressurise mine I set my inflater to 11psi to be on the safe side, it can get a lot of standing water out.
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Topic: Winter draining water system
), so far, so good, it's always proved adequate.
via mobile 24/12/2022 at 2:32pm
