Fresh water tank drain

[Going]

Anyone else ever had a problem draining the freshwater tank?  Up until recently, mine drained fine but this last trip, I turned the valves to drain and no matter what I did, it wouldn’t drain.  Even opened the kitchen and bathroom faucets to make sure could pull air.  I wound up having to run the pump through the system to get the water out.  Any thoughts?

[bugeyedriver]

Have you attempted to see if a bug/mud-dobber is clogging up the outlet?  If it is blocked with a foreign object, perhaps a pipe cleaner or something similar could dislodge it.  Do you have a source of pressurized air? A short burst of air could help.

 

And do be sure to double check your valve placement to ensure they really are set for draining.  You mentioned that you turned the "valves" to drain.  On my old model Elite, from 2008, it only requires one valve (the one in line with the drain port) to be repositioned in order for the fresh water tank to drain.  Does your newer unit call for turning two?  One last thought . . . if the nose of your trailer is low and the water has all sloshed up towards the front of the tank, you will not be able to drain normally. An elevated nose is best for that operation.

 

Let us know how it finally works out.  Good luck.

[ScubaRx]

There is only the valve in the floor of the trailer that needs to be opened to drain the fresh water tank. Raising the nose will definitely help.

[Try2Relax]

Having one of the new trailers with the water feed from the top, my guess would be that debris from the hole cut found its way into the drain line and possibly clogged the valve assembly.

 

The beauty to pex, cut the line somewhere before the valve, take it in the house and clean it make sure it flows good and then Sharkbite it back together, it's just a drain line.

 

Make sure the tanks empty before you cut that line though...

[snowlakemike]

My unit, a 2015 Elite 2, has two valves on lines quite close together at the freshwater drain. If only one is the drain, what is the other?

[Overland]

Do you have the Truma with the circulation pump?  If so, the second valve is to drain the circulation line for winterization.

[snowlakemike]

I have a standard Suburban water heater with zero instructions regarding turning the second valve for winterizing. I generally turn both when emptying the fresh tank, not knowing what the second is for, and not even remembering at that moment which is which.

[ScubaRx]

When I had our Oliver built I instructed the guys to put in a second drain for the hot water system. Mike, being as yours is one of the early trailers that is most likely what the second drain is for. They quit putting the second drain in soon afterwards.

[Overland]

That's interesting.  I have the drain on the hot water line, but for the reason above.  I really like having it - since my regular tank drain just sort of dribbles, I can open the other one, turn on the pump, and pump all the water out in no time flat.

[Maverick]

When I had our Oliver built I instructed the guys to put in a second drain for the hot water system. Mike, being as yours is one of the early trailers that is most likely what the second drain is for. They quit putting the second drain in soon afterwards.

 

Do both drain valves exits the trailer via one pipe through the floor?

[ScubaRx]

That’s interesting. I have the drain on the hot water line, but for the reason above. I really like having it – since my regular tank drain just sort of dribbles, I can open the other one, turn on the pump, and pump all the water out in no time flat.

 

 

I discovered that too when I "winterized" last fall.

 

 

Do both drain valves exits the trailer via one pipe through the floor?

 

 

Mine has two pipes going through the floor.

 

 

[CedarForks]

I'm still searching for the elusive freshwater drain valve (2019 Elite II). The attached picture is from the Owners' Manual page 99.  It's not very helpful as it shows the drain valve after one has located it. To add to my confusion, the caption says it's in the 'open position', but the ball valve seems to be closed.

[snowlakemike]

My unit is considerably older than yours, but I suspect the valve is in the same location. Remove the curb side bedding, and open the forward large access door. (your unit likely has a smaller access on the side, which may (or may not) allow you to view the valve. Looking down into the compartment, you might see the water pump, some water lines, a HVAC flexible duct (mine is a shiny silver), and a bit further toward the rear, your water heater. Using a headlamp (or wife with a flashlight), gently lift the HVAC duct and look around underneath it. The valve should be there. It is small, and it is dark in there, so use the light.

 

I promise that all the little things that seem so difficult, and even frustrating initially, become second nature after a time. Be sure to relax and enjoy the process.

 

 

[topgun2]

The Smith's got the description of where that valve is located down to a science.  I too remember my first venture into that area to try to find that puppy.  I can now even find it in the dark!

 

Yes, that picture does show the valve in the closed position.

 

Bill

[Mainiac]

If the handle is in line with the pipe, it is open. If it is across the pipe, it is closed..

[Newshoes]

I had a similar problem last night. I filled the tank to check the readout on the tank level monitor. I then raised the front of the trailer and opened the drain valve (my 2019 Elite 1 has only 1 valve, also opened the sink faucet and bathroom faucet for air relief on the line. The stream of water from the drain was really slow, it took over an hour to drain the tank?

 

Is that normal?

 

 

 

 

[topgun2]

While I have the Elite II, my experience is that the fresh water tank does drain slowly.  When I want to empty it I usually open that drain just as soon as I'm ready to pull out of camp.  That way the tank is empty by the time I get to my first gas stop.  Note that normally I only do this when I'm headed home.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bill

[Overland]

It certainly seems like a common problem, if not normal.  I experimented with mine while sanitizing the fresh tank a few weeks ago by covering the overflow with my hand while filling the tank and having the drain open.  I was hoping that the drain might be blocked with plastic shavings or something and that it would push out with some extra pressure.  No luck, though I didn't want to let the pressure build up too much for fear that it would pop the overflow drain hose off the tank.

 

I did find out though that if you have the Truma you can do the same trick that you can if you had the extra hot water line drain like Steve and I do.  Just open the Truma drain and turn on the pump, and it will pump all the water out the Truma.  You may be able to do the same trick with the standard water heater.

[mossemi]

 

I did find out though that if you have the Truma you can do the same trick that you can if you had the extra hot water line drain like Steve and I do. Just open the Truma drain and turn on the pump, and it will pump all the water out the Truma. You may be able to do the same trick with the standard water heater.

 

 

Your statement about an extra hot water drain line made me go look at the plumbing schematics and search for a hot water drain line.  It doesn’t look like there is a drain on the hot water side at all, let alone an extra one.  I understand the drain function of the hot water heater, but I thought that was a winterizing, filter cleaning or descaling function.  Is this something the Truma rep at the Rally suggested?

 

What is the purpose of the extra hot water line drain that you and Steve have and where is the valve and drain?

[ScubaRx]

Mike, our trailer was the first one built and we were just making it up as we went. It has the standard water heater.  I requested a drain in the hot line and it was apparently not something they regularly did on subsequent builds. It was only this past fall that I discovered it would do what Overland has described. I’ve not studied the plumbing diagram enough to know why it drains with this valve open and the pump on. I think it may have something to do with elves or maybe Elvis.

 

The drain is located on the floor of the outer shell right beside the cold water drain.

 

As as far as the tank draining slowly, think about draining 30-something gallons of water through a hole the size of a pencil.

[Overland]

Similar to Steve, mine has the drain because I asked Oliver to do weird stuff to my trailer. I’ve been using it to empty the fresh tank but now that I’ve discovered that I can pump it out the water heater itself I’ll probably do that since it seemed to be a lot faster.

[GarryandKristi]

Mike, our trailer was the first one built and we were just making it up as we went. It has the standard water heater. I requested a drain in the hot line and it was apparently not something they regularly did on subsequent builds. It was only this past fall that I discovered it would do what Overland has described. I’ve not studied the plumbing diagram enough to know why it drains with this valve open and the pump on. I think it may have something to do with elves or maybe Elvis.

 

The drain is located on the floor of the outer shell right beside the cold water drain.

 

As as far as the tank draining slowly, think about draining 30-something gallons of water through a hole the size of a pencil.

 

Plus there is little hydraulic head on the tank  the tank is pretty flat and the outlet (at least on ours) is not on the invert of the tank but on the side at the bottom.  As you noted, raising the nose helps, and at least for ours is necessary to completely drain the tank. It is quite slow to drain.

 

 

[Commanche]

Here is a heads up on the drain tube that goes through the floor. That tube can pull out of the hole and if not caught all your tank water will be inside the trailer. As I was getting ready to open the drain, I noticed light coming through the floor, not normal, then I realized it was the hole for the drain. Something to keep an eye on.

 

 

 

Stan

[mossemi]

Mike, our trailer was the first one built and we were just making it up as we went. It has the standard water heater. I requested a drain in the hot line and it was apparently not something they regularly did on subsequent builds. It was only this past fall that I discovered it would do what Overland has described. I’ve not studied the plumbing diagram enough to know why it drains with this valve open and the pump on. I think it may have something to do with elves or maybe Elvis.

 

The drain is located on the floor of the outer shell right beside the cold water drain.

 

As as far as the tank draining slowly, think about draining 30-something gallons of water through a hole the size of a pencil.

 

Well, don’t leave either of those valves open by accident on your way north or you might become the star of Ice Road Truckers.

 

Mike

[SeaDawg]

Mike, wish w had an lol button.

?

 

Sherry