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Topic: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line (Read 272 times) previous topic - next topic
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Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line

Keith mentioned about a month ago that having a way to shut off flow from the fresh water tank would be handy.  I've been adding a purifying system for drinking water, and to change the filter cartridge out, or in case I develop a leak in that plumbing (or elsewhere) I found a good valve.   The 'TK is more compact than other floorplans and the 1/2" hose from tank to pump is only about 7" long. A stainless valve with barb fittings was 6" long, so it was a no go.  Smaller shutoff valves that seemed good candidates were for 1/2" PEX, and while I might have been able to get them to work with clamps, I found another valve.   Parker Liquifit Par-Barb Valve Union Connector - 1/2 ID Barb x 1/2 ID –...   On this one the body is 1.5" long, and total length is 3". I haven't installed it yet, but it will be in the next week or so.
      They also have water purification for RV's.  If I had room the Waterdrop G3800,    Waterdrop G3P800 Reverse Osmosis System, 800 GPD Fast Flow, 3:1 Pure to...   A tankless RO system might be good. With UV 'C' LED sterilizing, and bypass water could be returned to the freshwater tank. (filtered, is good enough to wash dishes or flush the toilet!)  That it uses 110VAC would be a problem, but a small inverter fixes that. (LiF batteries and large solar array) make this a boondocking possibility.    RonB

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RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #1 –
Ron, I have followed RO systems for RVs (and home use previously).

I have read the “waste” water from an RO system is not useable for anything else - it is not potable water (that could be used for dishes/showers/watering lawns/etc.).  Many people want to use it at least for laundry/watering the lawn but there was big no’s for those questions.

And doing RO takes a certain amount of pressure (so low pressure water from the pump might not work).
And it is slow to run the water thru the system so difficult to do fill ups while dry camping (eg air at water hose a long time then have to dump gray tank).

Check this out and let us know what you find. 
I would love some independent sources (eg not sales people).

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
 
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #2 –
Hi Jane, this RO system just takes salt out of water, that has already been through the particle filters, so a ratio of 3 gallons produced for every one gallon wasted. The third of a gallon worth of salt (per gallon produced) (we aren't filtering ocean water) reintroduced back to a fresh water tank (or not), is to clean out the membrane.  This is a very slow tankless filter. Throughput of about 1/2 gallon per minute. It is for drinking and cooking, not to fill your fresh water tank.  If it bothers you, you can just dump that water on the ground, along with run off from the A/C and the condensate from the refrigerator fins.
   Not to be confused with a water softener which uses salt ions to replace hard water ions (magnesium, calcium, etc.)  the regen process there wastes a lot of salty water with calcium and magnesium to the drain, and might damage some plants. 
   If you really ran 800 gallons per day through this it would take a toll on your power. Likely I would run 3-5 gallons per day at the most.  The pump should only run  ten minutes for 5 gallons, and some minutes to clean the membrane, so hopefully this manufacturer realizes that with 5 gallons per day use, the machine doesn't need to run 50 gallons by to clean itself out. Especially in a limited amount of power and water situation. The pump I have, the standard 'Pentair' RV pump, may need the boost by the internal water pump the RO device has, to provide enough high pressure through the RO membrane, but again only while the faucet is open.   The RO system, when it draws water out of the motor home plumbing, will allow the house water pump to come on also, to keep pressure up.  I'll see if I can dig up more information.   RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #3 –
Ron. Back to the shut off valve, I used a plastic one made to work with the pex plumbing. It has a side port so I can also pump rv antifreeze in the fall.

I used to work on RO systems on produce cases in grocery stores. I think you might find that the waste water is very high in impurities not salty but very high in mineral content and has a tendency to scale things up.

Jon
1994 MB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #4 –
Hi Jon;  How well did the 1/2" white vinyl hose fit the PEX fittings?  Of course there is no pressure to speak of, less than 2 psi. I'm not too concerned with winterizing.  I would just remove the fitting going to the tank.  RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #5 –
Quote from: RonB  - 
... you can just dump that water on the ground, along with run off from the A/C ...   RonB
And here I thought the LD was designed to drain the AC runoff into Lake Newton   ;)
joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #6 –
Hi Joel;  Most lakes are reservoirs, so Newton lake is just saving up water to dump on unsuspecting heads, on its way to the ground.  You've heard of Headwaters!   RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #7 –
Quote from: RonB  - 
Hi Jon;  How well did the 1/2" white vinyl hose fit the PEX fittings?  Of course there is no pressure to speak of, less than 2 psi. I'm not too concerned with winterizing.  I would just remove the fitting going to the tank.  RonB

Ron, you got me on that one, I don't think ours had the vinyl hose. It's been a couple years, but I'm pretty sure it was PEX. I'm gonna look and get back to you.

Jon
1994 MB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #8 –

Hi Jon, I do have PEX hose for the LD plumbing, but from the freshwater tank to pump (strainer), and pump to LD manifold is reinforced vinyl hose a lot like a section of garden hose.  The white hose has brass fittings. Not sure if it is lead free, from circa 1999.   I'm installing a 5 micron fiber filter, into an Everpure 9275-60 .5 micron filter cartridge followed by an Acuva LED UV sterilizer.   Amazon.com: Acuva- ArrowMax 2.0 UV-LED Water Purifier, Under Sink Water...    I plan on heavily chlorinating the fresh water tank, and use the after tank filters to remove the chlorine.  RonB

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RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #9 –
Hi Ron, We installed the Everpure EV9275-60 with a separate faucet for cooking and drinking water under our kitchen sink last year.  We thought that would be enough with the added filtration of a Camco 40045 TastePure inline filter when filling our main tank.  Reverse Osmosis and or UV-LED Water Purifier is really upping the game in water purification!  Yet it makes a lot of sense!  We now carry in our LD a 12V HEPPA Air purifier since smoke is prevalent now a days and can be possible anytime.

     Karen~Liam
       98 ~ MB
         NinA
1998 ~ MB  WanderDaze
previously a 1984 Winnebago itaska- The Road Warrior, before that several VW Buses and before that a 1965 Chrysler Convertible Newport or our 1969 Chrysler La Barron with an ice box and a couple sleeping bags
Re: Installing a shutoff valve in the tank-to-pump line
Reply #10 –
What is the advantage of using an RO system over a distiller? 

We used a one gallon/three hours model that could store three gallons, and was installed in the basement of our 40-footer.  But in the TK and the RB, we filled a five-gallon jug with a hand pump on it at home and kept it in the shower.  We also stowed as many one-gallon containers (distilled at home) as was reasonable, and then purchased additional supplies if/as needed.

We purchased, but never used past the initial testing stage, a one-gallon per 3-hour unit, which was a better size for the smaller rigs.

I find that I use about a gallon a day for drinking and cooking, and I can easily stash about five gallons of drinking water here and there in the Pleasure-Way.  Expecting to spend a night or two  a week in a place where electricity is available, I will see if I can keep replenishing that five gallons often enough to make it feasible to carry the small distiller along.  If not, then after the initial supply is depleted, I shall purchase additional bottles of distilled water.

This scheme would probably not be practical for someone who is boondocking for an extended period of time, but it worked for two people for a multi-month meander without a distiller on board.


   Virtual hugs,

   Judie