pin prick size water tank leak

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pin prick size water tank leak

September 27, 2019, 10:31:20 pm

2005 RK-I have a tiny pinprick water leak in my fresh water tank. I looked through the topic but nothing quite matches or I don't understand. The closest was a suggestion of an "air weld"? The plug also "seeps" but I think I found a cure for that in the archives.
I have drained the tank and would like suggestions. The leak is tiny, the rest of the underside of the tank(right behind drivers door entrance) looks great.
I am a long, long ways from a RV repair shop. But if it is beyond my limited abilities and tools I would like a suggestion of a reliable RV repair place around Palm Springs. Just travel dry until I get there. And this is silly but if I hooked to campground water it wouldn't leak? Bit unsure about that.The closest one(RV Repair) I called suggested flex seal...I don't think my LD would like that(lol).
Suggestions?
Thanks, Sharon

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #1 – September 27, 2019, 11:13:00 pm

Some folks have used Eternabond to patch tank leaks. Of course, it's vital to clean the surface thoroughly first. You can find more information about using Eternabond in the Lazy Daze Companion.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #2 – September 28, 2019, 12:30:39 am

Where is the leak?
I found this sailing blog that sounds like the general plan for repairs. Don't know if it helps or not....

Joel

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #3 – September 28, 2019, 12:41:30 am

You can hook up to campground water, it will not fill the water tank.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #4 – September 28, 2019, 09:09:10 am

This 2012 excerpt from CU re: Flex Seal:

Flex Seal Review & Claim Check - Consumer Reports

Eternabond could work. As Andy stated, surface prep is critical (not difficult, just be sure the area is very clean and dry, which might be a problem with a leak!), and buying a roll of E-bond for a little "doot" of the stuff would be very expensive if you don't have other uses for it.

Others may have suggestions for the best material for a patch; if you don't get better suggestions, send me a PM with your address. I have E-bond and can send you a strip.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #5 – September 28, 2019, 10:09:36 am

I don't remember the type of sealant we used on our wood hot tub but may I suggest calling a marine shop. Sail boats have a long history of dealing with leaks of different types. I sure they will have expert help.

glen

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #6 – September 28, 2019, 10:22:29 am

J B weld, or 5200. Either should work on a pin sized hole

I’m curious about how the hole developed.

Rich
‘03 MB in NC

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #7 – September 28, 2019, 11:38:44 am

Thanks Joan for the offer, my rig came with a whole roll of Ebond that has never been used, I was told he kept it for emergency.
I checked out the marine stuff and most ideas beyond my ability. Thanks also for confirming that I could still hook up to campground. Flex seal seems to work for some but lots of bad reviews also. As stated, that is what the RV guy gave as suggestion if not able to get to shop. Mentally , I can't imagine slapping a patch on the ole girl(I have gone completely nuts)
So, either I get brave and try JB Weld or I go to RV shop.
I too am curious about the leak. It's tiny. I really don't go off road, maybe the drive into Quartzsite LD camp. Leak wasn't there last year. What could cause a tiny little prick point leak? The rest of the tank looks almost new. At first I was worried that it was a seam leak but its just a poke all by itself a couple inches from the drain towards the cab. And like I said, its truly not much bigger that a needle point. Maybe a rock thrown up?
It was good for me to get down and check everything out. I was worried that the tank was covered by a plastic undercoat and the leak could have been anywhere.
Thanks for the ideas. You are appreciated:)

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #8 – September 28, 2019, 12:04:05 pm

When you go under the rig again, you might want to check the tightness of all the frame bolts (that can be reached), the step bolts, and the bolts on the tanks, as well as the conditions(s) of the bushings on the shocks and anything else that has "bushings". Also, I don't know if your 2005 already has zerks in the steering linkage - my 2003 had plugs, but zerks were installed - or if the ball joints have zerks or just plugs, but these lube points are very important, so it's well worth checking out the whole front end for wear and possibly missed lubes.

(RE: frame bolts. A forum search using the Community tab and clicking "Search" will bring up pages of information on frame bolts.)

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #9 – September 28, 2019, 12:06:48 pm

Aren’t LD fresh water tanks typically inside the rig, or am I just confused (again)?

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #10 – September 28, 2019, 01:23:26 pm

Hi Greg. You are right, the fresh water tank is entirely above the floor of the motorhome, and not visible except right around the drain like Ted's recent problem with the cracked threads.
If the total bottom of the tank is visible from underneath the rig, it would have to be the gray water tank (or black water!) and the drain would be a 1 1/2" diameter gate valve. Eterna-bond would be good for a very small diameter hole. RonB

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #11 – September 28, 2019, 03:07:58 pm

Just a word of caution here, my son just bought a pickup camper and some of the roof penetrations were sprayed with flex seal.
It is definitely not the way to go short of making a mess. the Eternabond seems to be the best way to go if you have access to the leak.

Jon

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #12 – September 28, 2019, 11:42:29 pm

HiLola/RonB, So are you thinking that the leak is not the actual water tank(it is definitely the fresh water tank)but maybe the water tank is leaking somewhere and its just dripping through an underseal pinprick as the lowest spot? I need to take another look Monday when I go back to town. How would I know the difference? The part I see is a very tuff black plastic.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #13 – September 29, 2019, 01:21:33 am

Hi Sharon. Your freshwater tank is white and with square corners, straight sides. It sits on bare wood inside the motorhome, on the floor. A small leak will present itself as wet wood visible from inside. I don't know where your freshwater tank is in your floorplan.
The holding tanks are black molded tanks hung under the floor. My TK has separate dump valves for black and gray tanks. Your floorplan of motorhome may have one connection point, with separate valves, but joined. If you can see it, it's black thick plastic, and it is exposed underneath your motorhome, then it is either gray water, or black water. A puncture wound that you can see, probably was caused by a flying rock. It should be easy to fix. RonB

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #14 – September 29, 2019, 11:31:47 am

Thanks RonB for staying with me on this issue. I have looked for the 2005 RK water tank location but can only find the floorplan. I know that the water that was leaking was fresh water and the plug stops the fresh water. So, Monday (LD stored in town)I am going to look under the drivers side couch and hope to find the white water tank. If I find moisture or wet wood I will have my melt down and then see if I can find the leak. I emptied the tank as soon as I saw the leak, hopefully I can find where the water is traveling. Thanks again, Sharon

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #15 – September 29, 2019, 11:39:07 am

Joan, I did have all the bolts checked and any fittings lubed when I serviced my rig. I do not know what zerks are? You, wonder woman, are speaking way above my knowledge level, but as always (there are so many things you have helped me with)I will try and do my homework so I can follow. I received a rig in great condition and I want to keep it in shape, I am always impressed with your knowledge and appreciate you sharing. Thank you, Sharon

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #16 – September 29, 2019, 02:08:10 pm

A couple of thoughts here. First, Sharon, if you could post photos of the overall tank location and of the leak area, that would help folks here figure out what's going on.

On one hand, you said that you drained the tank, and you'd certainly know if what came out was not fresh water.

On the other, as Ron said, all the Lazy Daze freshwater tanks I've seen have been translucent white plastic and have been built into the rig inside cabinetry or under beds--never left exposed from the outside... while all the black plastic tanks I've seen were mounted under the frame and were gray and black tanks. That's why we sound puzzled. Photos would help un-puzzle us. :-)

Finally, I join the others in saying that no matter what tank it is, if you can get to the source of the leak and clean it well, Eternabond is probably your best solution--better than any liquid sealant or adhesive, because you can apply an oversized Eternabond patch that will grip a large surface area. It won't crack or chip off, either. If the pinhole is accessible, that's what I would use.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #17 – September 29, 2019, 02:08:22 pm

Zerks are grease fittings; on earlier models of the E-450 (AFAIK, later models of E-450s don't have "lube-able" steering linkages, but I don't know when this change came about), these "nipples" provide lube points for a grease gun to lube the steering linkage. If the front end of your 2004 hasn't been modified (or zerks already installed in the line by the previous owner), there should be little "plugs" in the holes that the zerks go into; your mechanic/shop should be able to remove the plugs and install the zerks so grease can be "splooted" into the linkage! Again, AFAIK, the only zerks on 2004 Ford chassis (and on my 2003, and earlier and probably later, too; as I said, I don't know when Ford went to a non-lube-able line) are on the steering linkage, but Larry and other mechanics may correct or verify this information.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #18 – September 29, 2019, 02:32:25 pm

Meanwhile, back to the fresh water leaking from near an exterior black plastic tank. Based on personal experience and reading other posts about fresh water leaks, my "educated" guess is that Sharon has a leak either from or near the water pump connections. Water will usually run down hill until it finds an exit through the floor to the outside. It won't necessarily drip out near the source of the leak.

Back when I changed our old Shurflo Whisper King fresh water pump to the "Extreme" series, I saw water dripping to the ground below the LD. One of the new clip on fittings was not properly connected (my fault) and even with the pump turned off, water was escaping.

Sharon, learn where your water pump is. Put water in your fresh water tank and look around the pump for moisture. You are not likely to ever find a leak in your fresh water tank from looking underneath the Lazy Daze. For your sake, hope it is the water pump or a fitting that needs repair instead of the fresh water tank.

Good luck,
Steve K.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #19 – September 30, 2019, 12:04:27 pm

Three inches of snow so trip to town delayed. I do know where the water pump is located as I read my owners systems book. Don't remember reading about location of fresh water tank but its probably in the book. I think the fresh water tank is under the drivers side couch so that's where I'm going to look first That would put the pump and tank close together which makes sense. I did take pictures on my phone and have looked in the instructional text to see how to post but not successful...yet. Thanks for helping, I will let you know what happens. I'm hopeful that it is just a loose connection at the pump Be thinking positively!!

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #20 – September 30, 2019, 12:20:12 pm

The Fresh Water Tank should be above or at least very near the fresh water dump valve.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #21 – October 02, 2019, 07:24:40 pm

Good news, water pump and water tank not leaking. Leak is where the fresh water tank plug comes to the outside. the water leaks from the FW tank drain which allowed water into the storage bay and came out the pin prink whole in the storage bay. Tightening the plug does not work, acts like the threads are stripped. So my next step is to use plumbers tape and try and tighten. Thanks for the help. If anyone has a different approach, I'm happy to hear.

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #22 – October 02, 2019, 07:33:37 pm

Normally there isn't a plug there. What used to be there is what tedeboy had a problem with. You might want to follow his thread to a hopefully good resolution. Water leak
RonB

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #23 – October 02, 2019, 07:42:05 pm

Interesting. When I read my manual I read about the lever for dumping water tank but no mention of plug. The tank is not visible from the storage bay. this plastic tube, which is wrapped in foam and tape(insulation) comes from the tank. The top of the tube shows no wetness. the bottom of the tube goes through the storage bay to the outside and that's where the plug is sitting. the water comes out around the plug which is just high enough to let some seep into the storage bay. Do you think this was an add on? Does you fresh water tank have a plug?

Re: pin prick size water tank leak

Reply #24 – October 02, 2019, 07:44:01 pm

Some photos might be helpful.

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