Hot water leak - repairs won't take

[SilverEscape]

Trailer is new last summer. First trip out this summer we noticed water on floor inside cabinet. It was the night before we were leaving so we just turned off pump when not needed and had towels to catch any dripping.

Got home, called the Jayco dealer here about warranty, of course they are booked up forever but was told it was okay to attempt fixing ourselves. So we discovered leak is coming from hot water connection to kitchen sink tap. Tightened compression fitting. Tested. No leaking appeared. Thought we had it fixed.

Next trip out, I checked after doing dishes. Still leaking. Pulled hot water connection apart, discovered gasket inside compression fitting was folded. Drove back to the city and bought a new gasket. Replaced and tightened. Tested again, no leak. Thought we had fixed it. Appeared not to leak for the next day we were there.

Third trip out. Leaking again!! The compression fitting will NOT go any tighter. The leak is much slower than it was. My husband thinks it may be because the hot water hose is too short and pulls on the connection at an angle. The leak appears to be dropping from the bottom of the black screw on connection whereas prior it was coming from the top of it. It's very slow.

Maybe it's their silver crimped fitting below the black compression fitting. Which is something we can't fix as we don't have those tools.

Any other suggestions? I'm losing my mind here.

[mike837go]

Three tries with minimum fix and no success?


Time for total teardown, thorough examination and new pieces.


Are the threads in the hot water tank OK? No nicks or missing segments?


Be prepared to cut off the old connector and splice in fresh parts.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by mike837go

T

Be prepared to cut off the old connector and splice in fresh parts.

Get some "SHARK BITE" fittings and a short piece of pex tubing that way you can make the line longer and it won't be pulling on the connector.

[SilverEscape]

Well it has improved each time. But ya, it's not completely fixed.

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Get some "SHARK BITE" fittings and a short piece of pex tubing that way you can make the line longer and it won't be pulling on the connector.

We were thinking adding a section would help. I'll look into the fittings you suggested. Not sure if I can get anything like that around here and we won't be back in a city for 6 days. But I think the leak is slow enough, that with a chamois on the floor to catch any of the slow drips, we should be able to make it that long.

We have water hook up this time so are turning the water off whenever we leave anyway, and are out and about biking and sight seeing so the water isn't on full days right now.

[bedrck46]

any possibilities of you posting a pic of what you have?

[SilverEscape]

Originally Posted by bedrck46

any possibilities of you posting a pic of what you have?

Yup. We're on our way to go biking right now and then heading to a friend's site for dinner. So not until late tonight or tomorrow. Meant to grab pics already but I was so sick of unloading and reloading that cabinet that I forgot.

[SilverEscape]

[bedrck46]

When you remove the black fitting is there a tapered rubber gasket in the fitting?


Also when you look up into the brass portion does it appear that it is tapered on the inside?

[SilverEscape]

Originally Posted by bedrck46

When you remove the black fitting is there a tapered rubber gasket in the fitting?

Here is a pic of the gasket. This was the damaged one and we've since replaced it.

Originally Posted by bedrck46

When you remove the black fitting is there a taperedAlso when you look up into the brass portion does it appear that it is tapered on the inside?

No, not tapered.

[bedrck46]

Try putting the gasket with the flat side up against the brass fitting Being that isn't tapered it may provide a better seal

[UPCamper]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Get some "SHARK BITE" fittings and a short piece of pex tubing that way you can make the line longer and it won't be pulling on the connector.

X2. You can find them or generic connectors identical to them at any hardware store. Get a couple in lines and a little extra pex to extend the line. I don't have a real good idea of your situation but it does sound like it's not long enough. Maybe causing the line to pull the gasket out of place and away. Also, you don't want the gasket too tight as you may actually damage it and cause leaking.

UPC

[UPCamper]

Originally Posted by SilverEscape

Attachment 19405

Is it leaking for sure from the threaded part. It may be a bad crimp as well where the pex connects to the black piece. I've been there before.

[SilverEscape]

Originally Posted by UPCamper

Is it leaking for sure from the threaded part. It may be a bad crimp as well where the pex connects to the black piece. I've been there before.

Definitely from the bottom of the black connector piece. It used to be leaking from the top of the black connector as well but that has been resolved.

Although, this is the first time we've had a water hook up and with our regulator, then filter inline, the water pressure is lower than when we fill the tank and use the pump. So maybe it's just leaking less because of the lower pressure.

[SilverEscape]

Originally Posted by SilverEscape

Definitely from the bottom of the black connector piece. It used to be leaking from the top of the black connector as well but that has been resolved.

So I was wrong here. It doesn't appear water is coming from the connector anymore. But water is coming from somewhere and I don't know where! We have it connected to water at home for the last few days. We've filled the sinks several times, drained them both, there is not a leak anywhere. But yet when we are camping, the right side of the floor is a little bit wet almost daily.

Is there any chance water is coming out of the air gap for the drain? Maybe when the grey water tank is full? It's not something we've tested as we have nowhere to drain the tank until we head out this weekend and we can't carry all that weight of a full grey water tank without being overweight.