Jay Flight- Multiple Water Leaks When Hot Water Heater On

JaycoJeri · 08-26-2021, 05:50 PM

Hello all, I'm new to forum. Forgive me for diving in (& length) but I have a warranty appt at dealership 9/1st. and would welcome any & all opinions. Have 2021, 183RB SLX - 4 mo. new: 1st leak from blk nut attaching pvc pipe to front of water heater-tightening resolved; 2nd. leak from blk nut at top of hot water supply line under kitch faucet-tightening resolved; 3rd. leak from blk nut at top of hot water supply line under bathroom faucet-tightening resolved; 4th. leak from cold water supply line behind toilet (not accessible to me for tightening). ALL leaks have occurred when the eletric hot water heater is on; when off, zero. I turn the water heater on & off approx 2x day & it runs an avg. of 30-60 min. each. For testing the last time, I left it on about 4 hrs.... it failed the test... the toilet supply line leaked! Seems when I tighten things up, it finds the next weakest point to leak.

I purchased a water pressure gauge yesterday to rule out anything external. It tested normal on two separate water regulators - 35 psi on plastic one, 45 psi on the metal one. The dealership claims, "Jayco has had no service bulletins / recalls on water systems on this unit." The dealership can't come up with cause & cure. Because I am both allergic & hypersensitive to mold, I need to figure this out (or acclimate to cold showers - ugh).

Oh, I pulled it approx 1k mi from originating dealer to NM 4 mo ago. It has been parked except for the 30 mi drive to the warranty dealership 2x. I'm a full timer while waiting for a new construction home to be built. If anyone has thoughts, questions, and/or needs a pic of something, please feel free to contribute. I'm not easily offended so fire away. Greatly appreciated!

dxrobertson · 08-26-2021, 06:21 PM

All I can say is that you are handling the situation correctly. Monitor the entire plumbing system for leaks. Perhaps the hot side leaks coinciding with the water hater on is a temperature issue, heat expansion just enough to leak. I dont know why the use of the hot water heater would effect the cold side, at the toilet. I would say coincidence in your testing.

"Jayco has had no service bulletins / recalls on water systems on this unit."

There arent going to be any "bulletins". What you are experiencing is the plumbing installer didnt go back and tighten the connections. Thus you need to go and check and tighten them all yourself, as you have done.

"Seems when I tighten things up, it finds the next weakest point to leak."
Yes- exactly right. Again, they may ALL be loose. Hopefully the shower connections are tight, going to be difficult for you to know.

And dont ignore the drain side- also could have been "forgotten" to tighten.

The 1st thing I do after purchasing a new RV is to open all cabinet doors and remove all access panels relative to anything plumbing. Pressurize the system and wait for the leaks. My new Class C leaked at the water pump; not tightened. Previous travel trailer and 2 FWs all had plumbing leaks right from the factory.

JaycoJeri · 08-26-2021, 07:47 PM

Appreciate the vote of confidence for troubleshooting. The frustrating part is that I asked the original dealer to tighten everything & was basically treated like I was crazy to even ask since it was "new." Then 3 days after I returned from the last warranty appointment when I again *specifically* asked them to tighten ALL plumbing, it was still leaking the same as it was when I went in. I'm totally baffled about the toilet leak though but feel it's connected. I plan to turn the hot water heater on for at least 3 - 4 hrs. before I go in next week & have them hook it up once there. Maybe by some miracle, something will jump out at them.

So there's no internal motor or pressure thingy "inside" the trailer that could be affecting the plumbing (like maybe connected to the hot water heater itself)? And thanks for the tip on the drain side of things. I'll add that to my list for next week.

Grumpy · 08-26-2021, 07:57 PM

Check the cone washers on the ones that are leaking they have been known to deform occasionally.

JaycoJeri · 08-26-2021, 08:13 PM

Thanks, I'll do that Grumpy.

**JFlightRisk** · 08-26-2021, 08:29 PM

Welcome to the Forum! We did the plumbing-tightening when out TT was new, also. Checked every connection, and checked them all again after the hot water went through it for the first time.

Don't forget to check the sinks, and tub drain plumbing after you've run hot water down the sinks. One of ours loosened up when it was hot. The hot water softens up the plumbers putty under the baskets, so a twist on those will help.

JaycoJeri · 08-26-2021, 10:24 PM

Thanks for the welcome JFlightRisk. From what you and others say, I deduce the "cause" is a false sense of security and having my expectations too high with buying a *new* TT. And yes, it's my first one so I'll have to chalk this up to the learning curve. Interesting that this is such a common issue and more interesting that the RV industry gets away with it. Sounds like the "cure" is to either go back to a tent or just suck it up and move on. And with my mold allergy, the tent may win. I honestly don't know if it's worth all this stress.

Can't thank y'all enough for the enlightenment and education.

LuckyDuck · 08-26-2021, 11:29 PM

Welcome to JOF. Sad to say, but you probably haven’t seen anything yet. Sloppy construction like you’re encountering is fairly common. Don’t give up and keep reading JOF — there is a lot of great advice here that will help you through it.

Parrott · 08-27-2021, 08:03 AM

Check the shower p trap also.

Flashdman11 · 08-27-2021, 08:59 AM

My new camper had several connectors only had tight when I did my PDI. Most fittings can be over torqued too causing the same issue. Any chance they have wrong nut size on lines?

**JFlightRisk** · 08-27-2021, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaycoJeri

Thanks for the welcome JFlightRisk. From what you and others say, I deduce the "cause" is a false sense of security and having my expectations too high with buying a *new* TT. And yes, it's my first one so I'll have to chalk this up to the learning curve. Interesting that this is such a common issue and more interesting that the RV industry gets away with it. Sounds like the "cure" is to either go back to a tent or just suck it up and move on. And with my mold allergy, the tent may win. I honestly don't know if it's worth all this stress.

Can't thank y'all enough for the enlightenment and education.

You're very welcome. No need to stress about it. The enjoyment with the TT will outweigh any issues in time. It's just the annoyance of working out the bugs in a new RV. They all have them.

The good news is, you have the vast knowledge and experience of the JOF family at your finger tips! Everyone here is more than willing and able to help in any way we can, to make your day better. Happy camping!

JaycoJeri · 08-27-2021, 12:39 PM

The friendly welcome by everyone is very heartwarming.

@LuckyDuck Fortunately (or unfortunate in this circumstance), I've lived long enough to remember when things were constructed with quality and pride. COVID has only made things worse and even scarier yet is that I'm having a new construction home built as we speak.

@Parrott Shower p-trap is added to my list.

@Flashdman11 No loosey-goosey so I believe the fittings are the correct size. I practice the "hand tighten + nothing over 1/4 turn" plumbing rule-of-thumb.

@JFlightRisk My stress stems from Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) caused by exposure to biotoxins... mold is only one of them. I purchased *new* to avoid inheriting others' water damaged RVs. Ok, the cup is half full. I will take all that I've learned here and apply it to the inspection on my new home. It is sad that we live in a day and age where we have to do not only the manufacturers' jobs, but the dealerships' jobs who are supposed to be providing the warranty work... they can't even get that right.

Everyone's ongoing support is greatly appreciated! Hoping the worse of my problems are behind me... time will tell.

16WhiteColly · 08-28-2021, 07:59 AM

Buy you some extra cone washers and start making you a parts kit for unforeseen repairs. I carry cone washers, complete toilet repair kit, water heater pressure valve, numerous plumbing washers, low point drain valves, A/C Capacitors, and other parts.

JaycoJeri · 08-28-2021, 09:38 AM

@16WhiteColly That's a great suggestion. I used to have one in my former house.

Where is the "water heater pressure valve" located and how do I test it? Will a water pressure gauge Dx it? Any pics would be helpful. Logic has told me it's something related to the water heater since the leaks only occur when it's on (including the cold water leak from behind the toilet). And I've already ruled out high water pressure from the city spigot. Many thanks!

16WhiteColly · 08-28-2021, 09:50 AM

There are several items I have compiled for the parts kit, but cannot recall all of them, but covers pretty good amount of possibilities. All kinds of tape too. Never know when a toilet will start leaking, got a complete kit for about $40. Toilet can be out in less than 1/2 hour.

LuckyDuck · 08-28-2021, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaycoJeri

@16WhiteColly That's a great suggestion. I used to have one in my former house.

Where is the "water heater pressure valve" located and how do I test it? Will a water pressure gauge Dx it? Any pics would be helpful. Logic has told me it's something related to the water heater since the leaks only occur when it's on (including the cold water leak from behind the toilet). And I've already ruled out high water pressure from the city spigot. Many thanks!

Here is the the typical pressure release valve on a WH. Lift the lever to release pressure/water if it is full. Normally it won’t be leaking. Occasionally, perhaps, when fully heated, but just briefly.

**norty1** · 08-28-2021, 11:59 AM

Careful if you test it when running. Hot water under pressure will scald your skin!

JaycoJeri · 08-28-2021, 07:38 PM

@16WhiteColly I will definitely start on a repair/spare parts box. Again, great suggestion.

@LuckyDuck That looks like the same type of valve on the standard house hot water heater. Pic did the trick, thanks. I located it & label reads 3/4" threads. Is it advisable to remove the pressure valve (while *cold* - thank you for words of caution norty1), screw the water pressure gauge on, turn the hot water heater on, then consistently monitor to get psi while it heats up? If it looks like the psi is approaching or will exceed the 150 psi max, I could immediately turn the hwh off. Or another option is to wait until Wed. & let the dealership test it but sadly, I kinda don't trust them.

Some website reading I did on this stuff recommends an "air pocket" should be maintained in the hwh and that one should release the pressure valve every 4 days or so to help with that (which I've never done). Don't know if that could have caused and/or contributed to the leaks I've had. I'll wait for advice before moving forward.

TCNashville · 08-28-2021, 08:02 PM

Just remember that an RV water system is a "closed" system. As the wh heats the water, it expands and puts pressure in the plumbing system. If you open a faucet during the heating process, you'll see what I mean as the pressurized water will gush out for a few seconds until pressure is relieved. If your plumbing system is tight, the pressure usually weeps out of the pressure relief valve. Developing an air pocket will help alleviate this.

JaycoJeri · 08-28-2021, 08:50 PM

Yes, I've observed the initial blast of water then a reduction in flow when I turn on my faucet. It's much less affected with the metal, higher psi pressure regulator I just purchased. I have no clue if the hwh pressure relief valve has been weeping water or not... didn't even know it was there; nobody mentioned to me it was something I needed to monitor.

You may also like: