City water & water pump usage
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5272
Printed Date: 02 May 2024 at 5:18am
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Topic: City water & water pump usage
Posted By: koukla1812
Subject: City water & water pump usage
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 2:48pm
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Hello. We have a basic (maybe dumb) question about water pump & tank use. We've never had city water in the campsites we've frequented in our short life as Podders. We'll have this service at our next outing and have realized that we're not sure of how to use the service on our 2014 178. When you're connected to city water, do you have to turn on the water pump? Should you put fresh water into the tank as well? Thanks in advance for any help. Need some help with the baics I guess. PJ ------------- PJ |
Replies:
Posted By: freezingalaskan
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 3:04pm
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Connect a white hose from the water source and attach it to you trailer. No need to use your pump if I remember correctly as the water pressure from the water source will do the job. You may want to invest in a water pressure regulator to make sure pressure is not too big for you trailer plumbing and an inline water filter. You should be able to find both at RV isle at your local Walmart. I would also put some water in the tank as backup in case your water source is no good, or in case your camping spot has a broken faucet. At least then you can do some cooking and also flush the toilet.
freezingalaskan ------------- Volvo XC90 '13 rPod 179 '16 |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 4:03pm
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Just connect a white hose from the camp sites water faucet to your city water. Then turn on your faucet and you should be all set. You dont use your pump or potable water tank. Just make sure if you hot water tank is not full make sure the water heater is off (outside button or circuit breaker) until it the tank is full ( 6 gallons) or you will blow the heater element. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: jeeperic
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 5:52pm
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I have the same question, and let's see if I have this straight, then.
Scenario: water serviced lot (or my driveway, for that matter) power serviced lot (or the driveway...) 1. White hose to water hookup on Pod / Power cable attached 2. Run water through system (open taps / no pump required) 3. For hot water, open hot water taps, letting the air escape 4. Once the water runs from the hot taps (it won't be hot yet)close the taps - the pressure is built and the tank is full, turn on the little black switch outside and open the LP bottle for quick hot water. This, of course, assuming all valves are opened (or closed, as the case may be)...and all the planets are aligned.. Is this right? Am I doing the happy dance in the shower yet? ------------- That button at the top of the remote? That's the power button..press it. Turn it all off. Go outside! '14 RPod 171 '09 Jeep Wrangler JK (mine) '14 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 (hers) |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 6:04pm
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For city water use, it should go like this... Hook up water pressure regulator. Hook up filter. Turn on water let it run for a few seconds to rinse filter. Hook up white potable water hose to filter, turn on water and let it run for a minute to rinse hose. Hook up to city water connection on trailer. Turn on water. Done. Now, on the hot water side... Your hot water heater should have water in it from the last time you used the pod, unless you drained it. To heat water, if you have elec. hookups, turn on switch in WH compartment. If you don't, open propane valve, go inside camper and light stove to purge gas line. Once purged, turn on WH switch inside camper. Either elec. or gas will give you hot water in 20-30 minutes. If you want/need it faster, or want/need faster recovery time, use both at the same time. Won't hurt a thing. NOW, the big caution. If you don't KNOW there is water in the WH tank, and running the hot water at the tap does NOT prove there is, you need to MAKE SURE before you flip the switch for elec. The easiest way is to push the overpressure relief valve at the top of the WH with the water turned on, or with the pump turned on if not using city water. You should get a blast of air and/or water out of that valve. If you have water in the system, but not water in the tank, your winterization valves are set to bypass, and need to be changed to use the WH. People burn up the elec. element every year by not having the valves set correctly. ------------- |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 6:09pm
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If you run the hot water tap for more than a few seconds, and all the air spluttering is done, I can't see how you wouldn't have filled the hot water tank if the bypass valves are in the proper position.
------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: jeeperic
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 6:12pm
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my thoughts, too. If the hot tap is open, and the cold closed, where else BUT the hot water tank would it come from? The pesky by-pass valves? geeeees, I answered my own question again, didn't I? ------------- That button at the top of the remote? That's the power button..press it. Turn it all off. Go outside! '14 RPod 171 '09 Jeep Wrangler JK (mine) '14 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 (hers) |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2014 at 8:34pm
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I am sorry, my point is, if you don't KNOW the position of the valves, say you just bought it, new or used, and it was winterized, or maybe even used and never had water in the system, (people do it) and you don't know for sure if there is water in the WH, then these are ways to check. again, people have to replace the anode with fair regularity because they turn the elec side on with an empty tank. ------------- |
Posted By: jeeperic
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2014 at 12:04pm
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Good point. I'll have to pull the cover off to verify the valve positions before I get too carried away. If I'm not mistaken, these valves are under the bed on the curbside? There's a small panel from the rear storage on that side too.. (2014 171) ------------- That button at the top of the remote? That's the power button..press it. Turn it all off. Go outside! '14 RPod 171 '09 Jeep Wrangler JK (mine) '14 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 (hers) |
Posted By: koukla1812
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2014 at 10:16am
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Thanks to you all for your help. Incidentally, we hadn't thought about the kind of hose to use for drinking water. As some of you mentioned, a white hose should be connected which is designed for drinking water. We we're going to use one of those new collapsing hoses which are easy to store but is probably made of materials that could be toxic. This forum is amazing. You get answers to questions you didn't even have the sense to ask! Thanks again. ------------- PJ |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2014 at 10:46am
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Just an FYI- there ARE drinking water safe hoses that aren't white, but you definitely need to be sure to use one that is known to be drinking water safe.
------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2014 at 11:24am
And ONLY use it for that. No tank rinsing, garden watering, or anything else. ------------- |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2014 at 1:49pm
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Just to add, the problem with most green hoses, is Consumer Reports found high levels of lead, of all things. You CAN let them run for a minute or so and then take a sip, if you are working outside on a hot day, but that won't work for your camper. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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