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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: pabusnut on August 29, 2012, 11:04:32 AM

Title: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: pabusnut on August 29, 2012, 11:04:32 AM
I installed my 100 fresh water tank about 6 months ago, but never filled it---until now, and I obiviously did it wrong, and now need to fix it.

I used a 100 gal transport tank, and used a 1-1/2" PVC for the inlet pipe.  There are a couple of turns, and I kept it as high as I could, and good slope the whole way to the tank.  Apparently I need a separate vent to allow the air to escape the tank or something, because when I try to fill it, even veeeerrrrry ssssslllllloooooowwwwwllllyy, it still stops filling, and spits the water back out of the inlet.  It then gets a gasp of air, and you can hear the rest gurgling down after you take the hose out.

I realized when filling it with the garden hose, that the hose fills almost all the pipe, and allows very little air to escape.

I am open to all suggestion for increasing the fill rate for my fresh water tank.

Thanks!

Steve Toomey
pabusnut
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: Ednj on August 29, 2012, 11:27:44 AM
How does that pipe connect to the tank?
If threaded install a tee right at the tank and there's your vent 8)
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: luvrbus on August 29, 2012, 12:06:43 PM
You need a vent the way I do it it in the top of tank with 3/8 hose ran out the bottom of the bay for over flow when full you see the water running out no standing around looking and waiting  JMW
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: Rick 74 MC-8 on August 29, 2012, 02:48:55 PM
You might get away with fishing a smaller plastic tube inside the 1 1/2 pvc
The trouble will be as you draw water from the Tank something will need to fill the void

                                                                       Rick 74 MC-8


                                                                         
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: Oonrahnjay on August 29, 2012, 02:53:19 PM
    A vent in the top of the tank will make your fill work right and also work when you empty the tank.  (Just put a screen on the end so no bugs can get into it.)
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: FloridaCliff on August 29, 2012, 04:37:35 PM
Steve,

I used something like this, no problem filling.

http://www.marineengine.com/products/accessory.php?in=3162111 (http://www.marineengine.com/products/accessory.php?in=3162111)

You could drill it just under the size, put a small amount of sealer on the base and screw in, done.

Best of luck,

Cliff
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: pabusnut on August 29, 2012, 06:04:43 PM
Guys,

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I actually found the problem-----and of course it was self induced!!

By trying to put all the "mechanical stuff" in one bay it is rather tight.  I actually had a "belly" in the pipe because of the way the 90 degree elbow attaches to the top of the transit tank.  Because my inlet is in the corner and the top of the tank is slightly concave, the 90 degree elbow comes out not quite parallel to the floor, so that the 18" pipe connected to it goes downhill toward the back of the bus(in-line with length of bus f to r0.  Then there is a 22-1/2 degree elbow headed up(still in-line) to a 90 degree elbow that shoots it out toward the drivers side toward the top of the bay.  The whole drop to the tank is about 6-7 inches.

Apparently the "belly" would fill with water and block the air coming out until the air built up pressure and then forced a bunch of water back up and out the pipe.

I cut the pipe off right after the 90 that goes into the tank, and stuck the hose in there and had no trouble filling it.  I would have had it re-piped tonight, but was waiting on someone to come buy my old gas noisemaker, so I couldn't get to Lowes to get a handful of fittings.

I should have it re-piped tomorrow.

Steve Toomey
Pabusnut
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: thomasinnv on August 29, 2012, 07:29:54 PM
I bet you will still find the need for a vent. Once you put all the pipe back together you will still most likely get the same result as before.
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: pabusnut on August 30, 2012, 08:01:53 AM
I will be putting a vent on it, but based on the way I filled it last night, I'm not sure I need it for filling-but definitely for emptying.  I don't want to pull a vacuum when emptying w/ the pump.

Steve
Title: Re: Fresh Water Tank Fill
Post by: Lin on August 30, 2012, 08:14:38 PM
I not sure who it was, maybe Dallas, who once said that he used a sink aerator to vent the top of a tank.