2016 ERA 170X Water Center Panel

[Ahallas]

The drain valves on my water center panel are difficult to open/close and touchy to stop leaking.
Is this panel removable? How would you replace a valve?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Bruce VH]

Originally Posted by Ahallas

The drain valves on my water center panel are difficult to open/close and touchy to stop leaking.
Is this panel removable? How would you replace a valve?

Any help would be appreciated.

I replaced the water panel and one of my valves on the same model and year that you have this last summer. It is quite a process, but you can do it with persistence and patience. My panel was badly rusted and needed to be replaced.
To remove the water panel you have to disconnect the water pump and drain pump switches. The have retention tabs that keep them attached to the panel and can be gently eased out of the panel. Once you do that then the front part of the switch disconnects from the back part. I ended up breaking one of mine and had to buy a replacement from Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, IA.
You then need to disconnect the cable tv input which is pretty simple.
Then remove all the water valve handles (unscrew) and the city water inlet.
There are three screws on the city water inlet then it can be loosened up and removed. The drain valves are just pressure fit into the water panel and can be disconnected from it by simple knocking them out.

The water panel itself is attached to the bottom shelf of the compartment by two or three screws that are accessed from the bottom. Once the panel is lose you can pull it out.

Replacing the drain valves is just a matter of doing some PEX plumbing and getting replacement valves. I got mine from Lichtsinn RV parts department. You will need to cut the PEX tubing and replace it to the valve.
I found the easiest way to do this is to cut it before it went into the water panel from the back then use the appropriate fittings and pieces of tubing to reconnect it.

Then it is a matter of putting it all back together again. It is a bit challenging to reconnect the city water fill inlet (I replaced mine with a new one because the old one was leaking) but everything else just goes back together the way it was removed.
Good luck!

[Ahallas]

Thanks! Just some clarification. "The water panel itself is attached to the bottom shelf of the compartment by two or three screws that are accessed from the bottom." Question, is this doable without a lift? Also, there are three very rusty screws on the face of the panel that appear to attach the panel to the body. Should I attempt to remove these also?

Thank you...

[Bruce VH]

I did remove the rusted screws you mention ( and replaced them with SS screws)but I would do that after you remove the bottom screws and panel.
You do not need to have it on a lift but when you do the re plumbing it would be good to have the tires on that side on 2-3 inches of leveling blocks to ease getting to everything.