Fresh Water Tank Fill Stopped on 2016 Itasca Spirit 31K

[Siman00]

Hello. 2016 Itasca Spirit 31 K. Have owned it for 5 years and have always been able to fill the fresh water storage tank whenever I needed it.

This season, I connected the water hose to the inlet on the side of the motor home like always. I turned the water supply on and heard water running into the tank. I walked away for about 5 minutes and when I returned, I could not hear any water going into the tank. There was about 2 inches of water in the tank whenever I looked. If any water is going into the tank, it’s a small dribble.

The city fill system works as it should.

Help! Any idea as to what’s causing the stoppage of water flow?

 

[Morich]

I'm not at all sure what can cause this but I did snag a part of the pictures they give us here in the interactive parts catalog:

Parts Catalog

A great toool for seeing what they hid from us? But it does take some playing to get it where you can see clearly and you may not want to spend a week playing if the wateris not working, so I did some drawing to try to show what I see?
Hard to get a good picture you can see without turning it around, so I marked how it looks like water should flow.

Putting the hose on the connection on right to fill tank, correct?
If "some" water is getting into the rv, turns right toward tank area and then goes into bottom of tank, we kind of think that hose is open and clear???
But there is the old idea that we can't run water in without a way for air to get out! Normally that pipe at top that I marked as overflow lets the air out as water comes in and when totally full water will come out there and land under the RV! Overflow as well as vent! Simple but not working?
We assume nobody played a trick and shut the faucet off? Maybe check thw water flow from hose? A bit paranoid , there!!
But if the overflow had some major blockage like a mud dauber built in the end of the tube? Would it stop water pressure?? Not sure I buy that idea but maybe keep it in mind as the little buggers are a pain at times!
But maybe a first quick check to see that the water is actually getting into the tank and not something weird going on there?
If you have some water in the tank, try opening that drain valve that I marked in red? That should give you a good amount of water draining and when you open the faucet to add more, it should just dump right out the drain!
That would prove out if the hose in is good as well as the drain, so the only other block I see as possible should be the overflow is stopped up in some way?
An alternate thought to check that overflow as it is just pretty much an open tube other than one elbow, is to try to force water from the hose up and into the tank?
Do you know where that drain valve is and is it easy to get to and open?

Just a couple ideas and maybe give you a better idea of what they had in mind when they built it!
If we play with RV long enough, we get into some headscratchers, so I'll wish you luck and do let us know if we get there or need to take another look!

 

[Siman00]

Thank you for your reply and help. When I find the problem, I’ll post the remedy.

 

[Morich]

Stuck here waiting , so took a bit to give what might let you see how those pipes are connected at tank.
Still not real clear picture but maybe shows what I'm thinking!

In from hose as red dots, into tank and out the drain if open! If drain closed, water can come out of tank to tee to go into pump and on out to left to RV like yellow dots.
But if water fills tank to overflow it should go out that tube to the ground and that open overflow tube should let water into tankasit vents the air???
If it goes in and then out the drain, the big question is why not fill and go out the overflow?
Now, SIR, I leave all the questions on your end! Good luck!

 

[Siman00]

One more thing I just remembered. The Inlet connection has a screen over the opening. I removed the screen to see what I could see inside the Inlet. As I pulled the screen out, a plastic thingy fell out on the ground. It was smaller than the opening, overall round, but with teeth like a sprocket. Deeper in the Inlet was a round, funnel shaped screen.

I couldn't figure out what this stuff was, or how it fitted together, so I saved them and reconnected the fill hose with the screen.

I have no idea what this apparatus does.

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

I think that was your back flow connector to keep from your TT pressure pushing water into the city (CG) water line

 

[RayIN]

One more thing I just remembered. The Inlet connection has a screen over the opening. I removed the screen to see what I could see inside the Inlet. As I pulled the screen out, a plastic thingy fell out on the ground. It was smaller than the opening, overall round, but with teeth like a sprocket. Deeper in the Inlet was a round, funnel shaped screen.

I couldn't figure out what this stuff was, or how it fitted together, so I saved them and reconnected the fill hose with the screen.

I have no idea what this apparatus does.

IMO that is a device to prevent insects from entering the overflow tubing. Temporarily leave all that off while trying to fill the tank to either prove or eliminate that as a cause. Also, trace all the tubing and check for kinks.

 

[Morich]

The screen is often there just as a way to keep things from going into the system. Things like bugs or even tiny little frogs can go in an that is not good for drinking! But ehn if there is some form of small spring, you may have found a really cheap check valve? Many have a plastic disk that has a spring holind it against the surface pressing out or against the water flow going in. It is a small enough spring that the water pressure going in has no trouble pushing it open but when nop hose is connected but the water pump is on, we want that pressure from inside to stop water going out the port!
Seems like such a tiny litle spring but seems to work as the pump builds pressure inside, the disk is pressed harde on the seat and that keep the pressure from the pump from pumping water to run down the side of the RV.
Guessing there but see if that might be what you have? I think of them as normally being built into the port body and it may need to be replaced if broken, etc.? Maybe take a look at this link for pictures that show the screen as well as the tip of the center check valve?

https://www.amazon.com/EXCELFU-Flange-Connection-Motorhome-Trailer/dp/B09PTLDCC9/ref=asc_df_B09PTLDCC9?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80539436594912&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=74219&hvtargid=pla-4584138925477127&msclkid=3fd9db0dc0fb1753ac8cb2dfae7a5ad7&th=1

Hard to think of it as a real check valve but it works!
Your RV has some parts that really don't seem to be needed with the second fill port? I'm missing something about their plan but they must have seen some need at the time? It does do away with the selector knob/valve which I am used to seeing, so that may have been the plan?

 

[Siman00]

You guys are great! Looking at the Amazon pics for which you sent a link, I'm certain it is a backflow proventer. That explains why water was slowly leaking out of the fresh water tank through the Inlet.

I wonder if the messed-up backflow preventer is somehow blocking water from going into the tank. I'm a little apprehensive to remove the existing fill.valve, but I guess I'll order a replacement, remove the existing fill valve and install a replacement valve from Amazon.

It appears that removal is simple; remove flange screws, unscrew old assembly, screw new assembly to MH plumbing, and install flange screws.

What do y'all think of that plan?

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

Hopefully you have enuf slack in the hose/piping behind the valve assy to pull it out, once flange screws are removed…
Don’t know on yours, but on my TT I can access behind that exterior panel via access from inside the trailer in a service bay.

 

[klook]

If your connection is not an open port that you put a hose in but a place where you screw the hose on, it will be the check valve described above. Replaced several this winter, they don't like cold. Also just put two new ports on my own as the black tank flush was missing it check valve and the city water fill was leaking with the pump on. Out west this winter my tank would not fill right. I have the open fill hole with a door and gasket built in. It was the vent line was plugged with mold and crap. New one going in.