Ensuring fresh water access

Crom · Member

Ensuring fresh water access

tempestv8 · Veteran Member

It might be different from one van to another, but in my experience with 3 different caravans (Jayco, Goldstream and A'Van) so far is that whenever you are attached to mains water, the mains water is what comes out of the taps, i.e. the tank water is not used. Best you contact the Eco Tourer folks to get their input because they may do things differently.

KFT · Guru

Welcome to the forum Crom

I am intrigued as to why you would state that bore water is non potable! I would suggest that you are more likely to find surface water that is non potable.

Most rural properties and stations rely on bore water to survive. We certainly do and our bore water is as good if not better than the bottled water you buy in the supermarket. Sure there are some bores that are a brackish and unpalatable but with some good filtration it is usually ok to drink. We have never found town water that was undrinkable in the many rural towns in Australia.

I realise this does not answer your question but I am sure someone with a van similar to yours will come along and help you out

Frank

-- Edited by KFT on Sunday 25th of September 2016 09:07:32 PM

CC Bear · Senior Member

Why not ask the people you bought the fan from. If a new van should have been part of the knowledge passed on.

Ron-D · Guru

This is the way it works in our Van,when hooked up to mains pressure you don't use the pump,the mains pressure supplies the water to the system the pump has nothing to do with it and should be left off.

now when you don't have mains pressure you need a water supply it's called a tank-which is filled with water for the purpose, because you don't have mains pressure you need a pump to deliver your water .

Crom · Member

Thank you all, this is a very encouraging response and I expect to be a regular on this forum - hopefully to also provide help to others.
I bought the van 2nd hand, so paperwork is not comprehensive; I have asked the builders and am awaiting their response; the park suggested we not use the mains water for drinking. It appears the case may be that mains pressure overrides pump pressure (as I suspected) so to access the fresh water tank requires one to turn off the mains water first - easy enough. Safe travels to all. Crom.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

We fill the tank and use the pump . I've had issues with excessive high pressure on O rings leaking . We've also got a double drinking water filter system.. Your worrying too much .. Although we boiled kettle twice and carried seperate bought drinking water when cruising through NT ., tast and bugs in water are two things .

Crom · Member

Good points, thanks mate.

BAZZA44 · Senior Member

Hi Crom, that seems to be a complicated way to get water, go outside and turn mains off, come back inside and turn pump on for drinking water and then go out again to turn on mains.

Why not redo the drinking water tank with a separate pump. One pump and line for drinking water and another separate pump and line for other water, then you just switch on whatever pump you want and mains water will work without going out to turn off and on.

Our van and I would think the majority with separate tanks is like this.

BAZZA

BAZZA44 · Senior Member

Crom in my previous reply I was assuming there was a tap for drinking water only and another for washing water. If not what I said before will not work.

BAZZA

Crom · Member

Hi Bazza, our van does have a separate pump for the fresh tank - hence the selector switch near the sink - 'Fresh / Main'. Both pumps are below the sink, which has a single outlet that has lines to the various tanks. So, the question is not how do I access the fresh tank; but rather - does water come from that tank if I have mains water connected?
Thanks for your time and comments.

BAZZA44 · Senior Member

Hi Crom, sorry I misunderstood your first post. You have an unusual setup ( imo ). Perhaps there are one way valves in the lines close to the tap. Anyway I would suggest that the mains would not interfere with the drinking water for the simple reason that there is the dedicated tank that is isolated by the second pump.

BAZZA

Tony Bev · Guru

Hello Crom

As others have already said, welcome to the forum

As I do not have your system, then I am unable to answer your question

I have found an Eco Tourer forum using Mr Google, but find that you have to join up to read any of their posts

Perhaps if no one from this forum comes forward with the answer you are seeking, then a squizzy at the other forum may produce some results

This is the first I have heard of having two different tanks, for two different types of water, and each tank with their own separate pump
So thanks for that info

As a last resort, you may have to crawl underneath and follow your line from where you connected the outside bore water pipe
To see exactly where it is connected in relationship to your pumps, which as you mention are both under the sink

Hope this info was helpful

PeterD · Guru

Crom wrote:
Hi Bazza, our van does have a separate pump for the fresh tank - hence the selector switch near the sink - 'Fresh / Main'. Both pumps are below the sink, which has a single outlet that has lines to the various tanks. So, the question is not how do I access the fresh tank; but rather - does water come from that tank if I have mains water connected?

I reckon you have a van that has been modified by a previous owner. If that is the case then it's no good asking the manufacturer.

Design your RV or Caravan plumbing system

The bottom diagram is the likely way that your van would have originally been plumbed. The change over switch and the fresh water system probably added later. What is that "selector switch?" Does it select which pump operates or does it operate a change over valve in the water system?

In the standard system, when you have mains water connected and the pump switched on, the pump will supply water from your tank if the pump pressure is higher than the mains pressure. If the mains pressure is the higher then the pump will not work. The non return valves will ensure that is the way things work.

In your non-standard system the fresh water probably will not work unless its pressure exceeds the mains pressure.

In parks with water hookup the mains water should be potable, or they should tell you it is not. I would suggest that rather than not use park water when it is available but does not taste good then use a filter. Get one with a cartridge that is both carbon and silver loaded. B.E.S.T. Water Filters have them but they are not the only supplier. A carbon loaded cartridge usually removes any bad taste.

Crom · Member

Thanks Peter, the original owner did have a number of mods included, the 3rd water tank may have been one. The selector switch identifies which pump is in use, as per the provided drawings. I agree that the water supply will be determined by which source has more pressure and, in most cases, this is going to be mains, rather than pump. In any event I know what to do, and we have a portable water filter if we are in any doubt.
Regards, Geoff.

Off Highway Shower/ toilet Eco Tourer and 2005 Land Cruiser (4.2l turbo diesel).