Our 2016 540Gt is going in for service next week and then we are going away in it. We haven't used in since end of November when I did the usual drain of the water system before its winter coverage.

Today I decided to do the usual pre-season wash out and sanitising & sterilising of the water tank and system. Everything seemed to be going as normal and I got water through the taps ready to leave overnight to sterilise.

Suddenly I noticed water running out of the body work above the steps. It seemed to be leaking above and below the tap. Then I checked in the bathroom and under the bathroom cabinet was also wet.

I quickly drained the system and tank but more water leaked from the sink tap. I got a torch out and closely examined both taps but couldn't see any defects, just water running down the pipes.

This feels really strange as everything was OK when I stored it at the end of November

Thoughts in my head are:

1. Has the long lack of use effected the fittings?
2. Is it just pure bad luck for them both to go at once?
3. Are new fittings going to b very expensive?
4. Or as usual have I done something daft?

As I say fortunately we are taking it to ALV in Tebay for its annual service and so I will ask them to fettle whatever is wrong.

Has this happened to anyone else or has anyone got any suggestions/

Cheers
MikeT

Quote: SOULBLUESMAN68 wrote in post #1

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1. Has the long lack of use effected the fittings?
2. Is it just pure bad luck for them both to go at once?
3. Are new fittings going to b very expensive?
4. Or as usual have I done something daft?

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Hi John

The bit about bad luck running in threes..............................I'd used the hose to fill the tank and both K & I thought we had turned it off. We hadn't and as I picked it up to put it away the fitting flew off soaking me in cold water. Does that count as the third?

MikeT

Hi Colin

I wondered about that but I am careful about draining everything before I put the winter cover on. Perhaps I didn't do it as well as previously.......?

I was shocked at how flimsy the tap fittings were when I started playing with them after the leak.

Cheers
Mike

Hi Colin

Like the plants in front f the van. Can you just get in the van with that width? Doubt if I'd fit down the side!

My next door but one has a BW Box that he keeps at the side of his bungalow and he does something similar to you in winter and has a small oil-filled rad with a thermostat turned to just above freezing that kicks in when the temp drops.

I wouldn't normally tell him about my taps as he would tell me again about his winter preps. However the poor lad has just come out of hospital after an operation to remove his prostate went wrong and he has been kept in for nearly a month with an infection - telling him about my woes will be something that will cheer him up and make his wife's life easier. He always asks me when I will be getting a "real " or a "big boys" caravan

As to the taps I think I will just put myself in the hands of the mechanics at ALV...........

Mike

Quick update. I have spoken to Mike at ALV (Service Manager) and he said that in their experience it is nearly always frost damage that causes the taps to leak as I described it to him (especially as it was both taps). We will see what they find when it goes in on Thursday.

K and I were puzzled as we always have the cover on and drain the system in winter. Then we remembered that we took our cover off as spring came, like many others on the Forum did, A few weeks later we had some sudden heavy frosts which she remembers as it did for some of her plants. Didn't think of putting the cover back on or even putting some low level heat into the van.

This may be an expensive lesson for us. We will see what Thursday brings.

MikeT

I have had to replace the tap spout in the ‘kitchen’ of my Troll a few times. You can get a replacement spout from caratech for about £14.00. Take a look at their prices they are very competitive. Just search ‘taps’ or ‘Reich Mixer Tap Spout’

The day of reckoning came on Thursday at ALV and it was a very expensive one.

Both the kitchen and bathroom tap were frost damaged and replaced by two brand new Reich taps -OUCH.

Will be very careful to make sure that this doesn't happen next winter. Unfortunately we live in the bottom of a valley and we are prone to sudden ground frosts at the strangest of times. For next year I will leave the winter cover on until the very last minute before we go away.As the van is near the side of the house fix up some heating with a thermostat to kick in before anything hits freezing.

I will also need to check that I am thoroughly emptying the system. In the Eriba Handbook it mentions blowing the last bit of water out with air - does anyone actually do this?

A poorer but hopefully wiser MikeT

Cheers Colin - that is a really imaginative suggestion that I will also start to apply. As you say the bouncing must help to shift stubborn remaining water.

Mike

Some taps appear to be designed to hold water in the most vulnerable part with regards to frost damage! I always remove the water pipe from the water storage container and blow up it with the taps open to displace as much water as possible.

Get a balloon, blow it up and then put it over your tap. Open the tap and let the balloon expel its air. It’s enough pressure to blow out any water without damaging the system.