Water Tank Breather mod.

iana · Guru

Water Tank Breather mod.

Bicyclecamper · Guru

This breather problem, with your Jayco, is also a problem with my brotherinlaws Jayco, not only does it not fill well, but a lot of water from both tanks comes out of both the breathers as he is driving along. He has never managed to fix it.

JeffRae · Guru

Bicyclecamper, I put taps on the ends of both our breather lines in motorhome as we didn't like the water loss.

Taps are located next to step for easy use.

You have to remember to open the taps when you want to use the pump.

JeffRae

BAZZA44 · Senior Member

I have put a tee piece in the breather line, with one side being for the breather and going up ( with no low spots ) into a cupboard and down through the floor again,capped with flyscreen mesh.

The other outlet is an overflow for filling, goes to the chassis and fitted with a tap to stop water loss. Open tap when filling.

Works well, no problem at all. All vans should be plumbed like this from new.

Barry

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

We pressure fill our water tanks via 12mm JG hose that has a QC at the filling end where we simply connect a hose and turn on the tap. Filling can take place as fast as the tap can deliver the water.
The breathers are also plumbed 12mm JG pipe and terminate behind the spare wheels at the back of the vehicle. When the water pours out of the overflow, I know the tank is FULL.
We have 1 tank @ 100L, 1 @ 7L0L, and 2 @ 55L each. Filling like some vans I have seen would take all day.
Cheers,
Peter

Tony Bev · Guru

Hi Ian

Thought that I had posted this earlier, must have got lost in cyber space

I have something similar to Peter (Peter n Margaret), above

It use to be somewhat embarrassing, (when there was a queue behind), filling as slow as I could, with the water spitting back at me

Basically (after I fitted an extra tank), I put in a hose at the highest point of new tank, with a garden hose type push on connection

I then connected both tanks together

I now just connect the town water, turn the town water tap on full, then hurry up and wait

The sketch below will describe it better

Filling water tank.png

Edit to say, that I have had this setup for a few years now, and have never bothered to close any of the valves
There was already a drain valve on the original tank, I just placed a "T" piece there, so I can still drain the tank, if required

Hope that this info is useful to others, as I see a lot of caravans/motorhomes struggling to fill their water tanks

Edit again to say that Ian (Iana) has brought up a valid point

When you are pressurising the tank, by having the town tap water, direct to the tank, town tap water pressure could be as high as 500 kpa/72 psi

It could be possible to cause some damage, if there are restrictions in the breather vent, with the filler cap locked on

I always have the original filler cap removed, when filling the tank, before water comes out of the filler cap, the original vent was already showing it was clear, by spitting water out

-- Edited by Tony Bev on Tuesday 4th of August 2020 09:58:22 PM

-- Edited by Tony Bev on Wednesday 5th of August 2020 01:48:14 PM

Possum3 · Guru

The biggest hold up at water filling stations is RV owners having filter cartridges on their filling hose that will only allow water to be put into their tank/s at the rate of an octogenarian's piddle. After they go through the process of filling they then have to dismantle their set-up and clean and pack away all the bits and pieces.

Tony Bev · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
The biggest hold up at water filling stations is RV owners having filter cartridges on their filling hose that will only allow water to be put into their tank/s at the rate of an octogenarian's piddle. After they go through the process of filling they then have to dismantle their set-up and clean and pack away all the bits and pieces.

Hi Possum

I have a B.E.S.T. filter, on my filling hose from the town water tap

It is rated at about 13 to15 litres a minute, I have never timed it, but not much longer than 10 minutes to fill my tanks, which are never fully empty

A lot of RV's (with or without a filters on their hose), already knowing that the water will spit back at them, usually do not turn the town water tap fully on

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

The time you need the water filtered is just before you use it, so what goes into the tanks is less important than what comes out.
Cheers,
Peter

Tony Bev · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
The time you need the water filtered is just before you use it, so what goes into the tanks is less important than what comes out.
Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter

You are absolutely correct, in a technical sense

But looking at the situation, from a layman point of view
(After 53 yeas of marriage, I now know, when to weave, when to duck, when to run, and when to do as I am told)

Although we purchase bottle drinking water, and have never used tank water to drink, the little Lady said, we need a filter, and it was easier to put one on the hose

smile smile I rest me case yer onner smile smile

Edit to say, that the above, is light hearted banter from me

What Peter said is correct, that a filter is better placed at the tap at the sink, instead of the filling hose
I use the filter mainly to stop any unpleasant smells, getting into the tank, and from there into our cuppa

-- Edited by Tony Bev on Wednesday 5th of August 2020 12:04:23 AM

iana · Guru

I think you have to be a bit careful suggesting to people to use pressure to fill the tanks. It may be OK for some, but if the water tank is fitted against the floor of the van, to do the sums, if the water tank measures 60 x 15 inches ( x 8) inches deep, then the top surface has 900 square inches. You have restriction's in the breather line, including trapped water, and the pressure rises inside the tank just 1/4 psi, that's a force pushing up on the floor of 225psi.
Just so happens I have two spongy floor panels that just happen to be above the water tanks, all all I have done is hand held a rag to seal between the hose and the inlet. Remember those "Off road" vehicle jacks that just use a hose slipped over the exhaust pipe to lift the vehicle off the ground.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

My breather is larger than filler connector . Theres a restrictor on inlet so can only be filled to certain volume . Same tape pressure . It shouldnt get to tap pressure !!

Tony Bev · Guru

iana wrote:
I think you have to be a bit careful suggesting to people to use pressure to fill the tanks. It may be OK for some, but if the water tank is fitted against the floor of the van, to do the sums, if the water tank measures 60 x 15 inches ( x 8) inches deep, then the top surface has 900 square inches. You have restriction's in the breather line, including trapped water, and the pressure rises inside the tank just 1/4 psi, that's a force pushing up on the floor of 225psi.
Just so happens I have two spongy floor panels that just happen to be above the water tanks, all all I have done is hand held a rag to seal between the hose and the inlet. Remember those "Off road" vehicle jacks that just use a hose slipped over the exhaust pipe to lift the vehicle off the ground.

That is a valid comment Ian

None of my tanks, touch the floor

I have just edited my post to mention to keep the original filler cap off, which I always do when filling the tank, as both my vents are only 6mm dia

Ziggy99 · Member

Filter first if you want to keep sediment, chemicals and bacteria out of your tank.

Radar · Guru

Hi Iana

Both caravans we have had the tanks have worked there way to the left, catching the breather on the chassis then knocking the breathers off.

This time bad luck I had a tube gun near me loaded with no more nails type stuff.

2 years the tanks have stayed put and the breathers are still working.

I have the tanks hooked together and bottom fill, ps I only turn tap on medium slow to fill so the tanks will balance out.

iana · Guru

Project is half completed, won't be able to see the results until we fill up with water again. Can't rush these things.

Now all connected, ready for a tank filling test. Wont be able to test out the system until we need the water tanks filled.

-- Edited by iana on Monday 24th of August 2020 11:37:36 AM

iana · Guru

Tested, works perfectly. Filled properly in a fraction of the time.

Radar · Guru

iana wrote:
Tested, works perfectly. Filled properly in a fraction of the time.

Hope you are going to share how you improved the breathing of your water tanks.

iana · Guru

I described what I was doing in the initial post. Simply, the existing breather line exhausting at the filler unit had lows in it forming "P" traps. I installed a new breather line that goes up into the van, and down to the filler unit. All water drains out of the breather, either back to the tank, or out of the breather outlet. Filling water now freely goes into the tank, and no more false "Tank full" indications.

Radar · Guru

iana wrote:
I described what I was doing in the initial post. Simply, the existing breather line exhausting at the filler unit had lows in it forming "P" traps. I installed a new breather line that goes up into the van, and down to the filler unit. All water drains out of the breather, either back to the tank, or out of the breather outlet. Filling water now freely goes into the tank, and no more false "Tank full" indications.

Hi iana.

I was guilty of not fully understanding your orignal post but do now.

Water in the breather line certainly causes unnecessary problems.

iana · Guru

Getting rid of those extra, and un required "P" traps makes a huge difference. Our kitchen sink drained very slowly, as a "P" trap was formed when the drain line went under the chassis rail. By re routing that line, the sink now drains that fast, it sets up a vortex.