How to avoid the Water Run ?!

[JohnI.Stephen]

From what I have observed over the past year, most caravans take their water input from an Aquaroll sited outside the caravan with a whale pump screwed into the top which is activated when the taps are turned on.

My Bailey Senator Oklahoma has a 42 litre onboard tank which is nice. However, whereas 'other' caravan owners can rig up an aquaroll to autofill from the mains, (envy envy !) I can think of no way of autofilling my on-board tank.

I could insert a length of piping from the mains tap into the filler orifice (similar to a petrol tank side opening) but then this would mean that the tank was permanently 'open' to the elements but it would still mean that I have to go to the tap and turn it on and stand by it until I see the tell-tale signs of water over-flowing from the filler hole.Still a pain right?

So, Bailey Senator owners; when you stay on a site with mains water on pitch; how do you rig it up so that you always have water and therefore avoid the once / twice daily ritual of filling the tank?

Thanks.

John

 

[rob_jax]

Hi John,

We have an Eriba Triton with a 10 litre inboard tank - just carry it to the water point - and fill it up every other day or so.

Can't help - you are on your own with this one.

Robert

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Hi John,

We have an Eriba Triton with a 10 litre inboard tank - just carry it to the water point - and fill it up every other day or so.

Can't help - you are on your own with this one.

Robert

Well Robert; let's see if others have a solution. Thanks

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi John

You could have a large Aquaroll by the van with a float valve so that it is kept full.

I manually switch the tank fill pump on when the low level warning light shows but I don't have to wait for overflow as I have fitted a pump saver relay which is set to switch off as the tank empties.

On mine I use the smaller aquaroll and the relay is set for 3 minutesand then it switches off the pump.

That's great as it usually runs low when we both shower so the tank can be left to fill itself while the showering is finished.

It would be possible to fit a float switch in the aquaroll to do the fill up automatically when the level dropped

C A K Tanks @

www.caktanks.co.uk

are the specialists and their catalogue is full of accessories.

Hope that helps

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello John,

Provided your inboard the tank is tall enough, it might be possible to fit a domestic float valve, but another possible alternative would be to fit a direct feed hosepipe system. (Crystal Waterline is an example)

When on site with mains water you could use water without using your pump.

These fit in the side of the caravan, and are connected to the cold water pipe from your inboard pump. It would be of vital importance that non-return valves must be fitted in both the pump pipe and the mains inlet to prevent back flow into the unused system.

The mains water supply hose must have a pressure reducing regulator to prevent mains pressure from reaching the caravan fittings which are normally only rated to 1.5Bar working pressure.

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Hello John (G) :

So it sounds as though you still need to have a pipe from the Aquaroll (admittedly filling automatically) to the water tank and that this pipe must in some way be fixed to the tank filler? As you know the petrol filler-type cap unscrews allowing one to insert a pipe. However, having this permanently inserted would only be OK with a properly designed (and secure) pipe with filler cap attached?

Would appreciate any photos that you may have taken / could take of this set up; (assuming you have a digital camera and wouldn't mind sending some jpgs of the setup? john.stephen@10glebelands.com ) Thanks John

 

[WatsonJohnG]

John S the 2006 Senator does not have the filler cap and I use a submersible pump via the Whale inlet as modified by me !!You would need to fit a Whale/Carver inlet and pump

John L

Have you tried the direct line system as the one we had a few years ago was useless .The shower ran out if raised a few inches.

I was wondering if you had more recent knowledge of the product.

The problem is that the reduced pressur required fot the water heater used to reduce the pressure too much.

Postings on the topic seem to bear that out.

Regards

John

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Right, I can buy a Fillermate which seems to be a filler with an inbuild waterpipe which attaches to the mains. Thsi si good but still means that have to go to the tank and turn it on! Now, if this system could have an on/off 'tap' then the mains tap could be permanently "on" and I could then (hopefully) turn on the water filler from within (close to) the caravan). Yes I would need to turn it off but any overflow would simply flow out through the overfolow pipe in the tank.

Any additional thoughts gentlemen ?

John

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Right, I can buy a Fillermate which seems to be a filler with an inbuild waterpipe which attaches to the mains. Thsi si good but still means that have to go to the tank and turn it on! Now, if this system could have an on/off 'tap' then the mains tap could be permanently "on" and I could then (hopefully) turn on the water filler from within (close to) the caravan). Yes I would need to turn it off but any overflow would simply flow out through the overfolow pipe in the tank.

Any additional thoughts gentlemen ?

John

Sorry typoe "go to the tank and turn it on" shoudl read "go to the mains tap and turn it on".

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi again John

As I understand it you have the option of using a submersible pump direct from the Aquaroll to the taps.

You would use the direct water connection on that inlet and your van tap would turn the flow off

That is why the pipe has a pressure reducer in the line but as I said before when we had one it was not very good.

I use the pressure reducer to initially fill the tank direct from the mains when a tap is near enough.

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Hello John (G)

I won't prolong the agony for you on this thread because (as far as I can see) the only water inlet on my Senator that is activated by the caravan taps appears to be the rear whale water pump that is used to (initially) fill the hot water tank. Thereafter filling the front 42 litre tank is via the (front) side (petrol-tank-filler) type inlet. So I conclude that I should just run a pipe from the mains tap to the front water tank inlet using a Filler mate. At least this will make the process fast; but does require me to go outside and stand next to the tap and to turn it on and off when the tank's full. Unless (of course) there is a way to have the mains tap on permanently but have the water flow stopped / regulated when the front tank gets below a certain level. I suspect that the latter is far too complex for me with a simple compromise being an on/off tap (ideally) accessible from within the caravan / awning.

John

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hello John (G)

I won't prolong the agony for you on this thread because (as far as I can see) the only water inlet on my Senator that is activated by the caravan taps appears to be the rear whale water pump that is used to (initially) fill the hot water tank. Thereafter filling the front 42 litre tank is via the (front) side (petrol-tank-filler) type inlet. So I conclude that I should just run a pipe from the mains tap to the front water tank inlet using a Filler mate. At least this will make the process fast; but does require me to go outside and stand next to the tap and to turn it on and off when the tank's full. Unless (of course) there is a way to have the mains tap on permanently but have the water flow stopped / regulated when the front tank gets below a certain level. I suspect that the latter is far too complex for me with a simple compromise being an on/off tap (ideally) accessible from within the caravan / awning.

John

Can't you use the pump that you say is to fill the hot water tank direct to the taps for hot and cold ??

I would have thought so

Its that inlet that you would use for a water line (assuming its a plug in submersible pump)

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi John have a look on the Bailey website

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/downloads/2003_handbook.pdf
Page 36 tells about the Aquasource connection

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Can't you use the pump that you say is to fill the hot water tank direct to the taps for hot and cold ??

I would have thought so

Its that inlet that you would use for a water line (assuming its a plug in submersible pump)

Well I don't know John; to me the rear Whale water input is for the hot water reservoir (only). It holds 10 litres. I don't think that I can fill the main 42 lire tank via the 10 litre (rear) hot water tank ??? No idea but begs the question; what sort of design is that ??!!

John

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

John; this is very intersting. What this suggests is that, for a mains connection I use the rear Whale Aquasource mains connection. But that when I am on a site without mains; I fill the font tank to capacity. Why couldn't Bailey have mentioned this?!! Anyway, thank you. I now know exactly wnat I need to buy; simple and straight forward and it'll do what I want (in theory anyway !!).

Thanks John

 

[Lol1]

I use "Confused.com" for questions like this.

Someone might have already suggested this, so sorry for the repeat.

Let me get this straight, you want running water to your caravan. You want it to be automatic, so that you don't have to keep filling onboard tanks or carrying and fetching water?

You want to be hooked up to the mains water supply if there is one present. That's what I get from your question John, if that is correct, the answer is easy.

If there is a water mains supply that you can use, forget your onboard tank, you don't need it, don't fill it.

Go and buy the Aqua Roll mains adaptor kit from a caravan shop, screw it into the side of the 40ltr aqua roll and connect the other end to the mains supply with the blue water feed hose (supplied).

Drop your normal water pump (not the one that you use to fill the onboard tank) into the top of the aqua roll. When the water gets to half the height of the aqua roll it will automatically switch off. Open your caravan tap(s) to activate the pump in the aqua roll. Water will flow, lowering the level of water in the aqua roll, which will then automatically top itself up.

The only times you really need your onboard tank is during winter (if there is a problem with falling temperatures)and if you think you may run out of water, during for example, a shower.

If your pump for filling your onboard tank is anything like the one I was supplied with, its dog slow. It's much quicker and easier just to use an aqua roll like the many others that you envy.

BTW, the "rear" whale water input is the one you put into the aqua roll, John. This pump feeds exactly the same as your onboard tank, i.e. your water heater and your cold water taps. If it's easier to imagine, think of your aqua roll as your outboard water tank, they both do exactly the same job, just one is inside and one is outside.

Hope this helps.

Hope I haven't got the wrong end of the stick.....!

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Lol that's the method I would prefer as I said before I found the aquasource useless !!

Its easy when you know the answers and I think that JohnS was under the impression that the external pump was just for filling the water heater tank.

That's the beauty of sites like this -- we can all learn from each other.

In practice I very rarely go on a pitch with a tap so the tank and aquaroll suit my purposes.

 

[Lol1]

Quite agree JohnG that is one of the great things about this site. No one knows all the answers, but collectively there's not much we don't know (or would have a stab at), perhaps we should rent ourselves out.

Unfortunately, for myself, sometimes I'm not quite sure of the level of another's experience, so I find it easier to use a step by step approach, i.e. "go buy from the caravan shop" to avoid confusion. It's not so much for the person I'm trying to help, more for myself.

Unlike you, I try to get mains water, where ever I go, cos I'm lazy!

BTW John S, Sorentos rule!

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Thank you all SO much; I now understand what I need to do. However it is not apparent why the rear (whale) input is the one to use 'because this appears to ONLY feed the hot water tank. However I now accept (but don't understand why) that this is not the case; the rear tank must feed both the hot water tank AND the cold taps directly (somehow).

Anyway, it's an order with Towsure tomorrow for sure!

Thanks chaps; I do appreciate your patience and help.

yes LOL the Sorrento's great but I do want to chip it up from the meagre 138bph !!

 

[Lol1]

Thank you all SO much; I now understand what I need to do. However it is not apparent why the rear (whale) input is the one to use 'because this appears to ONLY feed the hot water tank. However I now accept (but don't understand why) that this is not the case; the rear tank must feed both the hot water tank AND the cold taps directly (somehow).

Anyway, it's an order with Towsure tomorrow for sure!

Thanks chaps; I do appreciate your patience and help.

yes LOL the Sorrento's great but I do want to chip it up from the meagre 138bph !!

Must be reasonable easy to do, the latest model manages 168 bhp from the same engine. Mind, SWMBO drives ours, on a dailey basis, so might get it tuned the other way....

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Must be reasonable easy to do, the latest model manages 168 bhp from the same engine. Mind, SWMBO drives ours, on a dailey basis, so might get it tuned the other way....

LOL !!!!