Journey JJOB no water at sink?

[Hitting the road]

Just got back from a couple of nights at Kingscliffe, and struck an odd problem with the water supply.

Had full water tanks, but was supplying water via the Park in to the van, was working as it should all the arrival day and in to the next morning. I was going to replace the anode in the water heater, pulled the anode to find the one I had to replace it was incorrect, so as the anode I pulled still had plenty of meat I put it back.

After this, I could get no water out of the kitchen sink tap...hot or cold...mains or pump? Water was fine to the bathroom sink, shower and draw bar on both mains and pump. But, I also could not hear the pump fire up when I turned on the kitchen sink tap? Water did dribble out of the sink tap when turned on, but just a very slow dribble.

The tap felt a bit light to the touch, I am wondering whether the plunger inside the tap itself may have failed. The tap type is below...any body experienced similar, or has any ideas? I am back home now and don't have the van here as I have it stored elsewhere which is a pita. I looked online to see if there was a kit for these things to no avail. Dunno if they can be pulled apart anyway...

 

[Drover]

Just a mongrel mixer tap like in house, the end of the spout, the bit that spits out the water usually has an aerator unit, unscrew it and dismantle, usually a couple of plastic or mesh screens, probably full of gunk which would block up enough to stop pump.... if you played with HWS and didn't flush tank out fully it would block the mesh .................
If the anode was too long then just saw an inch off the end.....

If only Hot was blocked it would probably be down where the hose joins the tap, a mongrel place to visit, they only have a 4mm or so hole...

 

[jazzeddie1234]

I agree. The filter in the spout/ aerator clogs easily. It has a couple of flats for a smallish shifting spanner if it's more than hand tight.

The tap takes a standard mixer cartridge from the HW store but they are pretty robust. Unscrew the lever (small button cover at rear), unscrew the retaining nut around the plastic stalk, remove the cartridge taking note of the orientation to the holes in the base, install the new one, don't over tighten the nut...

And, yes just trim the anode to the same length as the old one. Better that than it being long enough to hit the back of the tank! I use a wire from a coat hanger with a 5-10mm bend at the tip to hook around the hws tank, through the anode hole while the water is gushing out. It's amazing how much stuff comes out with a bit of coaxing. Then lightly screw the anode in, refill the tank and flush it again.

 

[Hitting the road]

Thanks heaps...never considered that the filter might have blocked, I'll check that out. The replacement anode threaded end was shorter than the anode I took out, which I had replaced some 12 months ago. I mucked around for ages but just couldn't get the thread started at all.
I had let the water tank empty and flushed it a bit to get as much of the crud out as possible...I'll have to have another go.
Cheers

 

[Drover]

Well thats my first thought since other taps worked and both lines were blocked on the kitchen tap ....................... I just flush the HW out with the hose till it runs clear and no more chunks flush out, Ive never come across a long anode or one with a different head and I don't always buy brand names but always have a spare which I will check again today................ I write on the inside of the panel when I last checked or replaced the thing and the other day while hunting for something dropped from a drawer I had a look at the back of my HWS, the water inlet/outlet connection points are very rusty I suppose expected at the age but may need some further looking at to see if the rust is surface or deep.... an expensive replacement but better than the deck being awash ........... Could always knock up a water [proof box for it with drain..... Time for the grey cells to do some work, a good 2 or 3 mths before next run...

 

[jazzeddie1234]

I mucked around for ages but just couldn't get the thread started at all

I've had this issue before. The only way to get it threaded was to start the ptfe tape 1 thread back from the start, do a couple of wraps (never encroaching on the first thread), half twisting the tape for a few laps so you get a thicker bulge at halfway point, then a couple of normal wraps of tape to hold it together. A bare first thread usually will get it started, and the thick bulge of tape should get you a seal after a few turns

 

[Drover]

Yep as @jazzeddie1234 said not that I add that much thread tape, one run if any, leaving end bare BUT stuff a small bit of foam in end of socket so the socket doesn't take in all the anode and you have plenty of thread showing, then you can manage an even pressure on it so it lines up square and doesn't wobble around, you should get a good start on thing then...... having the socket on short bar only for hand to grab works for me.

 

[Hitting the road]

I don't think I had wound the thread tape right to the beginning of the thread, but it may well have interfered. I even stuffed a bit of paper in to the socket so the threaded bit would not disappear in to the socket and tried to align the threads as I inserted it but to no avail...still wouldn't start. The threads visually looked the same...I must have been holding my mouth wrong...lol...I'll have another go soon.
Thanks for that...

 

[jazzeddie1234]

I must have been holding my mouth wrong

I agree. I bought 2 anodes that refused to start and they went in my spares bin for ages. One day I decided to try one before using a newly purchased one. Started first go...

 

[Hitting the road]

Just had a couple of nights up at Hervey Bay sorting some stuff for the big move in a months time. I had a closer look at the kitchen tap spout and yes, there was a filter there...unscrewed it and what d ya know...the little mesh screen inside was chocka with debris, likely from the hot water system when I was stuffing around with the anode. Cleared it and great water delivery once again...lol.

Didn't have time for the anode again, will get to that...
But, the fridge started playing silly games. I had turned it on the day before we left, when hooking up the van I put 12v to it, didn't have a look at the fridge at all. Got to Hervey Bay, was transferring stuff from the car fridge to the van fridge and found that it was not cold, was still 23c in the fridge section? Some head scratching happened, so flipped it on to gas to bring the temp down which it did. Over night the freezer dropped to -16c and the fridge section to -4c.
Ok, so I switched it back to 240v to check if all ok, but the temps seem to be creeping up again ever so slowly, That said it was late morning and the day had started to warm with sun on the fridge side, as well as the fridge being opened a few times times. so put it back to gas anyway and it appeared to stabilise again.

Hoping I don't have a problem with the 240v element in the fridge...I didn't have the time to do any proper fault finding...again that will have to wait until I move to Hervey Bay next month. That'll be along with all wheel bearing removal, clean and re pack, tyre rotation, possible brake reline, hand brake adjust...etc etc etc...gonna love having the van outside the door instead of locked away miles away!

 

[Drover]

12v and 240 not going not an element then ............. Your household taps have the same aerator on the ends of the tap........................ I so hate fridges now ............................ by the time you get settled we will have wandered off somewhere but your still welcome at our place, I'll leave the mower full of fuel.......................

 

[Hitting the road]

12v and 240 not going not an element then ............. Your household taps have the same aerator on the ends of the tap........................ I so hate fridges now ............................ by the time you get settled we will have wandered off somewhere but your still welcome at our place, I'll leave the mower full of fuel.......................

I don't know whether the 12v side is working either...the front panel indicator is working and the fridge light goes on when the door is opened so is definitely getting 12v.
The little green LED light on the fridge was glowing after I put power to the van and selected 240v...so should have been working. I was in a rush that day, did not check the fridge when I picked the van up, and didn't check the 12v either when hooked up as there was nothing in the fridge.
It might be working ok, it was last trip to Kingscliffe...I will have to check it out after I get back from Bathurst next week being I have to move the van out of the storage shed anyway to a mates place...

Thanks drover for the offer to mow your lawns...lol...as much as I would like to assist I will be a tad busy myself...

 

[Drover]

Just thinking you would be out of practice but then you won't need any at the new digs...... if it doesn't work on 12v and power from Jeep is at back of fridge check the D+ ...

 

[Hitting the road]

Will update when I find what is / was going on...cheers