# Fresh water from the tap, grey straight to the drain.



## 111093 (Apr 3, 2008)

Hi,

I'm parked up for a few months in one place in my Hymer B694. I have a 70 litre Fiamma fresh water tank which I am filling every two or three days. I have to tell you, I'm fed up filling it! I know it only takes about 10 minutes to fill it (I'm counting putting on my shoes and coat, connecting up the hose, etc.) but I'm very lazy.

The pitch I'm on has a fresh water tap right next to it. I'm filling my tank from that tap. Is there some way I can connect a hose directly to my water system and just leave the tap open when I'm "at home"?

I lied in the first paragraph. I actually have two 70 litre tanks, one is all plumbed up and wired up and the other sits next to it, unused. I have no idea why I have two, that's how it was sold to me. Is it possible to connect these up and double my water capacity? That would be a perfectly acceptable compromise.

OK, once I've turned my fresh water into grey water I find I have to empty on a similar schedule, I think my grey water tank is about 80 litres. That's three trips to the waste water disposal point with a 30 litre grey water carrier. Below the fresh water tap conveniently located 3 metres from me is a drain grill with a drain under it. What's to stop me running a hose from my grey water outlet to the drain, other than my worry that it's the wrong thing to do?

My next post will be about the inconvenience of having to eat at least three times a day and the merciful bonus of only having to "empty the tank" once or twice at most.

Cheers!


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Water*

Hi

Basically, yes there is.

You could have a water hog outside the motorhome with a pump and a float thing in like the caravans do.

You might be able to connect the hose direct to the van with some sort of gadgetry to prevent over filling and a possible flood etc.

I am on a fully serviced pitch. I have a piece of rigid drain pipe attached to the motorhome waste water outlet. I prefer this set up the the flexi hose. I leave the drain tap open 24/7. However, now and again, I let the waste tank fill and slush a bottle of Dettol or something in there too.

Russell


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## 111093 (Apr 3, 2008)

*Re: Water*



Rapide561 said:


> Hi
> You could have a water hog outside the motorhome with a pump and a float thing in like the caravans do.
> 
> You might be able to connect the hose direct to the van with some sort of gadgetry to prevent over filling and a possible flood etc.


Thanks for your reply.

You mean with one of these?

http://www.towsure.com/product/15233-Water_Hog_Mains_Adapter_Kit

So I would have a hose permanently connected to the Hog, the hog would fill up automatically and the pump in the hog would fill my tank. But then how does the hog pump know when to stop pumping? Or do you mean bypass the fiamma, and rewire so the the hog pump is switched by my tap microswitches (and, I assume, by the boiler)? That sounds like a lot of work, I said I'm lazy!

I'm thinking it might be less effort to just run a hose permanently from the tap to fiamma and seal the filler cap round it. Then filling the fiamma would just be open tap, wait close tap. At the moment I use plain old garden hose and prevent standing water by running it over the MH roof, draining it after each fill and I run the water through it for 30 seconds to make sure it's cleaned out. I suppose with a food-grade hose I wouldn't feel the need to do this and could just leave it permanently attached.

Sorry, my problem might be more psychological than technical. I fear germs but I'm a cheapskate. A food grade hose might allow me to feel comfortable leaving it all permanently attached with a bit of sealing round the water filler inlet. Then filling could be cut from a ten minute job to maybe two or three.

Your grey water comment reassures me, I'll get onto it.

Cheers.


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

Or you could by an RV and use the city connectors

Loddy


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## 111093 (Apr 3, 2008)

loddy said:


> Or you could by an RV and use the city connectors
> 
> Loddy


Good idea. But for the intervening three years while I save up, I need a tactical solution.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Water*

Hello

Sorry Michael I do not really know how they work etc, I just know it is what some caravanners do on "services pitches" etc.

Russell


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi Michael,

if you want to leave fresh water hose connected and tap open all the time, then you need a city water connector. Many US RVs have this as standard, but for EU vans aftermarket solutions are available for retrofit. 

Regarding your double tank: Could it be that your van has been plated for 3.5 tons MAW? It is by now unfortunately a rather common strategy among MH manufacturers to "save weight" by reducing fresh water tank capacity. It should be possible to reconnect the second tank, but then check your weight when driving. 

Regarding the drain: You would need to ask the site owner whether this drain grill below the fresh water tap is suitable for grey water. 

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## gm6vxb (Nov 3, 2007)

Wonder if this would do for fresh water, see link
http://www.care-avan.co.uk/Product Mains Water Supply Unit.html
Saw it on the caravan channel last week.

Martin.


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## des (Aug 13, 2005)

if you do connect direct to the tap, be sure to fit a pressure reducer!

des


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## andyman (Aug 31, 2006)

Why not use a Heowater connection. You connect one end of the hose to the tap and the other end to the Heowater connector. The connector is a replacement water tank cap that you connect the hose to. They dont auto shut off but if you turn on the tap each time you pass it will keep the tank topped up.


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## hilldweller (Mar 8, 2008)

Simple - you get by by having a simple in line tap on the end of your hose pipe - how you get this to the storage tank is your problem. There is a modified tank cap on sale - it's the normal cap but the lock has been removed and replaced by a standard garden hose push on connector.


And just run a pipe from grey tank to grid and leave tap open.


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

I think there is an automatic valve that you connect the hose to and then just connect it to the filling point, I'm sure I read about it a year or two ago in the MMM.
However we bought one of those hose to filler connectors and just leave our hose connected--on fully serviced pitches--of course 
As for the grey waste we carry a long 35mm waste hose which we hang into the drain.


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

Try a ball cock valve assembly ( they are getting smaller all the time )!!! I have two tanks and they are inter-connected so that one fills the other
Richard


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

Trouble with a ball valve is that when travelling the tank water sloshes about quite a lot and is likely to damage those small plastic equilibrium valve's a larger standard brass ball valve would place a lot of stress on the walls of the tank as the water sloshes against the ball. We also find in domestic installation that when you link tanks both tanks need a filler and take off points to stop water stagnating in the second tank.

Wobby


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## AberdeenAngus (Jul 26, 2008)

Just connect your grey tank to the fresh tank then you'll never run out.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

AberdeenAngus said:


> Just connect your grey tank to the fresh tank then you'll never run out.
> 
> Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best


No, you'll just keep running out, not sure which end first though. :roll:


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

Wobby
You could empty the tanks before travelling!. There are some tiny 'ball cocks' which would not put the same stress on the tank - it might be possible to take the stress away by a support from a bulkhead or side wall
Richard


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

Yes, you could empty the tank but who does? Those little equilibrium valves are very delicate but would work if the tank was emptied before each trip.

wobby


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

Train the wife to fill it - problem solved!


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

Empty tanks means less weight - better economy!
Richard


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## 111093 (Apr 3, 2008)

So many wise and humorous replies. Thank you. However as my tap has now been turned off for the winter (came as a surprise) and the nearest winterised tap is across the road into the site, I'll be unrolling a longer hose for a while to come!

Not sure about my choice of words there.


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## Gereshom (Jul 7, 2007)

I've been reading through these posts with personal interest. 

What did you do in the end to solve your fresh water problem?

Regards Gereshom


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Gereshom said:


> I've been reading through these posts with personal interest.
> 
> What did you do in the end to solve your fresh water problem?
> 
> Regards Gereshom


Hi Gereshom,

I doubt if you will get the answer from Sydb, as his last post was on 18/Dec/2008. 8O

Cheers,

Jock.


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## Gereshom (Jul 7, 2007)

Thanks Jock!


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Gereshom said:


> Thanks Jock!


No problem. :thumbleft:

Jock.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

I've been to the Oxford C&CC site a few times, and one of the wardens has a bit Autotrail. He's got a 'thing' that connects to the hose which keeps his water tank topped up.

Maybe something like :: this ::?

Gerald


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## Gereshom (Jul 7, 2007)

Thanks Gerald I'll look into it!

Regards
Gereshom


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

hi all, the best way is to find the feed from your fresh water tank into the van and first put in a non return valve so that the external water feed doesnt just run into the your tank. then cut a tee in to the pipe. next, a piece of pipe from the centre of the tee to a pressure reducing valve set at about 2 bar, then lever ball shut off valve and finally onto the fitting that you have put in the side of your van to connect your hose to. then you will need to cut one of your electricical supply wires to your water pump and put a switch in it to isolate your pump. just an idea by the way!! but it would work all the best sean


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

geraldandannie said:


> Maybe something like :: this ::?
> 
> Gerald


I _may_ be wrong but I think that is aimed at units which have a Whale pressurised system, like caravans and (I think) the latest Elddis ones. I think it would rely on some form of cutoff to stop the waterflow. If you cobbled that into a standard onboard tank inlet, it'd just pump water into the tank then overflow.


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