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[GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200836] Thu, 07 March 2013 03:14 Go to next message
fitzmorrispr is currently offline  fitzmorrispr   United States
Messages: 137
Registered: February 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Karma: 0
Senior Member
So, I've been poking around the insides of everything, in an attempt
to get it all working well enough to live with until I have the time
and money to make it nice.

Much of the ducting off the furnace was perforated by mice, who used
it as a highway between the back of the fridge and the back of the
stove. As a result, the registers, as well as many of the nooks and
crannies, are full of detritus, scraps of carpet and insulation and
such. Fortunately the little menaces are all long gone.

[Aside: Why does the ducting have an outlet next to the water pump,
and behind the bath? To prevent pipe freezing, or to serve as an
off-ramp for the mice?]

Anyway, I pressurized my water system for the first time today,
starting with the faucets full on, then shutting off the cold sides to
flush the heater. The system then promptly output a foul smelling
orange juice/vomit colored liquid which foamed a bit, before running
clear.

Closing the valves, I learned that there's a leak in one of the pipes
running over the top of the bath compartment on its way to the sink.
Fortunately, there's flare fittings back of the sink and in the
hallway ceiling.

My plan is to open the access hatch on the fridge compartment, and cut
an access hole in the plywood separating it from the backside of the
bathroom, disconnect the pipe from the tee for the sink, and from the
coupling at the ceiling, and then use some hardware store bits to
install a length of white PEX.

Being unsure of which line it's in, i'll just tighten everything up
and pressurize it. If it leaks, I changed the wrong one, or both were
bad. Figure I'll refrain from pulling out the copper until I know for
sure.

Anything I should consider before proceeding?
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The Greatfruit: 1973, 26', Canyon Lands or Painted Desert, in Pineapple Yellow
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200843 is a reply to message #200836] Thu, 07 March 2013 05:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mr ERFisher is currently offline  Mr ERFisher   United States
Messages: 7117
Registered: August 2005
Karma: 2
Senior Member
your "tag line" does not say the model of your coach

gene





On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 1:14 AM, Patrick Fitzmorris
<fitzmorrispr@gmail.com>wrote:

> So, I've been poking around the insides of everything, in an attempt
> to get it all working well enough to live with until I have the time
> and money to make it nice.
>
> Much of the ducting off the furnace was perforated by mice, who used
> it as a highway between the back of the fridge and the back of the
> stove. As a result, the registers, as well as many of the nooks and
> crannies, are full of detritus, scraps of carpet and insulation and
> such. Fortunately the little menaces are all long gone.
>
> [Aside: Why does the ducting have an outlet next to the water pump,
> and behind the bath? To prevent pipe freezing, or to serve as an
> off-ramp for the mice?]
>
> Anyway, I pressurized my water system for the first time today,
> starting with the faucets full on, then shutting off the cold sides to
> flush the heater. The system then promptly output a foul smelling
> orange juice/vomit colored liquid which foamed a bit, before running
> clear.
>
> Closing the valves, I learned that there's a leak in one of the pipes
> running over the top of the bath compartment on its way to the sink.
> Fortunately, there's flare fittings back of the sink and in the
> hallway ceiling.
>
> My plan is to open the access hatch on the fridge compartment, and cut
> an access hole in the plywood separating it from the backside of the
> bathroom, disconnect the pipe from the tee for the sink, and from the
> coupling at the ceiling, and then use some hardware store bits to
> install a length of white PEX.
>
> Being unsure of which line it's in, i'll just tighten everything up
> and pressurize it. If it leaks, I changed the wrong one, or both were
> bad. Figure I'll refrain from pulling out the copper until I know for
> sure.
>
> Anything I should consider before proceeding?
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>



--
Gene Fisher -- 74-23,77PB/ore/ca
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today --- give him a URL and
-------
http://gmcmotorhome.info/
Alternator Protection Cable
http://gmcmotorhome.info/APC.html
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Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200844 is a reply to message #200836] Thu, 07 March 2013 05:58 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Burton is currently offline  Ken Burton   United States
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
Senior Member
The Greatfruit: 1973, 26', Canyon Lands or Painted Desert, in Pineapple Yellow



Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200845 is a reply to message #200843] Thu, 07 March 2013 06:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mr ERFisher is currently offline  Mr ERFisher   United States
Messages: 7117
Registered: August 2005
Karma: 2
Senior Member
palm beach?
or?

On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 3:42 AM, gene Fisher <mr.erfisher@gmail.com> wrote:

> your "tag line" does not say the model of your coach
>
> gene
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 1:14 AM, Patrick Fitzmorris <fitzmorrispr@gmail.com
> > wrote:
>
>> So, I've been poking around the insides of everything, in an attempt
>> to get it all working well enough to live with until I have the time
>> and money to make it nice.
>>
>> Much of the ducting off the furnace was perforated by mice, who used
>> it as a highway between the back of the fridge and the back of the
>> stove. As a result, the registers, as well as many of the nooks and
>> crannies, are full of detritus, scraps of carpet and insulation and
>> such. Fortunately the little menaces are all long gone.
>>
>> [Aside: Why does the ducting have an outlet next to the water pump,
>> and behind the bath? To prevent pipe freezing, or to serve as an
>> off-ramp for the mice?]
>>
>> Anyway, I pressurized my water system for the first time today,
>> starting with the faucets full on, then shutting off the cold sides to
>> flush the heater. The system then promptly output a foul smelling
>> orange juice/vomit colored liquid which foamed a bit, before running
>> clear.
>>
>> Closing the valves, I learned that there's a leak in one of the pipes
>> running over the top of the bath compartment on its way to the sink.
>> Fortunately, there's flare fittings back of the sink and in the
>> hallway ceiling.
>>
>> My plan is to open the access hatch on the fridge compartment, and cut
>> an access hole in the plywood separating it from the backside of the
>> bathroom, disconnect the pipe from the tee for the sink, and from the
>> coupling at the ceiling, and then use some hardware store bits to
>> install a length of white PEX.
>>
>> Being unsure of which line it's in, i'll just tighten everything up
>> and pressurize it. If it leaks, I changed the wrong one, or both were
>> bad. Figure I'll refrain from pulling out the copper until I know for
>> sure.
>>
>> Anything I should consider before proceeding?
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Gene Fisher -- 74-23,77PB/ore/ca
> “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today --- give him a URL and
> -------
> http://gmcmotorhome.info/
> Alternator Protection Cable
> http://gmcmotorhome.info/APC.html




--
Gene Fisher -- 74-23,77PB/ore/ca
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today --- give him a URL and
-------
http://gmcmotorhome.info/
Alternator Protection Cable
http://gmcmotorhome.info/APC.html
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist

Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200846 is a reply to message #200844] Thu, 07 March 2013 06:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Burton is currently offline  Ken Burton   United States
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
Senior Member
The orange looking stuff was either RV antifreeze or rust from the inside of the water heater. Keep flushing it. After you fix the leak I would fill the tank and with water and a cup or so of bleach (chlorine). Run it though all lines and let it sit over night. After that flush everything again until you can not smell chlorine.

Being you have a 1973 coach you may have copper lines. Later coach all had plastic. When you do find the leak and if it is copper, there is no reason you can not replace it with plastic. My coach is all plastic.



Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200895 is a reply to message #200846] Thu, 07 March 2013 12:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
fitzmorrispr is currently offline  fitzmorrispr   United States
Messages: 137
Registered: February 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Ken, they're definitely all copper, and the leak seems to be somewhere
in between two connections, so perhaps a hole rubbed into the line. I
figured a plastic line would be a non-problem. mostly wanted thoughts
on cutting into that partition between the back of the fridge
compartment and the back of the wet bath (where the plumbing and the
Suburban heater's final outlet are)

Gene, i'm still not 100% certain which model it is. it's a '73 26',
and the consensus is that it's probably a Canyon Lands unit, but only
probably. I hadn't added that info to my email signature, but it does
appear on all my posts when viewed thru the web site

On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 4:06 AM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> The orange looking stuff was either RV antifreeze or rust from the inside of the water heater. Keep flushing it. After you fix the leak I would fill the tank and with water and a cup or so of bleach (chlorine). Run it though all lines and let it sit over night. After that flush everything again until you can not smell chlorine.
>
> Being you have a 1973 coach you may have copper lines. Later coach all had plastic. When you do find the leak and if it is copper, there is no reason you can not replace it with plastic. My coach is all plastic.
>
>
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
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The Greatfruit: 1973, 26', Canyon Lands or Painted Desert, in Pineapple Yellow
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200920 is a reply to message #200895] Thu, 07 March 2013 16:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C Boyd is currently offline  C Boyd   United States
Messages: 2629
Registered: April 2006
Karma: 18
Senior Member
Sir which floor plan is it, there were 11 in 73 for the 26'.
http://www.bdub.net/publications/1973%20GMC%20Motorhome/1973_GMC09.htm






fitzmorrispr wrote on Thu, 07 March 2013 13:42

Ken, they're definitely all copper, and the leak seems to be somewhere
in between two connections, so perhaps a hole rubbed into the line. I
figured a plastic line would be a non-problem. mostly wanted thoughts
on cutting into that partition between the back of the fridge
compartment and the back of the wet bath (where the plumbing and the
Suburban heater's final outlet are)

Gene, i'm still not 100% certain which model it is. it's a '73 26',
and the consensus is that it's probably a Canyon Lands unit, but only
probably. I hadn't added that info to my email signature, but it does
appear on all my posts when viewed thru the web site

On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 4:06 AM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> The orange looking stuff was either RV antifreeze or rust from the inside of the water heater. Keep flushing it. After you fix the leak I would fill the tank and with water and a cup or so of bleach (chlorine). Run it though all lines and let it sit over night. After that flush everything again until you can not smell chlorine.
>
> Being you have a 1973 coach you may have copper lines. Later coach all had plastic. When you do find the leak and if it is copper, there is no reason you can not replace it with plastic. My coach is all plastic.
>
>
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
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C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200926 is a reply to message #200836] Thu, 07 March 2013 18:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dennis S is currently offline  Dennis S   United States
Messages: 3046
Registered: November 2005
Karma: 2
Senior Member
First, to respond to your aside -- the heater duct outlet at the water tank is to prevent freezing of the pump. The one under the vanity is the only source of heat in the bath.

There should be two lines over the ceiling in your coach. The cold water line should have a tee on the kitchen side to supply water to the kitchen sink. The line enter the coach as the city water supply. If you shut off the outlet from the water heater and the leak persists it is in the cold water line.

Here is a terrible picture of my 23 -- showing the cold water line going over the ceiling. I removed all the line -- you can see a coupling in the photo. I disconnected the coupling and the other end of the line under the bath sink and then pulled the copper line out -- had to cut off several sections under the sink that were too bent to move and pulled from the ceiling area. A small tubing cutter works well in the tight spaces.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p37670-0146.html

Does this help?

Dennis

fitzmorrispr wrote on Thu, 07 March 2013 03:14

So, I've been poking around the insides of everything, in an attempt
to get it all working well enough to live with until I have the time
and money to make it nice.

Much of the ducting off the furnace was perforated by mice, who used
it as a highway between the back of the fridge and the back of the
stove. As a result, the registers, as well as many of the nooks and
crannies, are full of detritus, scraps of carpet and insulation and
such. Fortunately the little menaces are all long gone.

[Aside: Why does the ducting have an outlet next to the water pump,
and behind the bath? To prevent pipe freezing, or to serve as an
off-ramp for the mice?]

Anyway, I pressurized my water system for the first time today,
starting with the faucets full on, then shutting off the cold sides to
flush the heater. The system then promptly output a foul smelling
orange juice/vomit colored liquid which foamed a bit, before running
clear.

Closing the valves, I learned that there's a leak in one of the pipes
running over the top of the bath compartment on its way to the sink.
Fortunately, there's flare fittings back of the sink and in the
hallway ceiling.

My plan is to open the access hatch on the fridge compartment, and cut
an access hole in the plywood separating it from the backside of the
bathroom, disconnect the pipe from the tee for the sink, and from the
coupling at the ceiling, and then use some hardware store bits to
install a length of white PEX.

Being unsure of which line it's in, i'll just tighten everything up
and pressurize it. If it leaks, I changed the wrong one, or both were
bad. Figure I'll refrain from pulling out the copper until I know for
sure.

Anything I should consider before proceeding?
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist





Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200967 is a reply to message #200926] Fri, 08 March 2013 00:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
fitzmorrispr is currently offline  fitzmorrispr   United States
Messages: 137
Registered: February 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Dennis, the setup you describe matches my own observations. The
suggestion that I shut off the water heater outlet is great - I didn't
think of that. I note that in one of your pictures, the whole
under-counter space is open. Does that shelf under the sink come out
when you remove the door tracks? this might be a better plan then
chopping a hole in the partition.

Charles, it's hard to say for sure which plan I've got. The furniture
forward of the galley was replaced on the curb side with a jacknife
couch, and on the street side with air, currently occupied by a
folding table and chair.

In the rear, I've got either a side facing settee or a dinette.
There's no sign of a table back there, but for all I know it could've
been tossed by the PO.

There's no signs of a davo ever having been installed in the front, or
at least, there's no hardware at or near the ceiling for the support
straps.

it /could/ be plan # 3, 6, 9, 10 or 11, but the two most likely
candidate seem to be 6 and 9.

On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 4:17 PM, Dennis Sexton <dennisfsexton@aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> First, to respond to your aside -- the heater duct outlet at the water tank is to prevent freezing of the pump. The one under the vanity is the only source of heat in the bath.
>
> There should be two lines over the ceiling in your coach. The cold water line should have a tee on the kitchen side to supply water to the kitchen sink. The line enter the coach as the city water supply. If you shut off the outlet from the water heater and the leak persists it is in the cold water line.
>
> Here is a terrible picture of my 23 -- showing the cold water line going over the ceiling. I removed all the line -- you can see a coupling in the photo. I disconnected the coupling and the other end of the line under the bath sink and then pulled the copper line out -- had to cut off several sections under the sink that were too bent to move and pulled from the ceiling area. A small tubing cutter works well in the tight spaces.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p37670-0146.html
>
> Does this help?
>
> Dennis
>
> fitzmorrispr wrote on Thu, 07 March 2013 03:14
>> So, I've been poking around the insides of everything, in an attempt
>> to get it all working well enough to live with until I have the time
>> and money to make it nice.
>>
>> Much of the ducting off the furnace was perforated by mice, who used
>> it as a highway between the back of the fridge and the back of the
>> stove. As a result, the registers, as well as many of the nooks and
>> crannies, are full of detritus, scraps of carpet and insulation and
>> such. Fortunately the little menaces are all long gone.
>>
>> [Aside: Why does the ducting have an outlet next to the water pump,
>> and behind the bath? To prevent pipe freezing, or to serve as an
>> off-ramp for the mice?]
>>
>> Anyway, I pressurized my water system for the first time today,
>> starting with the faucets full on, then shutting off the cold sides to
>> flush the heater. The system then promptly output a foul smelling
>> orange juice/vomit colored liquid which foamed a bit, before running
>> clear.
>>
>> Closing the valves, I learned that there's a leak in one of the pipes
>> running over the top of the bath compartment on its way to the sink.
>> Fortunately, there's flare fittings back of the sink and in the
>> hallway ceiling.
>>
>> My plan is to open the access hatch on the fridge compartment, and cut
>> an access hole in the plywood separating it from the backside of the
>> bathroom, disconnect the pipe from the tee for the sink, and from the
>> coupling at the ceiling, and then use some hardware store bits to
>> install a length of white PEX.
>>
>> Being unsure of which line it's in, i'll just tighten everything up
>> and pressurize it. If it leaks, I changed the wrong one, or both were
>> bad. Figure I'll refrain from pulling out the copper until I know for
>> sure.
>>
>> Anything I should consider before proceeding?
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
>
> --
> Dennis S
> 73 Painted Desert 230
> Germantown, TN
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
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The Greatfruit: 1973, 26', Canyon Lands or Painted Desert, in Pineapple Yellow
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200970 is a reply to message #200895] Fri, 08 March 2013 01:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Burton is currently offline  Ken Burton   United States
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
Senior Member
fitzmorrispr wrote on Thu, 07 March 2013 12:42

Ken, they're definitely all copper, and the leak seems to be somewhere
in between two connections, so perhaps a hole rubbed into the line. I
figured a plastic line would be a non-problem. mostly wanted thoughts
on cutting into that partition between the back of the fridge
compartment and the back of the wet bath (where the plumbing and the
Suburban heater's final outlet are)



I intentionally did not answer your pipe removal question because I have never done it.

It is possible that someone froze the line and broke it in the past. It is a strange place for it to freeze but it is possible if it was not drained and driven somewhere cold for a weekend in the mountains. Under that case the interior heat may have been on but the copper line was outside (above) the heated area. All of this conjecture is unimportant at this point because it needs to be fixed no matter what caused it.

I just wanted you to know that it was perfectly acceptable to replace that copper line with plastic line because plastic was used on later coaches. I have heard of reports where people could not get previously installed copper lines soldered to new fittings. According to them the copper line had been frozen and expanded but not expanded to the point to where they broke.

Good luck on your fix it project.


Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinetry, Plumbing, and HVAC [message #200986 is a reply to message #200967] Fri, 08 March 2013 08:42 Go to previous message
Dennis S is currently offline  Dennis S   United States
Messages: 3046
Registered: November 2005
Karma: 2
Senior Member
fitzmorrispr wrote on Fri, 08 March 2013 00:51

Dennis, the setup you describe matches my own observations. The
suggestion that I shut off the water heater outlet is great - I didn't
think of that. I note that in one of your pictures, the whole
under-counter space is open. Does that shelf under the sink come out
when you remove the door tracks? this might be a better plan then
chopping a hole in the partition.




Yes, you can remove the shelf assembly easily. See the screw in the top right of this photo -- at the edge of the door track. There are usually four around the perimeter of the opening.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p37690-0226.html

Anticipating other issues you may face... this is the city water inlet and it is not uncommon for it to leak. Some have just eliminated it to avoid being flooded, others install a shutoff valve and turn it off when not in the coach.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p37669-0125.html

I have never had the front of the bath module off -- I think it removes the same as the rear -- here is what is behind the rear wall -- may be some difference on your 26 vs my 23.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p44732-gmc-rear-panels-003.html

The drain lines on a 73 have steel nipples into the black water tank -- and if they have not been replaced, may be rusted through. I cut mine out and replaced with rubber fittings from Lowes.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p36326-gmc-plumbing-drain-010.html
Dennis


Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro
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