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Tim,
Now that you are thinking 'right' again, glad you
intend to carry on! ;)
I have water line problems in our 1969 29'
International Ambassador. I've had blow outs from time to time and it's
not fun to hear a hissing sound from "somewhere" in here! Usually the darn
leaking copper pipe is a bear to get to but we've all been there or will go
there one day as the owner of a vintage trailer.
In our case I think that the lines have frozen in
the past, no, make that I KNOW the lines have frozen in the past. Copper
can be forgiving to a point, it will stretch but then the sidewall of the tubing
gets paper thin if it doesn't burst. Add in some hard water with it's high
mineral content and soon you will be cleaning out the faucet screen aerators
every time you go out. Most of us do that too.
Since the 'original' setup in ours was straight
copper water lines I wanted to go that way again. The guy at Home Depot
(there's always a guy somewhere at any Home Depot, yes?) questioned my sanity
and suggested that in order to avoid buying even more parts I should go with
copper tubing in a roll. Guess that guy had a point but maybe I like the
'warmth' a blow torch gives off? ;) I don't mind sweating joints together
and even bought the asbestos cloth to keep down the fire damage claims to
Allstate. Not really! But you have to be careful.
I personally would not go with rubber hose and
clamps as a repair. An emergency repair? Yes, but not a permanent
replacement. For one thing I don't know how sanitary or healthy a
plain rubber hose would be thought we've all most likely taken a sip of water
from a water hose or garden hose or even a 'hose pipe' as they are known in the
South. ;)
"When" you have time to do this right, you might
want to replace ALL the water lines eventually. You can buy a cap with
hose threads (or hose pipe threads!) and then drill out the center of the cap
and install a Shrader (?) air valve. This will then allow you to blow out
the water lines but good! This is the good kind of good, Tim. ;)
When you do this do it one faucet at a time, that is first the Cold then the
Hot, at each faucet. You get the picture. When you are all done you
will only have water in the drain traps which you can then add antifreeze to,
this would all be done for winter storage if you don't plan to use it during
that time of year.
And don't forget to 'bypass' the water heater most
likely. I think we have a separate drain for *both* the water storage tank
and the hot water heater.
Once I get ours fixed it will not be allowed to
freeze again. Not on my watch! It's too darn hard to get those lines
done more than once in my book, but it's necessary if you don't want any
surprises miles away from home. And boy oh boy! Did you get a
surprise tonight!
See, Tim? It could have been worse, it could
have happened right after you got set up last weekend! Glad it didn't but
it could have and your weekend would have been a wash. Pun intended.
;)
From what I can see in your pictures you are doing
a mighty good job, please keep up the good work.
Tom
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