Takes forever to fill fresh water tank

[Boler 17]

Yesterday it took over 3 hours to trickle water into our fresh water tank so that we could clean it for the first time. (We have filled the tank a few times before this purely to flush with, never to drink).
I had to literally trickle it in or it would overflow back out. I tried turning the taps on to bleed any air our of the lines but it didn't help.

Any thoughts or ideas as to what the problem is and how to fix it?

[Raz]

Hi Sarah and welcome to the forum. I would venture a guess that your filler line is plugged. The filler line is typically 1 inch + hose that goes from the water dish on the side of your trailer right into the tank. There should also be an air line right next to it. While a plugged air line might slow the intake I don't believe it would slow it that much. I would remove the filler line before I tried to unplug it for fear of pushing stuff into the tank itself. Good luck, Raz

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Boler 17

Yesterday it took over 3 hours to trickle water into our fresh water tank so that we could clean it for the first time. (We have filled the tank a few times before this purely to flush with, never to drink).
I had to literally trickle it in or it would overflow back out. I tried turning the taps on to bleed any air our of the lines but it didn't help.

Any thoughts or ideas as to what the problem is and how to fix it?

I agree with P.Raz, my fresh tank takes whatever I can throw at it, water straight from my hose.

[Eddie Longest]

Sarah
Opening the faucets won't help since the the pick up line is near the bottom of the tank. You should have a vent line which attaches near the top of the tank. Disconnect this line off the tank and see if the tank fills faster, if so the vent line is more than likely stopped up.
In a Scamp I you have to replace the tank fill line it is easier to deal with it if you remove seat housing.
Eddie

[Rudi and Sherri]

Hi Sarah,

We also have a Boler 1700, from which we just removed the water tank. Both the filler line and vent line will probably run from left side of the trailer through the bottom of the hanging closet, through the floor to the left side of the tank. Our vent line was plugged with lovely Vancouver Island green slime. But the filler line was also cracked. If you can lift out the panel at the bottom of the closet, you can get at the back of the filler housing. Be very careful when you remove the lines from the tank and the housing. 30 year old plastic is very brittle.

Rudi

[ThomasE]

As others have said, your fresh water fill hose is either kinked or plugged. I don't have a air vent hose and it fills really fast, the only difference is it kind of burps out some water as it nears full. My original air vent hose was completely kinked and filled with algae and mold, since I didn't any issues filling the tank I just removed it and put a rubber plug in its place.

[Boler 17]

Thank you everybody. We got down on all 4's and pulled the line and it was clear and looks very new. So we stuck out finger in the tank hole and in it was a.........CORK! Previous owners from way back must have rigged it together...a cork with waterproof tape around it and a little metal hook to allow the cork to be pulled out easier. What a weird find! I'd post a pic of the contraption, but not sure how to do that yet. In any case removing the cork and reattaching the line has proven successful!

[Raz]

Why would anyone put a cork in the water tank and then connect a fill hose to it? Well all I can say is what else are you going to find? Lots of good stories for years to come I suspect. Glad you solved the problem. Raz

[Greg H]

Well now that kinda makes sense, maybe they didn't want bugs and other foreign matter in the tank. If it had the hook like Sarah says you would remove the cork fill the tank and then replace the cork and all is good.

[Boler 17]

This is what was in the tank.

[Raz]

Well that explains it, the previous owner stocked the water tank with fish.

[Boler 17]

Ha, ha!
We are thinking since the fill hose looks so new, it must have broke and the owner put this in to keep the integrity of the tank.
However, forgot to remove the cork when the line was replaced...apparently it was almost impossible to see. We only found it by sticking our fingers into the tank...now onto the business of learning how to clean all the tanks ; )