If you’re an RV owner, you probably know a thing or two about RV water lines, right? Or maybe you’re renting an RV and you have no clue how these things work.
Regardless of who you are or how much RV experience you have, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Cedar Rapids is happy to offer some quick background information and tips for anyone who is looking to repair water line in an RV.
If you turn on the water pump in your RV and you see water all over the floor, you know two things for sure:
1) You have a problem!
2) Your RV water line has probably burst.
Before we dive into a do-it-yourself fix you can try, let’s take a brief look at what actually causes a water line to burst or crack in an RV.
Your RV water line is usually made of one of two materials: copper or plastic.
When either of these materials freezes, usually after a long winter, unfortunately, they split! The lines then have a cut, which allows water to leak through, where it’s not supposed to be.
Here’s the good news – it’s fixable! And you won’t have to cancel your road trip.
RV Plumbing Repair – You CAN Do it Yourself!
1. Once you see the water leaking, turn off the water pump.
2. Find the source of your leak by looking around the RV. Check the removable panels behind the shower faucet, look inside of cabinets or under the RV. Be sure to check under the bed storage area, too – there can be water lines that run along the inside there as well.
3. You’ll find the source of the leak when you locate the water line that is spraying out water. If you have an older RV from the 60s or 70s, your water line may be made of copper. If you have a newer RV, the water line will be made of plastic.
4. Because water lines are built with extra slack, you can simply cut out the part with the slit and using a single water-line fitting, rejoin the two ends. If you have no idea which water-line fitting to buy, simply take a piece of the line that you cut to the hardware store, where they’ll be happy to help you.
Note: if you find that your plastic water line doesn’t have any extra slack, use two fittings. You’ll need to buy a new section of tubing at the hardware store to replace the damaged portion you remove. You’ll fasten a fitting onto each end of the new portion.
5. When you join the two ends, a compression union fitting is the best way to go – and you’ll definitely need a wrench to help you tighten it.
1. When you’re done repairing the burst water line, turn the water pump back on. This will give you peace of mind that you’ve repaired the water line correctly (and will also let you know if there is more than one leak you have to fix!)
If you’ve read all this and feel overwhelmed about how to repair a burst water line in an RV, no worries – we can help! Or maybe you tried it and it didn’t work.
Either way, the team at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Cedar Rapids is more than happy to help. Our experienced plumbers can locate the leak, fix it and ensure your water lines are functioning properly so you can relax – then be on your way!
So the next time you’re looking for RV plumbing repair, call on the dedicated team at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Cedar Rapids!