Draining Water tank (1 Viewer)

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
I have looked everywhere to try to find a tap for draining the water system, with winter coming on I want to be prepared. Surely you don't have to pump it out via the taps.
Can anyone tell me what to look for and where to look?
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
Avantgarde 400 I think the Coachwork is Compass.

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MattR

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You might find a pipe coming out of the base or side of the tank with a tap that opens to drain the fresh water tank.
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
Can't access the tank from inside the van, so it must be outside and underneath, will get my torch out and have a look.
Thanks all.

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mike mcglynn

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I think your van is an Eldiss Marque and will have a drain down tap on the outside underneath the water tank and don't forget the hot water boiler also needs draining it might be a simple lift up toggle or an electric operated one or just an opening valve and leave all taps in open position and keep pump running and shower head and hose are empty then what I do is give shower hose a goodly amount of blowing and finally drain pump filter if fitted (y)
 
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GJH

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The tap could well be on the end of a convoluted hose like the grey tank one. It was on our Autoquest 100 anyway (same stable as Avantgarde).

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Zigisla

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I have a little wheel on top of the tank next to the internal fill lid. If you do get access to the top. I am sure somewhere your carpet will have a cut out so you can gain access to the tank lid.
 
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We have a "lift up" lever accessed via a hole in a false floor of a cupboard (totally different maker to yours, but perhaps you have something similar?). Didn't you get a manual with your van?(n)
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
Didn't get a Manual with van, bit of a nuisance have to find out stuff by trial and error.
When I used to go Caravaning years ago I had a foot pump on the floor by the sink for water, things have moved on a bit.
I didn't get a chance to have a good look yesterday, we had a thunder storm in the afternoon and it made everything a bit wet.
Will have a look today.
Thank's to everyone for the input.

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scotjimland

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Can't access the tank from inside the van,

that's very unusual.. it must be underslung ?


googling found this

the 'fresh water' drain is a tap situated at the bottom of the fresh water tank which is found by lifting the 'wooden'slat up at the base of the wardrobe inside the van.
There is no need to grovel underneath the van etc. !!

also

On our 2003/4 model the drain pipe is a flexible confluted one, similar to the grey water drain. On ours it is held in place by two spring clips at the offside of the van by the water tank.
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
Thank's (Scotjimland) I think you could be right, I have noticed some screws on the base of the wardrobe and had a sneaky suspicion that they were there for a reason.
Will let you all know.
 
Feb 16, 2013
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that's very unusual.. it must be underslung ?


googling found this

the 'fresh water' drain is a tap situated at the bottom of the fresh water tank which is found by lifting the 'wooden'slat up at the base of the wardrobe inside the van.
There is no need to grovel underneath the van etc. !!

also

On our 2003/4 model the drain pipe is a flexible confluted one, similar to the grey water drain. On ours it is held in place by two spring clips at the offside of the van by the water tank.
Jim beat me to it, yes you lift the piece of plywood up at the bottom of the wardrobe, poke your finger in the hole and pull it up , you will now see the tank , and at the bottom is a drain tap , turn it and hey presto the water drains out through a pipe underneath.(y)

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Feb 16, 2013
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Thank's (Scotjimland) I think you could be right, I have noticed some screws on the base of the wardrobe and had a sneaky suspicion that they were there for a reason.
Will let you all know.
No need to take screws out , just lift the bit nearest the wardrobe door.
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
Have lifted bit nearest wardrobe door and can see tank, found overflow pipe and another narrower pipe.
I have felt around the bottom sides of the tank and still cant find any tap, I can just about get my hand on to the top of the tank and can feel the large screw top and a wire also on it.
Have left it for now as got to get dinner on, job for tomorrow, take all panels out of wardrobe and have a good look.
 
Feb 16, 2013
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Have lifted bit nearest wardrobe door and can see tank, found overflow pipe and another narrower pipe.
I have felt around the bottom sides of the tank and still cant find any tap, I can just about get my hand on to the top of the tank and can feel the large screw top and a wire also on it.
Have left it for now as got to get dinner on, job for tomorrow, take all panels out of wardrobe and have a good look.
On ours it's at the bottom , a blue tap, not really a tap just a flat plastic thing that's either facing up or sideways, forget at the moment which is on or off but that's it.

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Feb 16, 2013
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Have lifted bit nearest wardrobe door and can see tank, found overflow pipe and another narrower pipe.
I have felt around the bottom sides of the tank and still cant find any tap, I can just about get my hand on to the top of the tank and can feel the large screw top and a wire also on it.
Have left it for now as got to get dinner on, job for tomorrow, take all panels out of wardrobe and have a good look.
There's nothing in the tank apart from your pump dangling on the wire through the lid
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
This has beaten me, i can't find a tap anywhere to drain the Fresh Water tank, I have looked all around the tank, no tap, I have been underneath the MH and no tap. There are two blue pipes coming from the Tank area, I presume one is overflow and the other is the Tank drain, but can't find the drain tap. There is a funny looking valve by the water heater, which is underneath the n/s bed, would that be anything to do with it?

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scotjimland

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There is a funny looking valve by the water heater, which is underneath the n/s bed, would that be anything to do with it?

I think that will be the boiler dump valve.. it opens automatically when the temperature falls below about 6c .. it has a push pull knob on top for resetting or dumping manually

does it look like this
 
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On our van, by lifting a hatch in the floor, over the tank, another hatch is revealed. After lifting the second hatch a cap is visible on top of the tank. By removing this I can put my hand inside the tank and pull the plug out the bottom to drain the water. In fact I've just done this. I also drained the waste tank by lying under the van and removing a cap from the underside of the tank. Do this every time we get home.

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Feb 16, 2013
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This has beaten me, i can't find a tap anywhere to drain the Fresh Water tank, I have looked all around the tank, no tap, I have been underneath the MH and no tap. There are two blue pipes coming from the Tank area, I presume one is overflow and the other is the Tank drain, but can't find the drain tap. There is a funny looking valve by the water heater, which is underneath the n/s bed, would that be anything to do with it?
Follow the blue pipes through the floor , on ours one goes to the top of the tank, overflow, the other comes out of the bottom of the tank with a tap on, have you had a torch under the wardrobe?
 
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Feb 16, 2013
19,505
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ambulance conversion
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50 years
Follow the blue pipes through the floor , on ours one goes to the top of the tank, overflow, the other comes out of the bottom of the tank with a tap on, have you had a torch under the wardrobe?
Unless it's been messed with, I can almost guarantee its under that hatch in the wardrobe, behind the gas fire, iv looked at 400s on eBay and they are identical to ours , re wardrobe, and if you have the two blue pipes that again is identical to ours.
 
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voyager14

voyager14

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Aug 7, 2016
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I'm a newbie, did have a Caravan about 8 years ago.
Thanks for all the help guys, that piccy, scotjimlad is nothing like the valve by my water heater.
I will try and get a piccy of it.
I have looked for a tap in the wardrobe area, I've had my torch in there and I have felt all around the tank and can find nothing, there are two pipes coming out of the tank, both from the top, one thinner than the other and both blue, I'm beginning to think that there may be a Bung in the bottom and to get at that I will have to take the panel out above it (the floor of the wardrobe) and take the screw top off and get my hand in. Once again thanks for all the suggestions.

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Feb 16, 2013
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Thanks for all the help guys, that piccy, scotjimlad is nothing like the valve by my water heater.
I will try and get a piccy of it.
I have looked for a tap in the wardrobe area, I've had my torch in there and I have felt all around the tank and can find nothing, there are two pipes coming out of the tank, both from the top, one thinner than the other and both blue, I'm beginning to think that there may be a Bung in the bottom and to get at that I will have to take the panel out above it (the floor of the wardrobe) and take the screw top off and get my hand in. Once again thanks for all the suggestions.
But where do the two go that come through the floor?
 
Feb 16, 2013
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ambulance conversion
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IMG_20160831_165315710.jpg

This is what I got
 

GJH

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That blue tap is like the one which was on the end of a convoluted pipe clipped to the underside on our Autoquest 100 (water tank was under the dinette seat rather than in the wardrobe).

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