How do you know you have a water leak?

[StephenO]

Moderator note: The post below was originally in https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...eaning-product It was moved here to it's own thread as suggested by StephenO . -Howard

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Absolutely, positively, 100% (am I being emphatic enough?) it is critical to do a regular, thorough inspection. Water penetration can and will "kill" your RV and/or cause wall decontamination.

Absolutely water penetration will be the end of your RV. I watched my father in law take apart the entire rear wall on his old aluminum Wood framed trailer, no thanks. Ever since, I am so paranoid about water leaks, especially the ones you cannot see.

It's obvious you have a leak when water is dripping from the ceiling, but how does one know if there is a 'hidden leak'? Anyone have tips on checking for hidden leaks? If this is more suitable for a new thread, mods feel free to move.

[Yoda]

Absolutely water penetration will be the end of your RV. I watched my father in law take apart the entire rear wall on his old aluminum Wood framed trailer, no thanks. Ever since, I am so paranoid about water leaks, especially the ones you cannot see.

It's obvious you have a leak when water is dripping from the ceiling, but how does one know if there is a 'hidden leak'? Anyone have tips on checking for hidden leaks? If this is more suitable for a new thread, mods feel free to move.

On way is if you on the pump is you will hear the pump cycle randomly. For city water it is tougher. I have installed several battery powerd leak detectors. One behind the nautilus panel and one around the water pump. I used something similar to this. https://www.honeywellstore.com/store...able-rwd42.htm

[AZMike]

On way is if you on the pump is you will hear the pump cycle randomly. For city water it is tougher. I have installed several battery powerd leak detectors. One behind the nautilus panel and one around the water pump. I used something similar to this. https://www.honeywellstore.com/store...able-rwd42.htm

+1 on the leak detectors. I have a couple strategically placed. I also use the pump procedure occasionally.

[NoPeeking]

For water system leaks, yes, water pump running more than normal is a telltale. For water system leaks when the pump is turned off I use a moisture sensor/alarm located in the hw heater compartment and next to the water pump similar to KERUI Wireless Water Leak Detector for Alert Household Water Leakage Alarm with 90db Loud Alarm Water Leak Detector Sensor for Home Kitchen, Toilet Floor,Battery Powered (5) I believe these are also available with phone app... not 100%, though. (I use the battery alarm devices in my stix 'n brix basement)

For leaks from the exterior I have thought purchasing a pinless moisture probe similar to KLEIN TOOLS Pinless Moisture Meter I'd be interested in anyone's experience in an RV application.

Mike

[Cate&Rob]

I know that the Grand Design Factory Service Center uses a moisture meter to assess the condition of composite walls. I will inquire as to which meter they use and what numbers they consider to be acceptable.

Rob

[Jlawles2]

I have one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 thanks to Hurricane Harvey and the unplanned remodeling.

Signs of water leaks are hard to explain. There are tell tale signs. Weeping walls, wet carpet, unexpected puddles, general humidity in the unit.

Previous non GD had a factory bad seal job on the front cap. I looked for months to try and explain wet carpet next to the wardrobe slide. Every time it rained the carpet would be wet, water in the basement, etc. One day while cleaning the pine needles off the slide to close up, I was doing the general observation and saw what looked like a crack in the self leveling sealant. Nothing significant. One tube later, no more wet carpet. I may be paranoid, but even with the unit in the driveway, after a light or hard rain, I still go inside, extend slides if retracted, and feel carpet an other areas like walls around windows the whole time praying for no water. This is how I found the broke TV dome. I pulled the unit from home to inspection station, no overhead anything even trees, and returned. Several weeks later blowing rain storm and there was water on the floor. Looked up and it was in the overhead light. Started pulling things and could feel the water following the cables down the antenna wires. Up on the roof at night with a light in the rain to find the front of the dome shattered.

Long story short, inspect, suspect, and continue to do your due diligence.

[KSC_Travels]

Cate&Rob Tagging Rob on our resident plumbing SME and advocate for pressure gauges in our water systems. Thoughts?

I have never done this myself, but one could theoretically do a pressure test on the (empty) system using air??? Hook up a pressure gauge with a valve (something like below) to the city water connection (would need a short double male end hose), air it up to say 60 psi and leave it for a couple of hours. Should be no pressure drop. I have seen this done on residential systems, but not sure it would apply to an RV system.

https://www.amazon.ca/Winters-AOM-20...%2C102&sr=8-31

[ncitro]

Cate&Rob Tagging Rob on our resident plumbing SME and advocate for pressure gauges in our water systems. Thoughts?

I have never done this myself, but one could theoretically do a pressure test on the (empty) system using air??? Hook up a pressure gauge with a valve (something like below) to the city water connection (would need a short double male end hose), air it up to say 60 psi and leave it for a couple of hours. Should be no pressure drop. I have seen this done on residential systems, but not sure it would apply to an RV system.

https://www.amazon.ca/Winters-AOM-20...%2C102&sr=8-31

You're exactly right, and I believe this is how they test at the factory on the assembly line.

[Cate&Rob]

KSC_Travels
Hi Ken,

You can certainly do a pressure test with either air or water. With air, there will be more expansion/contraction with temperature, so a small (drip type) leak might be more difficult to measure. On the other hand . . . if you have a leak, there is no mess or other potential damage from a test with air, as there would be with water.

One caution . . . 60 psi air is far more "explosive" than 60 psi water. If something breaks, the outrush of a gas (air) is many times greater than the outrush of a liquid (water).

As ncitro Neil has noted, they test the water system with air during assembly in the factory and then again with water at final inspection.

Rob

[TedS]

The system test procedure requires the use of this test plug to hold the city water check valve open if the pressure gage is on the city water side of the inlet check valve.

[StephenO]

While my original question was focused around knowing if there was an exterior leak, say from the roof, window, etc, somewhere hidden there is some good info here around a plumbing leak. Maybe we need to spinoff this thread too .

Like Jlawles2 said though there are some signs that you have an issue, but the worse type of exterior leak (or plumbing leak for that matter) would be one that goes unnoticed until it's too late.

I do like the idea of a pinless moisture meter, and look forward to seeing what Cate&Rob finds out from the factory on their methods. I currently have a Princess Auto special meter, but it has larger probing pins, and I don't think my wife would appreciate holes everywhere in the trailer . Also that meter is a simple continuity style, where the more moisture content it finds, the louder the tone. It doesn't give a numerical value or anything.

[TedS]

Inspect, inspect, inspect.

[Jlawles2]

Inspect, inspect, inspect.

and when in doubt, have a friend inspect.

[Cate&Rob]

I know that the Grand Design Factory Service Center uses a moisture meter to assess the condition of composite walls. I will inquire as to which meter they use and what numbers they consider to be acceptable.

Rob

Followup on this earlier question about moisture in the walls . . .

From Clay Smith (Foreman at the Grand Design Factory Service Center) they use the pinless moisture meter shown in the attached picture. A reading above 35% indicates to them that there is moisture in the wall that should not be there and needs to be resolved.

There is also some good (but rather wandering) "moisture meter" discussion in this thread. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...industry/page2

Rob

[NoPeeking]

Followup on this earlier question about moisture in the walls . . .

From Clay Smith (Foreman at the Grand Design Factory Service Center) they use the pinless moisture meter shown in the attached picture. A reading above 35% indicates to them that there is moisture in the wall that should not be there and needs to be resolved.

There is also some good (but rather wandering) "moisture meter" discussion in this thread. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...industry/page2

Rob

Thanks, Rob. I appreciate the follow-up. Me thinks something similar is a good add to the toolbox.

Mike