How to Locate Travel Trailer Water Leaks
This Uncomplicated Leak Test Will Find Modest Undetected Water Leaks
Nosotros accept a lot to think well-nigh in today'due south economic system. Many people are keeping their Class C Motorhomes longer; and therefore, water harm acquired by unwanted leaks may become a business organization. After all, conditions seals can but hold up for and then many years.
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Moisture weather can cause unexpected leaks that can seem to announced out of nowhere. Depending on the location and age of a unit of measurement, these leaks causing water damage could be a serious trouble.
Unfortunately this blazon of h2o damage usually becomes apparent only after a prolonged leaking event.
In many instances it takes time for many small leaks to come to our attention. Therefore, you may want to enquire yourself these questions:
- Would it be of value to do a simple leak detection test and find these pesky areas of barrier breakdown?
- Would information technology make sense to do this before serious damage was done to your rig?
During the Dry Summer/Fall Months Will Allow You lot to Fix a Leak Earlier Water Does Any Damage
If you have read my pages on some of the leaks and water damage issues that I have had in the past, you will understand my want to perform a dry out season leak test. I have long understood the concept of over-pressurizing a rig. This is a simple procedure of creating the condition of increased air pressure inside an RV. The force of over pressurizing will allow you to utilise a bubble solution to find potential leaks on the outside "pare" of your Form C Motorhome.
The military uses this technique to find potential leaks in their portable shelters during the refurbishing process. A shelter is a small room around xv to 20 feet in length that could exist placed on a truck bed. They use these things for a diverseness of applications like workshops, command and communication centers, so on.
The question is how to complete a leak test. Some folks take had good results using a foliage blower stuck in a window. I tried this, and it was simple enough to exercise.
However, I did non have expert results. I'm not certain if my blower was also modest, or I had and then many leaks that I could not build upwardly adequate air pressure! I practice know that leaf blowers are designed to generate a large velocity of air movement... not necessarily a large volume of air. I wanted to be able to put a big book of air into my Class C Motorhome.
So, I scrapped the idea of using a leaf blower and went with a large bladed fan. This seemed to piece of work. I was able to build a sufficient over-pressure status in the rig.
It is of import to stress that before I was able to get whatsoever of these overpressure leak examination results, I had to insure that the motorhome was sealed off properly.
All motorhomes are designed to exhale to a certain extent. Information technology is imperative that y'all close up any areas venting to the outside, or you volition accept a very hard time building enough internal force per unit area in your rig to do a leak test.
As the graphic below shows, I placed record and plastic over the various sink drains. I also blocked the refrigerator along with the stove and heater vents. Make sure the roof and cab vents are closed and/or blocked. It is very of import to block any access points that would prevent air force per unit area from building up. This can be a trial and error affair.
yous volition not accept a successful leak test.
Using just ane fan I was able to generate some pressure. But I felt that I could exercise better.
I was getting a reasonable pressure condition. But, I experienced a dorsum flow that would wearisome the fan down. Equally the back force per unit area congenital, this pressure on the fan would wearisome downwards the RPMs... therefore, I would lose strength... The less forcefulness, the less atmospheric pressure alter.
This was self defeating. However, I was able to overcome this problem past using a blower and ii fans in a serial equally the graphic beneath shows. My main ability fan is sitting on the table. There is an boosted box fan inside the RV... upwards side by side to the window sucking air in. The leafage blower is used to push air onto the exterior fan.
This resulted in better control of dorsum menses pressure and an increase in performance and efficiency. This increase in efficiency brought about the air pressure change inside the rig that enabled me to detect external leaks.
Hither I Have A Leaf Blower And Ii Fans In Serial...
Ane Of The Fans is Inside Sucking In Air
Apply A Elementary, Clear Tube Manometer To Insure
That You Exercise Non Create Besides Much Pressure level And Damage Your Class C Motorhome
If you observe on the above graphic, there is a transparent plastic tube with +/- a cup of water in it. Information technology is hanging in a U-shape adjacent to the leaf blower. This tube becomes a crude manometer with i end inserted into the RV and the other end exterior of the unit of measurement. Your manometer will then measure the divergence between the atmospheric pressure level on the inside versus the exterior of your RV.
As pressure builds in your Class C, the h2o in the clear tube volition motion. The more pressure differential you lot can apply, the greater the distance the water will motility.
I was using this device simply to see if I could develop Any atmospheric level of change. Information technology turns out, that with my organization of a leaf blower plus fans, I got just over a quarter of an inch of water movement... practiced enough!
I showtime used a spray applicator along with a small 3" soft bristled paint brush to help spread the chimera solution on the suspected area of inspection. All the same, after some trial and error experimenting, I came to the conclusion that yous get better results spraying the bubble solution and and then using your finger to alter the viscosity of the liquid.
Sometimes it takes a little persuasion to become any bubbles to develop. This is like nearly things, acquire as you become. The adept news is y'all are not probable to practice any harm unless you are over-pressuring your rig.
It is possible to practice damage if too much atmospheric pressure can be adult. Therefore, I would highly recommend that you utilize a manometer... just to go along an eye on things.
Up on the roof, I found a couple of areas that were able to develop bubbles. This leak test was a success! I likewise found areas of potential h2o penetration that had non manifested themselves in observable damage. In improver, I uncovered issues along the sides of the RV. All things considered, it was worth the effort.
Superlative Left Of The Roof Line
Non Where You Want A Leak!
If you lot can measure out some pressure differential and you find that y'all are not developing any bubbling, you lot are reasonably sure that your leak test procedure was successful and rig is okay.
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Below: For An Alternative Destination... A Four Mile Hike Around Sugar Pine Reservoir
A Skillful Identify To Begin The Joshua M. Hardt Memorial Trail Is At The Dam. This 3.5 Mile Trail Is Good For Foot Traffic And Bicycles... No Motorized stuff
The Manzanita Day Utilise Area Is A Good Place To Sit And Watch The Air current
Play With The H2o!
Another View From The Joshua M. Hardt Memorial Trail... Morning and Evening Are The All-time Times To Hike This Trail. The Still Reflections Will Capture Your Attention
Y'all May Want To Bring A Camera... There Are Big Birds Of Prey High In The Ski
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