Hi everyone. I started working on my plumbing several months back, ripped out almost everything, then had some health issues arise and the project was put on hold. Now that I'm ready to finish it, I can't remember how to put the pipes back together under my sink! I've called umpteen plumbers and nobody will help either because it's an rv


I leave to go back to school next week and will be full timing in her. [FLASH_VIDEO] I desperately need running water.

I have a 1977 21' Barth on a p30 chassis. 350 engine.

Fresh water tank is under the pull out couch. Sink is on same side right next to it.


Ignore the pex in the pics. I need to know what the pipe above the exhaust pipe is for and what I need to connect to it. I also need to know what those two pipes are below the exhaust pipe and what to connect them too. I assume that the metal box the top pipe is coming out of is the hot water heater???

I'm way out of my league here. Please Help!



(Pipe 2 copper, pipe 3 white plastic)

(Where they are coming from - under couch)

Oops , here is pipe 1:

And pipe 2 (copper) and pipe 3 (white plastic):

Your pix are way too large to be usable; please resize and replace. Thanks.

COPPER TUBING IS GENERALLY USED FOR PROPANE, NOT WATER! The fitting I could make out appears to be a flare fitting, typical for propane; although water piping can use flare fittings, usually a different type of connector is used.

To view the pictures, press and hold the control key while clicking on the image, or right-click if you're using a PC, and select, "open image in new tab".

That is your water heater. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like the water supply to the water heater is disconnected. It could be the propane supply. I'm not sure about the 77, but in the 72 the original water piping was mostly or entirely copper. You'll have to ask around here about the 77. That said, I can't identify your lines from these pictures. They are a soft, 3/8ths, copper tubing. What you see in the one picture is a flared tube and a fitting, but it's unclear (to me at least) what it is for. Where does the line go? Can you trace it back to your fresh water holding tank or your propane tank?

Do you have propane in your tank? Are you running other gas appliances in your Barth? Have you tried going to the water heater access panel on the outside of the coach, pulling the round tab up and turning it, opening the compartment, and then turning the red nob to the pilot light position and pressing it down? Do you smell propane? Does it light? Disclaimer: if you kill yourself playing with propane, I will not support your children, pay for your funeral costs, etc. Also, you are unlikely to make it to class if you're dead.

Once you figure out what those lines are and whether or not you can get your heater lit, etc., why not to a Home Depot, Lowe's, or local hardware store and explain your situation. Some man in an apron will make you feel like an idiot, but he might be able to set you on the right track.

If you "need" hot water (you don't really) and your water heater is not working even after you ensure the propane is hooked up, you can get an instant water heater on Amazon for a few hundred bucks. You will see a bunch of cheap outdoor shower ones, they are not set up to be vented. Whatever instant heater you get would need to be vented.

I don't see the exhaust pipe you are talking about. I see some HVAC that looks like it goes to a furnace, maybe in the bottom of a closet?

That copper tubing with the PVC and purple goop on it, sitting right on top of your metal box/water heater, that is for sure a water pipe. My guess it that it's your hot water supply out of the water heater and the other (flared) pipe is cold water into the water heater.

Also, with all those pipes disconnected, if you turn your water pump on and see what happens, well, you'll figure out what's what real quick, but you might ruin your subfloor.

Worst case scenario, get a big glass lemonade jug with a little valve on it, set it up next to your sink, and carry your water in.

Good luck with the semester!

quote:

Originally posted by Spud:
To view the pictures, press and hold the control key while clicking on the image, or right-click if you're using a PC, and select, "open image in new tab".

That did not work for me running windows 10 either.

quote:

trace it back to your fresh water holding tank or your propane tank?

Thanks Spud, I think that is the best information you can give CK. You do not want to be putting Propane in your water or water in your propane.