There is just nothing for a screw to sink into.
Jackson Brown, Plano, Texas
The perfect fastener to use in this instance is called a threaded nutsert. Most astute RV repair facilities will have this fastener and its requisite installation tool, especially if they also perform collision repair and other types of RV body work. Nutserts can solve a multitude of mounting and securing issues in aluminum, fiberglass, and other types of thin RV siding materials. Take a look at the Web site www.avdel-global.com/en/products/threaded-inserts/thin-sheet-nutsert.html for a neat little presentation on how a nutsert is installed. Hope this helps.
Pilot Flameout
Dear RV Doctor:
My water heater pilot light will not stay lit. I light the pilot, and after a short time I am able to light the main burner. However, it appears that when the water gets to temperature, the burner shuts off and so does the pilot flame. Any ideas?
George Gunnoe, Artesia, New Mexico
Here are a few things to check. First, be sure the LP delivery pressure is set correctly to 11.0 inches of water column pressure. It is vital that this pressure be adjusted correctly using a “U” tube manometer. Next, disassemble the pilot burner assembly and be sure it is free from blockages. You can soak the pilot orifice in acetone or denatured alcohol. The pilot assembly itself can be cleaned using a common pipe cleaner after soaking. Allow the parts to air dry. Do not insert any item into the orifice, and avoid using compressed air pressure. Inspect the flame spreader portion of the burner assembly and look for bent or damaged components (see photo). It must spread the pilot flame evenly in order to heat the thermocouple properly. Remove and clean the larger “J” tube or mixing tube, and be sure it is free from blockages of any type. The main burner flame spreader also must be centered in the opening of the “J” tube.
Once the mixing tube is removed, you can gain access to the main burner orifice. Soak and air dry this orifice also. The main burner orifice must be centered in this mixing tube when you reassemble, so align the parts carefully. On the thermocouple itself, clean the tip using 0000 (four aught) steel wool. Remove all carbon deposits. Reassemble all components, taking care not to overtighten the thermocouple into the gas valve. Just one-quarter turn past finger tight is all that is necessary. Using a soapy solution or an electronic leak detector, check for gas leaks on any of the connections you removed and reassembled. Be sure the soapy solution does not contain ammonia.
If all checks out, light the pilot and observe the pilot flame as it engulfs the tip of the thermocouple. It should impinge on only the first 1/8-inch or so of the thermocouple. A pilot flame that is too large could result in pilot outage after the heating cycle. It also would be wise to have the thermocouple output measured; it should be a minimum 12 to 14 millivolts DC. A weak thermocouple output also could lead to pilot outage.
If all the above tasks prove futile, the cause may be a weak electromagnet or a faulty internal device called an ECO, both integral components of the gas control assembly, in which case it will be necessary to replace the complete gas control valve.
Gray Water Into Black Tank
Dear RV Doctor:
We have a brand-new motorhome produced by a major manufacturer. We like most everything about the motorhome, but one thing with this particular coach really bothers us. Our shower drains into the black tank. In our previous motorhome we could dry camp without needing to empty our black tank for a couple of weeks. Not true here. We have to dump the black tank every single day. I guess we could just give up on showering. Are there other motorhomes with this same problem, and are there any regulations that govern the installation of black tanks at the manufacturing level? If we can’t correct this hang-up, the motorhome is going to be pretty much useless to us.
Daniel Flaherty, Appleton, Wisconsin
I’m so sorry to hear of your difficulty. It is permissible for RV manufacturers to allow one other fixture to drain into the black water holding tank and still satisfy the requirements of the NFPA 1192, Standard on Recreational Vehicles. Most makers, thankfully, do keep the black and gray waste systems separated and relegated to dedicated holding tanks. In those few instances where a gray waste fixture does drain into the black holding tank, typically it will be an infrequently used device such as a lavatory sink. Based on your description, it sure sounds like a poorly designed floor plan.
Now, having said that, in some instances, it is possible to reroute the shower drain to the existing gray water holding tank or, better yet, to a newly installed third tank. A competent RV technician will have to inspect the existing waste system to determine whether either of these options is feasible. All drains must enter the holding tank at the top of the tank, so gravity filling from the side or bottom of the holding tank is not allowed. A thorough inspection will determine the best way to accommodate the modification. I wish I had a more definitive answer for you. Try to find an experienced RV repair facility in your area that can make the alterations. All is not lost yet!
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