Starcraft Plumbing Question

[rbgatti]

Hi, I hope this is the right place for this post...

We just purchased a new Starcraft 3606 back in December and had a chance a couple of weeks ago to set it up and spend the night in our driveway.  It's still winterized but I opened the hot water heater access door to check things out and I was amazed at all the tubes and valves I found!

My question is actually a request for help in figuring out all these pipes and valves.  Owner's manual you may ask?  We received a very generic book that did not talk specifically about my model and plumbing setup so it was of no use at all.  Starcraft says new specific documentation is on the way for '07 models.  They even faxed me a specific detailed electrical and plumbing schematic but I don't see the information that answers my questions.

What is clear to me is the hot water heater bypass and an open ended tube/valve that is used to place in an anti-freeze container to winterize the system using the water pump.  There are other tubes and valves I can't explain!

Does anyone have any idea what they do and what positions of the valves do what?

Any comments and help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[abbear]

Hi, I hope this is the right place for this post...

We just purchased a new Starcraft 3606 back in December and had a chance a couple of weeks ago to set it up and spend the night in our driveway.  It's still winterized but I opened the hot water heater access door to check things out and I was amazed at all the tubes and valves I found!

My question is actually a request for help in figuring out all these pipes and valves.  Owner's manual you may ask?  We received a very generic book that did not talk specifically about my model and plumbing setup so it was of no use at all.  Starcraft says new specific documentation is on the way for '07 models.  They even faxed me a specific detailed electrical and plumbing schematic but I don't see the information that answers my questions.

What is clear to me is the hot water heater bypass and an open ended tube/valve that is used to place in an anti-freeze container to winterize the system using the water pump.  There are other tubes and valves I can't explain!

Does anyone have any idea what they do and what positions of the valves do what?

Any comments and help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Congrats on the new popup.

This post is alright here or in the MR Fixit section.

As far as all the other tubes and valves in the hot water heater compartment - wow - all I have in my hot water heater compartment is the water heater.  It has a relief valve on it and being out here in coastal CA I don't have to winterize so while I have the bypass I have never had to use it.  How many valves are we talking about here?  My popup has two valves under the front of it that allow me to drain water out of the system after a trip.  Could that be what these valves are for?

Someone out there has to have a popup similar to yours.  Anybody?

In the meantime - check out Tim's site.  The answer may be there.  And if not? Well there's just too much good info not to try.

http://www.title-3.com/

You might also try the manufacturers site.  Often they will have owners manuals online.  Even if they don't have your exact one manufacturers tend to use the same setup in all there products.  And by the way, have you asked your dealer?

[wavery]

Maybe if you took a digital picture and posted here, someone would recognize what you are asking about. Try to be specific, like "What's the red thingy in the upper left of the pic :p " or something similar.

[rbgatti]

Thanks for the advice.  Well, I did contact the dealer even tough I like to try to figure these things out myself.

Just to clarify...the tubes and valves I spoke of are behind the water heater and accessible via a cabinet/access door.  They are not actually part of the heater.

The answer: The other tube and valve are actually part of the winterization system.  As I mentioned in my original post, there is an open ended tube/valve that is used with the water pump to fill the system with anti-freeze.  The other valve connected to a tube that goes through the floor is the connection to the fresh water tank!  The valve is the way to shut off the tank from the system so you draw from the open tube when filling with anti-freeze.  Duh!  Close water tank valve...open anti-freeze tube valve...turn on water pump...fill system.

At least it's there for a good reason!  

I could post a picture if anyone is curious the next time we have the PUP open.

Thanks.

[abbear]

Thanks for getting back to us on what all those things were.  I was having trouble picturing valves and hoses in the water heater compartment.  Interior plumbing makes a lot more sense.  Well now you have that figured out I guess it's time to go camping