Symbol - Fresh Water Tank Drain Tap.

The little lever used to open or close the drain tap as snapped off.

Does anyone know if the tap uses a backing nut or if the tap just screws in.

As if I hadn't got enough things to do before we go away in ten days.

don't know unfortunately, just snapped the tap lever of both my waste and fresh water.

Got replacements via A/S website and they were very helpful over another problem gave me advice within 24 hours. May be worth checking their website and giving them a ring or email

If / when you replace the tap would be interested to know for when I fit mine.

Colin

Has been asked before and if I remember correctly it uses a backing nut unfortunately.

I had to replace both taps some time ago and from memory there is a spigot on the end of the hose coming from the tank. It has a female thread and the tap just screws into it through the hole in the side skirt of t he van,. You may have to hold the pipe to stop it rotating, and its worth using some pfe tape on the threads.

I have some photos but using a Kindle at the moment so can't access them.

Cheers Bob.

Hi Zozzer,

This may be of interest to you, I have a Symphony and the plastic tap started to turn and as a result it started leaking, the tap has a plastic nut inside the

tank and the only way to get at it is to remove the tank (not that difficult a job) there are two large circular caps on the top of the tank and these come off

by unscrewing to gain access to the inside, there is also a large O ring on each one, i tightened the tap up but everytime i applied pressure the plastic thread

would give, i replaced the tank and it still leaked i then smothered silicon around the outside as a tempory job that too failed, now to my point i again removed

the tank and fitted a 22mm lever ball valve from screwfix tightened up a treat i then replaced the o rings with a smear of silacon refitted the tank

(by now i was quite quick at doing it,) and have not had any problems since and now all i do is pull the lever 1/4 turn and the water empties far faster than before.


P.S. screwfix part number 38468 £6.99 you will also need a tank fitting .

another thought as you are short on time is if you go on e bay and find the plastic taps you can swop the inside as they are a standard size i once used this method

and got the tap off of an old water container as they just push out

Regards Pat

Thanks everyone for your input.

A couple of years ago, the waste water pipe broke off as we were driving along. So I bought TWO white taps indenticall to the one below apart from the colour from Kent Motorhomes, thinking I'll keep one as a spare.

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I've now managed to find that spare tank (yippee), and my nephew who managed to get his arm, along with large socket on an extension inside the waste tank after undoing the large inspection nut will try the same on the fresh water tank (fingers crossed). If he fails to do it in time, we'll just closed the tap with a pair of plyers and keep it closed until we return from our holidays. I would prefer not travelling around with full water tanks, so we'll just use a 25 litre container that we carry in the MH in winter.

After the holidays, I'll think I'll get my nephew to change both fresh and waste water taps to ball valves, as no doubt these plastic taps will fail again sometime.

Just a little note to report that my fresh water tank tap has just been replaced in the less that an hour.

1.. Jack up the rear of the van and it on 3 ton axle stands.

2 .. Crawl underneath and unscrew the large diameter access nut with your hands.

3.. Fit a 32mm socket onto a long and a short socket extension bar and put it onto flanged nut inside the tank.

4.. Get a second person to twist the tap anti-clockwise to remove.

5.. Get the new tap, and look to make sure the nut is still inline with hole screw in the new tap by turning clockwise until tight and in the correct position.

6.. Remove vehicle from axle stands and fill tank to check for leaks.

Job Sorted. No need to remove tank. Phew!

However me nephew knows nothing about motorhomes, so when the tank was full I asked him to turn off the water
at the tap around the corner of the house. When he returned, he saw me with my head under the van inspecting
the tap. "What it like" he said. to which I replied it's p***ing out all over the place. "your joking" he says and get down
to have a look only to see the tank overflow leaking loads of water. "Nah don't panic it only the tank overflow".

After our holidays We are going fit ball valves on the side of the van as I'm getting too old to be crawling under the van
to empty the tanks.

thanks for the details of replacing the tap, can think about replacing mine now, although I will have to talk couple of fitter younger family to help. Can see me having to put my hand in my pocket for a couple of pints

dencol wrote:thanks for the details of replacing the tap, can think about replacing mine now, although I will have to talk couple of fitter younger family to help. Can see me having to put my hand in my pocket for a couple of pints

Errmmm........much depends on year of build. I had to do the same job on my van though it is a Duetto and not Symbol but I contacted A/S first and they told me that some models were fitted with a simple screw in tap so replacing was a simple ten minute job. Others were fitted with a threaded tap held in by a backing nut from the inside of the tank......meaning the tank had to be dropped just to change a damn tap!

Typically mine fell into the latter category!

I decided to hand the job to a local mechanic. And i'm glad I did too as it turned out both nuts holding the straps were seized solid and he had to cut them away to drop the tank. Access is gained by a flap on the top of the tank to undo the old tap and then replace the other. The mechanic did the common sense thing and refitted new stainless steel bolts and nuts so any future owner won't have that problem again! Why oh why manufacturers cannot spare just a few measly pennies and think logically by using stainless really annoys me.

And quite why A/S decided to fit the taps in this manner I have not the faintest idea......it's beyond me! What could be a very simple ten minute job becomes a good hour or more......crazy!

I was very lucky, it's a 2003 model, and the tap I got from Kent Motorhomes was identical to the factory fitted tap.
Just need to put some silicon sealer over the flange where it fits into tank as prevention against leaks.

Zozzer wrote:I was very lucky, it's a 2003 model, and the tap I got from Kent Motorhomes was identical to the factory fitted tap.
Just need to put some silicon sealer over the flange where it fits into tank as prevention against leaks.

Yes you have been lucky......so far! I did the same using a sealant which bonds on damp surfaces....it didn't last long! Still ended up having to get a new tap.
I got mine off an ebay trader but you can use any as long as the diameter is the same. Home brewers often sell them too.

Just plucking up the courage to change my tap. The plastic was so brittle what remained of the tap handle also broke off and on unscrewing I've found I have an internal but. Wd40 on the clamp threads as I write. You can get the Harcostar fast flow valves on Amazon, £9.20

Just had to cut through both the stays as the nylock nuts are so corroded cant get them off. Will buy some 8mm stainless stud and nuts from Toolstation. Tank is now dropped down, cant find the way in to get at the nuts. Looks like I'll have to disconnect the filler and pump pipes. - thats just inviting more trouble!

When the time comes to replace the brittle plastic taps, I'll follow the advice on the Forum from PennyandDerek and fit one of these metal ones:

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I purchased a barrel tap from a beer brewing shop for on eBay. They have a similar nut on the back. I messed about for a couple of hours trying to change it with the tank on the vehicle but I ended up sticking the vehicle on ramps, removing the tank and replacing the tap using the access hole on the top of the tank. Have a look at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Drum-Tap-Back-Nut-For-Bucket-Or-Barrel-Home-Brew-Beer-Barrel-Keg-Water-Butt/391293810710?epid=1129809138&hash=item5b1aedb816:g:2-gAAOSwLhFaL88r

Removing the tank is loosen 4 nut on the hangers, disconnect the push fit outlet and drop the tank onto a block of wood. I found that I needed an assistant.

Paul

When I had my Topaz I had the fresh water tank off, main reason the hangers wanted replacing, so had new ones in steel, changed the tap while it was off as broken, there was a small access hole in the top of the tank, just managed to get my hand in ( small hands ) and removed tap and nut, cleaned tank out and put in a new tap, again hand inside tank to tighten it all up, will check the other Topaz next week. at least I know how to do it now. Have new taps on the Amethyst, a different bore on the pipes, with adjustment and sealant they now fit tight and no leaks.

If dropping the tank it may be worth giving it a good clean out.

Regards,
Margaret