119. Tracking the source of the Nile

CONIL DE LA FRONTERA, CADIZ, SPAIN

Mains water feed kit

Whale pump

Weather promising, both Seville and the restored Roman fishing village beckoned. Got up and discovered a rivet of of water across the kitchen floor - sigh. 

Flopped a towel across it and went for a shower, resigned to tracking the source of the nile and stemming it. Water leaks from the internal plumbing have been tedious.

Aquaroll

The leaks have been exacerbated when we run on mains pressure rather than on the whale pump. The advantage of running on mains is I don't have to continually fill the forty litre Aquroll tank and the water doesn't have to be pumped by the whale pump. The disadvantage is that the internal plumbing is under pressure continuously, rather than just when water is requested by turning a tap on. When pumped, if there is a leak it is virtually nothing as taps are only turned on briefly and the pressure is low as a tap is open so at worst, only a few drips will occur. When on the mains feed kit, any leaks are continuous.

Spot the G-clamps and wet carpet

Tracking this leak involved removing both the oven and microwave. In the process of removing the oven I didn't notice an extra little screw and split a bit of chipboard veneer laminated to make it look like cedar. G-clamps and  PVA solved that and I mopped out the area behind the oven and sprayed around black spot chlorine spray. As the PVA had to dry I ran the heater for a few hours to dry out the whole area. The problem turned out to be a leak at a hose clamp onto the tap hose-tail. I tried tightening it to no avail so moved the clamp to the end of the hose and added a second hose-clamp behind. This has become my standard fix in such situations.

Part of removing the oven is removing the oven door and I must say I had scales fall from my eyes. It was disgusting. It dismantled easily and I was able to clean both panes of glass in the camp site wash up area.

Confident that I had fixed the problem I reassembled it all, finished the dishes and barely outside when I was halted by a shriek from the family, water was cascading out from under the oven. I couldn't believe it! 

Reverse the whole process. Turns out, when reinstating the oven I pushed the drain off the sink - bollocks. Re-dry everything and reinstall.

Bigger than it looks here, they are standing in front of it

Finally got to use the new washing machine, same as Mary and Stuffs*. Our spare step is a perfect stand for it as it gravity drains. It is very good and good fun actually. I fill it with two five litre disposable water bottles filled with really hot water from the camp dish wash station and add about another five litres cold water. The machine is very good and the separate spin is superb. In this campsite I do have to lug the waste water up hill to the dump point. There is a tap and drain two sites away but it is in German held territory and I'm not game for another round.

*Roman's name for Brian, Sheena and daughter Mary McDonald whom we traveled with for a month till new year.