Pipe coming from under water tank..not spotted that before!?

[Clarabucket]

I’m aware of water drain- down procedure and have always used the blue water drain cock in the garage for this. Just now, while checking under the van, I spotted a pipe with a blue hose coming from beneath my fresh water tank. My first thought was that it was an extra, more direct drain down point, which seems like a good idea, especially as I’m never sure I’ve drained all the water. It’s just that it doesn’t look like I would expect a tap to look so am unsure about whether to try to unscrew it!
Any wisdom from anyone much appreciated.
It’s a Chausson Best of 04 on a Transit chassis.

 

[Boringfrog]

Is the blue one for the boiler, and the one pictured for the fresh water tank?

 

[Clarabucket]

Not sure. We’ve always done a drain down using the little lever thing in the garage, as instructed by the seller, and the chap who checked over our van. We assumed this drained everything. It does drain the hot water, as some hot water comes out of it (as well as the cold I think?) when we’ve done drain downs straight after a trip. Do you think this is something else we need to drain? Sorry to be dim- sometimes motorhome systems are so complex!
Also, it just doesn’t look like I would expect a general drain down tap to look- it’s more like a cap than a tap.
My hubby just found the part on screwfix described as an “emergency shut off tap” hmmm.

 

[rb62]

I would think big one will empty the tank,saves running the pump to empty it.

 

[Lenny HB]

Looks like the drain down for the fresh tank.

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[Tombola]

One will be the boiler.

And if you have 2 on the fresh then The 1st lever you use drains your fresh down to about 20litre and still leaves some in for lower weight higher payload but enough for a brew and toilet stops.

The new one you have found under the van drains your fresh tank completely.

 

[Speve]

It is a stop valve if you turn the arrows in line with the pipe it will open

 

[Clarabucket]

Thanks guys! We’ll have a go at this- its very lucky that no damage appears to have been done despite the only partial drain downs we have been doing, despite the freezing weather.

 

[Clarabucket]

Fully drained now (a lot of water came out!) Makes me wonder if other vans are like this- I’ve always believed the little lever on the blue pipe is the holy grail of draindowns.
Makes total sense as it’s just not the lowest point in the system. Again, thanks to everyone

 

[Deadloss]

Our Benimar has a similar system - it's for "taring". Allows the manufacturer to have some water in the tank for the MIRO calculation - I think it's 30 litres in ours. Ours has a flange which allows you to push the pipe in (draining it down then leaves 30 litres in the tank because the pipe sticks up above the base of the tank), or pull it out (draining down then empties the tank).

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[therealvicz]

It’s the main water tank drain. On a new van it comes with a stopper which is a devil to get off and on, so most owners replace it with an inline tap like the one you have here.

 

[Clarabucket]

Aahhh! It’s all becoming clear! I have subsequently found a Chausson manual online which rambles on confusingly about pushing something in in that area, which didn’t match what I had. Thanks for the very likely explanation. My goodness. This forum is worth every penny.

 

[Tombola]

Aahhh! It’s all becoming clear! I have subsequently found a Chausson manual online which rambles on confusingly about pushing something in in that area, which didn’t match what I had. Thanks for the very likely explanation. My goodness. This forum is worth every penny.

That could be the first protection mechanism