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Old 03-08-2016, 02:09 PM   #1
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Pump runs but Starving for Water

I am in need of assistance with my fresh water supply when using the pump on our 2012 25FB. The city water flow is fine.

You can hear the pump running, however, it does not seem to be able to pull the water from the tank. As a result the water only comes out in spurts and then stops. Also the pump does not shut off when the faucets are closed.

I also noticed two other things. First one of the two drains on the bottom of the pan handle broke off however no water is coming out of it so I am assuming it is closed. Also there appears there might be a leak in the pan near the front corner on the side with the door but not sure. Any suggestions and or ideas as to a solution is greatly appreciated.
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Old 03-08-2016, 02:18 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by urnmor View Post
I also noticed two other things. First one of the two drains on the bottom of the pan handle broke off however no water is coming out of it so I am assuming it is closed. Also there appears there might be a leak in the pan near the front corner on the side with the door but not sure.
No water coming out could just mean the tank's empty, not necessarily that the valve is closed and the tank is full.

First rule of troubleshooting, check the easy things first. The easiest thing of all to check is, "Is there water in your fresh tank?" Try filling it just to be sure. If it's actually empty, filling it will let you find any leaks. If it's not empty and not leaking, you've eliminated one possible cause of the symptoms you've described.

Besides, if the pump needs to prime itself, it will always self-prime more easily from a full tank than a partially-full one, because the pump doesn't have to lift the water as high. So it's best to make sure the fresh tank is brim-full before priming the pump.
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Old 03-08-2016, 02:34 PM   #3
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I should had mentioned that the tank was full.
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Old 03-08-2016, 06:00 PM   #4
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you might be sucking air on the input side of the pump.
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Old 03-09-2016, 05:40 AM   #5
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How do I find out if it is sucking in air on the input side?
Thanks
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Old 03-09-2016, 05:53 AM   #6
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Ditto to all. Any chance you filled the tank, but have a leak and it is empty again? Per Protagonist's suggestion, try topping the tank off again.

Check connections at pump. When you turn it on, make sure a faucet is open so the pump can get its prime moving out the discharge line.
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Old 03-09-2016, 06:05 AM   #7
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I did have a full tank however as there may have been an airlock I drained it last night and will refill this morning and try again. This time i will open all faucets before I turn the pump on again.
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Old 03-09-2016, 06:30 AM   #8
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Check for a leak in the fresh water tank. Fill it to the top, wait a few days and try to fill it again. If your tank takes any more water, you may have a fresh water tank leak.

The reason I feel this is importune, I have a 2013 25' flying cloud. The connection from the fresh water tank to the pump has cracked and caused the pump to suck air. I'm in the process of replacing the fresh water tank due to this connection failure.
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Old 03-09-2016, 06:34 AM   #9
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Are u doing the repair yourself or is a dealership doing it? Just asking inase i need to have it done.
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Old 03-09-2016, 07:40 AM   #10
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screens/strainers

I had this issue or at least very similiar. However, it was due to the little screens/strainers out of the tank being clogged. I have a picture of the device where the screens were.

This discussion: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f163...it-112854.html

While we purchased a new one, when we took the old one off, it was apparent what the issue was.
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Old 03-09-2016, 07:54 AM   #11
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No water plus the probability of a leak near the tank indicates a break in the line where the pump sucks air when it is on and water seeps out when the pump is not on.

A pump not pumping usually means the pump is broken or the valves are blocked with debris, an air lock situation, or a leak in the pump supply line.




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Old 03-09-2016, 08:07 AM   #12
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After gaining access to the top and front side of the tank, I confirmed the leak was coming from the outlet of the tank, going to the pump

I decided to do it myself after checking out a form on the subject

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f443...ng-114716.html

Still in the process, all I can say is it is a labor of love

An airstream dealer can do the job, but bring your wallet.
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Old 03-09-2016, 09:10 AM   #13
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My thanks to all of the responses. Today I refilled the tank open all of the spigots and turned on the pump. The only spigot that appeared to be getting a weak but consistent pressure was the outside shower. The others were getting some water but not a steady stream. Even when I had only the sink's faucets on there was water but again intermittent. It looks like I will need to check the filters and the input connection to make sure they are cleaned and/or not pinched.

Again any other ideas are greatly appreciated.
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Old 03-09-2016, 09:56 AM   #14
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You might be pulling a vacuum, with a small vent to release flow intermittedly (sp).
Try opening the exterior fill cap for fresh water tank, then run the pump.
There is a vent hose that runs along side of the fresh water inlet hose to vent the tank as it fills. That small screened circle at your water door/fill cap.
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Old 03-09-2016, 10:02 AM   #15
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was the trailer winterized? on my trailer the input line of the water pump is disconnected to feed antifreeze into the system. my strainer is located there too. my strainer cover threads on and needed tightening. check those connections.

you can run the pump with your finger over the input and check for suction.
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Old 03-09-2016, 10:31 AM   #16
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Apologies in advance, as this will sound really dumb, but did you remember to switch the input valve the last time you disconnected from city water?
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Old 03-09-2016, 11:32 AM   #17
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There is a sediment filter between the fresh water tank and the pump. Verify that the filter is clear, clean,and not leaking. I have a 69. The two valves control the fresh water drain, the other allows you to refill the fresh water tank from the city water line. Make sure you understand how these valves work prior to trying again
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Old 03-09-2016, 12:10 PM   #18
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I disconnected input line to the pump. I hooked up the hose I use to winterize the lines to a bucket of water and the pump worked fine. I also checked the filter and it was clear. My next stepis to reattach the input line and try again.
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Old 03-09-2016, 12:43 PM   #19
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I am at a loss. I reconnected the input line and started the pump. It still sounds like it is trying to suck in air. Could I have a hairline crack in the filter? Is there a value that might not be all the way closed? Could I by past the filter and see if that works. As you can see my frustration is growing.

Again thanks for any assistance or suggestions
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Old 03-09-2016, 01:09 PM   #20
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Pump runs but Starving for Water

Sounds like you have some sort of blockage between the tank and the pump. My Caravel did what you are experiencing. There was an iron elbow in the line which had rusted inside and plugged itself. I replaced it with an ABS elbow. Problem solved,,,,,forever.


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