Hooked up water in winter and can't get water pump to pump water

[mrpettit]

i brought out my 2012 FC for New Years. It was winterized.

Hooked up everything I thought but the water pump isn't pumping water. Barely any water comes out when I'm off grid and using fesh water tank. I hear the pump running but am not getting desired results.

I'm new to all of this so what could it be? I relight ended the valves to the water pump with no luck.

[polarlyse]

Check all fittings to make sure they are tight and not sucking any air. You might need to help along getting it to prime if it 's been sitting awhile. If you get the water flowing it should be good after that. If not you might be in for a new pump or a rebuild if you can get the parts.

[twobikes]

This will sound loony. I couldn't get water out of my faucets after dewinterizing. Sound but no flow. I was about to replace faucet innards ....then I took the aerator off the end of the faucet. That was it --TWICE! Tiny drops of water had expanded in that mechanism and jammed it closed. (now I take off both aerators and spray nozzles during winterizing) if I had pumped pink RV anti-freeze through my system, this would not have been a problem.


Follow us at two bikes + an Airstream. http://Airgo.blogspot.com

[AWCHIEF]

If my take has been empty I have to totally fill it to get water flowing. After that it works normally. I guess it gets air in the lines and needs the increased water pressure to get it flowing.

[slpiotro]

I just went through the same sort of issues. I was hooked to city water but no flow in bathroom sink. The pump ran but sound was quieter than normal. After three days finally got good flow to sink and pump started working right. Best as I can tell, it was just a lack of water sealing the pump some how. I will worry about it the rest of the trip, but it is hard to ask someone to fix it when it works: :-)

[Ray Eklund]

Your water line(s) are frozen.

Winterizing is the time while in outdoor storage that the water lines are blown out, the water pump is drained, the hot, grey, black and fresh water tanks are as empty as possible to prevent damage from freezing. Even worse is freezing with water lines under pressure. You could find yourself in a major plumbing project.

From your description, this is the my diagnosis. The water line to your water pump is frozen. Even an icy mush will clog the filters and block the free passage of water from A to B. Your drains have antifreeze to prevent them from freezing for winterizing. I am told you can drink it, so if it is filling your water lines... flush them as it cannot taste that good.

Are you in Fort Worth or Anchorage? A bit of missing details.

Open the lower cabinets where the water pump and any water lines are. Run the furnace and get air to these areas. If the temperature is anything close to what we are having in Colorado... you are frozen until warm weather arrives.

If in Texas and hit the mid 20's and tomorrow is back into the upper 40's... things will thaw out. I always travel DRY when traveling during the winter months at elevation. We carry a five gallon fresh water container for any cooking needs, dog water, flush the toilet.

Some trailers have systems to heat the fresh water. I have not even checked to see if our 2014 has these options, or if they even do any good.

These are not House Trailers with insulation, hot tape on pipes and have bales of straw around the airspace below the trailer. You are in an Insulated Ice Box with wheels.

Attach the hose to the City Water line and run the water under pressure to your faucets if you are not concerned about water lines freezing up... now or again. If you have NO water... frozen water line. Time will tell, if it warms up.

I could be 100% wrong. That is a double edged sword. Then you have water line and pump problems to be discovered shortly.

I wish you the best, but if you are camped among other trailer owners... they will have the best information for where you are and what to do next!

[dkottum]

A couple of things come to mind.

Are the hot and cold water drain valves under the trailer closed?

Take off the faucet screens and see if water flows, they can clog with mineral when not used and things come loose in the lines.

[mrpettit]

I got it to to work. I filled up the tank 100%, I then hooked up to city water and made sure that worked. The with just the tank again it was flowing ok but not 100% so I tightened the water pump valves even more and it works great.

One more question I may start another thread on - does the propane water heater work better than the electric. I've never used either with the outside temps in the 30s but the water was war but not hot. I had it on electric not propane. Is that a reason it wouldn't be hot?

[garympeck]

Here is the latest...city water works on streetside but not on curbside, same for water from holding tank. I have hot water in bathroom sink but no water in kitchen sink or shower. Is there a shut off valve that I haven't located?

[Mike9z]

Is your winterizing valve part open?