My Aquajet ES gets tired.

[kylerlaird]

Hi, all! I've wanted an Airstream for a long time. I recently bought a 2005 Bunkhouse and I'm preparing to use it. My main concern is the water system. I welcome the group's wisdom...

When the seller showed me the trailer he flicked a faucet on and water ran. I'm fairly sure he had it connected to a pressurized hose, though. (It was dark and raining when I arrived so the pre-buy inspection was brief.)

Now I find that the pump isn't working. I flicked the switch and it ran for a bit and stopped. For testing, I disconnected the outlet hose and let it empty into a bucket. The pump moves almost a gallon, slowing the entire time, and finally stops. If I let it rest for awhile it'll run for a little bit more.

My guess is that my pump motor is overheating. The model number on my pump is 5502-6V15-0668. I ordered the closest replacement I could find on Amazon.
Aquatec 55AQUAJAES Aquajet ES Water Pump : Amazon.com : Automotive
Is this a common problem? Is the pump I ordered it likely to solve the problem or am I barking up the wrong tree? Do I just need to clean/lube/... the pump?

After this I'm going to learn about the water heater, replace the leaky shower head (and valve?), ...

Thank you!

--kyler

[AtomicNo13]

Hi and welcome.
I used to know a kyler Laird years ago!

Pumps rather the diaphragms do get old and seem tired. The OEM pumps are not as nice as most replacements. Also check to ensure there is no intake leak. Lots of opportunity..... the pickup lines the strainer threads and the input coupling too. Odds are your new pump will be great! Use flexible lines pre and post pump to make it virtually silent.
An easy mod is to wire a 12v led to indicate when the pump is running.
Pump should cycle.Avery few seconds when a tap is open.... never other times other than during a prime. Also an accumulator helps smooth thongs out.
I use a Airflow revolution and love it in my 34'

Best wishes and safe travels!

Will

[AtomicNo13]

Darned spellcheck
A thong is a European swimsuit.
And I have a Shurflo revolution pump.....arrgh!

[kylerlaird]

Thanks for the information, Will. I did check for intake leaks, blew out the strainer, etc. It's good to know that the pumps do fail, though. That Shurflo Revolution is a *lot* less expensive than the Aquajet but I'm hoping the Aquajet will just pop into place without having to replace any of the lines.

I read about the pump indicator addition during my research. I'm still trying to figure out why that's such a big deal. I have a feeling I'm going to have a very wet learning experience someday. At this point I'd be delighted to just have a noisy pump!

Tonight it dropped below freezing here in NW Indiana. I haven't winterized but I'm running the heater and I drained the tanks. I just put an electric heater inside the trailer in an attempt to reduce my LP usage. I know that the furnace is ducted to help keep tanks warm. I'm hoping I don't completely circumvent that feature. I might pull the trailer inside tomorrow.

--kyler

[TouringDan]

A new pump should fix your problem. I like ordering stuff from Amazon, but in this case you kinda shot yourself in the foot. Good luck.

Dan

[kylerlaird]

Woohoo! First major project accomplished! I replaced the pump. The new one works beautifully.

The new Aquajet has slightly different holes. But that didn't matter because I had to move it anyway in order to make space for the winterizing bypass kit I added. (Thanks, Tom!) Of course the outlet hose leaked after I got the pump working but a hose clamp solved that.

Next I noticed that the shower head didn't flow for diddly. I replaced it with a 2.0 GPM Oxygenics head like I have in the house. It works beautifully! Well, there is one problem. I'll start another thread for that.

Anyway, thanks for the info guys.

--kyler

[AtomicNo13]

OK.... next issue?
Lets get you all fixed up so you can use this thing...