Water Pump on too often

[Ellel7]

Hello we have a 2016 FC and recently the water pump has been going on every 40 seconds. Water tank is full so why is it going on so often? We have been keeping it off because sound is driving us nuts!
PS.. we have owned it for only 3 months so still very new to well -EVERYTHING!

[DaveMc]

Sounds like the symptoms of a leak in the system. Checking inside cabinets and anywhere the lines run should allow y’all to see most of the possibilities.

[wave man]

I had this going on in my new FC. I’d hear it every few minutes, but then it seemed to decrease in frequency. Almost like things were settling in— and I noticed water continue flowing into the toilet and suspect that’s where the issue is because looking everywhere else revealed nothing.... it’s on my list

[Tim A.]

For us it was no leaks in the system, but a malfunctioning pump. The symptoms are the same for both, unfortunately.

Tim

[AirMiles]

I had the same problem. My dealer didn't (couldn't?) fix it, so I bought and installed an identical replacement pump. The replacement pump was even worse, it would never shut off! So I called the manufacturer. Their tech support explained to me that there are two small allen-head screws that adjust the pressures. See the picture on the manufacturer instructions here: http://shurflo.com/images/files/RV_P...s/911-1024.pdf Technically, its called the By-pass. Here is what the instructions say about the By-pass:

NOTE: By-pass adjustment should only
be performed by a professional technician
with proper gauges and equipment.
The by-pass is a spring loaded diaphragm
that opens up allowing water
from the discharge side back to the inlet
side. The by-pass is set to begin opening
at about 30 psi and creating full by-pass
at about 65 psi. The pressure switch on
the pump is set to shut off at 55 psi. If
the switch or by-pass are adjusted too
much, the by-pass and switch shut-off
can overlap and THE PUMP WILL NOT
SHUT OFF. Screwing the switch screw
in clockwise will raise the shut-off pressure.
Unscrewing the switch screw
counterclockwise will lower the pump
shut-off pressure. Screwing the by-pass
screw in will raise the pressure at which
the by-pass starts and raise the full bypass
pressure. Unscrewing the by-pass
screw counterclockwise will lower the
pressure at which by-pass starts and
lower the full by-pass pressure.
WARNING: If full by-pass is reached
before the shut-off setting, the pump
will not shut off. Full bypass pressure
setting should be at least 10 psi higher
than pump shut off pressure.

I'd bet you are having the same issue if you do not have any leaks. There are two allen-head screws, but I can't recall which one tech support told me to adjust. Give tech support a call to determine which allen-head screw to turn and post their reply on this thread.

[OTRA15]

Post #359 on the 20-footer thread may deal with a similar situation -- click on orange arrow at top of quote to go there and see the photo, or you can open that attachment via the blue link inside the quote below.

A leak in the toilet valve, or somewhere else, might also be a factor IMO. Can you park the AS on pavement and leave the city water on for a couple of days? A leak might be more obvious that way, as you would eventually see water on the pavement. Any low-point drains leaking maybe?

Good luck,

Peter

Originally Posted by OTRA15

On our 2014 FC20, the pressure switch is on the right end of the pump as you see it under the oven, looking toward the curb side of the coach (see recent photo in Post 355 here).

This shot shows my left hand reaching into the pump space, over the 1x4 kick/valance, with the red ballpoint pen pointing to the allen-head adjustment screw (I believe -- see YouTube video link below). This shot is thus looking toward the coach's front:

Attachment 251358

In my opinion this switch should be adjusted ONLY if the pump is cycling on and off during a shower, or something like this. It has nothing to do with reducing the actual noise level of the pump (think decibels). Again, the YouTube video covers this.

Note that he has the pump "upside down" compared to my photo, the red wires will orient you.

[AirstreamInc]

Hi Ellel7,

Please call our customer service and technical support team at*1 (877) 596-6111, option 2 so we can learn more and help.

Thanks.

[VT Wanderer]

Hats off to Airstream, Jackson Center OH for showing willingness to help. I've been seeing this on forums and am impressed that they are concerned about their product.

[KelloggKid]

Originally Posted by VT Wanderer

Hats off to Airstream, Jackson Center OH for showing willingness to help. I've been seeing this on forums and am impressed that they are concerned about their product.

I second that. JC has been a frequent participant on this forum this past year. Says a lot about their desire to provide good customer service.

[Portage to Caravan]

I had this problem in my "14 FC. Make sure your ENTIRE water system is properly flushed through with water, even the outside shower (if equiped). These water pumps can not compress air, which is what turned out to be my issue. Once there was NO air in the lines the pump settled in to normal operation.

It truly is commendable that HQ is watching and answering. Thumbs up to you guys.

[JPSpins]

I solved a similar problem by hand tightening the pump’s plastic filter cap.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Ellel7

Hello we have a 2016 FC and recently the water pump has been going on every 40 seconds. Water tank is full so why is it going on so often? We have been keeping it off because sound is driving us nuts!
PS.. we have owned it for only 3 months so still very new to well -EVERYTHING!

Are you able to see the pump and all its hose connections? Per the last comment, the problem may be a simple as a loose connection which is letting air in someplace, like the filter cap already mentioned, the intake hose from the tank [on either side of the filter], or someplace else.

If you can't see the pump in its actual location, please advise.

Have you ever winterized the trailer yourself? Maybe not in Florida!

Good luck!

Peter

[Ellel7]

Thank you for all the quick responses, I removed drawers in bedroom cabinet but how do I remove the panel below drawer? There is no latch . I can’t find anything online.

We will be calling AS tomorrow!

[Ellel7]

How do I get to water pump? I removed drawers but can’t figure out how to remove the panel under the drawers

[OTRA15]

What length and floor plan is your 2016 Flying Cloud? [You could add this info to the left under your user name, by going to the User Control Panel [under Quick Links above right], so folks can be on the same page.]

This is the 2016 FC Owner's Manual:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...ying-Cloud.pdf

and the floor plans start on p. 4-1. [PDF p. 25/112]

Plumbing starts on p. 5-6 [PDF p. 36/112] with pump locations said to be in the Maintenance Section 8. Pump locations are on p. 8-14. [PDF p. 78/112] Once you ID your length and floor plan, the pump access can be found there.

Also, the search function in the blue box above works great, so if you enter "2016 Flying Cloud [your length and floor plan here]" other threads particular to your pump will be in the search results. Some are easy to get to, and some are not. It depends on your model length and floor plan.



All of this info should also be in your hard copy of the owner's manual which came with the AS.

Peter

[Ellel7]

Well it’s now fixed! Turns out it was leaking from the outside panel! So grateful for all your helpful tips!

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a simple fix!

Peter

[DBinSD]

Glad you got it fixed, what did you end up doing to fix it?

[mythbuster88]

To measure water pressure we used a gauge under the kitchen sink to remove to mystery.