Water pump question

ipso_facto · 12-03-2003, 01:42 AM

In the process of winterizing, I wanted to drain my fresh water tank. I turned on the faucets and some water came out, but relatively little -- I knew I put a lot more water in there than that. Then, nothing was coming out of them at all.

Tonight I opened the drain for the fresh water tank, and a lot of water came out - it was flowing for at least 10 minutes.

Question is, why did so little water came out via the faucets while I had what seemed like 30 gallons in the fresh water tank? Is this normal? I am not connected to shore power at all. Could it be that my batteries are discharged and I don't have enough juice to pump the water from the fresh water tank? Or could it be the water pump lost prime for some reason?

I winterized the unit after a few nights of 27-28F, could it be a pipe/valve burst somewhere and that's why the water pump lost prime and not pumping? But then why did it pump initially? I didn't see any obvious leaks under the sinks, and under the microwave cabinet, where my 2 drain valves are for hot/cold lines.

thenewkid64 · 12-03-2003, 06:46 AM

Is the trailer level?

The water pickup is just a fitting on the lower side of the tank. Or your in line filter that screens out debris (plastic bulb looking thingy by the pump) could be cracked or the seal is bad not allowing the pump to pull a full prime. This could be the result of some mild freezing.

JimC · 12-03-2003, 09:40 AM

It sounds like you have a bigger problem than draining the tank. Your pump wasn't getting water to the faucet. Unless you had an ice blockege, you have a problem that is not just a winterizing problem.

Was the pump running? Hope that you had enough ice slush in the lines to impede flow and not crack water lines. You will find the answer in the Spring. Good luck.

Jim

dscluchfc · 12-03-2003, 10:08 AM

My pump got to where it would sort of lose prime....turned out to be that the filter screen had broken solid seal for some reason. I dismantled the screen housing and cleaned it all up, and reinstalled the screen. Now it pumps fine.
However, if you have a cracked pipe or joint someplace due to freezing, this too could cause your problem.
Ipso, I still think it would be money well spent for an RV Dealer to walk you through a winterizing process.
Also, if you already have a broken line someplace, dealers are usually much less busy in the off season and more reasonable in their rates.
If you have a problem, it would be better to have it fixed now, than to need your trailer next weekend and have a 3 week line in front of you at a dealer for repairs because Memorial Day is coming.
Just my 2 cents....

ipso_facto · 12-03-2003, 12:01 PM

>> Is the trailer level?

No, it is not. Does that have an impact on the pump?

dscluchfc · 12-03-2003, 12:42 PM

The trailer being level only has a bearing on the pump if the intake for the pump is above the waterline in the freshwater tank.
i.e....if your pump is sucking air because tihe intake is out of the water...you don't pump water.
Also, if your intake has a leak...broken seal on the screen, cracked line then you can have a problem creating suction...
Nick a hole in a drinking straw above the soft drink level and try sucking up your drink....you will get not much drink if any and lots of air.

ipso_facto · 12-03-2003, 06:02 PM

I got the unit a lot more level, and also connected it to the shore power, thinking there was something wrong with the batteries.I also put 4 gallons of RV antifreeze - the pink stuff in the fresh water tank, meaning to pump it through the faucets as the simplest solution.

Not working. The water pump is under the closet, I removed the floor, watched it as it run, got a bit warm but nothing came out from the faucets. Actually very few drops of pure water did come out but that's all. And air.

What are the typical things to check when this happens? And where are they located? It is like it is not priming. I have no problems with water from the main inlet. ("city water"). It has been like that for a couple of months now, well before the cold weather.

j54mark · 12-03-2003, 06:11 PM

The posters above have pretty well covered the possibilities:
1) bad diaphram - inside the pump housing. Replacement parts available.
2) Sucking air - usually from the filter housing - should be immediately adjacent to the pump itself. Housing may be cracked, or the clear cover may not be seated completely in the base.
3) Pump motor bad. Just replace it. If you will usually have city water, buy another Sureflow just like it - maybe $60. If you will be using it a lot, look at the variable speed pumps from Aquajet, Sureflow, and Flojet. $150, plus or minus $30 depending upon model. If you go that route, make sure your 12v supply wiring can support the amperage draw of the higher capacity units.

Mark

dscluchfc · 12-03-2003, 06:12 PM

Your pump is not getting suction.
Coule be bad diaphram in the pump....could be a leak in the intake line.
Could be a leak in the screen housing not being sealed up tight.
You might disconnect the intake line coming from the fresh water tank to the water pump either before the filter screen or after the filter screen, and then stick the intake line directly into a gallon jug of RV antifreeze. You may have to get some hose and tie directly onto the intake side of the water pump to do this. If the pump sucks up the antifreeze then the pump is fine and you aren't getting suction someplace prior to the disconnect. If the pump does not suck up the pink stuff, then your problem is the pump.
If this fails, quick, hook up to the trailer and move it to Florida as this is a very effective method of winterizing

overlander76 · 12-03-2003, 07:16 PM

Pull the suction hose from your pump and put it in the jug of pink stuff and see if it sucks it out of the jug. If it does then you know what direction to go in. If it doesn't then you know the pump is bad.

Brian

ipso_facto · 12-04-2003, 01:01 AM

Sounds like a good method to narrow down the problem to the water pump or else exclude it.

I don't know which line is the "in" line and which is "out". I did see the little filter-like looking thing right next to the pump. What is that?

And, where is "screen housing" and "filter screen"?

j54mark · 12-04-2003, 07:17 AM

"I did see the little filter-like looking thing right next to the pump. What is that?"

That would be, uh, the filter. The filter element is a fine mesh screen, visible through the clear plastic top. It is located on the suction (inlet) side.

Mark

dinoburb · 12-04-2003, 01:12 PM

Greetings

It seems that H2O problems never dry up(ouch!).

When I tried the system pump of my trailer after getting it home for the first time the pump turned on and ran ... and ran ... and ran. No H2O to the system. Discovered the water filter/strainer for the water entering the pump was cracked causing the pump to run on as it couldn't develop a vacuum to draw the water.

Fixed that problem and discovered the pump worked fine except for the cracked bottom cover and side case, both of which leaked severly. This was probably due to poor winterization the year prior to my purchase. This was an estate sale so couldn't talk to PO!

The previous posters have steered you in the right direction. If bypassing the filter allows the pump to draw water you have found the culprit. Boating supply houses have many different filter types and shapes if the original is not available any longer. In my case I have replaced the original pump with a VSD pump which is MUCH quieter and produces the necessary pressure to make trailer living quite pleasant.

. . . now to figure out how to enlarge the shower in my center bath Sovereign!!!

Take care,