Noisy Water Pump

[TayaraTravel]

From time to time our AI-GT 2017 water pump becomes MUCH noisier than normal. After a few uses, it generally returns to normal.

We are on a trip now, and it is making a loud racket. The overall tone is similar to normal, but much louder and somewhat rougher. (All this is without hooking up to city water). We are at high altitude (9000 ft) in Colorado. Also, water pressure seems somewhat less than normal, and the temp of hot water (after allowing a few minutes of heating on electric) is somewhat less,

Is this a common problem?

[Tronadora]

Mine does this from time to time... ALWAYS after I drain the fresh tank and/or the hot water tank... and SOMETIMES when I switch from pump to city water and back again.

Air gets into the line and causes the loud noise. Now every time I switch to city water, I first flush the toilet for about 5-10 seconds to let air expel, then do the same with both faucets. Pump stays happy.

If you get the noise happening for a long time, don't worry, just keep the faucets open for as long as it takes to let the pump get happy again. If you keep shutting the faucets off, it will seem to take forever to get it back normal again.

[TayaraTravel]

Thanks. I was worried something was stuck in the pump. Or that I needed to clean the filters.

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by Tronadora

Air gets into the line and causes the loud noise. Now every time I switch to city water, I first flush the toilet for about 5-10 seconds to let air expel, then do the same with both faucets. Pump stays happy.

Hook up your hose to the park pedestal, open the tap and fill the hose with water, close the tap, attach the hose to the coach, keeping the end of the hose above the inlet so that no air enters the hose.

Guess what? No air in the system. No need to purge the system and fill the waste water tanks unnecessarily.

I have been doing this for years and never have air hammer.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

Hook up your hose to the park pedestal, open the tap and fill the hose with water, close the tap, attach the hose to the coach, keeping the end of the hose above the inlet so that no air enters the hose.

Guess what? No air in the system. No need to purge the system and fill the waste water tanks unnecessarily.

I have been doing this for years and never have air hammer.

I may not be understanding this - but doesn’t your process here describe using city water? You would only have air hammer from the pump if using the freshwater tank, yes?

Apologies if I’m not seeing this right....

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I may not be understanding this - but doesn’t your process here describe using city water? You would only have air hammer from the pump if using the freshwater tank, yes?

Apologies if I’m not seeing this right....

I have never had air hammer from the fresh water tank in 20 years of Airstreaming; only when hooking up to city water without purging the hose.

You are right, he said without city water. I can't explain that except that any air already in the lines will expand greatly at higher altitudes.

I once took my 26' sailboat up to Lake Dillon to race. My wife had prepared a jar of pancake batter for my breakfast. When I opened the jar at 10,000 foot altitude, myself and the interior of the boat were liberally covered with batter.

[Air99]

Air can also get into the running pump when the fresh tank water is low or from sloshing during transit.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I have never had air hammer from the fresh water tank in 20 years of Airstreaming; only when hooking up to city water without purging the hose.



You are right, he said without city water. I can't explain that except that any air already in the lines will expand greatly at higher altitudes.



I once took my 26' sailboat up to Lake Dillon to race. My wife had prepared a jar of pancake batter for my breakfast. When I opened the jar at 10,000 foot altitude, myself and the interior of the boat were liberally covered with batter.

Thanks - I’ve learned 2 things just now. One of which being that I will never open a jar of pancake batter at extreme elevations. [emoji3]

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by Air99

Air can also get into the running pump when the fresh tank water is low or from sloshing during transit.

Bingo. We first noticed the problem on the road when our fresh tank was low and we had been sloshing vigorously on Colorado CR126 between Pine Junction and Deckers.

Eventually things went back to normal. So mystery solved and one less thing to worry about.

Thanks for all the info, everybody,

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by TayaraTravel

Bingo. We first noticed the problem on the road when our fresh tank was low and we had been sloshing vigorously on Colorado CR126 between Pine Junction and Deckers.

Eventually things went back to normal. So mystery solved and one less thing to worry about.

Thanks for all the info, everybody,

We get a lot of air while driving (and only while driving). Even after I replaced the Flomaster pump during our last trip because we forgot to turn off the pump while on the road and it ran dry for several hours.

Could it be related to my use of "Shark Bite" pex connectors during the galley faucet replacement and low-point drain replacement before our trip?