Water / Pump Issue?

[Dweyant]

Need some help again please.

Due to Covid my wife and I are staying in our 17 FC FB just about full time. We have it setup in our hangar on our retirement property. It is working on great. Lots of projects to work on in between working remotely.

This issue I’m currently having is with the water system. When I use the shore water inlet I am getting water dripping on the concrete underneath the Airstream in a couple places. Not much, just a few drops and it is towards the front street side.

If I use the tank and pump no leaks. However in the last couple of days the pump has started making a stuttering/pulsating noise when I use it. Turning on and off very rapidly. It works and I get water, but it doesn’t sound like it used to. Oh, and no leaks.

Do I need to replace the pump? I have a rebuild kit for the pump, but I don’t think that would do anything? Or these two separate issues, or somehow related?

Thanks for any help.

-Dan

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

When our water pump valve failed, our city line filled the fresh tank and our water came out of the fill port of the fresh tank in addition to numerous places down below. It wasn’t a drip in a few places.

You’re saying the drip only occurred when connected to city water? The drip doesn’t occur when you’re working off of your tank? Is your fresh tank full or filling while connected to city water? Is the drip immediate or does it take time to start up?

Is your pump making funny sounds all the time or just initially? Is your pump constantly running even though no water is on?

Can you post pictures of where the leak is coming from to give an idea of how much water is coming out and from which location?

[BayouBiker]

I agree with BigSxyWhtGuy. It sounds like your pump check valve is leaking. Maybe a bit of trash in it. Empty some water from your fresh tank and with city water on see if there are any drips and see if the tank fills. If it is the check valve in the pump, it is easy to service, though accessing the pump is a pain.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Dweyant

... in the last couple of days the pump has started making a stuttering/pulsating noise when I use it. Turning on and off very rapidly. It works and I get water, but it doesn’t sound like it used to. Oh, and no leaks.

-Dan

The noise your water pump is making may be due to a lack of air space at the top of your hot water tank. That tank acts like an accumulator.

You can restore this air bubble easily. First turn off your water pump, then the heating of the tank (propane or electric). Next try opening the pressure relief valve on the tank (be careful as the water is very hot) and let some of the water escape, then close the valve. Turn on the pump and see if this has helped. If not try draining more water. Some people prefer to open the drain plug at the bottom of the tank to drain down some of the water, but I find that plug is in an awkward spot.

Even when I have access to city water I usually fill my fresh water tank and run from that. This can avoid a huge problem if your water system springs a leak and is under constant pressure from the city water. I turn the pump off after every use.

[Tomhenritze]

I had a similar problem. I was out of the country for 7 months, came back to my 2017 27 and found the filter upstream of the pump had cracked and therefore the pump couldn’t create any pressure. I rarely hook up to city water, but when I did, I had a little water on the concrete directly under the city connection. Looking under the wardrobe where the pump is located, I saw a little dripping coming down the backside of the shower.

I purchased a new filter assembly (maybe $7 for the whole piece) and used just the clear plastic top instead of taking apart the hose connection, and it worked fine. I took apart the city water inlet connection from the outside, tightened the fittings, and it stoped leaking.

Not knowing your layout, I would look inside the rig, under the cabinets where the city water is connected, and see if you have inside leaking that ultimately is what is leaking outside onto the concrete.

[OTRA15]

Adding to the good suggestions so far, first make sure you bleed all of the air out of each and every hot and cold faucet etc., including the exterior shower and toilet.

If your pump has grit in the check valve, per one suggestion, please see recent reply in this similar thread:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f44...ml#post2357320

[not saying that is your problem here]

Good luck,

Peter

[Dweyant]

Thanks for the replies.

Tried the hot water trick, it seems to have helped some, but it is still doing it. Should I drain the hot water tank completely, or even more? I ran the pump, turned it off and opened the over pressure about ten times.

The leak isn’t coming from overfilling the freshwater tank (this time). I had that issue a while ago. When it was leaking yesterday the fresh water tank was at 0% full.

Thanks,

-Dan

[bibbs]

The check valve in the pump makes the most sense, it it is letting the water seep back into the fresh tank , I would try taking apart and inspecting the pump. The other problem, what they said, look on the inside, for clues.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Dweyant

Thanks for the replies.

Tried the hot water trick, it seems to have helped some, but it is still doing it. Should I drain the hot water tank completely, or even more? I ran the pump, turned it off and opened the over pressure about ten times.

The leak isn’t coming from overfilling the freshwater tank (this time). I had that issue a while ago. When it was leaking yesterday the fresh water tank was at 0% full.

Thanks,

-Dan

Also, be sure when letting water out of the hot water tank to be sure and disconnect the city water supply too. Let out lots of water from the relief valve.

If you decide to drain the DHW first isolate it by turning the bypass valve. Drain the tank from the bottom, open the bypass valve to feed the hot water tank and open a hot faucet as the pump runs to fill the DHW tank from the fresh water tank until water comes out of the faucet.

[Dweyant]

Originally Posted by BigSxyWhtGuy

When our water pump valve failed, our city line filled the fresh tank and our water came out of the fill port of the fresh tank in addition to numerous places down below. It wasn’t a drip in a few places.

You’re saying the drip only occurred when connected to city water? The drip doesn’t occur when you’re working off of your tank? Is your fresh tank full or filling while connected to city water? Is the drip immediate or does it take time to start up?

Is your pump making funny sounds all the time or just initially? Is your pump constantly running even though no water is on?

Can you post pictures of where the leak is coming from to give an idea of how much water is coming out and from which location?

The pump is turning on and off very rapidly, at least that it what it sounds like.

When I was hooked up to city water and had the leak the fresh water tank was a 0 percent, so it wasn’t that overflowing.

Tried draining down the hot water tank some last night. That didn’t seem to make a difference.

If I run water at multiple locations at once it sounds more normal, but at only one faucet, etc. it makes the pulsating noise.

Ideas?

Thanks,

-Dan

[guskmg]

The city water inlet can freeze and push the two halves of its check valve, (behind it) apart causing small leak. If you can't stop the leaking by tightening the screws then replace it. They are about $50 and are easy to change.
guskmg

[Dweyant]

Water Leak is back

We have been running off of the water tank, and it seemed fine until tonight when all three of us took back to back to back showers. After the showers I went out to top off the tank and had water in two spots of water under the airstream.

I’ll try to attach a couple of pictures from my phone.

Thanks,

-Dan

[Dweyant]

Here are a couple pictures.

This is the front street side of the AS.

Thanks,

-Dan

[BayouBiker]

From your description of the pump cycling and the leaks, worse on city water where the pressure is likely a bit higher and now even with the pump, a leak in the water tubing seems most likely. The parts manuals shows the piping diagrams. From it perhaps you can locate the leak. Use a level gauge as water runs downhill from the leak, so you might adjust the trailer leveling to help pinpoint the likely location.