No water pressure

[Jofus64]

Hi All,

Getting ready to go to NASCAR at Martinsville and in preperation for the trip was making sure everything worked....Well I have no pressure when running off the fresh tank. Not even air. There are no leaks and the pump is running fine. Owners manual states that a low battery could be the problem. Is this true? If not I'll welcome all suggestions as the DW is having a fit about showering. There is not a shut off from the tank to the pump. Acts like its not priming.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Jim Dick]

Joe,

There's a good chance it's not priming. Do you have a winterizing kit on the pump? If the valve is open to the winterizing hose it will cause the same problem.

 

[PJ Stough]

You didnt say what kind of a rig you have, but in our Winnebago motorhome, we have a lever that has to be switched from "water tank fill" back to "city fill" after filling the tank in order for the pump to work properly.

Paul

 

[JayT]

When you turn on the pump do you hear it come on for a little bit then turn off? When you run the water do you hear anything from the pump?

Jay T

 

[Jofus64]

Older camper, 88 Fleetwood Resort. No winterizing kit and no switch from city to fresh supply that I can find.

 

[PJ Stough]

Collapsed or kinked line from the tank to the pump?

Paul

 

[Weewun]

Check your filter screen on the Water Pump, it can get clogged with particles or slime.

The filter screen should be on the input side of the pump.  It could be part of the pump or an external in line filter.  They are generally quite small and are there to prevent debris from the fresh water tank from getting to the pump impeller.

 

[pietandsue]

Hello   Did it work fine before this?Are you 100% sure the water tank has enough water? Can you plug into shore power and try it?Make sure all faucets are closed before turning on pump.Does the kitchen or other faucets have good pressure or is it just the shower head? I'm just asking to get more info so maybe you can get more answers.

 

[Jofus64]

Yes the pump worked fine before this. It is a Surflo Model 200. I had the tank full (30 Gallons) so yes it had plenty of water. Did manage last evening to get the pump unhooked and did see that it has a clear filter on the inlet side that had no visible water in it. So my thinking is either it is stopped up or the inlet hose is stopped up coming from my tank. Will mess with it some more this afternoon and keep you all posted. Thanks and keep the replies coming.

Joe

 

[Spoonsize]

Did you try attaching the pump to an external water supply to see if it would indeed pump water?

Steve

 

[denmarc]

After reading the thread, I am thinking that Jim Dick is on the right track.  Assuming that the line from the FW tank to the inlet side of the pump is intact (not sucking air in the line from age or improper Winterizing), the pump may be just worn out and not priming. 

Assuming that all drains are closed and the pump is working properly, I do seem to remember a problem that could occur on older model RV's.
Check the FW tank vent.  You mentioned that the tank is full.  Maybe the vent is plugged and without air being let into the tank on demand of water, a vacuum is created in the tank preventing the pump from suppling the demand sufficiently.

Just a thought.

 

[Jofus64]

Thanks to all.

After removing the pump yesterday I noticed that I wasnt getting any water out of the FW tank. It still had a little water in it. So on a whim I took a short piece of hose and connected it to the supply line and blew like the big bad wolf. Water started pouring from the tank! Guess a piece of debris had collected down where the supply line hooks to the tank. Hooked pump back up and everything is working wonderfully!

So glad I didnt jump the gun and go purchase a new pump and so glad all of you offered suggestions to what turned out to be nothing but probably a leaf or something found its way into the tank.

Again,
Thanks! I love this place!

Joe

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

In all likelihood there is a piece of plastic lying in the bottom of the tank. When the RV manufacturer drills holes to connect the feed to the pump and the vent line, the plastic plug (hole saw) or spiral shavings (twist drill) sometimes fall into the tank and they don't bother to retrieve them. Eventually they end up causing a clog.

Mine were the spiral shavings and they ended up in the filter screen for the pump. It's just a fine mesh screen in a little plastic housing, but it catches sand and debris.