Shurflo water pump problem

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
R

rgnprof

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Posts
191
This Shurflo 4008 pump is about 6 years old - had no trouble until this weekend.  We hooked up at a state park Thursday and I connected to park water with my pressure reducer installed as normal.  I noticed sometime yesterday that the freshwater tank was leaking some out the fill spout and that the freshwater tank was full (It should have been maybe 1/4 full).  Decided to shut off the city water and just use the pump - now the pumps runs every 3-4 minutes for a second or 2, at most. 

I know this suggests a leak somewhere and that the pump is having to re-pressure the system periodically...I have changed the city water connection before for a similar problem with an intermittent pump (maybe this pump?? - can't remember for sure but I think it's been within the last 4-5 years).  I'm not sure I understand the entire water flow schematic here to know for sure how my freshwater tank is filling, or if the 2 issues are related (pretty sure they are)...

I really thought I would get more than 7 years out of the pump...

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
ryan
 
Two suggestions. just made in another thread.

Many RV's have a valve on the "Service" or "Driver's" Side that may be called a Quick FIll or City FIll or some such. check the valve to insure it's not been "Nudged"

2nd The pump contains not one but two check valves. they can fail.
 
The fact that the tank was filling from the city supply says that you have a leak in one of two places:

1. The pump internal check valve is leaking, allowing water to back-flow through the pump. They internal valve is not replaceable except with a new pump head, but you can add a check valve on the pump inlet hose if necessary.

2. If you have a city water fill (bypass) that enable filliong the tank from the city inlet, that fill/use valve may be leaking, allowing water to bypass the pump and flow into the tank. That leak also allows the water to recircultae back into the tank when the pump is in use.
 
Thanks for the replies...

I?m thinking it?s the check valve in the pump itself, I don?t think I have what Gary talks about in his 2nd possibility.  I think the only way to fill my freshwater tank is through the gravity fill valve.  At least that?s the only way I?ve ever filled it using a hose.

I?m a little disappointed that this pump only lasted 5+ years...maybe that?s to be expected.
 
If I wanted to install a check valve could someone provide some specifics?
 
Try a local hardware store like Ace or True Value and see if they have a 1/2" NPT check valve on hand, preferably brass or plastic. It may take some adapters, but with female threads on one end of the check valve and male on the other, you can just disconnect one of the lines at the pump, connect the check valve, and reconnect the original pipe. Make sure which ever side of the pump you put it on that the arrow points towards the pump on the inlet side, or away from the pump on the outlet side. Just put it on the side that's easiest to access. Another option is a quick-connect check valve from Sea Tech, Watts, SharkBite, etc., that only requires cutting the pipe and pushing on the fitting. Ace, etc, may have those as well as the big box stores like Home Depot.

https://www.freshwatersystems.com/products/seatech-check-valve-1-2-cts-5-8-od

As for pump longevity of the check valve, I've had pumps fail like that right out of the box, probably from some pipe scale or debris that was dislodged during installation. Disassembling the pump head and carefully cleaning it fixed it with minimal effort...
 
I had that problem where the city water ran back through the check valve in the water pump head and filed the fresh water tank to overflowing.  What worked for me is I turned the city water off, opened a faucet and bled the pressure off and then turned on the pump and opened and closed the faucet several times.  I then turned the pump off and opened a faucet and again bled the pressure down.  Then I turned the city water back on.  That was a couple of years ago and I never had the problem again.  Did I need to do all that...I don't know...but that is what I did and that is what worked.

 
I found the sharkbite check valves, but I'm having trouble finding a thread connection one...will anything labeled 'check valve' work?  Sorry if I'm being a bit dense here...but some of these valves are expensive - thinking for $45 (Flojet) or $75 (Shurflo 4008) I might as well just replace the pump.

 
rgnprof said:
This Shurflo 4008 pump is about 6 years old - had no trouble until this weekend.  We hooked up at a state park Thursday and I connected to park water with my pressure reducer installed as normal.  I noticed sometime yesterday that the freshwater tank was leaking some out the fill spout and that the freshwater tank was full (It should have been maybe 1/4 full).  Decided to shut off the city water and just use the pump - now the pumps runs every 3-4 minutes for a second or 2, at most. 

I know this suggests a leak somewhere and that the pump is having to re-pressure the system periodically...I have changed the city water connection before for a similar problem with an intermittent pump (maybe this pump?? - can't remember for sure but I think it's been within the last 4-5 years).  I'm not sure I understand the entire water flow schematic here to know for sure how my freshwater tank is filling, or if the 2 issues are related (pretty sure they are)...

I really thought I would get more than 7 years out of the pump...

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
ryan
Click to expand...
ryan
Methinks the check valve in the pump head has failed, (and is leaking internally).
https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-41237-94-237-00-check-valve-kit-for-shurflo-pump.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6rXeBRD3ARIsAD9ni9Bwi8Kih8-gBh8AnBhTsRx5u_bx1y6RGfK_nXIaDsgBUC2i1FYCww0aAo1gEALw_wcB
[/quote]
 
Thanks Mel for the link - not the part for my 4008 pump but I found the right check valve and decided to order one.  We'll see if that fixes things...looks really easy to swap this part out as well...didn't know if it was a replaceable part...



 
I had the very  same problem.  Turned out to be the check valve in the water pump.  I emailed Shurflo and they sent me a check valve kit for free even though my pump was out of warranty.  The repairs are simple.  My tank no longer fills and leaks out the overflow when I'm connected to city water.

Safe travels. JD
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,356 (members: 30, guests: 1,326)

Forum statistics

Threads
133,367
Posts
1,409,188
Members
138,921
Latest member
jacoppo
Back
Top Bottom