Water Pump

[1PlasticMan1]

My water pump when on and not being activated by someone turning on the tap will run for about two to three seconds then shut off for two to three minutes, then run again repeating the same cycle again and again.  I have checked all of the connections that I could and all are tight with no leaks.  I have checked the basement and under the coach and can find no evidence of a leak.  I have also turned off the ice maker and water supply to same.  I suspect that there is a leak somewhere. When not using water, we turn off the pump.  Any help you can give me to find the leak would be appreciated.  Thanks.

 

[jubileee]

Toilet? Sounds like very small leak. Could be in pump itself.

 

[Old Blevins]

Since you are seeing no signs of a leak, there's a pretty good chance that the check valve that keeps the water from flowing back into the water tank is failing.  This reduces the pressure in the waterline, and as a result, your pump cycles.  You might consider installing a check valve on the inlet side of your water pump.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

What Old Blevins says...

 

[jubileee]

Since you are seeing no signs of a leak, there's a pretty good chance that the check valve that keeps the water from flowing back into the water tank is failing.  This reduces the pressure in the waterline, and as a result, your pump cycles.  You might consider installing a check valve on the inlet side of your water pump.

If the check valve in the pump is leaking, which is what I meant when I said it might be in the pump itself, then just kit the pump. I kitted a SurFlo (not in rv service, but same as in my mh) last week for just over $13. You can rig up a shut off valve on the suction side of pump, shut the valve off when pump is pressured, (off) if pump still cycles, you have a downstream leak. If it doesn't cycle, the pump needs a kit.

 

[Rene T]

Since you are seeing no signs of a leak, there's a pretty good chance that the check valve that keeps the water from flowing back into the water tank is failing.  This reduces the pressure in the waterline, and as a result, your pump cycles.  You might consider installing a check valve on the inlet side of your water pump.

Or a couple of other  causes could be if you have a tank fill valve which when hooked up to city water and you open this valve, the tank will fill. That valve could be partially open or could be leaking by. Also, Have you checked the check valve at the city water connection? That could be dripping just a bit. 

 

[1PlasticMan1]

Thanks for the feedback.  Will look into the check valve.  Interesting that after I refilled the fresh tank, found that the pump only goes on about every six to seven minutes instead of two to three.  Had the panel that holds the four position switch (Normal, Winterize, City and Fill) replaced last fall by Fleetwood, and the switch is very difficult to turn.  Wondering if I did not have it correctly positioned last time, however, it is still loosing pressure, not as much.  To add insult to injury, my lounge (main) slideout will not function.  Supposed to leave at 11 this am, have reservations in Niagara Falls area for next five days.  Got a RV mechanic to come up on his own time tomorrow to see if he can get them in.  Disconnected the motors, released the brake on the motors and could not get to budge.  Even go a ranger at this NY State park to help to no avail.  No power to the motors, had this happen last spring while in Florida, took it to Fleetwood, they replaced the control board and the control panel.  Getting very frustrated with the quality of this thing.  Many trips to dealer and three trips to Fleetwood.  Another trip ruined by lack of quality.

 

[Rene T]

The correct name for it is a valve not a switch. Now there may be an instance where a valve is electrically operated by a switch but not in your case. I would go back to that valve and cycle it several times then position it in the City position and see what happens.

 

[JudyJB]

You and I messaged back and forth about water pumps a couple of years ago.  I am the lady who has gone through 6 water pumps in a little over five years.  If you remember, what mine does is run fine as long as I use it every day.  If I use city water for a few days and then try to use the water pump and work from my tanks, like when I am driving, it refuses to pump water.  It takes several minutes of dry-running to get it to produce water, and sometimes it has taken an hour. Mine does not do the cycling yours does, but it will run briefly every couple of hours, so I turn it off at night.

I think both of us have a small air leak in the water system somewhere, but I have had mine checked at the factory, and no one can find anything.  In any case, I still have pumps fail about once a year or slightly more often.  I have come up with two ways of living with this problem:  1) I will "exercise" my pump every couple of days, shutting off city water and running pump for an hour or so, and 2) I bought a new water pump from CW in Florida last March and bought their extended three-year warranty.  What this means is that I pay only labor on getting a new water pump installed, which is what I did last month.

Lousy solution, I know, but I will be interested in hearing if you come up with a permanent solution.

Also interesting that we both have Fleetwood motorhomes.

 

[JudyJB]

A tip about the slide.  I had one refuse to close in early May.  It worked intermittently, so at least I got it closed to take it to dealer.

Took them three hours to discover that the problem was a fuse.  BUT, it was not a fuse on the fuse panel, as you might expect.  They had to pull paneling back and crawl underneath the vehicle to discover that there was another fuse, specifically for the slide.  And where in the heck did Fleetwood choose to hide this fuse???????  (And where I might hide cash and my jewelry someday???)

It was underneath my bed in a plywood compartment that was screwed together and contained my converter and the rear furnace!!!  Took five minutes to replace the fuse, but charged me for two hours of labor even though it took two guys almost three hours.  At least next time, I can direct a repair person to the right location. 

 

[1PlasticMan1]

Thanks, Rene & Judy for your comments.  Will flip the "valve" a few times and see if that solves the problem.  Regarding the slide, Judy, my coach has all of the fuses, circuit breakers, etc. in the Battery Control box located in the basement next to the front door steps, according to all the drawings that I have and Fleetwood tech service. 

 

[Larry N.]

my coach has all of the fuses, circuit breakers, etc. in the Battery Control box located in the basement next to the front door steps

Even so, there sometimes is an inline fuse or circuit breaker that is behind a wall, or in some other awkward to find/access location. The 20210 Bounder 33U I had turned out to have one resettable DC circuit breaker behind the wall board next to the stairs -- I had to remove screws and paneling to get to it, and it took a call to Fleetwood support to discover the location.

So the docs may be missing something -- just be prepared, just in case...

 

[1PlasticMan1]

Flipped the valve several times with no luck, and had the mechanic who came out to help with the slide problem look at it.  His feeing is that the valve is failing and should be replaced.  Good news is that one of the wires in the connector in back of the Slide Out control panel was loose.  He put it back in and wala! the slide worked.  Feels that the control panel may be failing so keep an eye on it and possibly get a spare.  Unfortunately, traveling, so can't order and weekend, RV shops are closed til Monday.  Life is good, now we can move on to he next NY State Park which seem to be great!

 

[Rene T]

Flipped the valve several times with no luck, and had the mechanic who came out to help with the slide problem look at it.  His feeing is that the valve is failing and should be replaced.  Good news is that one of the wires in the connector in back of the Slide Out control panel was loose.  He put it back in and wala! the slide worked.  Feels that the control panel may be failing so keep an eye on it and possibly get a spare.  Unfortunately, traveling, so can't order and weekend, RV shops are closed til Monday.  Life is good, now we can move on to he next NY State Park which seem to be great!

Please let us know when you fix the pump problem and what the solution was.

 

[JudyJB]

I thought all the fuses were located in the fuse box also, but not true.  And the mechanic said this fuse was not identified on the drawings.  All I know was that the mechanics said there was often another fuse and found it.  I had already checked all the fuses in the panel.  Cost of fuse was a couple of dollars, but labor to find it was expensive.  I don't know if it was an inline circuit breaker or what, but they called it a fuse and it fixed it.

Anyway, glad he found the loose wire.

 

[1PlasticMan1]

Life is not good again.  Moved to new campground on Sunday, set up, and all was good.  Today, decided to go to another site we liked better, and was unable to get lounge/galley slide out in.  Bedroom went in with no problem.  Pulled the motor control panel and checked that wires were properly secured.  They were.  Tried several things to no avail.  Tried to get a service tech, no luck for weeks.  Activated my Good Sam Roadside assistance, and they can be here in an hour and one half at the most.  Decided since we were here, that we would see the sights, and go home on Thursday instead of continuing on.  This is the fourth trip that Fleetwood has ruined due to poor quality.  Not interested in going to Indiana for the fourth time.  Anyone know of a good lemon lawyer?  Also, valve for water is getting worse.  Can only have pump on when using water.

 

[Danny Pyle]

My water pump when on and not being activated by someone turning on the tap will run for about two to three seconds then shut off for two to three minutes, then run again repeating the same cycle again and again.  I have checked all of the connections that I could and all are tight with no leaks.  I have checked the basement and under the coach and can find no evidence of a leak.  I have also turned off the ice maker and water supply to same.  I suspect that there is a leak somewhere. When not using water, we turn off the pump.  Any help you can give me to find the leak would be appreciated.  Thanks.

If your pump is an Artis pump there is a pressure switch adjustment on the back of the pump covered by a sticker. It takes a 2mm Allen wrench to adjust it. Tech said to just turn it in quarter turn increments. Mine wasn't shutting off after pressurizing and overheated.

 

[1PlasticMan1]

Thanks, but not an Artis.

 

[JudyJB]

Have you tried calling Shur-Flo?  Customer service technician asked me to send them one of my old pumps, but I still think it was Fleetwood.  I have been happy with everything else they have repaired on my RV, but that pump is still not fixed, but my problem is a lot less serious than yours.

 

[1PlasticMan1]

Haven't tried calling Sure-Flo, but thanks for the suggestion.  Will do.  Pretty sure it is the valve. Very difficult to turn.