Whale Gulper sump pump

Hi, We purchased a 2010 Nuevo II EL (6,000 miles on odometer) and set off for six months in Europe. We discovered waste washing up water coming up through the shower floor outlets. I climbed underneath the vehicle and found both the sink and shower waste collects in a sump under the shower. This drains via a pipe through a Whale Gulper pump to the main grey water waste tank. I realised that either the pump itself or its triggering mechanism was not working. Anyway I disconnected the pipe to Whale Gulper pump and successfully drained the sump.

We have continued on our way using only camp site washing up and showering fascilities, and have coped this way for two months. Then a week ago a moaning sound started under the vehicle and I found the Whale pump had started spontaneously. I could only switch it off by switching off the "Pump/s ON/OFF" at the control panel by the door, but this means the taps and loo flush pumps are also switched off. Now, to obtain water from the tap or flush the loo, we switch on the "Pump/s ON/OFF" and the sump pump gets going.

My question is, does this mean everything is now working as it should, or has the trigger mechanism for the sump pump now become stuck in the on position, as I'm inclined to believe? If the latter is the case have you any suggestions to fix the problem?

Thanks a heap for your help, Adrian

Not many vans have this arrangement and I haven't had my hands on one. I do believe though that there is a float operated switch in the sump tank that should control the gulper pump when the main pump switch is on.

Switching the main van pump off should not affect the toilet flush pump.

Peter #1

Thanks for your advice Peter, sounds like we're in the same wavelength. Will make arrangements to get it serviced from Autosleeper when we return to UK mid August. 

My feeling is that Autosleepers discontinued the design because of this problem. We met smeone with a 2012 model and their waste pipes drained directly into the waste tank.

Regards Adrian

We have a 2011 Nuevo II EK and both waste pipes drain directly to the waste tank. Perhaps you can get A/S to change yours so it does the same. Hope you manage OK till you return home.

Hi there,

The Whale sump system was common on many boats and as you have surmised it commonly operated on a float switch.

The most common reason for the float switch to stop working was either fat from the sink or hair from the shower jamming it in the "On" or the "Off" position.  (Take your pick, apparently it was equally unreliable!)

There is a more reliable system that uses displaced air (it's like an upside down bell with a tube coming out of the top) to operate a pressure switch that "Starts/Stops" the pump but I've only ever seen that system on a bilge pump.

Another possible cause of failure is when fat from the sink and hair from the shower combine to produce a product that is beyond the capabilities of the pump itself so, f possible, I would recommend that the system be modified to by-pass the pump/float-switch combination.

If this isn't possible then I suggest that you fit strainers to the relevant drains and then rigorously control whatever goes down the drains to the sump.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

This system was designed for vans with end lounges that had the bathroom on the opposite side to the kitchen and waste tank to improve drainage from the shower. I had an early Wilton without the sump and the van had to be dead level for the shower to drain to the other side of the van. The system was introduced for later Wilton's and then the end lounge Nuevo.

The AS service centre is the best place to have it checked out.

Peter #1

Peter Brown wrote:Not many vans have this arrangement and I haven't had my hands on one.  I do believe though that there is a float operated switch in the sump tank that should control the gulper pump when the main pump switch is on.

Switching the main van pump off should not affect the toilet flush pump.

Peter #1

If the  pump switch on the panel is off, when travelling for instance and then stop, toilet will not flush have to switch pump switch on which is on the side of the wardrobe , are you saying Peter this should not happen. ?

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

daisy mae wrote:
If the  pump switch on the panel is off, when travelling for instance and then stop, toilet will not flush have to switch pump switch on which is on the side of the wardrobe , are you saying Peter this should not happen. ?

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

Yours is a completely different electrical system. When you start the engine a relay disconnects the habitation circuits from the leisure battery and when the engine stops it reconnects them so you don't have to switch off the habitation circuits when travelling. On your van (and from memory so may be wrong) I think the main water pump is on the second switch from the left on the top row and the toilet flush on the left hand switch on the bottom row.

Peter #1

Thanks Peter for clearing that up,