Whale Inlet Socket – With Integrated Pressure

The operation of the solenoid is controlled by a float valve in the fresh water tank so as the tank approaches being full, the flow will slow down then stop but if the tank is empty and the filter clear you get a reasonable flow for a small bore pipe.

The system is designed that way so you can leave the van permanently connected to a mains water tap and the van will auto-fill. Many users also like it because when they are filling the van with water they can just walk away and forget about it in the knowledge that when the tank is full the solenoid will close.

I've removed the gauze filter and replaced the solenoid valve with a short piece of pipe to increase the flow.  I found that the pressure switch sometimes resulted in the solenoid and external whale pump pulsing on and off.  I do still have a float valve which cuts the 12v supply to the whale inlet socket and therefore the external whale pump when the fresh water tank is full.  However, the fresh water tank will overflow if I connect a hose to the inlet socket just as it does if I feed the hose into the gravity water filler but I don't regard this as a problem.  I've made a small plug which fits into the whale inlet socket to stop wee beasties getting into the fresh water tank when the whale inlet plug isn't connected.

Johnuready wrote:Thanks for all your help. Today I went back to basics and tried filling from the mains pressure into the whale water master fitting. 

Now, please remember I have a Autosleeper 2011 Broadway and I was told my unit was not fitted with a float switch by Autosleeper.

With power disconnected to the whale watermaster inlet and the solenoid disconnected the water went into the tank swiftly. When I used a bench power supply to put 12v on the solenoid the water stopped. The solenoid pulled .75Amp. 

I have seen that others have said that their solenoid valve is normally open as well.

Perhaps I do have a modified filler pre the float switch and the pressure of the water activates the solenoid that is permanently activated on my setup if the tank gets a full from the whale water master.

Tomorrow I will call the UK imported of the solenoid valve to see if they sold a Normally Open unit.

On my 2019 model an 'autofill' button has to be pressed first on the EC700 Control Panel.  If it is not pressed no power will go to the Whale inlet socket and thus the external pump or the solenoid which will remain shut.  When the autofill button is pressed, power goes to the Whale inlet socket which powers the external pump.  The water pressure generated by the pump activates the pressure switch in the Whale inlet socket which allows power to go to the solenoid which opens the valve allowing water to flow into the tank.  The same happens with mains water pressure.  So if the autofill button isn't pressed or if there is no water pressure at the Whale inlet socket, no power goes to the solenoid valve which remains shut.  As I explained earlier, I have removed the solenoid and its valve which makes the pressure switch in the Whale inlet socket redundant.  So any water pressure at the inlet socket will result in water flowing into the tank with the minimum of resistance.

Your solenoid valve's blocked filter, which is a common problem, would have been a reason for slow flow.  I think it's likely that your solenoid valve is supposed to work as the current ones do.  When power is going to the solenoid it opens the valve and keeps it open.  This would be why your solenoid was warm whilst filling the tank.  When no power is going to the solenoid the valve is shut so no flow.  That said, it's possible that some debris has found its way past the filter into the valve which is stopping the valve from closing fully or opening fully.  The pressure switch can also be accessed by unscrewing the plate on the outside of the Whale inlet socket to check there is no debris there.  The pressure switch has a nylon adjustment screw on the inside face of the inlet socket which needs to be fully out.  It can be removed altogether so that the switch closes at the lowest pressure to energise the solenoid.  I don't think this would be responsible for low flow unless the solenoid is pulsing on and off which it will do if the water pressure is too low or the pressure switch set too high.