Water pump ticking

by Apple Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:58 pm

On my first trip with new (to me) 2013 Broadway. Water taps work fine with good pressure but for no apparent reason the pump chatters/ticks intermittently and randomly for 5 to 10 seconds when the taps are not being used ie middle of the night ! Would welcome any tips on why this is happening or solutions. As said the functionality of the hot and cold taps is not affected I’ve als checked for leaks with none apparent

by Tinwheeler Tue Aug 23, 2022 10:23 pm

It’s a slight leak which might be no more than one of the taps/shower not being securely turned off.

by Caraman Tue Aug 23, 2022 10:28 pm

You have a pressurised water system. When the water pressure drops, usually because a tap is opened, a pressure switch detects this and turns on the water pump. As soon as the pressure is restored, usually because the tap is closed, the pressure switch turns off the pump. There are two things that can cause the pressure to drop and the pump to come on intermittently without a tap been opened. One is a leak which for the time being you have discounted. The other is if the hot water cools and therefore contracts which in my experience the Whale submersible system is very prone to and was a major reason why I replaced it with a Shurflo diaphragm pump. Back to the leak. It could be that the non-return valve (NRV) which forms part of the Whale pressure switch is not sealing properly and therefore allowing water to leak back into the freshwater tank. Try dismantling and cleaning the NRV.

by Apple Tue Aug 23, 2022 10:33 pm

Tinwheeler wrote:It’s a slight leak which might be no more than one of the taps/shower not being securely turned off.

Thanks Timwheeler, I’ll recheck all this agin in the morning.. 72nd birthday today so currently a bit the worse for wear following a few Tamnavulins

Many thanks

up!

by Apple Tue Aug 23, 2022 10:39 pm

Caraman wrote:You have a pressurised water system. When the water pressure drops, usually because a tap is opened, a pressure switch detects this and turns on the water pump. As soon as the pressure is restored, usually because the tap is closed, the pressure switch turns off the pump. There are two things that can cause the pressure to drop and the pump to come on intermittently without a tap been opened. One is a leak which for the time being you have discounted. The other is if the hot water cools and therefore contracts which in my experience the Whale submersible system is very prone to and was a major reason why I replaced it with a Shurflo diaphragm pump. Back to the leak. It could be that the non-return valve (NRV) which forms part of the Whale pressure switch is not sealing properly and therefore allowing water to leak back into the freshwater tank. Try dismantling and cleaning the NRV.

Many thanks Caraman I’ll have a go in the morning

Thanks again

up!

by Askit Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:48 am

Apple, sorry about your head, been there, done that, saving up for the tee shirt snigger

Our Neuvo has done that ever since we got it, and still does. As I understand it, the noise is the system dealing with changes in the outside temperature. We tend to get it more often during the late evening. Some advocate turning off the pump during the night, which should eliminate the issue during those hours if you find it an irritation.

by IanH Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:24 am

Just switch off the pump overnight, seems simple to me???
I assume the Broadway has a pump switch?

by Caraman Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:41 am

IanH wrote:Just switch off the pump overnight, seems simple to me???
I assume the Broadway has a pump switch?

The problem with that is that is that you can't wash your hands if you go for a pee in the night or flush the toilet. OK you could switch the pump back on for that and then switch it off again but each time that floods the van with light from the EC700 CP. I also found that when I switched the pump off at night, which I had to do so we could sleep properly, the system often depressurised such that water found its way back into the fresh water tank past the pressure switch NRV. After 4 months of replacement taps, Truma drain valves, NRVs, pumps and pressure switches, we got so fed up with the system we had it replaced with a Shurflo and haven't looked back since. The only time we turn the Shurflo off is when we leave the van - if we remember!

by Peter Brown Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:24 am

2013 was during a changeover period from diaphragm (mine is Flojet) to Whale so could be either.

by Apple Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:36 am

IanH wrote:Just switch off the pump overnight, seems simple to me???
I assume the Broadway has a pump switch?

Thanks, seems the logical solution

up!

by Peter Brown Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:38 am

IF you do have a diaphragm pump it will be an air leak in the pump or plumbing so does need investigating - If a Whale do as Ian suggests.

by inspiredron Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:29 pm

Peter Brown wrote:2013 was during a changeover period from diaphragm (mine is Flojet) to Whale so could be either.

My 2012 was a Whale submersible.

by Guest Thu Sep 08, 2022 7:58 pm

I have a Kingham 2021 with this problem the pumps starts/stops when I am trying to sleep. If I don't find any leaks I assume the Surflo pump will cure the problem but where is the whale pump and how do I swap it for the Surflo ?

by Bilbobaggins Thu Sep 08, 2022 8:12 pm

The whale pump is in the fresh water tank and can be left there when Shurflo is fitted. If you search for Shurflo in the search box you will find several threads on this, there are also instructions in the factsheets section.

If you have joined ASOC they have a worksheet giving details.

by Paulmold Thu Sep 08, 2022 8:13 pm

Your pump will be a submersible in the tank. There are instructions on how to convert in the Factsheets section (home page about halfway down).

by Guest Thu Sep 08, 2022 9:07 pm

Thanks just looked at them, I get the gist and suspect my Kingham isn't far different just a case of locating everything.

by Relaxez-Vous Sun Sep 11, 2022 2:41 pm

Unexplained water pump activation cane be cause by unseen water leaks but I suspect most are cause by backflow through a leaking valve as the pump ages. I like several ASOF members have fitted a water accumulator, in our Duetto and more recently in our Kemerton XL, it reduces the number of times the pump spontaneously comes on, which at night can be a nuisance otherwise.

If you have not seen these before, these accumulators consist of a small expansion chamber which acts like a pressurised water reservoir, small reductions on the pressurised side are compensated for by the accumulator until the accumulator can no longer offer support, which is when the the pump kicks back in to boost the pressure back up, and recharges too the water in the accumulator..

The Whale Surge Damper WS1725
https://www.tcschandlery.co.uk/whale-ws7215-surge-damper/p15798

The Fiamma A20 Expansion Tank
https://www.fiammaonline.com/fiamma-a20-expansion-tank/#02478-01-

There are other manufacturers also make similar water accumulators.

by Caraman Sun Sep 11, 2022 5:42 pm

I still maintain that the primary purpose of an accumulator is to smooth the flow from a diaphragm pump. For example, my last caravan had both. However, my experience with the Shurflo fitted to a Nuevo, is that an accumulator is not required, either to smooth the water flow or to stop the pump coming on during the night. If an accumulator reduces the sensitivity of the pressure switch so that a pump doesn't come on during the night, one wonders why it isn't recommended as a fit with the Whale submersible system which is so prone to this problem.

Water pump ticking

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