Testing the whale inline pressure switch

Hi all
I have just today refilled my water tank on my 2011 Dorset with the intention of sanitizing it however. During the filling and opening of the taps etc, the pump stopped working.
I have tried adjusting the inline pressure switch to no avail. I suspect the pump may have burnt out, although I can't easily check this as it is in the underslung tank.
I have ordered a replacement Shurflo pump as it was always my intention to do this anyway with all the faffing about with the existing system, so now I had the reason.(or the justification for her indoors)
Having checked the fuse and being curious, I tested the pressure switch with a multimeter and was surprised to see that not only have I got the expected 12v permanent when the pump is switched on at the control panel, I also have 12v at the wire which is the pump Pos+ with the adjustment knob in any position. With the pump switched off at the panel there is no resistance showing between the two terminals on the pressure switch.
It is as if the pressure switch is stuck ON, but the pump is not running.

On checking the fuse 10amp, this also protects the toilet flush, I have since found on the paperwork supplied with the new(last year) pressure switch which states a 5 amp fuse should be used?

Would this mean the pump is at fault, or the pressure switch.  For information,  the pressure switch was new last year with very little use since.

If there is no pressure in the system then the pressure switch will stay in the ON position. Do you have continuity through the pump?

I should just fit the Shurflo. You won't need the Whale switch. I just did mine the other day and it was a very easy job. The original pump works but I don't want a problem when out & about. My only concern is that it pumps much more flow (and this is the smallest Trail King) so the Admiral might empty the tank too quickly.

I think the pump must be at fault. It was working initially and I had plenty of water in the tank but getting it through the various taps always causes me issues. This results in the pump working for longer than is recommended so this time around I probably burnt it out. There is power to the switch and the pump Pos+ but the pump is not working.
I planned last year to do the shurflo swap but to be honest there is very little room in the Dorset (Symbol) to fit the pump so I have ordered 5m of pipe with the pump with a hope I can find a place for it when it arrives.

Hi yes i am have the same problem in a Warwick XL would love to fit a shurflo pump but can't figure out where to put it so i don't loose any more storage space. Kevin

Does your control panel show the discharge rate of the battery?  This will be in amps.
When my pump failed, the current draw was 10amps and no sound from the pump when I switched the pump on.

NB the Shurflo pumps don't come with a filter, I would get the filter for the inlet.

Mine just has a line of LED lights signifying the percentage of charge in the batteries.
I have a pump and strainer on  order for delivery tomorrow. I have just been attempting to tidy up the wiring under the seat by the leisure battery and water heater. There is not much space in there so will probably mount the pump forward of that position beneath the retractable settee. I will then have to box it in for the times we are using the extra belted seat so that passenger's feet will effectively rest on top of the boxed in pump. It would then be a simple case of routing the pipes through and into where the existing whale pressure switch is located to pick up the water and feed it back into the van water system. I will lose a little load space, but I will have running water from a pump that will be easy to get to in future.

Forgot to say. I had a quote from A/S to supply and fit shurflow pump. £520. Think I will stick with whale system. Kevin

kevjan wrote:Forgot to say. I had a quote from A/S to supply and fit shurflow pump. £520. Think I will stick with whale system. Kevin

AS svc centre fitted a Shurflo to my Duo last month.
The quote was £575.60 but they charged me £455.60.  That's all inclusive VAT parts labour.  It took them 2 hours, they fitted pump and strainer and removed the old pump from the underslung tank.  I have used them before and will use them again.

It should not be necessary to remove the original submersible pump since the new pump will draw straight through it.

I have fitted a Shurflo as a precautionary measure to avoid marital issues if the tank pump fails. It took barely an hour, mostly head scratching to best position it, but that did include new properly sized wiring back to my (non-standard) DC switch/ fuse panel.

I have left the old pump in place since (a) I didn’t see the point of dropping the tank to remove it and (b) it was working beforehand with no issues so it might just serve as a spare in the future, although Shurflos are usually very reliable. Just two wires to swop if necessary. I removed the Whale pressure switch but I can switch the old pump on/off manually if the need to use it in an emergency arose.

In my case (Kingham) the pump has fitted in effectively the same space as the old pressure switch and autofill valve. I removed the Autofill since I am very unlikely ever to want to use it, and the plumbing bits liberated from that and the PS were used to connect in the Shurflo, so the cost was just 1x Shurflo (£60) + 1 hour tinkering time.

Mine has so far cost approx £120 including pump, accumulator, fittings and 5m of pipe to give me options on where to position it. I expect to have plenty of pipe spare and maybe a fitting or two. I will however plan to box it in so a trip to B&Q for some furniture board will increase my costs slightly.