Waterpump Problem

Hi,

I have a Broadway and have been having problems with the waterpump.  Initially it operated OK.  Then it would run until I pullled some water through and then switch off.  Now It runs continuously and I have to switch it off atfter using what water I need.  And that is another problem - it continually coughs and splutters and the water flow is not smooth at all.  Any suggestions/ help/advice?

Chilliwack1:shrugg:

Had exactly the same problem earlier this year and found it was due to the pump taking in air on the vacuum side. I tested the relevant pipework and connections, cleaned out the strainer, etc. - no obvious problems. Tried dismantling and reassembling the pump but couldn't get rid of the spluttering. Since this was still the original pump (11 years old) I decided it was about time to replace it, as the cost of a new one wasn't excessive. The replacement cured the problem immediately.

However I found the original mounting position was less than ideal for several reasons:

     the pump was screwed onto a vertical wooden bulkhead panel behind the driver's seat - this acted as an effective soundboard and amplified the pump noise when running

     the pump had presumably been mounted before the Truma water heater, since access to one of the four screws was completely blocked, even with a right-angled screwdriver (I had to force it off in the end, as I didn't wish to remove the heater!)

    there was no way to reach the inbuilt pump pressure switch adjusting screw, as the way it had been mounted this was against the floor

I mounted the new pump horizontally on the floor with the adjusting screw facing the vertical wooden panel subdividing the space under the transverse bench seat and made a small access door so that the screw could be got at from the storage side of the underseat area, without removing the dividing panel.

The only slight problem is that I can now hardly hear the pump running, so don't always immediately realise when the fresh water tank is empty (hence causing the pump to run on)!   

Thanks Roger.  I'll check it out when I get back from Dartmouth.

Mel

With a Broadway it is possible you have a Whale water system with a pump in the tank.

You mention Dartmouth.  If you are on the ASOC rally that is currently there have you asked around? there may be someone on the rally with experience.

That said, whatever installation you have it sounds, as Roger says, like air on the vacuum side.  Either tank empty, leaking pipe/joints, faulty pump or if whale system faulty pressure switch - the switch that has to be altered for mains hook up, high charge battery or low charge battery.

Peter

Chilliwack1 wrote:Hi,

I have a Broadway and have been having problems with the waterpump.  Initially it operated OK.  Then it would run until I pullled some water through and then switch off.  Now It runs continuously and I have to switch it off atfter using what water I need.  And that is another problem - it continually coughs and splutters and the water flow is not smooth at all.  Any suggestions/ help/advice?

Chilliwack1:shrugg:

I am sure you have tried, but adjustment of your pressure switch could deal with what you describe. The pressure switch is sensitive to the voltage of your leisure battery. Fully charged or thereabouts is when to set it, but if the battery goes down below a certain level the pressure switch will lark about doing exactly what you describe. If that doesn't do the trick you appear to have had some pretty sound advice from others.

I have a new Broadway FB and for a couple of weeks, the water pump performed perfectly. Then we went away for a weekend and after turning the power on, the pump kept running on. I adjusted the pressure valve to stop it but from then on it either continued running or chattered till it stopped. It also used to turn itself on in the middle of the night and I woke once to hear it running. No idea how long it had been doing this, but there didnt appear to be any damage done.
I rang Autosleeper but they couldn't or wouldn't help. They knew the pumps did this but had no idea how to fix it. I got the impression from them that it was something you had to live with!
I spoke to my dealer, he suggested adjustment of the pressure valve could fix it, but it was trial and error with tiny adjustments.
Trouble is, once you have it working ok ( with a partially drained leisure battery), when you have a fully charged battery or are on mains, the problems start again.
It was damned annoying!
The mechanic at the dealers mentioned that he knew someone who had fitted a surge damper and that seemed to cure it, so, off I went to a local caravan shop where I bought a Whale Surge Damper ( about £24)
I fitted it as close as I could to the pump pick up. Just cut a small section out of the pipe and fit the damper. It comes with a T connector. The unit is mounted upright and fixed to the wall ( under the offside side facing sofa in mine) with the supplied bracket.

As if by magic, no more chattering, no more running on or pulsing. Brilliant. 
Why they don't fit these from new beats me, when they use Whale pumps.

Allan