pump doesn't pull from fresh water tank

ClintMyra · 07-19-2014, 08:25 PM

The water pump that came in our trailer failed a couple weeks ago so we ordered a ShurFlo 4048. Hooked it up just as the old one had been and we only get air out of the faucets. Our fresh water tank is full, we connected to city water and bled all the faucets. We tried putting the antifreeze hose into a jug of water (with appropriate valves open/closed) and nothing. But we hear gurgling in the hot water tank. We disconnected the hoses from both sides of the pump and ran it a little to see if we could feel air sucking in or coming out and thought it was connected backwards. So swapped it around and this time we had lots of pump....that emptied the hot water tank presumably into the fresh water tank.

Tomorrow we will start over but looking for any ideas/help you can give. Seems idiot proof, just hook it up like the old one but we must have gremlins running around under that cabinet because we're not getting water. If we can't get it working we've got the name of a fellow who is sort of a mobile RV guy we can call and see if he can get it working.

Thanks for any ideas you have.

**norty1** · 07-20-2014, 07:16 AM

If you water heater is empty, I've pump will fill it before pressurizing the lines unless you bypass the water heater.

Brownie · 07-20-2014, 07:25 AM

Perhaps your winterizing system is set to bypass the water pump. That was the case when I encountered the same thing while trying to sanitize my system the first time. Find the pump and check to make sure the valves are turned in the direction of the water lines.

RVhiker · 07-20-2014, 08:59 AM

Could you have wired the pump backwards? I believe that if a DC motor is wired backwards - that is positive battery to negative connection on pump and negative battery to positive connection - that the motor will run backwards, which I think would make your pump pump water backwards.

RoyBraddy · 07-20-2014, 10:08 AM

Certainly isn't many items between the pump and the fresh water tank. has to be something simple... inlet port on new pump may be on opposite side. There is a ONE WAY value between the pump and the fresh water tank. This is sometimes built-into the pump.

This is simplified diagram of the typical trailer water flow drawing. Might give you a clue what to expect...

Roy Ken

ClintMyra · 07-20-2014, 11:13 AM

Thank you everyone for the ideas. We had hooked up city water to fill the hot water tank until we got water out the pressure release. It had worked since we de-winterized until the other pump seemed to give out (only 2 yrs old). We put the new pump in just like the old came out and got no water coming up into it, the strainer was dry. We bled all the lines with city water and filled the tanks to full. However the overflow valves continued to drain out over 1/3 of that water. The gauge had read full and hours later was down to more than 1/3 gone. So that seems to be yet another brand new issue as we had filled them 2 wks ago prior to a dry trip. Very frustrating for something so simple.

tjpolsin · 07-20-2014, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClintMyra

Thank you everyone for the ideas. We had hooked up city water to fill the hot water tank until we got water out the pressure release. It had worked since we de-winterized until the other pump seemed to give out (only 2 yrs old). We put the new pump in just like the old came out and got no water coming up into it, the strainer was dry. We bled all the lines with city water and filled the tanks to full. However the overflow valves continued to drain out over 1/3 of that water. The gauge had read full and hours later was down to more than 1/3 gone. So that seems to be yet another brand new issue as we had filled them 2 wks ago prior to a dry trip. Very frustrating for something so simple.

if your strainer is dry, then you have a vacuum problem with the hose coming out of the freshwater tank. Make sure all those connections are tight.

ClintMyra · 07-20-2014, 12:17 PM

Well we started over, removed the pump and put it back in apparently the same way as the first time and it now works great. Clint doesn't think he did anything different. So that huge problem solved, but filled the fresh water tanks again a full peg (1/4??) drained out the overflow tubes. This is less than they drained out yesterday so filling one more time and will see how much drains out. Can't figure why they would drain the tank and just not the overflow when filling.

Brownie · 07-20-2014, 12:36 PM

ClintMyra,

Several members, including myself, have reported the overflow tubes draining out 1/4 (or more) of the FW tank. Maybe they're too long, too short, too close to the ground, too close together; who knows, but it's a common problem. Many of us have installed shut-off valves onto them - like what you have at home under the sinks and toilets. I cut about 4" off each tube, then pushed in a nylon barbed hose fitting (I believe 3/8" barbed to 1/2" MPT) - held in place with a hose clamp. A 1/2" FPT x 3/8" compression straight shut-off valve was screwed onto the hose fitting. Now, when I fill my tanks, I'll leave the valves open (for air to escape) until water starts coming out the tube on the first tank (the one closest to the fill port). I'll shut that one off to allow water to flow into the second tank, but leave the second tank valve open for air to escape that tank. Once water starts gushing out the fill port, I'll shut off the water and the second shut-off valve. That should hold the water in the tanks until I get to my campsite. We'll see how that works out for us!

**norty1** · 07-20-2014, 01:06 PM

Glad you got it going. It would drive me nuts till I figured out what I did wrong the first time.

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