Water pump cycling - winterizing valve

[dangerdave]

I was going back and forth a while back on an issue I thought was resolved. My water pump would cycle for about 1/2 second every 20 minutes or so.

Dealer visit for some other warranty work revealed it was the "winterizing valve" on the water pump being open a bit.

The problem is resolved now, but can someone point me to what that valve actually looks like on a 2016 27RLS? With maybe a pic or diagram?

Thank you!

[Jagiven]

Do you know what the valves look like for your water heater bypass? Same style valve. There should be two of them. One turns on/off the water from the FW tank, and the other opens the line to a clear hose used for pumping the antifreeze into the water lines. The valves in question will be very close to your water pump. On your TT, I am not sure where it is located. Usually they hide the pumps and the valves, so they are hard to see. Mine is behind a door under the frig, behind a false panel. I removed the panel to make it easier to access.

I would start to look for the pump from the outside of the TT. Often it is located near your gravity fill port. Locate the port, and look inside on the floor in that area. Often the pump is located behind something, like a door, a false panel, might need a #2 square drive screw driver to gain access. I have even seen them in a corner of a dinette and it has to be accessed only from the top.

You can also turn the pump on with no water in the FW tank and have a faucet open, so it makes noise to help locate it.

Good luck.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by dangerdave

I was going back and forth a while back on an issue I thought was resolved. My water pump would cycle for about 1/2 second every 20 minutes or so.
Dealer visit for some other warranty work revealed it was the "winterizing valve" on the water pump being open a bit.
The problem is resolved now, but can someone point me to what that valve actually looks like on a 2016 27RLS? With maybe a pic or diagram?
Thank you!

I'm sorry, but the dealer's "diagnosis" makes no sense.

There are 2 'winterizing' valve sets:
One set allows the pump to draw anti-freeze directly from the bottle instead of water from the freshwater tank.
The other allows the water heater to be bypassed so it is NOT filled with 6 or 10 gallons of anti-freeze.

Regardless of how badly positioned any of those 5 valves are, they won't produce the random cycling of the pump you described.

Only a leak from the pressurized side of the water system to atmosphere or a sink will do that.

It's possible a low-point drain was not seated properly (fairly common), but you would have noticed a wet spot or dripping under the RV.

[Camper_bob]

Mike, couldn't that happen if the winterization intake valve were partially open or defective, allowing air to get mixed with the water going through the pump and into the system? Air compresses where water does not, a small amount of air getting sucked into the lines might cause the pump to cycle to try and keep the system pressure.

Just a thought...

[Crabman]

This is what the valves look like. One comes from the fresh water tank and the one with the clear hose goes in the antifreeze jug.

[dangerdave]

I noticed a very small leak from my water pump (which in my TT is under the sink).

There is a very small puddle of water under (on this picture) the right angle elbow and grey cap on the left side of this pump. It SEEMS to be the little ring clamp on the hose, but I can't tell if it's a leaky cap thing.

Is this the pressurized side?

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Crabman

This is what the valves look like. One comes from the fresh water tank and the one with the clear hose goes in the antifreeze jug.

Is that yours? If so, did it come with brass valves? Mine are plastic.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Mike, couldn't that happen if the winterization intake valve were partially open or defective, allowing air to get mixed with the water going through the pump and into the system? Air compresses where water does not, a small amount of air getting sucked into the lines might cause the pump to cycle to try and keep the system pressure.
Just a thought...

Nice thought, I had one like that too.

The winterizing intake is on the wrong side of the pump for the persistent cycling problem.

For the pump to cycle, the pressurized (output) side of the pump has to loose pressure (like opening a faucet). The anti-freeze/freshwater valves are on the intake side.

If air was getting in, the symptom would have been, "It takes a long time for the pump to come in after the faucet is turned on and runs long after the faucet is turned off." (I'm real familiar with THAT one too.)

Leaking low point drains or a faulty/maladjusted pump is the usual cause of pressure loss with no visible water inside the RV. (Though a cracked valve body in the kitchen faucet on my old trailer drove me nuts for 1/2 a season.)

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by dangerdave

I noticed a very small leak from my water pump (which in my TT is under the sink).
There is a very small puddle of water under (on this picture) the right angle elbow and grey cap on the left side of this pump. It SEEMS to be the little ring clamp on the hose, but I can't tell if it's a leaky cap thing.

Is this the pressurized side?

That's the cause of the cycling.

You'll have to:
1) Turn off the pump
2) Open a faucet to relieve pressure
3) Dry the whole area thoroughly!
4) Close the faucet
5) Get some good light into the area where the leak is
6) Have someone else turn the pump on while you look and touch every part of the pump and plumbing in the area.
7) What gets wet first is where to start looking carefully. Remember gravity pulls the water downwards. Follow the water uphill until you hit dry.
8) Get your light and eyes in there. You will eventually see exactly where the water is leaking from.
9) Shut off the pump.
10) How to fix is based on what is broken.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Is that yours? If so, did it come with brass valves? Mine are plastic.

It is indeed mine and it did come with those valves. That was before I did the silencing/accumulator mod. It now looks like this:




http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...mods-5956.html

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Crabman

It is indeed mine and it did come with those valves. That was before I did the silencing/accumulator mod. It now looks like this:




http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...mods-5956.html

I was curious about that. I knew you had upgraded everything, but I'm super jealous that you had brass right out of the gate. All the valves on mine are plastic, and not very confidence inspiring. I use compressed air though, so that particular valve never gets used, but the three behind the WH feel CHEAP. So I may replace them when I do some other upgrades. Just in case you wanted to know, I plan to use your setup as a model when I do mine; pretty much planning to do the exact same thing.

Back to the OP's issue: I look forward to reading your findings and how you end up resolving the issue.

[dangerdave]

Wow great information, and as always thank you.

It's under warranty, and they didn't fix it the first time I had it in there so I'm going to give them another chance.

Very interesting though

[BillMc40]

Originally Posted by mike837go

I'm sorry, but the dealer's "diagnosis" makes no sense.

There are 2 'winterizing' valve sets:
One set allows the pump to draw anti-freeze directly from the bottle instead of water from the freshwater tank.
The other allows the water heater to be bypassed so it is NOT filled with 6 or 10 gallons of anti-freeze.

Regardless of how badly positioned any of those 5 valves are, they won't produce the random cycling of the pump you described.

Only a leak from the pressurized side of the water system to atmosphere or a sink will do that.

It's possible a low-point drain was not seated properly (fairly common), but you would have noticed a wet spot or dripping under the RV.

If my fresh water tank is empty, my puimp will cycle. I dont know for how long. Realized it after 2 years of ownership. Why wife was cleaning and I keep hearing it. She had used the last bit of water.
Bill Mc

[klpoppe]

Watch those cheap plastic valves also. I had 2 of them leaking on my water heater bypass. Replaced all 3 of the valves with brass sharkbite valves and they work great.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by klpoppe

Watch those cheap plastic valves also. I had 2 of them leaking on my water heater bypass. Replaced all 3 of the valves with brass sharkbite valves and they work great.

I watch them like a hawk. Luckily all those valves are in or near places I access frequently, so paying close attention to them is easy. Eventually, my chore list will get short enough () and I'll replace them as a preventative measure.