How do you Prime the Water Pump

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

How does the suction side of the pump stay flooded if the tank is not above the pump ? Does the pump create a vacuum and draw the water from the tank like a shallow well pump ?

I have had three RVs. All of them have under-floor fresh water tanks (like the standard Escape configuration) and water pumps mounted on top of the floor (like every Escape that I have seen in person and in photos). That means that in each of mine and in a normal Escape that pump must draw water up from below the pump level... and yet I've never had any problem with pump priming.

These are positive-displacement pumps which should be able to pull water up this short distance, and routinely do when in normal operating condition. The pump valves and additional check valve keep the suction line from draining when the pump is not running... as long as it doesn't have any vacuum leaks.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

These are positive-displacement pumps which should be able to pull water up this short distance, and routinely do when in normal operating condition.

Pumps can dry-prime up to 6 feet according to Shurflo specs.

[Lornanaugle]

We replaced our first pump after it failed the first time we dry camped. Replaced it and then everything worked hunky-dory. Then, the new pump didn't work after a few months. It started to work, then no water came out, and then the pump was quiet. Geez! Dry camping without a water pump was not desirable, but it still beats tent camping.

We contacted Reece and he sent us a Check Valve for the Hot Water Tank and he told us to reset the check valve in your Shurflo Water Pump. Yeah! After back surgery there is a limit to what I can do, so two hours and our RV repair guy installed and reset the pump.

[C&G in FL]

Living in Florida and with the attitude that I don't want to be camping when the outside temperatures would cause me to shiver, I did not include a T-valve (winterization) valve on my build sheet. I do know that it would not be difficult to add one if I were to eventually sell the trailer to someone who lives where winter temperatures would make having a T-valve a handy add-on. I am, however, a bit confused after reading this thread and have several questions. Let me preface them by saying the filter on my water pump is threaded on the inlet side of the 12v pump.

Originally Posted by Mucram

Finally the solution was the tvalve w lots of plastic debris inside.

It is very understandable that debris clogging passages would affect water flow, especially if the valve itself is not a full flow valve. Does ETI use the Camco valve? I read somewhere, maybe in several Amazon reviews, that the Camco valve creates a "bottleneck" which reduces flow.

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

Was it white plastic from the fresh tank or red or blue plastic from the water tubing? Or all three colors?

Just making an assumption here but when the holes get drilled into the tank for the probes there may be plastic shavings which can get stirred up and then sucked into the water lines at a later date.

I can understand that this is possible, but.....

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Great job replacing the pump. I assume this is the winterizing T-valve you reference. Makes sense as it is upstream of the pump filter and very susceptible to debris.

If the T-valve is in fact upstream of the pump filter, how could debris from drilling the fresh water tank possibly pass through the filter and even reach the T-valve? While I haven't had a reason to disassemble the filter Bowl on my 12v pump, if I recall, it has a rather fine screen that should have trapped any debris before it could lodge in the T-valve.

Finally, could someone post a photo of their filter/winterizing valve/pump assembly? I think it would be very useful in relation to this thread. I would do so myself, but as I already stated, I have no need of one on my trailer. If I ever needed to pump antifreeze through my trailer, I would probably just disconnect the filter and attach a suction hose to the inlet side of the pump, then remove the hose and reconnect the filter afterward.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

If the T-valve is in fact upstream of the pump filter, how could debris from drilling the fresh water tank possibly pass through the filter and even reach the T-valve? While I haven't had a reason to disassemble the filter Bowl on my 12v pump, if I recall, it has a rather fine screen that should have trapped any debris before it could lodge in the T-valve.

Carl: By upstream of the filter I mean the T-valve is positioned in a manner that the flow is "unfiltered". In direction of flow the water comes out of the tank, hits the T-valve, then the pump filter and finally the pump. The strainer is 50 mesh which is quite fine so it will catch almost any debris. If someone wanted they could locate a filter before the T-valve but my bet is problems like this are pretty rare and don't warrant the effort. Good flushing of the tanks by Escape will take care of the problem.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Carl: By upstream of the filter I mean the T-valve is positioned in a manner that the flow is "unfiltered". In direction of flow the water comes out of the tank, hits the T-valve, then the pump filter and finally the pump. The strainer is 50 mesh which is quite fine so it will catch almost any debris. If someone wanted they could locate a filter before the T-valve but my bet is problems like this are pretty rare and don't warrant the effort. Good flushing of the tanks by Escape will take care of the problem.

Thanks. I guess I was thinking after the filter rather than before the filter. Duh. Another senior moment, I guess.

[KirkB]

Originally Posted by Lornanaugle

We contacted Reece and he sent us a Check Valve for the Hot Water Tank and he told us to reset the check valve in your Shurflo Water Pump. Yeah! After back surgery there is a limit to what I can do, so two hours and our RV repair guy installed and reset the pump.

Did Reace tell you how to reset the check valve on the water pump? Does it require disassembly of the pump?

My water pump stopped priming while on the road last month. The motor was still running, but no suction on the input side. I checked the input strainer while on the road, but no luck. Today, I removed the pump and took it apart, hoping to find dirt in the valves to clean out. I didn't see anything on the valves, but I think I found the check valve by accident while the pump was apart, and pressed on it, so I must have reset it. After reassembly, the pump works like a charm now.

[rubicon327]

While on the topic of the pump and strainer I thought I'd share another item to check if having problems with a pump that is running but no/low water pressure. When helping my neighbor winterize his Class A motorhome we found a cracked filter strainer housing. The pump would run, but was sucking air and preventing proper suction from the tank. It explained why his last trip was hampered with major water pressure issues. The strainer can be cracked from freezing or being hit accidentally. Once it was replaced the system operated perfectly again.

[Lornanaugle]

Originally Posted by KirkB

Did Reace tell you how to reset the check valve on the water pump? Does it require disassembly of the pump?

Here is the photo Reece sent us on how to reset the check valve on the water pump Hope this helps!

[KirkB]

Thanks for the photo. I pushed on that round disk and it popped in, then it was free to move in and out.. That must have been what fixed my pump. The Shurflo manuals don't show the check valve, so I wasn't sure what it was. It sure is a PITA to remove and replace on a 19.