water pump cycling - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-04-2017, 07:02 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Upstate, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19 - June 27, 2017
Posts: 279
water pump cycling

We have noticed that the water pump acts differently when using hot and cold water. With the hot water, when we open the tap the pump runs steadily while the water is running. However, when we open the cold water taps the pump sounds like it is cycling on and off in a rhythm. My first thought was that it had to do with air in the lines but we've run a fair bit of fresh water through the system. Since it only happens on the cold side, it doesn't seem to be a mechanical issue.....thankfully.

Any thoughts on this would be welcome?
rjbny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 07:40 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
I can not understand the difference, both are from your on board fresh water tank, one is warmer than the other? Try it with unheated water on the hot side and see if there is a difference? Turn off the water heater and retest. Sometimes you can get an air bubble inside the hot water tank that remains for awhile.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 08:25 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Upstate, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19 - June 27, 2017
Posts: 279
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
I can not understand the difference, both are from your on board fresh water tank, one is warmer than the other? Try it with unheated water on the hot side and see if there is a difference? Turn off the water heater and retest. Sometimes you can get an air bubble inside the hot water tank that remains for awhile.
Hot water side is running smooth. The cold water is the one with the uneven cycling when the tap is on and it was doing it over the weeks when we were waiting to get the HW control module replaced.

Just had a duh moment - need to check the external shower to see if the air is in there.
rjbny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 09:59 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
rubicon327's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjbny View Post
Hot water side is running smooth. The cold water is the one with the uneven cycling when the tap is on and it was doing it over the weeks when we were waiting to get the HW control module replaced.

Just had a duh moment - need to check the external shower to see if the air is in there.
Try a test. Bypass the water heater which then makes each side of the water system (both hot and cold) essentially the same. See how the pump behaves when you run hot and cold. I'm speculating that the volume of water in the pressurized water heater is helping to smooth out the operation of the pump on the hot side. If the pump pulsing is consistent when running both hot and cold with the water heater bypassed it may have to do with the small volume of the system and the dynamics with your particular pump and its settings. We don't have one, and they claim you shouldn't need one with a bypass type pump, but many people have had success with the addition of an accumulator.

Shurflo Accumulator Tank - Shurflo 182-200 - Fresh Water Pumps - Camping World

http://www.depcopump.com/datasheets/...n%20manual.pdf
rubicon327 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 11:53 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Des Plaines, Illinois
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19 (TV: 2007 Chevy Tahoe)
Posts: 208
Water Pump Cycling

I put in a pressurized tank/accumulator to accumulate pressurize water such the pump doesn't have to run every time a faucet is tapped, or toilet flushed. I didn't like the constant cycling of the pump. It works quite well. We pressurize the system before going to bed so the water pump doesn't come on when flushing the toilet for those midnight nature calls. Yes, the pump does run longer when it needs pressurize the system. But, I'd rather have that then the constant frequent cycling.
Gary
pkgman51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 01:21 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjbny View Post
... when we open the cold water taps the pump sounds like it is cycling on and off in a rhythm.
That's normal, as long as the rate of water flow is less than the pump's capacity at the set pressure.

This is often noticeable with a partially-opened faucet: open it all the way and the pump runs continuously, but open a faucet partway and the pump runs just enough for the lower flow rate. If this happens even with a fully-opened faucet and it is an annoyance, the pump's pressure setting may be adjustable (depending on the pump - various brands have been used).

Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon327 View Post
Try a test. Bypass the water heater which then makes each side of the water system (both hot and cold) essentially the same. See how the pump behaves when you run hot and cold. I'm speculating that the volume of water in the pressurized water heater is helping to smooth out the operation of the pump on the hot side...
Great idea... and if having the water heater in line (not bypassed) is what is smoothing out the pumping, then I think it's the volume of air (not of water) which is making the water heater tank act as an accumulator. Since the heater is a cylinder on its side, and neither the vent nor the outlet are at the very top, there is normally some air at the top of the tank... and that's actually a good thing.

If this is what's going on, that's a feature - not an issue.

It's also possible that the difference in resistance to water flow through the hot plumbing is different enough from the cold plumbing that the pump needs to run all the time to keep up.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 01:49 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Upstate, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19 - June 27, 2017
Posts: 279
Quote:
Originally Posted by pkgman51 View Post
I put in a pressurized tank/accumulator to accumulate pressurize water such the pump doesn't have to run every time a faucet is tapped, or toilet flushed. I didn't like the constant cycling of the pump. It works quite well. We pressurize the system before going to bed so the water pump doesn't come on when flushing the toilet for those midnight nature calls. Yes, the pump does run longer when it needs pressurize the system. But, I'd rather have that then the constant frequent cycling.
Gary
Adding an accumulator seems like a relatively low cost improvement. I read up a bit on it and some people have mentioned the size. Flojet has a 1 liter, which is about 60% larger than the ShurFlo. Dimensions 13¼" x 4¾" vs 8¾" x 3¾". I don't know whether the ShurFlo is better for other reasons. Also don't know how much space is actually available in a 2017 - 19'.
rjbny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 02:27 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjbny View Post
Adding an accumulator seems like a relatively low cost improvement. I read up a bit on it and some people have mentioned the size. Flojet has a 1 liter, which is about 60% larger than the ShurFlo. Dimensions 13¼" x 4¾" vs 8¾" x 3¾". I don't know whether the ShurFlo is better for other reasons. Also don't know how much space is actually available in a 2017 - 19'.
I'll let you know on a thread later on, just ordered the Shurflo Accumulator on Amazon. Project I've had on my list for some time and needed to get to. It is a terrific mod to do for noticeable improvement.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 02:35 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Front Range, Colorado
Trailer: 2017 5.0 TA picked up in July 2017.
Posts: 523
I'm also very interested in this mod. My pump is mounted vertically on the wall next to the refrigerator and there is a plastic foam pad between the pump and wall so it is very quiet but an accumulator seems like a good item to have.
SFDavis50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 02:38 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Upstate, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19 - June 27, 2017
Posts: 279
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFDavis50 View Post
I'm also very interested in this mod. My pump is mounted vertically on the wall next to the refrigerator and there is a plastic foam pad between the pump and wall so it is very quiet but an accumulator seems like a good item to have.
From the ShurFlo brochure:
"The accumulator contributes to longer pump life, less noise, less amperage draw, and reduced water pulsation."
All seems good to me.
rjbny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 02:38 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
There are also 1/2 gallon ones out there, it's okay. Had a 2 gallon on my Starcraft but it wouldn't fit in the 5.0TA. The pump with the 2 gallon ran something like once a day unless you took a shower.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 02:39 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjbny View Post
From the ShurFlo brochure:
"The accumulator contributes to longer pump life, less noise, less amperage draw, and reduced water pulsation."
All seems good to me.
Not bad for $33 investment and some labor.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2017, 06:02 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Des Plaines, Illinois
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19 (TV: 2007 Chevy Tahoe)
Posts: 208
Pressurized Water Tank

I put in a 2 gallon tank. I wish I could have gone larger. Maybe, I'll still try to fit in a larger tank...? I'm pretty sure mine is the "WaterWorker HT-2B". $45 on Amazon.
Gary
pkgman51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.