Okay I just took the 5th wheel out of storage. I have filled the fresh water tank and turned on the pump. I do the usual of opening fixtures and hear some gurgling like usual. But it just keeps gurgling. I turn the pump on and off to try to get it to prime but it just won't. The I hook up the hose and make sure the hot water tank is full and run water out all the lines. I turn the pump back on and it just won't get pressure. So I remove that pump put another pump on and exact same problems. All I get is dribbles and spurts of water. Any help here would be appreciated. This is on my Forrest River 2005 Cardinal. I should add it has been in storage for 4 years. Thanks again for any advice opinions.

Do you have a winterizing valve and is it in the correct position?What position is fill valve in if equipped?

I hope a squirrel didn't eat a water line.

Assuming it has not sprung a leak & is pumping water somewhere it is not supposed to, start again.This time leave all the taps closed & the water heater bypass on (so water cannot get into the water heater).All being good the pump should pick up suction & pressurise the air in the pipes then shut off. Open cold taps etc. one at a time. A blast of air comes out then water. By the time you get to the next tap the pump should have repressurised the system. Open the bypass valve & fill water heater & do the tap routine.Still no luck? Check the inlet side of the pump. Real easy for that not to be airtight if it was removed for winterising.Inlet OK? Check the output side of the pump by slackening the fitting & turning the pump on.Still no luck? You did put enough water in the tank didn't you? Next is the pump itself. Could be a split diaphram. Replacement kits available for some pumps. Might be less hassel simply to get a new pump.

Sounds like you're sucking air instead of water from the fresh water tank. Take the line loose from the discharge of the pump to make it easier for the pump to prime. You might need to connect a hose onto the suction side of the pump to get it to pick up water after 4 years of setting idle. Once it's primed, connect the suction side back to the water tank to see if will pick up any water from it. Can you put a clear hose on the line from the fresh water tank and use your mouth to draw water up the hose to verify the line isn't cracked and drawing air instead of water?

water pump problems | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

mich800
Explorer
Apr 02, 2020
joebedford wrote:
A water tank vent doesn't leak into the basement. My tanks vent is right beside the fill.

It could if the leak was near the top of the tank and it was over filled. In either case, a leak in the tank itself would not impact the pump. Unless the leak was at the pump. And the OP has tested the winterzation port so presumably would know if there was a leak in the very proximity of the pump.

They may need to drain the tank and do a similar test but draw from a bucket from the normal pump port. Just because it is drawing from the winterization port does not mean the primary works.
joebedford
Nomad II
Apr 02, 2020
A water tank vent doesn't leak into the basement. My tanks vent is right beside the fill.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 02, 2020
A leak at the TOP of the tank will not affect the water pump. It's supposed to have a "Leak" (Note the quotes at the top to let air in as the tank empties, it's called a vent.
dave17352
Explorer
Apr 02, 2020
Interesting ideas. I have been working mon tues and wed. I will take another look Thursday. You see when I filled the fresh water tank all the way up instead of just 2/3 full, water actually leaked out of the tank area. Meaning to me something has come apart, or cracked. How I do not know because I am always very anal about winterizing. Somewhere at the top of the tank probably where the fresh water tube connects there has to be a problem.
When I find it I will update! Thanks
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Mar 30, 2020
dave17352 wrote:
I checked the pump by running water through the winterizing hose and it worked fine so....

If you have a winterizing hose. Do you have a valve 3-way type that you use to select it? IF so the valve is suspect (I mentioned it earlier) to test plug the winterizing hose or seal the intake by whatever means you like.. if that fixes it the valve is the problem.
way2roll
Navigator II
Mar 30, 2020
Check the in line screen cover. Those little clear plastic covers can crack when frozen despite having rv antifreeze in the lines. Ask me how I know.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Mar 30, 2020
mich800 wrote:
dave17352 wrote:
Thanks for all the suggestions. It is definitely on the inlet side. I have no idea what happened but I have leak right at the top of the fresh water tank. I am thinking where the fresh water line enters the tank. I had two thirds of the tank filled and no water leak. When I filled it to the brim a little water leaked out. I checked the pump by running water through the winterizing hose and it worked fine so.... I replaced the pump for no reason. :( Works fine with city water inlet though.

So does it work now?

A leak there should not cause the problems you are experiencing. The tank does not need to be pressurized. You are drawing air somewhere in front of the pump or the pump itself.

Exactly^^^^^
Tank has a vent so a small crack/hole on top of tank would NOT affect pump being able to suck water from tank.

Air leak on suction line between tank and pump, strainer gasket, winterizing set up etc allowing air into pump ---hence no priming/pumping
mich800
Explorer
Mar 30, 2020
dave17352 wrote:
Thanks for all the suggestions. It is definitely on the inlet side. I have no idea what happened but I have leak right at the top of the fresh water tank. I am thinking where the fresh water line enters the tank. I had two thirds of the tank filled and no water leak. When I filled it to the brim a little water leaked out. I checked the pump by running water through the winterizing hose and it worked fine so.... I replaced the pump for no reason. :( Works fine with city water inlet though.

So does it work now?

A leak there should not cause the problems you are experiencing. The tank does not need to be pressurized. You are drawing air somewhere in front of the pump or the pump itself.
Veebyes
Explorer II
Mar 30, 2020
So now you need a product to fix the leak. Should not be difficult once you determine what will bond to area of the leak.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Mar 30, 2020
I checked the pump by running water through the winterizing hose and it worked fine so...

:h so then did you switch the winterizing valve to suck the water out of the tank?

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water pump problems

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