This afternoon, I ran my fresh water tanks a little too low and the water stopped flowing. I turned the pump off, refilled, and turned the pump back on. Now I can’t get anything out of the faucets. I tested the pump by running a pitcher full of water through the winterizing tube and it worked just fine. It just won’t pull anything from the fresh tanks. The trailer has 2 40 gallon tanks that work in tandem. I can’t see the tanks or the lines due to an enclosed underbelly. Any ideas?

Turn the pump off. Open one faucet. Turn the pump on. When water starts running, turn faucet off and let the pump pressurize itself.

DutchmenSport wrote:Turn the pump off. Open one faucet. Turn the pump on. When water starts running, turn faucet off and let the pump pressurize itself.That’s the problem. The usual priming methods don’t work.

There is either no water at the inlet or there is air coming in and stopping the prime. When you open the valve for the winterizing tube is there another valve from the tanks you have to shut, if so try leaving both open and use the winterizing inlet again and see if that gets things moving. How does your tanks fill, gravity or city water?

Farmboy666 wrote:There is either no water at the inlet or there is air coming in and stopping the prime. When you open the valve for the winterizing tube is there another valve from the tanks you have to shut, if so try leaving both open and use the winterizing inlet again and see if that gets things moving. How does your tanks fill, gravity or city water?The tanks fill from a gravity inlet. There are two valves for winterizing, one to open the fill tube and one to close the inlet from the tanks. I’ve tried leaving both open but it still only pulls through the winterizing tube. Nothing happens after I close that valve.My next test is to completely drain the fresh tanks and start over. Maybe there is some air trapped somewhere.

TheBigdog wrote:Farmboy666 wrote:There is either no water at the inlet or there is air coming in and stopping the prime. When you open the valve for the winterizing tube is there another valve from the tanks you have to shut, if so try leaving both open and use the winterizing inlet again and see if that gets things moving. How does your tanks fill, gravity or city water?The tanks fill from a gravity inlet. There are two valves for winterizing, one to open the fill tube and one to close the inlet from the tanks. I’ve tried leaving both open but it still only pulls through the winterizing tube. Nothing happens after I close that valve.My next test is to completely drain the fresh tanks and start over. Maybe there is some air trapped somewhere.Yea, that would be a good next step, I guess there could be air trapped in the inlet, I'm guessing it's not gravity feed to the pump.

Water Pump won’t Prime | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

All_I_could_aff
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
Good idea with the wet dry vac, I did that once a few years ago and it worked for me. Except I put the vac to my water heater drain plug since it was empty and my sink is tiny
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Apr 08, 2018
If you just want to get it primed, use a wet dry vacuum on a faucet.
westend
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
The issue is on the supply side of the pump. These types of pumps will pump out any residual air until water is avaiable. That means that air is being introduced into the supply side plumbing, a valve is closed that shouldn't be, or there is a blockage from the tank to the pump.

Do you by any chance have a filter or filter canister on the supply side of the pump? If that's clogged, it will block any water from reaching the pump.
mobeewan
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
Can you fill both tanks separately or does one tank flow to the other as they are filled?

Could something in one tank have blocked and kept the other tank the pump draws from first from filling?

Are the tank vent lines open?
midnightsadie
Explorer II
Apr 08, 2018
mine did something like this yrs back, the filter housing had a crak in it would not pull from tank but pulled from siphon side.
Farmboy666
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
TheBigdog wrote:
Farmboy666 wrote:
There is either no water at the inlet or there is air coming in and stopping the prime. When you open the valve for the winterizing tube is there another valve from the tanks you have to shut, if so try leaving both open and use the winterizing inlet again and see if that gets things moving. How does your tanks fill, gravity or city water?

The tanks fill from a gravity inlet. There are two valves for winterizing, one to open the fill tube and one to close the inlet from the tanks. I’ve tried leaving both open but it still only pulls through the winterizing tube. Nothing happens after I close that valve.

My next test is to completely drain the fresh tanks and start over. Maybe there is some air trapped somewhere.

Yea, that would be a good next step, I guess there could be air trapped in the inlet, I'm guessing it's not gravity feed to the pump.
TheBigdog
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
Farmboy666 wrote:
There is either no water at the inlet or there is air coming in and stopping the prime. When you open the valve for the winterizing tube is there another valve from the tanks you have to shut, if so try leaving both open and use the winterizing inlet again and see if that gets things moving. How does your tanks fill, gravity or city water?

The tanks fill from a gravity inlet. There are two valves for winterizing, one to open the fill tube and one to close the inlet from the tanks. I’ve tried leaving both open but it still only pulls through the winterizing tube. Nothing happens after I close that valve.

My next test is to completely drain the fresh tanks and start over. Maybe there is some air trapped somewhere.
Farmboy666
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
There is either no water at the inlet or there is air coming in and stopping the prime. When you open the valve for the winterizing tube is there another valve from the tanks you have to shut, if so try leaving both open and use the winterizing inlet again and see if that gets things moving. How does your tanks fill, gravity or city water?
TheBigdog
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
DutchmenSport wrote:
Turn the pump off. Open one faucet. Turn the pump on. When water starts running, turn faucet off and let the pump pressurize itself.

That’s the problem. The usual priming methods don’t work.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
Turn the pump off. Open one faucet. Turn the pump on. When water starts running, turn faucet off and let the pump pressurize itself.

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Water Pump won’t Prime

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