working the water pump

I seem to recall that some of the newer variable speed pumps are not compatible with accumulators.

We leave ours on all the time we are on a site. Day and night. Usually turn it off if we leave camp for a day trip. Always turn it off while driving. Always turn it off for storage.

Leave it on for months at a time. Being able to hear it is a good thing. Short cycling of the pump will be a tell tale of a leak in the system. On city water you won't know until you see the water on the ground & maybe, just maybe, notice it.

Laredo67 wrote:
Billy W. I like you like having it quiet at night so I installed an accumulator inline but the accumulator I purchased was not the RV type I got mine at a local lumber super store. I was wondering if you had to install a check valve inline? The reason I ask is after installling the oversized accumulator, my pump does not shut down and I have checked every inch of the camper for a leak and find none. Checked the pressure in accumulator on the air side and it reads 40psi. Other than pump runing constantly I like the 15 seconds of full flow water. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciiated.

You might do some pressure testing. First, disconnect the accumulator. Then install a pressure gauge somewhere in the water system, close as possible to the pump. Record the pressure value where the pump turns on, and the value where the pump turns off.

Your accumulator pressure is going to need to be below both of those values, when filled with water (bladder fully compressed).

Most pumps have a pressure setpoint adjustment that you may be able to work with. My own pump for example, would begin not turning off quickly when the battery capacity was down 25%, when we were boondocking. Worked fine when voltage was high, or whenever we had electrical hookup. I was able to adjust the pressure setpoint down a little so that the pump could reach shutoff pressure even when the voltage was low. This did not perceptibly change the flow rate to fixtures. Just a little less pressure.

Your pump needs to fully fill the accumulator and spike the pressure before it will turn off. It cannot do that if the pressure in the air side of the accumulator is too high.

Billy W. I like you like having it quiet at night so I installed an accumulator inline but the accumulator I purchased was not the RV type I got mine at a local lumber super store. I was wondering if you had to install a check valve inline? The reason I ask is after installling the oversized accumulator, my pump does not shut down and I have checked every inch of the camper for a leak and find none. Checked the pressure in accumulator on the air side and it reads 40psi. Other than pump runing constantly I like the 15 seconds of full flow water. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciiated.

I have used mine both ways. Sometimes I go a whole weekend trip with the pump on. Sometimes I go the whole weekend trip with it only on when I flip it on to use it. When I'm done using the water I turn it off.

Jim

RV water pumps are 'on demand' pumps.........with switch in ON position pump will only run when there is a demand (open faucet/shower/toilet or leak).
Something that causes line pressure in either cold or hot plumbing to decrease.
Pressure switch in pump head closes-pump runs And when opens----pump stops.

Use it like you want:
Switch ON all the time (caution: turn off when away from rig in case of a leak)
Switch ON/OFF as needed

Can even have pump switch ON when connected to city water..pump is not going to run unless pressure drops and doesn't consume any DC power when not running (very minor draw for LED ON).
Having it on with city water connected will not harm anything

I turn mine on and leave it on all the time, no problem. However, we did add an accumulator which allows us to turn the pump off overnight, and still have water pressure to use the bathroom. It's a great way to avoid waking other sleepers.

Hi,

In order to conserve water, I turn on the pump, let it cycle, turn it off and then draw the water I need to use. (exceptions, using the shower and using the toilet).

When trundling down the road, I leave it off, as sometimes a tap may turn on from vibration.

We rarely stay in campgrounds, most often camped without any hookups.

Once we're set up, I turn the pump on and leave it on until we go to bed or are leaving to hit the road again.

At night I prefer to turn it off because DH needs to get up and pee a few times and the sound of the pump when he flushes wakes me up. No need to flush our toilet with water for pee only as the toilet drains straight down into the black tank.