So yesterday, I went out to unwinterize TT and sanitize system. Pumped some clean water into system via hose to clean those lines. Used city water connection and flushed pink stuff from lines. Then filled tank with bleach and water. tried using pump later to run bleach water into lines and pump didn't seem to be doing much.. making some noise but not loud (even with cabinet open). turned it off and let it rest more. after letting water sit drained tank by low point drains and refilled tank. Pump still not moving water even to kitchen sink, discovered I didn't move tank bypass valve.. opened it up... still no water really moving. Is my pump dead? Should I try replacing it or something else? FYI, 2011 Jayco.. only used a few times.. it did pump pink stuff fine late December. Help... I need to use tank and pump in three weeks.. next week I will be using city water, so not an emergency, but I do have to get someone to help me reach the thing to hookup.. (I don't bend and stretch so well)

Did you put enough water in fresh tank? Mine takes 3-5 gallons before it gets up to pick up tube..Or did you run pump by accident during winter? The antifreeze slushes up in freezing temps and you could damage the pump if so...

Any pump noise at all and it means it's running and attempting to prime. Rather than trying to prime the pump from the tank prime it from a jug of water sitting next to the pump ... once primed it should draw from the tank just fine.

Open one of your faucets, if the water is above the pickup tube, it will work then. It happens to me every year, and it takes me a minute to remember to open one.

Make sure you have a faucet open. If it can't push the air out it can'r draw the water in.

I have been able to get the pump to prime by using a hand pump. I hooked the vacuum side of the hand pump to the cold water outlet closest to the electric pump. Turn the electric pump on, open the cold water outlet and a few pumps of the hand pump created enough suction to pull the water from the tank and prime the pump.

water pump?? | Good Sam Community

K3WE
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
Seems like every couple of years, I can't get my pump to prime to save my life...Makes relatively little sense, but running some water in through the water connection seems to do the trick for me. Yeah, open faucets, but they are generally uphill from the pump and it's just a little bit hard to get things over the magical hump.

But, it's classic Murphy's law, about the time I give up...something is WRONG...well, let's try ONE MORE TIME... re-re-re-openin a faucet, re-run some city water, re-open a low point drain, re-put a little more water in the tank... bzzzzzzzzggggggrrrrrrrummmmmmmmmmmmmm- WATER!

Good luck.
Katdaddy
Explorer II
Jan 31, 2018
STBRetired wrote:
Make sure you have a faucet open. If it can't push the air out it can'r draw the water in.

^This.
Ramp_Digger
Explorer
Jan 29, 2018
Rover_Bill wrote:
If you have a winterizing bypass valve installed on the pump, did you reset it back to draw water from the tank rather than the bypass line?
x2 double check that by pass valve. Also my pump has a small screw on filter on the inlet side of the pump that has a screen in there.
Rover_Bill
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2018
If you have a winterizing bypass valve installed on the pump, did you reset it back to draw water from the tank rather than the bypass line?
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Jan 28, 2018
jerryjay11, thanks for the suggestion but I don't think it is ice.. The lowest it has been here for the last week was around 45. It was mid 60's yesterday when I was trying this. We have probably had no more than 20 hours total of freezing. I only used antifreeze this year, because I knew I would be out of state and couldn't turn on the heat the few nights temps would drop below freezing. I am in far South GA. Less than 60 miles from FL line.

For the rest, I will try again... ensuring opening several faucets.
jerryjay11
Explorer
Jan 28, 2018
Something you may not be so familiar with from your neck of the woods is if you've had some freezing temperatures and didn't get that antifreeze into the pump when winterizing you could still have ice at the inlet or discharge of the pump.
Dick_B
Explorer
Jan 28, 2018
If opening one faucet doesn't get the prime back open more.
mobeewan
Explorer
Jan 28, 2018
Check the connections between the pump and tank. Once I had a hose clamp that was allowing air to get through after the hose was empty for a while and needed tightening. Another time I had to trim the hose at the hose clamp and then reconnect it.
ncscz
Explorer
Jan 28, 2018
I have been able to get the pump to prime by using a hand pump. I hooked the vacuum side of the hand pump to the cold water outlet closest to the electric pump. Turn the electric pump on, open the cold water outlet and a few pumps of the hand pump created enough suction to pull the water from the tank and prime the pump.
STBRetired
Explorer
Jan 28, 2018
Make sure you have a faucet open. If it can't push the air out it can'r draw the water in.

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