Water Pump Being Weird. Is it dead?

[jorn]

My pump is being weird.

I've charged the water lines via city water, and all is well. No leaks detected. But when I try to run the pump off a full water tank, it seems to struggle a bit. When I open a faucet, I do get water, but at sporadic pressure and with intermittent air. When I shut off the faucet, it cam take up to 10 seconds for the pressure to return enough for the pump to set off. Or, it can take several minutes! Once it does, it never comes back on, so I highly doubt a leak is to blame.

Is this the sign of a dying pump? (It shows a 2015 manufacturing date.)

Thanks!

[wnjj]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:
I replaced the pump on my old 5er for a quieter version and kept the old one for a spare. I usually use it to pump from my 6 gallon jugs to my fresh water fill. It is much better than pouring the water in!

Yep. Add alligator clips and wire to clip onto your batteries and some pieces of hose. I plumbed my spare with garden hose thread on the outlet so I can pump water to wherever it’s needed by using the fresh water hose.

[dieseltruckdriv]

I replaced the pump on my old 5er for a quieter version and kept the old one for a spare. I usually use it to pump from my 6 gallon jugs to my fresh water fill. It is much better than pouring the water in!

[jorn]

UPDATE!

So, I swapped in a new pump. Pretty much the same issue. Grrr

Going on a hunch, I took the cap off my winterization inlet and firmly plugged the hole with my thumb. The pump finally stopped. Clearly, there was enough of a vacuum, and associated Leake, to allow air to get slurped into the supply-side of the system, even with the valves in the "Use" position.

I even tested this a bit more by hooking the winterization hose up and submerging its end in a pail of water. Yep! It was sucking the tiniest bit of water.

The cap I was suing did not have the familiar little ball-valve-looking plug in the end of it which seems to prove a better seal than the one I was using... which did not have said stopped. Where the correct cap has gone, I cannot say.

So, I use a combination of a wad of electrical tape in the end, and some thread tape on the threads to seal the cap on a bit better, and my system seems to run as expected now. I'll go get the correct cap sometime soon.

I'll chock the price of the new pump up to the price of education. Air least I didn't;t have to rip the belly down on my camper (again!) I hate that.

Happy trails!

[Gjac]

You have gotten a lot of good suggestions so far, if none of them fix your problem check the parting line in the housing itself especially if you see a slight amount of corrosion where the housing comes together. The rubber diaphragm acts as a seal. You can remove the bolts and clean the diaphragm itself. Also clean the parting flange itself on both sides or the housing, then reassemble torquing the bolts evenly. I had to use a silicone sealer to stop the air leak, but my pump was 22 years old.

[wnjj]

jorn wrote:

craig7h wrote:
Have you cleaned the sediment screen on the pump?

Yep. It wasn't bad. Beyond that, I have no further pump maintenance skills.

Taking apart the pump is fairly easy. Just remove screws until you find small plastic and rubber parts. Take photos as needed so you don’t need to remember how they fit together, rinse them off with water, rinse the housing where the hoses connect and reassemble.

[midnightsadie]

on mine that plastic strainer was cracked. .don,t give up .

[Hondavalk]

RoyF wrote:
Another thing to check: If there is a short hose for sucking anti-freeze into the lines, check for a loose cap on the end. (The cap on mine was loose once, letting the pump suck air into the lines with what sounds just like your problem.)

X2

[RoyF]

Another thing to check: If there is a short hose for sucking anti-freeze into the lines, check for a loose cap on the end. (The cap on mine was loose once, letting the pump suck air into the lines with what sounds just like your problem.)

[jorn]

craig7h wrote:
Have you cleaned the sediment screen on the pump?

Yep. It wasn't bad. Beyond that, I have no further pump maintenance skills.

[jorn]

I hope the pump is broken, because tracing the line to the tank will be a dreadful experience! 😉

[way2roll]

X3 on the inlet strainer, next I would check sediment, and don't forget to check your outside shower to see if it's cracked or left on. If all else fails, replacing the pump is pretty straightforward.

[wolfe10]

Yup, you need to check for air getting in on the suction side from tank to pump.

[wa8yxm]

The #1 Suspect is the pump inlet strainer.. If you did not properly winterize this part it may be cracked. Then follow the inlet line all the way to the tank.. IN The tank there may be an "outlet Strainer" as well (is in mine.. 2 of 'em originally only one was in use).. it may be "Slimed".

[RJsfishin]

Try adjusting the pressure points.
All 4008 series pumps are adjustable (allen screw near the pressure switch)