Water pump woes UPDATED!!!!

[shadows4]

I need help!!! They say that's the first step admitting you need help. LOL
Okay here are the details. Trailer is a 2015 and has been flawless for the 2 years we have owned it. Last month we were camping without a water hookup. Ran out of water and refilled no problem. Ran out again a few days later and tried filling from the winterization port. Got the water into the tank but when using it started sputtering and spitting like it was still out of water or sucking air. Ended up blowing air into the inlet line and it started working!
We went out this week when we ran out of water the same thing happened. This time blowing air into the inlet line didn't do any good. I removed the inlet line again and attached a hose and stuck it in a bucket. Water pump works as it is supposed to. Replaced the inlet line and then removed the line going into the water tank and put the line into a bucket. Still spitting air. I am at a loss as what to do next.
I am hesitant to start removing pex fittings but will if I have to. Is there a way to pressurize the system to check for a leak? I haven't seen any water leaking anywhere. Some times the pump will pressurize and shut off other times it just runs.
Any suggestions are welcome. I don't want to take it to the dealer. Thanks.

[shadows4]

SUCCESS!!!!
I did find the air leak. I went to the hardware store and bought a fitting to plug into the end of the hose from the water tank. I then attached my blow out plug that I use for winterizing and applied 20psi of air pressure. I'll be darned if the leak was where I thought it was. In the last pic above it was behind the little block of wood.
So all in all I have $70 in a new water pump (thought originally that was the problem), and $80 in pex tools and clamps. I think it would have cost me more than $150 if I had to take it to a dealer. Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. You all are awesome!! Thanks again.

This is how I hooked up the air from my little compressor.



The short red section of hose is where the leak was. That is the new piece in the picture.

[schlep1967]

Are your setting valves just 90 degrees of turn? In other words, If you put a white mark on one end, can you turn the knob to get the white mark on the other end or 180 degrees of turn?
When I look at your top picture the diagram next to the knobs look like the knobs have a point on them but you have oval knobs. I'm thinking at least one of those knobs will turn 180 degrees meaning it is a three position valve. You would have to figure out which way they need to point and mark them for reference.

[bucky]

Bleed it starting at the highest point, usually the shower. make sure all other sources are closed when you start.

[Y-Guy]

shadows4 - Have you tried running without the brass elbow in place?

I have the same brass elbow I use on my RV, I’ve found that I can’t leave it on the inlet with it capped as without the hose to clamp down on the twist head it doesn’t seal and leaks.

[shadows4]

OP'er here. I checked and no o-ring in the cap for the winterization port. I found one in my plumbing stash and installed it. I have the hose from the water tank disconnected and stuck into a bucket of water. The pump sucks the water out of the bucket just fine and the pump will build pressure and shut off just fine.
When I open the bathroom sink faucet it runs good for a few minutes then will start spitting again. It's not as bad as before the o-ring but it still spits. I have ordered a set of pex plumbing tools and will start replacing sections of the manifold. I am at a loss so that is my only recourse that I can see. Thanks to everyone who has responded. The encouragement is definitely a help.
Here is some pics of my water setup. All the fittings appear to be tight except one. It is behind that block of wood. I will replace the pipe and the clamps when my pex tools come in. Again thanks.

[bobsallyh]

If you have an outside shower, check to see if the knobs are turned off. If on and the shower head turned off, the head loves to drip.

[opnspaces]

Maybe take the cap off the winterizing (antifreeze) tube and put the tube in a glass of water. Then open the faucet and see if the cup gets drained. That should tell you if the valve is set correctly to draw from the tank or still from the tube.

Does your trailer have a gravity port on the outside to fill the fresh tank? If so are you sure it's full? If you open the drain do you get gallons of water coming out? The winterizing tube is to suck antifreeze out of a jug and push it through the lines and out the faucets. It does not put antifreeze into the tank.

What inlet tube are you blowing air into?

Maybe try unscrewing the aerator out of the kitchen sink and run the pump for a while. These are diaphragm pumps and are not damaged if run dry so let it run for a few minutes. I once helped my brother with the same type of situation and there was a bunch of sediment clogging the aerator. And this was after he owned it for a few years.

[schlep1967]

nickthehunter wrote:
All the ones I have seen - the cap shouldn’t make any difference, there should be a valve, is the valve fully in the correct position, which is the only thing that matters.

This. Mine has a three position valve on it. In one position it draws from the short hose for antifreeze. In another position it draws from the tank. The third position doesn't work for either as it seems to connect to both the short hose and the tank. That allows air in from the short hose causing problems.

[nickthehunter]

shadows4 wrote:
wa8yxm I had thought of that and checked if the cap was tight. Is there supposed to be a gasket in that cap? Thanks

midnightsadie I had thought of that too but the pump works as it is supposed to when I attach a hose and stick it in a bucket. When I do that the strainer is still attached.

What really puzzles me is there is no water dripping anywhere I can find. I would think if it was sucking air it would leak also.

All the ones I have seen - the cap shouldn’t make any difference, there should be a valve, is the valve fully in the correct position, which is the only thing that matters.

[MFL]

I think some used an o-ring for the cap to seal when tightened.

[MFL]

Running it dry will put a lot of air in the lines. Are you letting it spit and sputter long enough, with a single faucet cracked open to remove the air? If continually sucking additional air, then you need to find out from where.

Jerry

[shadows4]

wa8yxm I had thought of that and checked if the cap was tight. Is there supposed to be a gasket in that cap? Thanks

midnightsadie I had thought of that too but the pump works as it is supposed to when I attach a hose and stick it in a bucket. When I do that the strainer is still attached.

What really puzzles me is there is no water dripping anywhere I can find. I would think if it was sucking air it would leak also.

[midnightsadie]

or a cracked strainer housing.sucking air.

[wa8yxm]

Sounds like you did not fully close the winterization port valve and it's letting air into the pump. Recheck that port.