Why did my water pump stop pumping?

[traildog]

Hello!
On the way to our campsite, we used the pump several times.
Got all set up and turned on the pump and it runs but won’t pump.

All fittingsare tight, tank is full but no water is pumping.

Could it have lost its prime?

Thanks

TD

[Veebyes]

Possibly an air leak on the low pressure side of the pump.

Loosen & retighten fittings at filter, if present, & tank side of pump. Check filter while at it.

[traildog]

I pleased to report that my pump is now cycling normally.

WHAT THE HECK???

[traildog]

So, I filled the FW tank when I got home and turned on the pump and let it run with the sink faucet on.

It took a couple of minutes but sure enough, it starting spitting water and air. I turned every sink, shower and activated the flush valve until all stopped sputtering.

Strange thing was, the pump never completely shut off. It slowed to a VERY slow “idle” but kept turning. Then, it stopped completely and now won’t come back on. I think I toasted it but haven’t checked the fuse yet.

[traildog]

Pump


Pump location

[traildog]

MSchu wrote:
On my shurflo 4008 pump the problem was a stuck pressure valve under the diaphragm. There was a You tube video on how to fix it by a channel by the name "Why Wait"

Yes, someone posted that link and I believe that’s the only thing that could have happened.

It’s going to be one heck of a challenge to get the pump out but it’s got to be done.

I’ll update my findings when it’s working again.

Thanks for all the replies!

TD

[MSchu]

On my shurflo 4008 pump the problem was a stuck pressure valve under the diaphragm. There was a You tube video on how to fix it by a channel by the name "Why Wait"

[TurnThePage]

Recently we had the same thing happen. I looked everywhere. Finally, digging around under the sink (where the pump is) I noticed the wife had stuffed a cleanser bottle into a corner, which happened to be where the water line came from the tank. The line was pinched just a little bit. When I removed that bottle, the water started flowing.

[1320Fastback]

Do you have a water filter? Possible under the sink? I just changed mine this evening while filling the fresh tank up and had a heck of a time getting all the air bled even though I prefilled the filter and bled the water heater.

[pasusan]

opnspaces wrote:
Go a step beyond just turning on the faucet. Unscrew the aerator out of the end of the faucet. Turn the faucet on and and let the pump run.

^ Definitely try this! We just had this happen a couple weeks ago and I thought the pump was broken - it was the aerator that was somehow broken (it was a swivel one). Water flowed nicely when I unscrewed it.

[traildog]

StarkNaked wrote:
Is there a valve in the wrong position (or not quite all the way in the correct position)?

Drain valve? Winterizing valve? Bypass valve? Water heater valves?

Nope. We stopped and used the pump on the way to our campsite.

[StarkNaked]

Is there a valve in the wrong position (or not quite all the way in the correct position)?

Drain valve? Winterizing valve? Bypass valve? Water heater valves?

[traildog]

wa8yxm wrote:
Yup if you have plenty of water and there is a crack in the inlet side of the pump or the hose feeding it.. It can suck air once the water level drops below the level of the pump.. Many forget to empty the inlet strainer in the fall.

There may be a shut off valve.
The outlet strainer on the tank can clog (inlet strainers almost never clog because they are secondary to the outlet but .. it's not impossible)

Pump can fail in assorted ways.

And last... Did you VISUALLY verify water in the tank or trust the @Q#$#@ sensor panel?

Just pulled the dump valve on the FW tank. PLENTY of water coming out. I’m draining it for the trip tomorrow.

[traildog]

Forget the photos. They are only on my phone.

[Lwiddis]

Pumps have limited lifespan…like us.