Fresh water pump

[Diamond_c]

I know that it’s kind of stupid question but until now we have never used our fresh water storage tank or pump. We’re thinking of going to a campground that says they have low water pressure. I’m thinking that we can just fill the tank and use the pump. My question is do you turn the pump on and leave it on and it kicks on and off as needed or do you turn it on and off every time you need water. Like I said I know it’s a stupid question but if you don’t know then you have to find out somehow.

[Boon_Docker]

Actually 1/4 cup = 2 oz.

[wing_zealot]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
Good idea to try out and sanitize your on board system. As a water system manager, if you are filling with chlorinated city water, there should be no need to 'shock' your system. Contact your water supplier to know for sure the sanitation method and level of sanitizer.
Should you wish, 1 teaspoon of 5% calcium hypochlorite laundry bleach to 10 gallons of water is a 50 ppm concentration. Thats 15 times stronger than pool water. It only takes a couple of ounces, not 1/4 cup. That will kill any fungus, bacteria or pseudomonus. After an hour, drain.
I like to put the bleach in to the fill hose then hook up, so the hose is also sterile.
I keep a spray bottle of dilute bleach in my water bay to spray the camp faucet threads, my hands after dumping.

AWWA C651 requirements for disinfecting water mains specifies water mains be disinfected at 300 ppm w/15 minutes of contact time (super chlorination), 100 ppm w/3 hours of contact time (slug method), or 25 ppm w/24 hour contact time.

Unless my math skills have left me, 1 teaspoon of 5% bleach solution per 10 gallons of water is about 6.5 ppm of chlorine solution.

The long and short of it, you need about 2-1/2 oz of 5% bleach solution for 10 gal of water and about 3 hrs contact time

[Sandia_Man]

We have pretty much the opposite logic and primarily use our pump and FW tank when we're out RVing, we always fill our FW tank at home with chlorinated city water as we have encountered poor quality water at many of the places we frequent.

I know many will say why carry the extra weight, we do it because we can, we often boondock anyway and don't want questionable water in our FW tanks, and not having to attach/detach hose and regulator makes set up and breakdown that much simpler.

We make the attempt to turn off water pump when leaving rig, unfortunately we don't always follow through, thankfully no issues in 3 decades of RVing. Heard all the horror stories, but being connected to constant hose pressure from spigot would make matters that much worse.

[valhalla360]

wnjj wrote:

midnightsadie wrote:
if it does a lot of on offf you have a leak some where. never ever leave the rv with it on.

That’s no riskier than leaving the RV with the city water connection faucet turned on. In fact it’s less risky as the tank would at least eventually run out.

That said, I never use the city water because it’s just easier to use the tank with water from home than mess with a hose connection at camp.

This is the main reason we normally operate off the tank.
- A leak on city water, good chance of major damage before you have any clue something is wrong.
- If you hear the pump cycling in the middle of the night, it's time to find what's leaking.

[wnjj]

midnightsadie wrote:
if it does a lot of on offf you have a leak some where. never ever leave the rv with it on.

That’s no riskier than leaving the RV with the city water connection faucet turned on. In fact it’s less risky as the tank would at least eventually run out.

That said, I never use the city water because it’s just easier to use the tank with water from home than mess with a hose connection at camp.

[SDcampowneroper]

Good idea to try out and sanitize your on board system. As a water system manager, if you are filling with chlorinated city water, there should be no need to 'shock' your system. Contact your water supplier to know for sure the sanitation method and level of sanitizer.
Should you wish, 1 teaspoon of 5% calcium hypochlorite laundry bleach to 10 gallons of water is a 50 ppm concentration. Thats 15 times stronger than pool water. It only takes a couple of ounces, not 1/4 cup. That will kill any fungus, bacteria or pseudomonus. After an hour, drain.
I like to put the bleach in to the fill hose then hook up, so the hose is also sterile.
I keep a spray bottle of dilute bleach in my water bay to spray the camp faucet threads, my hands after dumping.

[Diamond_c]

Thanks for all the advice. I figured that’s the way it works but I wasn’t sure. And yes I’d never leave the rv with it left on or travel with it on.

[afidel]

Yup, I've done exactly what you are thinking about, one park had such low pressure that the shower dribbled out about 2" from the head, turned on the fresh pump and full normal pressure showers, made the wife much happier 😃

Oh, and you can leave the city connection on and use the two together, that way the 15 gallon tank made it the full week, no need to refill after every 2 showers. If you have a large fresh tank or it's a short trip that up to you on which way you want to go.

[midnightsadie]

if it does a lot of on offf you have a leak some where. never ever leave the rv with it on.

[ksg5000]

I turn it on and leave it on - but it's safer to turn it off when you leave the rig.

[enblethen]

I would sanitize the system. Fill fresh water tank and add 1/4 cup household bleach per ten gallons of tank capacity. Never been used< I personally would use a little stronger. Let is sit for a few hours, drank and flush with fresh water.
Yes, using pump to boost water pressure!

[valhalla360]

I would try it before you leave if you've never used it. Make sure it hasn't rotted out...should be fine but don't want to find out at the start of a trip.

We usually turn it off while traveling and if we will be away for several hours.

The other thing you might want to do is fill it up and run water thru a tank or two to make sure crud hasn't built up inside...again, shouldn't be an issue but why find out on your trip.

But really it's designed to be turn it on and it just works.

[Bumpyroad]

if going away from the RV for a day excursion,etc., I would turn it off.
bumpy

[RoyF]

I usually turn mine off when it is not in use, but sometimes it gets left on all night and there has never been a problem. Unless you have a tap that is not completely closed (or a leak) then the pump ought not to run.

ps: I turn it off when towing the trailer.