Community Forums

glacier · 05-04-2011, 11:38 AM

Anyone familiar with Flojet water pumps? I have a friend who owns a company that deals with water pumps, and wants to sell me one of these instead of a Shurflo.

wa8yxm · 05-04-2011, 04:33 PM

Are you talking fresh Water pumps? They are the #1 competitor for SurFlow.

glacier · 05-04-2011, 05:00 PM

Sorry! I am talking fresh water pump. The Shurflo in the coach now pumps 2.8 GPM at 45 PSI. The pump I'm looking at pumps 4.9 GPM at 25 PSI.

takepride · 05-04-2011, 10:28 PM

25 psi makes for a sorry shower. That's why i went from the perfectly good AquaMagic OEM pump at 45 psi to the ShurFlo 5.7 at 70-75 psi. According to my newly installed meters it stands at 92 psi, the old one at 52 PSI. The flowrate of 4.9 isn't that bad, though.

bdaball · 05-05-2011, 04:37 AM

Just replaced mine with another. Same model, competitively priced, easy install.

glacier · 05-05-2011, 05:49 AM

Thanks for the input. Sounds as if the Shurflo 5.7 is the way to go.

Old Scout · 05-05-2011, 06:45 AM

Yep--just carry a spare pump...as they all seem subject to failing early and often.

Gary Arnold · 05-05-2011, 10:52 AM

I think one of the best pumps is the RV AQUAJET.

I am running the original pump and it has worked flawlessly for 9 years. We use the Vagabond whole RV RO (reverse osmoses) water system. So---- all of our water usage is from the tank pumped by the Aquajet. Heck I use this water and pump to wash the Alpine and cars because of the RO water not leaving any mineral spots.

It is rated at 5.3 gal @ 65 psi. I keep is set at 55 psi. We carry a spare and it has never been used. I did rewire the 12 VDC feed for the water pump to a 10 gauge wire.

bcbowers · 05-06-2011, 10:05 AM

Gary - The RV AquaJet pump is very impressive; especially if it lasts longer than the ShurFlow pump.

I noticed that the specs on the AquaJet pump identify 85 PSI which is too much for my coach. You "set" yours to a lower PSI but I didn't see anything in the specs or description about adjusting the PSI. How did you set it?

Does the AquaJet mount use the same bolt pattern as the ShurFlow?

It appears that the AquaJet & ShurFlow pumps are rated at 10 amps. Why did you feel the need to change the wiring?

Sorry for all the questions but I like to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into when undertaking these kinds of changes. Thanks!

Gary Arnold · 05-07-2011, 01:26 PM

Bob – The old AquaJet pump on my coach is rated at 65psi that was the highest pressure they made back in 2001. I see the newer pumps are rated at 85psi. On the bottom of the pump between the water in and out is a very small recessed stainless steel allen screw that is used to adjust the pressure. I am not familiar with the adjustments for the newer pumps.

I do not know how the bolt patterns compare.

Low voltage at the pump will cause the pump to fail early. AquaJet recommends never letting the voltage drop 1 volt or more. That means when the pump is running at full load the voltage measured at the pump must be 11.1 volts or higher.

In my coach with the original wiring by WRV I measured 8.9 volts at the pump and it ran this way for 3 years. I think between the two switches and long wiring runs this created the problem. I then made the decision to rewire the power feeding the pump to increase the voltage and avoid burning up the pump.

The easiest solution for me was to use the existing pump wires to operate an automotive relay placed beside the pump. This relay then switches the power for the pump off and on. The power cable reel is feed by a 10 gauge wire and I taped into this source using an inline 15 amp fuse to switch through the relay. Now the voltage is around 11.2 volts…. The only potential problem is, if the pump is running and you reel in the power cable at the same time you will blow the 20 amp fuse inside the coach.

To make the pump very quiet be sure you have soft flexible tubing going in and out of the pump.

I also installed a 2.5 gallon expansion tank. This removes any pulses in the in the water feed and evens out the water flow. Now we can use almost 1.5 gallons of water before the pump comes on. Greatly reducing the number of starts for the pump.

Beagle RC Air · 05-08-2011, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Arnold

I think one of the best pumps is the RV AQUAJET.

I am running the original pump and it has worked flawlessly for 9 years. We use the Vagabond whole RV RO (reverse osmoses) water system. So---- all of our water usage is from the tank pumped by the Aquajet. Heck I use this water and pump to wash the Alpine and cars because of the RO water not leaving any mineral spots.

It is rated at 5.3 gal @ 65 psi. I keep is set at 55 psi. We carry a spare and it has never been used. I did rewire the 12 VDC feed for the water pump to a 10 gauge wire.

I agree about the Aquajet being a very good pump

. We had to replace ours when we had it freeze in northern Nevada a few years ago. It was over 8 yrs. old and never a single issue with it. The nylon pump body did not want to accept any type of sealant where it was cracked

. Ordered a new Aquajet pump and it is quiet and puts out good pressure. I also use ours for washing the rv with some good soft Washington water when we get below the Oregon border on our way to Indio. Very little mention of Aquajet in these forums.

beagle

EngineerMike · 05-09-2011, 07:08 PM

Most Aquajet pumps are non-RV purpose built pumps. I didn't know they made this pump, and would probably have changed mine out to AJ if only to try to get away from the ShurFlo failure issues. When my next cycle of free pumps comes inexorably to an end, I will try this Aquajet RV pump. Its so weird that ShurFlo can't get their failure rate down to a reasonable level.

takepride · 05-11-2011, 11:47 PM

Getting an AWG #10 wire from the battery compartment to the pump is quite easy. The problem is that with the original switch wiring, the power runs first to one switch, then the other, then the pump. Lots of power loss. Direct wiring requires a relay switch or pump controller (like Intellitec). I love mine! Now the pump is receiving plenty of power and ought to last much longer (electrically, at least).

WATER PUMP CONTROL 15 AMP > Controllers - RV Parts Express - RV Parts, RV Accessories, Recreational Vehicle, Inverter, Converter, Camping, Motorhome, 5th Wheel, Travel Trailer, RV Repair Parts

EasyDoesIt · 07-08-2011, 11:18 AM

I have tried two of the FloJet VSD 4.5 pumps installed with the recommended Relay for 15 amps. The first one gave me 2 quarts per minute at the kitchen. I called the factory and they sent me another. It maybe puts out 2 gallons per minute - not enough to get a decent flow at the shower. It is quiet. I am ordering a SHURFLO WATER PUMPS-SMART SENSOR 5.7. Hope it works better!