Help with Shur Flo Water Pump

[RickGyver]

'95 Dynasty,,,,,,,,,, I am so sick of messing with this water pump,,,you can't imagine!!! In order to NOT lose the prime, I have to leave the pump on all the time. If the pump is off and someone opens a faucet, the pump will lose prime and not pump H20. I have to go down under and suck on the out tube 'til my T-shirt is wet!!! I have disassembled the pump and found no problems. Jeez!! I am not going to keep this pump in service! Three questions: Have you had this problem, what pump have you had good luck with and might my problem be somewhere else?? My H20 pressure leaves a lot to be desired. thx

[Diplomat Don]

Rick......The problem may not be the pump. There is a backflow valve just behind your external water hose connection. When you attach a water hose, it flows past the valve. When you disconnect the hose, the valve keeps air from coming through the hose connection and causing a problem similar to what you're describing. The valve can get dirt in it and leak air past the valve. The valve is difficult to get to, its behind your utility bay panel. You could possibly test it by taking a piece of PVC pipe (3/4") and glue on a male hose thread on one end and a cap on the other end. Screw this onto your water hose connection, making it air tight and see if your pump has the same issue.

The pump may also have a check valve that has gone bad and is causing the issue.

This is the pump I have FloJet Sensor VSD Pumps - Product - Camping World Its VERY pricey, but is the BEST pump I've ever owned. Its whisper quiet and is variable speed. I've had it in my coach for over 6 years. It has so much power, that I can connect a 5/8" garden hose and sprayer to exterior faucet aand wash the coach with the pump.

[Robi.1014]

>Three questions: Have you had this problem?
Yes, had the problem. Found a small air leak just ahead of the water pump (and it would "lose its prime" .... just as you say).

>What pump have you had good luck with?
The Monaco-provided Shurflow is/has been doing a fine job once the air leak was found.

>and might my problem be somewhere else??
I replaced all the plastic piping in and around this pump. Replacement was the see-thru tubing available at Home Depot.

I also added a surge tank. The presence of this tank makes a real difference in how the flow flushes the toilet, for example. Just the pump alone makes toilet flushing anemic.

[biggerjer]

Robi.1014,
I am interested in the surge tank addition. Please say what model worked for you and where did you located it ?
Thanks

[Diplomat Don]

biggerjer.......You can add a surge tank or go to a better pump. The FlowJet I described doesn't need a surge tank because its variable speed. On low, you can't hear it running.

[Robi.1014]

>I am interested in the surge tank addition. Please say what model worked for you and where did you located it ?

I've been accused of never doing anything small. Sometimes "stupid" is an adjective used also. At any rate, I purchased a 2-gallon tank that was part of a residential under-sink reverse osmosis system (but just the tank). It fit nicely on top of my 6 gallon water heater (which is under the bathroom sink). Due to tank size, I can draw almost 1/2 a gallon of water before the pump kicks on and replenishes the reservoir. So my pump no longer "short cycles" (rapid turn-on and turn-off)....which is one reason to have a surge tank. The large surge tank is the reason why my toilet flushes like it has JATO-assist rockets on it. Some would say "TMI" at this point!

ShurFlow and others sell much smaller tanks. Check Camping World or West Marine web sites. Then again: Don has good feedback WRT a different way to have good pressure and (assumed) flow response.

[RickGyver]

Could the check valve be incorporated into the pressure regulator? I don't recall seeing a check valve when I have been working in that area behind the city water hookup. I usually put a plug on the water fill(pressure reg) but not always. May be a place to start checking. Maybe I can pressurize lines upstream of pump to locate leak. Also,, my cold water side of kitchen faucet has always been weak. This is the farthest from the pump. Robi: please give more detail on your leak upstream from pump. Was it a cracked line or maybe a bad fitting? thx

[Robi.1014]

>Maybe I can pressurize lines upstream of pump to locate leak.
Probably no-can-do. "Upstream" of the pump is merely the fresh water storage tank. Applying city pressure doesn't pressurize this pipe. If you had a nasty leak, you might see it if the storage tank was full. But air leaks can occur in ultra small cracks or connections that don't reveal themselves when water pressure (albeit small) is present.

>Also,, my cold water side of kitchen faucet has always been weak.
Campground water supplies are notorious for debris in the water. You might have to disassemble this faucet to find the water restriction.

>Please give more detail on your leak upstream from pump. Was it a cracked line or maybe a bad fitting?
My air leak was at a brass "T" on the suction ("upstream") side of the pump....and the crimp -type plumbing connection there. The connection looked fine and professional.

I didn't really find the leak there. I deduced that it had to be there. But it was the last thing that I could troubleshoot without dropping the fresh water tank....and I wasn't about to do that. Spock (Star Trek) expressed it best when he said: "If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."