Community Forums

Beeper · 07-29-2014, 01:55 PM

Hi Gemini, and thanks for the response,
My pump is located somewhere other than in that bay so I couldn’t have cut that line. Before I cut the old PEX water lines I traced the lines and I’m sure I have the correct water line to the tank because it was the same line that had the old hose connection on it, plus the inside gauge reads that the tank is full now and it was empty when I started things this morning. There are only 5 lines in that bay, the two water supply, the two vent lines and the main water supply.
I can’t turn on the pump and open a valve because the pump does not shut off, it never pressurized the system. Could there be air in the system??
Thanks

BFlinn181 · 07-29-2014, 02:08 PM

If you have a low point drain beyond the pump you should open it and allow water through the pump. Once you get water in the pump it should start working, as long as it can draw from the tank.

Fred Cooper · 07-29-2014, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeper

Hi Gemini, and thanks for the response,
My pump is located somewhere other than in that bay so I couldn’t have cut that line. Before I cut the old PEX water lines I traced the lines and I’m sure I have the correct water line to the tank because it was the same line that had the old hose connection on it, plus the inside gauge reads that the tank is full now and it was empty when I started things this morning. There are only 5 lines in that bay, the two water supply, the two vent lines and the main water supply.
I can’t turn on the pump and open a valve because the pump does not shut off, it never pressurized the system. Could there be air in the system??
Thanks

I drain my water system after every trip. When I prep for the next trip, I close the drain valves, add water to the tank, turn on the pump and open one faucet and let it run until a steady stream of water comes out..both hot and cold setting...then i repeat at each faucet. I've never waited for the pump to pressurize the system when the system was full of air. I don't think the pump can fully pressurize the system until the air is out of the lines. I suspect you just have air in the system.

I hope you get it working soon.

Fred

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 06:25 AM

So I hooked up two threaded connectors to the hot/cold supply lines that fed water to the showerhead in the bay (see picture). I then hooked up a hose, open the valves and filled the hot and cold lines with water. I turned on the pump and I had strong running water from both the kitchen and bathroom faucet after the air bled out. I turned off the faucet hoping the entire system would pressurize and the pump would shut off. No Luck! The pump ran for about 3-4 minutes and then I shut it off fearing I would wreck the pump
So then I turned the pump back on and let it run for a couple of minutes and then open the faucet. The water ran strong for about a minute and then just stopped and there was no more pressure in the system. Does anyone know how the water system works and if it’s a closed loop system?
Here is my thought:
When we fill our system we have to turn the “Fill” valve on and close the “use” valve. I think the system fills through the hot/cold supply lines in the bay so that all the water lines , the water heater, and the fresh water tank fill up and there is no air in the system. Then when we close the “fill” valve and open the “use” valve the water flows from the tank but it is a continuous loop through the valve(s) systems.
So I’m thinking I have to tie the cold water supply line in the bay to the main supply line for the fresh water tank??
I’m getting close to solving this mystery…….Ugh

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

If you have a low point drain beyond the pump you should open it and allow water through the pump. Once you get water in the pump it should start working, as long as it can draw from the tank.

I do have the cold/hot drain lines in the bay but when I open them nothing come out. Do I need to open them and run the pump?

Thanks

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred Cooper

I drain my water system after every trip. When I prep for the next trip, I close the drain valves, add water to the tank, turn on the pump and open one faucet and let it run until a steady stream of water comes out..both hot and cold setting...then i repeat at each faucet. I've never waited for the pump to pressurize the system when the system was full of air. I don't think the pump can fully pressurize the system until the air is out of the lines. I suspect you just have air in the system.

I hope you get it working soon.

Fred

I'll try that this morning and see if it works. Thanks

gemini5362 · 07-30-2014, 08:07 AM

once again I think you are either not getting water to the pump or maybe not getting water in the tank although you said your indicators show full. If you have a drain valve for the tank open that and make sure water comes out. If you have water out of the drain valve then you know for sure the tank has water.

My Allegro bus does not draw water out of the tank if I am in the run mode. Unless I have the pump on. The water goes straight through the pipes to the faucets. I suspect your does also that is why it has a fill mode on the valve. One position the valve is in fill mode the other it is in supply mode or whatever they call it and the water goes straight to the faucets.

You have had a lot of stuff apart. It is possible that you don't have any water in your tank hence the advice from above. Your tank should have two hoses coming out of it. One goes to drain the tank for winterizing the other goes to the pump. If nothing else take both of the hoses coming out of the tank off. Take one of them and push it into a garden hose. This does not have to be a tight fit you just need to get water to the pump. Open the tank drain valve before pushing the hose into it. If the water comes out of the tank hose then take that hose out of your garden hose and put the other one into it. This will get water to your pump and if it needs to be primed. ( Which I extremely doubt) this will do that. With the hose in the garden hose turn on your pump and see what happens. I also wonder if you have a valve in the line between the pump and the water tank that you have inadvertently closed and think you have opened it.

I am curious to see what you find.

BFlinn181 · 07-30-2014, 08:22 AM

I don't know why you are 'messing' with the hot water lines. All the water comes from the tank, (or city hose) goes through the pump to the various faucets AND the water heater. That heated water then flows to all faucets with hot water valves.
I suggest you disconnect the line going into the pump. See if you can set valves to get water to flow from that line by gravity. Your pump is working, but it's not being supplied with an adequate flow of water. Don't worry too much about air in the lines, the pump will compress it until it reaches shut off pressure.

A low point drain should be set up that if you open a faucet, gravity will drain water out the low point drain. It should also drain your water tank.

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 08:52 AM

Thanks for the input guys. I drained the fresh water this morning and it took about a half hour for it to drain with a steady flow the whole time so I know the tank is getting water but for some reason the pump will not make the water flow. I’m going to fill it again in about an hour and try running the pump for a while when it is filling. I’ll also open the valves on the drain lines to see if they drain.
Note to myself: This should not be that difficult, its water in a tank and a pump pumping it to the faucets…I just don’t get it. I’m hoping soon the “light” will go on and I’ll have the WOW moment.

I didn’t mess with any other valves just the 5 lines in the bay. Does anyone have any idea how the water flows when you fill your tank and turn the “fill valve” open and you “use” valve shut? I should have taken pictures of the system before I cut it apart.

tedgard01 · 07-30-2014, 08:59 AM

Have you tried hooking the hose up and run the water as a city service hook up? I just wondered if the water will run through the pipes without the pump? That may eliminate a kinked or other blockage in the pipe. Could it be a coincidence that the pump went out at this time?

Sorry, was responding when you posted the update...

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tedgard01

Have you tried hooking the hose up and run the water as a city service hook up? I just wondered if the water will run through the pipes without the pump? That may eliminate a kinked or other blockage in the pipe. Could it be a coincidence that the pump went out at this time?

Sorry, was responding when you posted the update...

I don’t think there was a city water hookup? But I wonder when you close/open the fill and use valves if the system fills the fresh water tank in "reverse" per say? It would be nice to get a diagram of how the system works….I’ll try to Google it.
Thanks for the ideas

BFlinn181 · 07-30-2014, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeper

I don’t think there was a city water hookup? But I wonder when you close/open the fill and use valves if the system fills the fresh water tank in "reverse" per say? It would be nice to get a diagram of how the system works….I’ll try to Google it.
Thanks for the ideas

On the outside of the RV, how do you fill the water tank? Do you have a female hose bib that the city water hose connects? On my RV, I have a hose bib for city water that pressurizes the system when the hose is turned on. To fill my water tank, I stick hose into an opening that goes directly into the tank, no valves have to be turned. I suspect from what you and others have said you have a female hose connection that has a valve connected that has to be turned one way to fill the tank and the other way to pressurize the water system without having to use the pump or tank.

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 09:59 AM

Ok so I tried filling it directly using the main water line and running the pump and nothing happened, no water no air pressure.
Then I connected the hose to the cold water line (the one that fed the showerhead in the bay) see pictures and I had water in all the faucets and toilet. So then I turned off the water supply and closed the valve and ran the pump. The pump would not stop running.
There is pressure in the system now but if I open the faucet the water will run for a short while and then whatever water is in the lines runs out and no more water or pressure. I beginning to think it’s the pump? But it worked fine the day (Monday) before I took things apart.

Beeper · 07-30-2014, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

On the outside of the RV, how do you fill the water tank? Do you have a female hose bib that the city water hose connects? On my RV, I have a hose bib for city water that pressurizes the system when the hose is turned on. To fill my water tank, I stick hose into an opening that goes directly into the tank, no valves have to be turned. I suspect from what you and others have said you have a female hose connection that has a valve connected that has to be turned one way to fill the tank and the other way to pressurize the water system without having to use the pump or tank.

Hi BFlinn

There is a PEX line with a female hose connector that I hook the hose to and the water goes directly to the tank. I do not have a city water hook up that I can see. When the original manifold was in the bay I had to turn a valve to “fill” and then close that valve and open the “use” valve. There is a picture of the valves in the beginning of this thread.

Thanks