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Jmcmulle2123 · 11-15-2016, 11:48 AM

Hello Folks
I have a 2012 Keystone Cougar 5th wheel, I bought it when it was a year old and like most Rv's it has its issues. I have worked through most of them, but there is one that haunts me. When I am running off battery power and I turn the water pump on and flow water through the faucet and then turn the faucet off the pump continues to sound like it is running. So after doing some research I went ahead and purchased a new pump and a new battery once the battery level starts going down is when the pump has the issue of not shutting off. From what others have told me is the pump isn't getting the proper electric to get the pump up to a certain pressure to shut the pump off, and I believe this because when I am using a generator or plugged into shore power I have no issues. Also when the faucet is on and the pump is running if I push the battery indicator button it shows empty, when I shut the faucet and pump off the battery will show full or 2/3. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Jason

Cougar Xlite · 11-15-2016, 12:06 PM

If you have a Volt/Ohms meter, just see what you battery is holding at when pump is on. Then check what the draw is on your pump. If you don't have a meter, I guess you could pull the battery out of your tow vehicle and swap as a test.
(A meter is very inexpensive)
Good luck

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Jmcmulle2123 · 11-15-2016, 01:01 PM

I believe I did that last year Cougar Xlite now that you mention it. I cant really remember the out come but I want to say the only place that I saw a huge difference is when I pulled the actual pump on/off switch out and checked the voltage at the switch.

okcnewbie · 11-15-2016, 01:10 PM

If the pump runs fine when plugged in then that would suggest that your converter is supplying enough current. With a new battery you should have ample current as well. As others have said you need to get a meter and check your charge voltage and compare when plugged in and not plugged in.

Plugged in you would have 13-15 VDC.
Not plugged in around 12.5 - 13, depending on the current state of your battery.

FaithBowls · 11-15-2016, 01:16 PM

You mean the pump never turns off or it takes longer than normal to prime and turn off? It's normal for the pump to take a few seconds longer on battery power, but it shouldn't be more than 5 or 10 seconds. Do you notice any other problems running things on battery power or just the water pump? How many batteries do you have and how many amps available? What else is running on battery? Maybe you're taxing the battery with other appliances and there's not enough power for everything. You replaced the pump and still the same problem? Then it's probably not the pump unless somehow you got 2 bad pumps. It sounds like a loose wire or that you're drawing too much power.

Jmcmulle2123 · 11-16-2016, 06:43 AM

FaithBowls Yes it takes longer than normal for it to prime and most of the time it wont prime and I have to shut the pump switch off. The water pump seems to be the only issue that I have. I have 1 27 series deep cell battery. The back light is always on on the stereo system, LP monitor, fridge igniter, hot water tank igniter, all interior lights have been changed to LED. I did replace the pump and the battery. I will have to check the wiring. About a month ago I was out boondocking and ran the furnace all night off from the battery with no issues except for the water pump.

FaithBowls · 11-18-2016, 02:43 PM

If you can run the furnace all night, you should have enough power. Do the lights dim when the pump runs? I'd say take off the little black strainer on the pump and see if that fixes it. Those little filters cause priming problems.

nothermark · 11-18-2016, 03:07 PM

Check the voltage at the battery. It really sounds like a low line issue. You won't know unless you measure it!

rarebear.nm · 11-21-2016, 05:01 PM

In case you don't already have copy, here's a battery charge table. You really never want to let an acid/lead battery drop below the 50% or 12.0 volt level.

As another poster stated you may have a bad connection in that circuit. Another possibility, but I think unlikely is that the wire size to the pump maybe too small of a gauge. This would cause a voltage drop. If you want, test the voltage at the pump's fuse and again at the pump. If you see a difference on a typical voltmeter you have a wire problem and/or a loose connection(s) in that circuit. To solve many RV electrical issues you really need to carry a simple multimeter/voltmter to get usefull data. Otherwise you wind up throwing money around in a shotgun approach.