Community Forums

wingnuts · 04-21-2018, 01:07 PM

Just a quick question, when using the water pump in the motor home, can you leave the switch on...or just turn the switch on when needed...I was always told the latter. ..

Webz · 04-21-2018, 01:15 PM

When we are parked, we always leave the pump on. It has a pressure sensor that turns it on when there is a demand.
Be safe

RKins · 04-21-2018, 01:18 PM

I would turn it off when you leave the coach unattended.
Personally I leave it on the rest of the time I am in the coach or near it and I use water from my tank always. I fill the tank and then pump from the tank.
My $.02

bamaboy473 · 04-21-2018, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingnuts

Just a quick question, when using the water pump in the motor home, can you leave the switch on...or just turn the switch on when needed...I was always told the latter. ..

The systems are designed to be Pressure Demand, so when pressure drops (a faucet is turned ON) the pump engages in order to build up to the pre-determined pressure. Turn the faucet OFF and pressure builds, causing the pump to stop pumping.

The caveat about turning the pump on/off is generally for safety's sake if anything causes the pressure to drop (broken hose). The pump would then pump as much water as the RV holds and then:
a. it might burn up if ran dry, and
b. the holding tank may overflow, causing damage.

We leave it on when we're in it. Off when we're not.

bfisher003 · 04-21-2018, 01:38 PM

I 3rd that. Pump on when we are there and off when we leave.

**Spdracr39** · 04-21-2018, 07:04 PM

Of course if you fill your rv with 50-60 gallons of water because of a busted line, a burned up pump will be the least of your worries. Pump on when there off when not.

Old-Biscuit · 04-21-2018, 07:10 PM

YES.........pump ON when INSIDE the RV

If stepping out/going any where.....PUMP OFF

And PUMP OFF when going to sleep!!!!

530ktm · 04-21-2018, 07:31 PM

What does everyone do if they have an ice maker that needs to draw water or when you are hooked up to city water? Do you turn off the water source every time you leave the coach? I understand the pros and cons but I am just curious.

Mike and Cha · 04-21-2018, 07:37 PM

If we leave the MH for an extended period of time I shut off the city water, and the water pump. I also turn off the water heater and ice maker if I turn both water sources off. It only takes a couple seconds to turn on/off the icemaker and water heater.

wa8yxm · 04-22-2018, 10:13 AM

The answer is YES.. (Either way works)
The main argument on "only when needed" is this
IF a pipe breaks or a connection comes loose when you are "out" .....And the pump is on, as mine is just now. FLOOD happens.

I've had the flush pedal not fully return so .. Toilet or worse yet black tank overflow CAN happen if you leave pump on and leave after visiting "Throne Room" .

But.. You know your RG, how much do you worry?

MSHappyCampers · 04-22-2018, 10:23 AM

We only turn it on when needed!

TJDave · 04-22-2018, 10:32 AM

Like others, On when in it, Off when away.

Same with city water connection when not boondocking. Spigot on when in it, Off when away.

wingnuts · 04-22-2018, 01:39 PM

Thanks everyone for the input. .

okmunky · 04-22-2018, 05:33 PM

Mine stays on as long as there is water in the fresh water tank and I’m not connected to city water. If I don’t turn it off when connected it won’t use the city water but empties the fresh tank, instead. Your RV might be different.

Maybe I'm risking a flood, but so far in almost 7 years of full timing the only challenge I've had with that is living with a monkey that can turn on the kitchen faucet. I fixed that by replacing the faucet with one that has a loop in the on/off handle where a small bungee cord turns the faucet off automatically. That also saves fresh water.

We mainly boondock so I rarely connect to city water. I have a water softener that I use when the water is hard. Rather than dragging it out of storage, I have it set up near the fresh water tank inlet and just run water thru the softener and into the fresh tank from where it sits in the bay. Since we don’t use the shower in our RV a tank lasts about a month.

One word of caution - use a pressure reducer on the faucet side of any hose you connect to city water. I had a new hose explode when I had the pressure reducer at the RV end of the hose.