Air in water ??

[chadandapril]

Hi since I unwinterized my rv everytime I run the pump the water is full of air almost foamy My first thought was its a loose connection between the tank and pump but it doesnt seem to be My ? is there a way to tell if the pump is sucking air internally? I dont have a problem getting a new pump I just want to make sure thats what I need first Thanks for any input

[PlayItForwrd]

With the water heater bypassed (unless it's full) you need to open every single faucet in the RV including the outdoor showers, washer hookup, the toilet, the toilet sprayer, sink sprayer, filtered drinking water dispenser, icemaker, swamp cooler, and this is important, all of the line drain valves-- then let the fresh water run for about 5 minutes. You can use 'city water', but using your tank & pump is better. You don't need the faucets wide open, just enough to let some water out. After you're satisfied cool, clear water is coming out of every orifice, start turning off all the valves. You'll have no air or residual antifreeze afterwards.

We had a 36' Challenger 5'er a few years ago, and for the longest time we kept getting antifreeze foam at times. I finally figured out it was hiding in the drain lines....

[paz]

I think PlayItForwrd hit it right - if you have foam in your water after de-winterizing you still have antifreeze in the water, even if you can't taste or see it. Purge everything as suggested and the water should clear up. If you left any filters in place, take them out and discard them since they will be contaminated with antifreeze. Replace the filters only after the water system is completely clean.

[wa8yxm]

Every time you run the pump the water is full of air.. I am going out on a limb here and assuming you actually have water in your fresh water tank right.

Check the hoses between the fresh tank and the pump.. Also check the water flow from the tank's outlet (you may need to remove a hose to do this) and, this is a biggie, the pump-inlet strainer.

Many times when winterizing the pump inlet strainer is left full of water, this can cause a crach, which can cause the pump to suck air when it's running.

Also even if it's still solid.. if the outlet strainer in the tank A:Exists (not all have them) and B: is slimed over and clogged, the pump may well suck air through the seals.

Finally on some coaches there is a valve between tank and pump (mine has that) make sure it is open all the way

[chadandapril]

Ive tried everthing mentioned except the strainer maybe that will be it Thanks for the advice not all forums are this friendly to noobies

[wa8yxm]

One thing on the strainer.. When I winterize I open the strainer to let the water drain out (Since I do dry method) and it's not all that easy to get it right putting it back together. (Or so I found)

Thankfully I use a different method to winterize now.

You see there are 3 methods

Wet (Pink stuff)
Dry (Air)
South...
(Strap a snow blower to the front of the rig and when you stop for fuel and someone says "What the )(*#@ is that thing?" PARK for the winter)

That's the method I used last winter.. Worked great.

[Retired and Happy]

That "SOUTH" method is the best thing I've heard in a long time. You made my day. Too bad I can't use that method since I already live down here.

[ShapeShifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadandapril Ive tried everthing mentioned except the strainer maybe that will be it

That's what is was for me one spring. I took the strainer cap off to clean it when I winterized, but when I put it back it must not have been quite tight. Looking at it with the pump running, you could see the bubbles where it was sucking in the air.

That would explain bubbles, but in my experience, foam is antifreeze, just as PlayItForward and paz mention. This spring, even after flushing everything out, the first few times when I let it sit for a few days, and then run a faucet, I still got some foam that smells like antifreeze.

[chadandapril]

Im not 100% sure what it was but I when I took it apart the nut didnt seem as tight as it should be and the strainer had some white crystal type material in it almost seemed like dried antifreeze but I cleaned everthing put it back together and its fine now

[nbounder]

Chad - more important than small successes like you just encountered, is your attitude towards repairs. Don't ever be afraid of taking something apart if it's screwed together, and use the camera in your cell to document dis-assembly. You always have this forum to fall back on, if needed. Ain't nuthin more fun than helping your neighbor fix something you just repaired on your rig!!