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Old 11-20-2014, 06:35 AM   #1
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Variable speed water pumps

How long are these $175 units supposed to last? Replaced one a little over a year ago and it has already crapped out! This is the 55ARV Aquajet, 5.3GPM model. I love the quiet operation and steady water flow but a yearly replacement schedule is a bit much.
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Old 11-20-2014, 06:41 AM   #2
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I had a Shurflow VS pump and it lasted about 8 years and was still going strong when I sold the motorhome.
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Old 11-20-2014, 07:17 AM   #3
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Bummer. I installed these pumps on two different motorhomes. One was working when the rig was sold, and the other is working great at five years old. MUCH better than the other styles.

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Originally Posted by RonNBama View Post
How long are these $175 units supposed to last? Replaced one a little over a year ago and it has already crapped out! This is the 55ARV Aquajet, 5.3GPM model. I love the quiet operation and steady water flow but a yearly replacement schedule is a bit much.
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Old 11-20-2014, 07:32 AM   #4
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I installed one of these in 2009 and it is still going strong. Strange that you should have one fail after 1 year, makes me wonder if there is not something else wrong. Do you have a intake screen in front of the pump to protect from contamination?
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Old 11-20-2014, 07:35 AM   #5
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I think many are replaced when they could be repaired by even an average DIY guy.

Many more are installed without strainers on the intake side, allowing "stuff" that might be floating around in the fresh water tank for years to be ingested. Wouldn't take much for a little piece of plastic to jam up the works enough to cause a malfunction.

Do you still have the original pump? It might be worth your time to try and figure out what went wrong with it.
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Old 11-20-2014, 07:48 AM   #6
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Another issue with these pumps is that some coach manufactures use a 3-way switch config to allow pump ops from different locations in the coach. Problem is--these micro-switches are cheap and may not handle the pump amps. Couple this with the amount of small gauge wire used to connect the remote switches and you can have a real low voltage/amp issue. A simple solution is to install a relay that taps a good power source like the power reel or a dedicated line back to the 12v fuse block. Then use the existing 3-way switch config to activate the relay.....
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Old 11-20-2014, 09:28 AM   #7
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I installed a FlowJet in a Fleetwood Terra 11 years ago, removed it when I sold the coach and reinstalled it in a Monaco Diplomat in 2005. I sold the Diplomat this year and the pump is still going.
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Old 11-21-2014, 06:57 AM   #8
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Nine has the strainer as well as a relay that controls the power to the pump. It stopped cutting off when faucet was closed. It would turn very slowly (judging by the sound) but not shut down. I could manually turn it off and then back on and it would stay off.

This is the same scenario the last one went through. There is an adjustment on the "front" which is practically inaccessible due it's to mounting location in my coach. I notice the new pump has this adjustment (recessed allen screw) sealed with silicone filler.

Thanks for the insight guys.
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Old 11-21-2014, 11:26 AM   #9
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Ron......I and others responded by telling you how well ours worked, but didn't really answer your question. They should last a long time. The biggest killer of these is undersized wiring. I would try and run some larger diameter/size wire.

You may have to find a power source for the larger wiring and than use a relay from the OEM switch/wiring to turn it on.
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Old 11-21-2014, 04:29 PM   #10
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If this a variable speed pump and you have an accumulator tank, they don't work well together. In my older trailer I had upgraded to an AquaTec VS pump and then tried to install a tank as well. Pump refused to shut down when faucet was turned off. Tried to adjust the screw setting and messed it all up. Took it into the factory and had them check it out, they said do not use it with an accumulator tank. Fast forward to today and recently had a pump failure, leaking back into the FW tank. Mine was an older version and non rebuildable but was told again not to use a VS pump with a tank. When I told him it was for a Monaco he told me that Monaco was told a long time ago not to use those tanks with a VS pump, they weren't necessary. So if the pump is running on, try clamping off the line to the tank to see if that helps.
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Old 11-21-2014, 06:05 PM   #11
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Quote:
Another issue with these pumps is that some coach manufactures use a 3-way switch config to allow pump ops from different locations in the coach. Problem is--these micro-switches are cheap and may not handle the pump amps. Couple this with the amount of small gauge wire used to connect the remote switches and you can have a real low voltage/amp issue.
I've never seen a RV multi-switch set-up that didn't use a pump controller, which is basically a solid state relay that switches the ground side of the pump wiring. The switches use small gauge wires because they don't need to carry the amps that run the pump - they just trigger the controller.

Intelletec is a common 12v pump controller brand.
Products - Motor Controls - Water pump controllers -
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Old 11-21-2014, 07:12 PM   #12
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Voltage checked out at pump terminals so I "think" that is ok.

The coach had an accumulator tank when I took possession a couple of years ago. When first pump failed, the tech recommended that I go with a variable speed pump but he did not remove the tank. I did some research and found that the tank needed to come out so I removed it after a couple of weeks. New pump was working fine for the next 12-months or so. Maybe I shortened it's life and the new one will last many years.

Thanks for input and suggestions.
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Old 11-21-2014, 07:51 PM   #13
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OK--two of my least favorite words: "never" and "always". I make a special effort to never use them--ooooops, I did it again [smile]. Curious, what would be the difference between a small expansion tank's impact on a VS pump versus a faucet being turn on or off slowly? Not sure I understand the prohibition.
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Old 11-22-2014, 06:27 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Scout View Post
OK--two of my least favorite words: "never" and "always". I make a special effort to never use them--ooooops, I did it again [smile]. Curious, what would be the difference between a small expansion tank's impact on a VS pump versus a faucet being turn on or off slowly? Not sure I understand the prohibition.
I must say, I didn't give it a good "thinkin" myself. I spoke to someone representing the mfg and he told me the same thing...remove the expansion tank.
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