Adding water via "Sanitize" only gurgles (2021 400 Boondock) — Solved

geoB

Since we're about off to our first "no water" camping adventure I want to make sure I can add water via the Sanitize method before we leave. Hose is attached & inserted into bucket. Inside trailer pump switch is on. Outside pump switch in on position turns on red light. Only gurgling sounds occur; bucket level does not change.

Edit: Trailer on shore power

What am I missing?

MuttonChops

Disclaimer:
    No direct Nautilus experience. Have read user manual and various user posts.

First suggestion:
  Do not have inside water pump switch On, only use the outside Nautilus pump switch so you have full control of the fill operation..  These two switches are in parallel so the water pump is running if only one of them is set to 'on'.

Second suggestion:
  Confirm Alde is in camping season mode not winterized.  While unlikely this is direct problem it is one less item to worry about. . . . . .  i.e. Have you already used the Adle hot water this season?

Third suggestion:
  One more time check that all the Nautilus levers are in correct position and that all faucets are turned off.

Above assumes you have already bleed any air out of the water system. But if this is your first usage since winterizing last year - - - a different list of suggests would be called for.

Sharon_is_SAM

It sounds like the pump is not priming.  Not sure if this will help, but I would partially fill the tank using the city water connection, then revert to the siphon fill.  If you can access the 400 water pump, make sure all connections are tight and the filter is clean.  If you can get to the pump hoses, you can try to suck up some water via the intake hose.

geoB

MuttonChops Using switch at Nautilus panel confirmed to turn pump on & off. Trailer is not winterized; we've been out a couple of times already this season without problems. Nautilus switches confirmed to be in "Sanitize" mode. No joy yet.

Sharon_is_SAM Will try this shortly.

geoB

This is why Sharon_is_SAM must earn the big bucks...the pump indeed needed to be primed. Many thanks. Tomorrow we gain another 2,000 feet to beat the heat.

Sharon_is_SAM

@geoB  - So what did you do that made it work?

geoB

I added some water via the city water connection, reconfigured Nautilus to dry camping and ran the sink faucet in the trailer. Shut the faucet after it was obvious that water was being pumped nicely. Then went back to Nautilus, disconnected city water & reconnected the hose stub (3' long, one bare end one with male threads) and the bare end in the bucket. Configured Nautilus for Sanitize, turned on the pump and watched the water level drop.

Voila! Problem solved.

Edit:

The key take-away may well be to add water while there is still some water in the tank.

rhyno

Other things that might help are to use a short hose and elevate the water bucket a bit to minimize the rise needed to get water to the same level as the pump. 

bergger

I use a short hose when doing this. But if it still won't prime I pour water into the hose then blow it into the pump before putting it back into the water container. Seems to work well every time I've done it.

Sharon_is_SAM

So, can you easily access the 400 2021 water pump?

bergger

No need to access it. I just put the nautilus in sanitize mode and if the pump won’t prime and pull water from the container I just pour water in the short hose and blow it into the pump through the nautilus connection. But yes the pump is easy to access too. Right under the bed access panel in the alde compartment.