Need help troubleshooting - water pump never builds up pressure

gkillmaster

We are using our T@B for the first time in a couple years and we filled the tank up with fresh water
and turned the pump on but it stays on and no pressure builds up. Not sure what to look for. All the
valves are in camping mode and the pump filter looks clean and is fairly new.

Not even sure where to start troubleshooting this. Help greatly appreciated.

Greg

Denny16

Are you getting water out of the faucet when the pump is running?  If not, you might need to prime the pump, since it has been sitting unused for several years.  Try pouring some water into the filter strainer cup or connect a tube to the pump directly and put the other end into a small bucket/container of water, and see if the pump is sucking in the water.  

If yes you are getting water from the faucet, and the pump is working, but if still not kicking off, the pressure cutoff switch could be stuck or broken.
cheers

gkillmaster

Thanks Denny! We are getting very gurgley water out of the faucet. The pump filter is filled with water with little bubbles moving through it. We've been at this for a couple hours and the whole system still sounds gurgely.

Denny16

Sounds like air in your water lines.  Try connecting the TaB to a city water supply (garden hose bib) and run water through the trader’s plumbing with the trailer set for City Water to clear the air out of the water lines.  Once the air has been purged from the trailer’s plumbing, by running water through the sink, shower a d outside shower faucets, the water pump should be able to pressurize the system and provide a steady stream of water at the faucet.
cheers

gkillmaster

Thanks!! trying this now!

gkillmaster

We let city water run til it ran smoothly through the faucet and the shower. We hadn't purged the shower part before, but the pump still keeps running and not stopping and the faucet water gets sputtery again. If it was the shut off switch, it seems like the pressure should be enough to run water smoothly with no air coming out. But there is a lot of air still except when running city water.

It does seem to make some pressure cause there'll be a quick spurt of water, then nothing, then another spurt. We wonder if maybe going on a trip with it might jostle some water pockets loose?

Verna

@gkillmaster, flushing the toilet a few times always seems to work for me. 

gkillmaster

Verna said:

@gkillmaster, flushing the toilet a few times always seems to work for me. 

Thanks but we don't have a toilet in our model.

Verna

@gkillmaster, so much for that idea!  Good luck!

gkillmaster

Verna said:

@gkillmaster, so much for that idea!  Good luck!

Thanks much the same

Denny16

Check the water pump connections to make sure the inlet side is not sucking air into the pump.  Air seems to be getting in there, or the pressure switch is not working correctly to allow  pump to get 30 +/- psi pressure built up.
Hope you are able to get it sorted.
cheers

gkillmaster

Thank you Denny!!! You pointed me right to the issue. several years ago I replaced one of the hoses cause the hose that came with the tab had a defect and was restricting the water flow. I just went to the hardware store and got a standard toilet hose as a replacement but it doesn't appear to fit right and was letting air through the threads. Also it was metal on plastic so that was not a good thing to do I'm guessing. I need to find one of the ROC Industries hoses like the original one that has plastic threads and thumbscrews. Looks like it's 8-10" long...

I can't thank you enough for your help. There's no way I would have been able to figure this out on my own.

I need to go see if I can find the specs on the replacement hose and track down a proper hose. If you happen to know where I can order one, I'd appreciate the tip!

Sharon_is_SAM

@gkillmaster - https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/14282/where-can-i-buy-a-replacement-pump-supply-line-please#latest

Denny16

@gkillmaster Here is the correct hose to connect to the pump for a newer TaB, looks like a toilet connection hose, but with different ends:
  PVC Flexible 1/2-inch Riser, 23UT14232LF, comes is different lengths.

I just did a water system fill and purge of waterlines on out TaB, after it has been sitting since last November.  Took a bit to clear air from lines, added water to tank, and turned pump on, I had to again purge some more air from pump lines, opening sink and shower faucets, after some more sputtering and air release, full pressure came up.  This took several minutes to do.  After the pump purge, all systems worked correctly.  

Now I am sanitizing the fresh water tank with a bleach solution, and added Happy Camper to the gray and black holding tanks.  When Sanitizing the water tank, be sure to set the Alde Bypass to winter/bypass on mode, so the bleach solution does not get into the hot water tank, which only needs a fresh water flush after refilling the system with fresh water.  

It is impossible to drain all the water from the fresh water tank, and a small amount of water is left in it, which requires flushing and sanitizing before using after sitting unused for any length of time.

cheers

gkillmaster

Denny16 said:

@gkillmaster Here is the correct hose to connect to the pump for a newer TaB, looks like a toilet connection hose, but with different ends:
  PVC Flexible 1/2-inch Riser, 23UT14232LF, comes is different lengths.

I just did a water system fill and purge of waterlines on out TaB, after it has been sitting since last November.  Took a bit to clear air from lines, added water to tank, and turned pump on, I had to again purge some more air from pump lines, opening sink and shower faucets, after some more sputtering and air release, full pressure came up.  This took several minutes to do.  After the pump purge, all systems worked correctly.  

Now I am sanitizing the fresh water tank with a bleach solution, and added Happy Camper to the gray and black holding tanks.  When Sanitizing the water tank, be sure to set the Alde Bypass to winter/bypass on mode, so the bleach solution does not get into the hot water tank, which only needs a fresh water flush after refilling the system with fresh water.  

It is impossible to drain all the water from the fresh water tank, and a small amount of water is left in it, which requires flushing and sanitizing before using after sitting unused for any length of time.

cheers

Thank you for all your time and help! And thanks for the extra info here. Going to save this info. Good to know about not getting bleach in the Alde and that you can't drain all the water out of the fresh water tank! Good to know about Happy Camper too!

gkillmaster

I haven't been able to locate one of those hoses. Spend many hours including driving to camping world 1 hour away and they didn't have them in stock. They said to order online, but they are not there either. Would love to find an online camping store that carries them if you know of an online supplier you like. Thanks again!

Sharon_is_SAM

@gkillmaster - try this:

gkillmaster

Thanks! This is the closest yet. 30" is really long for the application. I only need 10". Guess it would work just the same. Still, if anyone knows where I can find shorter ones, do let me know. I'm going to call NuCamp directly tomorrow to see if they have any or know of a supplier as well.

Sharon_is_SAM

NuCamp has them.  We purchased 2 a couple years ago when one developed a leak.  The longer length is supposed to reduce pump noise, so, it may be worth a try.  

Verna

@gkillmaster, here is the link to how you can order parts from nüCamp via a dealer:

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/14285/retail-parts-order-form#latest

gkillmaster

Thanks Sharon and Verna! Super helpful!