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water pump chattering at low pump rates.

Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
This year the sureflo in my 2019 Tab 400 has stared rapid pulsing or "chattering" at low pump rates when the fawcett is not at full.
Before it would pulse slowly with a delay between pulses now it is very rapid, the showrr head pipi even rattles with it. I cleaned the filter and ran all fawcets in hot and cold for quite a while. Thought it would clear itself after a while, but after 4 weekend camps, its still the same. Ordered a complete pump assembly, but while im waiting, anything I can try with the old one?
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    pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,702
    This thread has a link to a "pump adjustment" for the Shurflo pressure.  On the second page, with a video.  Might be worth adjusting to see if it helps.

    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @pthomas745 that looks worth a try. Thanks. I hoped there was a pressure adjustment and it wasn't fixed.
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    Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,432
    edited August 2020
    Good info, thanks.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    The reference worked for me. Watched the UTube video. Turned ny adjustment a whole turn clockwise and its working just the same as last year. No idea why it needed adjustment.
    I ordered a new pump and filter, so ill keep them as spares just in case. @pthomas745
       @Denny16
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    pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,702
    Was it as easy as it seemed on the video? 
    I wonder if the "rattling" motion of the pump eventually causes the need for the adjustment?
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @pthomas745 It is as as easy as the utube video shows. I lowered the kitchen fawcett tovjust more than a trickle and wound the adjustment till the pump kept running. Then closed to a trickle and made sure the pump pulsed but maybe one a secongcwith no visible surging of the flow. Then shut off the flow to ensure the pump stopped. Worked fine. Since used for half day, including shower and no further problem. The screw is so stiff, I doubt it turned. Could be the regulator spring wearing in, or worse a small restriction in the output line. Ill monitor it and see. If it changes again, ill disconnect the pump and blow through the lines. Then change the pump if needed.
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    RCBRCB Member Posts: 193
    I had a similar problem. The pump produced (in addition to water) noise and vibration . I resolved it by tightening all connections at the pump ; then removing the strainer, cleaned it and reinstalled. The pump then ran quieter and smoother. I suspect there was some air being drawn into the pump.
    400 - 2019
    St Catharines, ON
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @RCB I did not try that. Ill take a look today. That could make sense. I did clean out the filter already, which made no difference. I think all my connections are made with crimp connections.
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    rfuss928rfuss928 Member Posts: 941
    edited August 2020
    https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/8131/pulsing-water-flow-fix#


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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @rfuss928 Interesting. I never had the pulsing problem before this year and with the pressure adjusted i get 2-5 second on/off runs at low fawcett openings. This is how it was all last year. So I wonder what changed.
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    rfuss928rfuss928 Member Posts: 941
    Tundra57
    I think pulsing was a result of the very low volume water plumbing in the DM T@Bs.  This was a big improvement in our T@B.  Just thought I'd share.
    It's possible you have done a better job of purging all the air out of your system this season and lost the dampening effect it would provide.


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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @rfuss928 never thought of that.
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @rfuss928 i did a worse job apparently. This camp there was a bad eggs smell when i ran the water via the pump (never connect to site water directly). Thought it was the grey tank at first. Put lots of stuff down there to kill it. But still there. Put bleach in fresh water tank and it went. While purging fresh water at home, noticed fawcetts under pump pressure still spitting as though air in there and bad smell came back. Finished draining tank and refilled. Still the same if left for an hour. So connected house water directly (with 50psi reg). Man did that fawcett bounce and hiss. Then it ran fine. Back on pump still fine and no smell.
    I will be checking pump adjustment later.
    Draining and flushing fresh tank and pipes/alde again. Will leave peroxide in it when done (I did bleach and flush this year to dewinterize and clear the antifreeze).
    So note to self- flush cold water after winterize with mains water not pump.
    Wierd it only showed up first in July. My previous camps march and april it did not. Unless the water at the July camp where I filled up unusually was suspect with sulphur content. I have two in line carbon filters but I dont believe they catch that.
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    Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,432
    Yes, many areas have deep well water which can have Sulfur in it, gives it the rotten egg like smell.  Safe to drink and with that said, it will cure what ails you... 
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @Denny16. My sons last house had sulphur in the well (caused by certain types of bacteria i am told). It was only noticeable when not running for an hour or so, which was my problem in the Tab. It was very difficult to get rid of in his case, but as you say harmless.
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    Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,432
    You do get used to it.  I grew up in a town that had 98% pure Artisan well water, the other 2% was sulphur.  Really only noticeable when you draw a hot bath, so everyone in town had a hot sulphur spring bath...  I never really noticed it, visitors did.  Funny thing though, every winter towns around us without sulphur had flue and cold epidemics, we did not.  B)
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    @Denny16
    Interesting. :-)
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    qhumberdqhumberd Member Posts: 473
    Tundra57 said:
    @pthomas745 It is as as easy as the utube video shows. I lowered the kitchen fawcett tovjust more than a trickle and wound the adjustment till the pump kept running. Then closed to a trickle and made sure the pump pulsed but maybe one a secongcwith no visible surging of the flow. Then shut off the flow to ensure the pump stopped. Worked fine. Since used for half day, including shower and no further problem. The screw is so stiff, I doubt it turned. Could be the regulator spring wearing in, or worse a small restriction in the output line. Ill monitor it and see. If it changes again, ill disconnect the pump and blow through the lines. Then change the pump if needed.
    Hey all I was experiencing a similar issue with my pump this weekend and mine is in the closet but it appears to be installed so the pressure adjustment is on the side facing the floor. Did you use a mirror to get the allen wrench on the adjustment screw? Or am I looking a my pump wrong?

    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"

    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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    Tundra57Tundra57 Member Posts: 640
    Yes its underneath as you say. I used a small mirror. I was not happy with the results of my adjustment, so I purchased a replacement pump and filter. Now its fine.
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