Help! Water Pump Dead!

DABWCA · October 2015

Checked in at Blue Mounds State Park this evening with a full water tank, but discovered that nothing happened when I turned the WP on. Serious problem for some hungry travelers. I'm plugged in and all other appliances seem to work. Now I have no running water, hot or cold. The pump worked on my last trip. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. All of the circuit breakers are switched to the on position.

Nomad · October 2015

Check the fuzes.

DABWCA · October 2015

I've already taken a quick look but don't want to blow something else in the process at this time of night. Does anyone know which fuse controls the WP?

Nomad · October 2015

#4 - But, from my experience, a little red led light comes on next to the blown fuse.

DABWCA · October 2015

I had already guessed that it was #4 and pulled it to check. There was a red light somewhere near 4 but I didn't know what it meant. Anyway, I turned off all power to replace the fuse and after power was restored, the red light was off. Still, the WP wouldn't turn on. The LP detector on the same circuit does work, so I'm thinking that #4 isn't the problem. Do you think the WP might have a second fuse further down the line somewhere?

Maybe there are some other fixes I can make in the field? Anyone?

JandJ92010 · October 2015

Could be a loose wire connection, the pressure switch may be bad, the pump motor burned out, loose ground wire. Hard to trouble shoot with out being there. Do you have a test light on volt meter? I would start checking for power at each connection. Good Luck.

Nomad · October 2015

I wouldn't think there'd be another fuse down line - haven't heard of one. Could be a bad switch or pump. Or, maybe the pump is seized - try turning on the pump and tapping on it with something and see it it unsticks. Used to have to do that with old fuel pumps.
Seems I recall a thread where someone mentioned a filter on the pump - I've never checked. If there is and it's clogged I suppose it could create some kind of vacuume or something <- I'm grasping for possibilities here.

2canoe · October 2015

In the mean time you can access your water by using the drain near the step. I use this all the time to water the dog outside.

DABWCA · October 2015

Thanks for all the great ideas. You guys are amazing.

Too late tonight to give any of these ideas a try but will try in AM - at least to check filter and then maybe tap with rubber maller. Don't have voltmeter to trace circuit and probably couldn't really use it effectively anyway.

I'll let you know how I do and will continue to check for other great ideas

ChanW · October 2015

Hate to say the obvious, but is the switch on? B-)

Nomad · October 2015

David - Anything work?

DABWCA · October 2015

Sadly, no. The filter on mine is awkwardly positioned and downward facing. I wasn't able to unscrew the housing without applying more force with a wrench - not worth damaging it while camping. The "bang the housing" method had no effect. I checked the wiring and connectors but could run no tests. And, of course, I kept trying the switch in hope of a miraculous self repair. I did harvest water for washing out of the tank drain valve and have adequate drinking water. So, we've reverted to classic wilderness camping and are now boiling water. I'll have to bring it to my dealer in Elk River for further diagnosis and warranty repair. Then, sadly, I'll probably just winterize it and put it to bed for the winter; it is Minnesota, after all!

Thanks to all for your thoughtful and quick responses to my plea. I'll post a note after a solution has been found.

Nomad · October 2015

Well, that's too bad. Hard to diagnose or fix in the field.
On Blue Mound - I grew up in that area and spent quite a bit of time down at the park beach (all the gals in their bikinis was a big draw :-) - My first band played it's first gig at the Hardwick Pavilion just north (made $250, lots of moola in 1963-4)
And Blue Mound Turkeys are the best - Had one every Thanksgiving.

Ratkity · October 2015

DABWCA said:

Checked in at Blue Mounds State Park this evening with a full water tank, but discovered that nothing happened when I turned the WP on. Serious problem for some hungry travelers. I'm plugged in and all other appliances seem to work. Now I have no running water, hot our cold. The pump worked on my last trip. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. All of the circuit breakers are switched to the on position.

Please please check to see if the pump is getting hot (I doubt it since it sounds like you were checking it a lot)! Sister's Outback pump went out after 1 camping use. Blew 2 fuses on 2nd camping trip. Put in a slightly heavier duty fuse. BTW, voltmeter verified power. That pump got too hot to touch in a matter of minutes and the switch wasn't even in the on position. Pulled fuse, warranty item (whole bad story in itself, but not related to LG - just the dealer).

Good luck. We learned there were a small batch of bad pumps that were installed after talking to the awesome people at the factory.

*hugs*

DABWCA · November 2015

Thanks to all of you who so quickly offered advice when I found myself out camping with a non-responsive water pump. We ultimately managed just fine by resorting to more rustic camping techniques - actually, bottled drinking water and boiled water for washing.

When I visited my dealer, he discovered that the pump was dead, probably having shorted out. The fuse light also was lit, though it seemed fine when I checked it in the field. Anyway, he replaced the pump and fuse. Interestingly, he didn't go to great lengths to determine specifically what was damaged. Rather, he said it was not a particularly good pump and substituted a brand that he said would be more trouble-free. My dealer sells a lot of LG units and I trust this opinion.

Others seem to have had problems with their pumps, so if a new pump seems needed, you might want to consider options to installing an identical model. For all I know, LG is now using a different pump than was installed in my 2015 T@B.

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