Water pump kaput!

[Tony Brooks]

May also be an old pump allowing pressure to leak back into the tank. To check get it to cut out pressure an dthen turn the tank isolating valve off. If that stops the running its leaking pump valves. As Wotever say the PRV is probably more likely.

[locostmike]

Just checked the prv and you're spot on, there's a constant dribble. I've tried wriggling the red cap on the body to no effect. Is there another answer or do I need to replace it?

Many thanks

[Tony Brooks]

Don't wriggle, give it a few twists. it will click as the valve jumps up and down.

[Froggy]

10 hours ago, locostmike said:

I have the same pump and a different problem. Ii regularly kicks in for say 10 seconds, even when there are no taps open. Presuming that I don't have a leak, is it more likely that it's faulty or that the pressure vessel is knackered?

Many thanks

 Ours sometimes kicks in for a second or two. We turn it off at the panel switch at night to avoid being woken by it. But ten seconds would shift a lot of water so that would suggest, as others have said, a leak.

[Froggy]

Ok folks, armed with the advice from this thread i took a closer look at the weekend. There was power going into the Square D but none coming out. However, when i pressed the contacts together the pump came to life and then operated normally for a few cycles of opening and closing a tap before playing up again on a couple more occasions. On closer inspection it looked as if there was some stubborn dust on one or two of the contacts, possibly remnants of spider web. I've cleaned the contacts up with some wet and dry and sprayed some WD40 into the works and things seem to be working normally again - for the time being at least. So, if i understand everything correctly, if the Square D plays up again i should be able to bypass this completely and just use the switch on the pump. Would i be able to use the Square D as a simple terminal block, i.e. wire the red in from the loom to the red wire out to the pump switch using one of the terminals on the Square D and likewise with the negatives on the other contact set (i.e. wire the two reds together on the far right hand side (as per the photograph at the top of the thread) of the Square D, and the two blacks on the far left terminal?). Would this be feasible? If so it would eliminate the need to change the wiring connectors, thus making it easier if i were to replace the Square D at a later date. According to the Jabsco Par Max specs the pump has both a separate switch and a bypass facility, so in theory both the Square D and the accumulator are not needed in the circuit unless i'm missing something.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Froggy

[WotEver]

6 minutes ago, Froggy said:

According to the Jabsco Par Max specs the pump has both a separate switch and a bypass facility, so in theory both the Square D and the accumulator are not needed in the circuit unless i'm missing something.

What you’re missing is...

 

Internal pressure switches on pumps die regularly. Hence why the knowledgeable fit external Square D pressure switches. 
 

Experience of many boaters shows that the Par Max will perform more smoothly and cycle less with an accumulator, regardless of what Jabsco state. 

[Froggy]

5 minutes ago, WotEver said:

What you’re missing is...

 

Internal pressure switches on pumps die regularly. Hence why the knowledgeable fit external Square D pressure switches. 
 

Experience of many boaters shows that the Par Max will perform more smoothly and cycle less with an accumulator, regardless of what Jabsco state. 

Ok, thanks, noted. As a temporary solution though, to save cash in the short term, i might have to bypass the Square D if it malfunctions again.

[WotEver]

6 hours ago, Froggy said:

Ok, thanks, noted. As a temporary solution though, to save cash in the short term, i might have to bypass the Square D if it malfunctions again.

Yeah, absolutely. Whatever gets you out of a jam. 

[LEO]

Hi,

 

Looks a neat installation, but I would check the installation instructions carefully as most pumps require a section of flexible pipe between the pump and the fixed piping. I think this is to avoid 'cracking' the pump head when the unit cycles, hairline cracks cause water leakage and re-cycling. 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, LEO said:

Hi,

 

Looks a neat installation, but I would check the installation instructions carefully as most pumps require a section of flexible pipe between the pump and the fixed piping. I think this is to avoid 'cracking' the pump head when the unit cycles, hairline cracks cause water leakage and re-cycling. 

It also cuts down on transmitted noise

[Iain_S]

If you give the square D sontacts a bit of a clean, it would be worth fitting a cover. The original seems to be missing in the photo. The base of a small plastic milk bottle works quite well.

[Froggy]

7 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

It also cuts down on transmitted noise

That's interesting because both pumps are Par Max 2.9s, admittedly of different vintage, and the potable water pump is noticeably noisier.

2 hours ago, Iain_S said:

If you give the square D sontacts a bit of a clean, it would be worth fitting a cover. The original seems to be missing in the photo. The base of a small plastic milk bottle works quite well.

Its ok, i have the original cover, i simply removed it for the photographs.