Problem with Surflo water pump

[joggerman]

My Surflo pump cycles (grunts) every minute or so, which means it drives us nuts during the day and it's impossible to leave the water switched on at night if we want sleep.

I was told to try adjusting the pressure switch screw, but although it varied the time between grunts, it hasn't solved it.

 

Can anyone suggest a solution?

I know there are accumulator tanks but surely it should work without one?

 

Thanks

[RLWP]

My Surflo pump cycles (grunts) every minute or so, which means it drives us nuts during the day and it's impossible to leave the water switched on at night if we want sleep.

I was told to try adjusting the pressure switch screw, but although it varied the time between grunts, it hasn't solved it.

 

Can anyone suggest a solution?

I know there are accumulator tanks but surely it should work without one?

 

Thanks

 

Your pump will grunt whenever the outlet pressure it has created drops below what the pressure switch thinks is right. So you adjusting it will indeed change the times between grunts because it will allow the pressure to drop more before switching the pump on.

 

The pressure is dropping because the water is leaking away by:

 

Dripping taps

 

Leaking shower (that's our current problem)

 

leaking pipe joints (!!)

 

Dirty valves in the pump letting water back to the tank.

 

Check your taps and showers for drips or leaks, look for damp patches on the floor, have a look in your cabin bilge to see if it is dry. If all these are OK, your pump needs a set of valves.

 

Richard

Edited June 26, 2009 by RLWP

[churchward]

My Surflo pump cycles (grunts) every minute or so, which means it drives us nuts during the day and it's impossible to leave the water switched on at night if we want sleep.

I was told to try adjusting the pressure switch screw, but although it varied the time between grunts, it hasn't solved it.

 

Can anyone suggest a solution?

I know there are accumulator tanks but surely it should work without one?

 

Thanks

It may be that the valves in the unit are worn allowing pressure to drop in the system so the pressure switch makes the pump kick in momentarily. The other more worrying possibility is a small leak somewhere. It is also possible the pressure switch is faulty but normally they either work or don't rather than fail in this way.

[joggerman]

This is a newly installed pump and has done this from the start.

 

I've checked and can find no leaks.

 

The only thing I can think of is that I sterilised the system with Puriclean, which starts of as a powder but even when mixed with water can still have a slight gritty feal as though its not all disolved.

Is it possible that a spot of this might be caught in the valves, clausing the pressure loss?

 

If so can I clean the valves?

[RLWP]

If so can I clean the valves?

 

Yes. You can dismantle the pump with a screwdriver, but cleaning the valves is a bit trickier. If it is a new pump it's worth a try.

 

Richard

[churchward]

This is a newly installed pump and has done this from the start.

 

I've checked and can find no leaks.

 

The only thing I can think of is that I sterilised the system with Puriclean, which starts of as a powder but even when mixed with water can still have a slight gritty feal as though its not all disolved.

Is it possible that a spot of this might be caught in the valves, clausing the pressure loss?

 

If so can I clean the valves?

It's possible the valves on these things are sensitive to bits and pieces getting stuck in them. Do you have a small filter on the tank side of the pump too?

 

It is possible to dismantle the pump (simple by taking out a few screws) and wash out the valve assembly. Worth a try if you can see no other cause.

Edited June 26, 2009 by churchward

[RLWP]

 

Valves are in part 5. There's one in the middle and three around it. Can't remember which is inlet and outlet. I don't think you can take part 5 apart, but you should get an idea of if the valves are clean or not.

 

Richard

 

Picture from here:

[joggerman]

It's possible the valves on these things are sensitive to bits and pieces getting stuck in them. Do you have a small filter on the tank side of the pump too?

 

It is possible to dismantle the pump (simple by taking out a few screws) and wash out the valve assembly. Worth a try if you can see no other cause.

 

There is a mesh filter between the tank and the pump, S/Steel I think.

[RLWP]

There is a mesh filter between the tank and the pump, S/Steel I think.

 

That isn't much filtering. We have one like this but with a clear housing:

 

 

It has a "rope" filter inside about 10" long, 2.5" diameter.

 

How big are the holes in your mesh filter?

 

Richard

[RobinJ]

My Surflo pump cycles (grunts) every minute or so, which means it drives us nuts during the day and it's impossible to leave the water switched on at night if we want sleep.

I was told to try adjusting the pressure switch screw, but although it varied the time between grunts, it hasn't solved it.

I know there are accumulator tanks but surely it should work without one?

The fact that it has done this from new implies that any sterilising agents hasn't made the situation worse!

The mesh filter is normally in a clear plastic housing that is held together by a bayonet type fitting, this should be checked every year at least (but only sifts out rubbish from the tank).

 

It is likely that there is a leak, it just might not be obvious!

What does your system contain? Tank, Pump Accumulator, Calorifier/Paloma/Morco, Expansion?

You need to check the taps first (may be just a washer), if you have a calorifier, is the PRV dripping?

Is there any way of isolating sections easily?

What type of pipework is it, Copper, Hep20, pushfit?

[RLWP]

It is likely that there is a leak, it just might not be obvious!

 

That's why I suggested checking the bilges. You may not know where the leak is coming from, but there's only one place it is going to!

 

Richard

[RobinJ]

That's why I suggested checking the bilges. You may not know where the leak is coming from, but there's only one place it is going to!

Assuming someone hasn't connected a pipe to the offending 'item' and stuck it over the side!

[RLWP]

Assuming someone hasn't connected a pipe to the offending 'item' and stuck it over the side!

 

I see that you appreciate that idiot-proof suggestions and solutions really depend on having the right kind of idiot!

 

Richard

 

No offence intended to any participants in this post of course.

[RobinJ]

I see that you appreciate that idiot-proof suggestions and solutions really depend on having the right kind of idiot!

Many a time - 'well the bilge pump was flattening the battery, so it seemd like a good idea'!

 

Depends on whether the plugs in or not too!

[alan_fincher]

This is a newly installed pump and has done this from the start.

So is it a new pump in a new boat, or a replacement for a previous pump, please ?

 

If the latter, what was the reason for the replacement, and what was happening before.

 

If a replacement pump "cycled" from new, but a previous one didn't, (for instance), then the pump has to be the number one suspect, surely ?

[Guest]

Is there a calorifier in the boat? If so check to see if the PRV is dribbling and allowing water to escape.

[joggerman]

I'm getting the supplier to replace the pump then take it from there.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions

[CampinGazz]

i assume the pump in question is the one shown in the diagram posts?? with the external pressure switch? and not one of the new fancy variable flow ones?

 

just i have one of the variable flow ones in my motorhome, and got the burping thing, tho not every minute, more like once every half hour, but it would also burp a few times in a row, then the motor would be on full speed as if a tap was open, first time that happened i was certian a pipe had gone.

 

i made up an adaptor to couple the pipe from the pump to the water system to my air compressor, set the regulator to 40 psi, and pressurised the whole water system with compressed air, i then went round the water system listening for any hissing, i found none, so closed the valve on the compressor so the 40 psi was in the pipework only... and not fed from the tank, and left it overnight, next day there was still 40 psi showing on the regulators guage, proving my water system was not leaking.

 

i included this info when i e-mailed my pump manufacturer (mines the whale version, but surflo brought their variable flow pump out first... it varies the motor speed, and thus the flow, so no need for an accumilator tank and the pump dosent pules on and off when a tap is partialy opened)

 

they told me they had a few other people with problems of the pump burping every so often, as well as the motor running at full speed... tho the internal bypass valve ensured it wasnt actually pumping any water, the solution was a modified pump head, which they sent me out FOC, not even asking for the old un back,

this cured my pump burping problems, but was down to the type of pump i had chosen, with the variable speed motor.

 

But if the pump is a single speed jobie, then you either have a dodgy pressure switch, or a leak in the water system somewhere.

[Smelly]

A friend of mine with a similar problem found out that his pump out loo was filling rather quickly... Dodgy seal on the flush valve!