Water pump

[lewisericeric]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

[grahame r]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

Are you absolutely sure there's no leaks? Looked in the bilge recently?

[bizzard]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

If you have a calorifier make sure the relief valve is not tipping water over the side.

[Dominic M]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

It's a leak, or a weeping tap. Have you got an inspection hatch at the aft end of the cabin? If you have and the bilge is dry there, then it may be that the leak hasn't seeped through to that part yet.

[OldGoat]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

 

Dribbling tap - I had one that oozed a bit (not obvious until I wiped my hand over it.

Overpressure on calorifier leaking (these get calcified and if you have them draining into the bilge (or worse)

you won't notice it.

Pumpout loo feed leaking.

 

Ran out of ideas....

[nbfiresprite]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

 

Duff pressure switch on the pump or a weeping PRV on the Calorfier

 

Firesprite

 

In the Fens

[lewisericeric]

just doesn't seem to be anything leakin - all pipes are on floor level and not boxed in yet and all are dry. Taps aren't wet or appear to be learking the bilges are dry?!

[bizzard]

Water tank nearly empty.

[mrsmelly]

just doesn't seem to be anything leakin - all pipes are on floor level and not boxed in yet and all are dry. Taps aren't wet or appear to be learking the bilges are dry?!

 

Which pump is it ? It is usualy a leak but could be the pressure not set quite right.

[grahame r]

just doesn't seem to be anything leakin - all pipes are on floor level and not boxed in yet and all are dry. Taps aren't wet or appear to be learking the bilges are dry?!

Cap the pump at the outlet, if it continues then it's the pressure valve, if it stops you've got a leak.

[bizzard]

Cap the pump at the outlet, if it continues then it's the pressure valve, if it stops you've got a leak.

Here's a man speaking from experience.With a finger still on the outlet.He's been like it for hrs shouting for help as he can't reach the switch.

[Rebotco]

just doesn't seem to be anything leakin - all pipes are on floor level and not boxed in yet and all are dry. Taps aren't wet or appear to be learking the bilges are dry?!

Had identical symptoms a few months ago. Nothing obvious, but in the end turned out to be the bog seal leaking very slightly into the the pumpout tank. When I told passengers to make sure they let the flushing lever return with a bang, the problem was solved. Probably the return spring had weakened or was slightly obstructed. If you have that sort of toilet, that may be the problem.

Damned annoying ain't it?

Brian

[ditchcrawler]

Had identical symptoms a few months ago. Nothing obvious, but in the end turned out to be the bog seal leaking very slightly into the the pumpout tank. When I told passengers to make sure they let the flushing lever return with a bang, the problem was solved. Probably the return spring had weakened or was slightly obstructed. If you have that sort of toilet, that may be the problem.

Damned annoying ain't it?

Brian

They have also been know to overflow the loo tank.

[Keeping Up]

Nobody seems to have mentioned the other obvious possibility, the valve within the pump leaking water back towards the tank. This can happen if either the rubber is getting a bit old, or there is a bit of dirt or scale in it, and is quite common.

 

It can usually most easily be cured by replacing the valve assembly - I've just done this on my Par-Max pump, it took 5 mnutes and fixed the problem immediately. Another way to fix it is to fit a non-return valve before the pump (or, if you are using a separate pressure switch instead of the pump's one, after the pump but BEFORE the switch)

[nicknorman]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

Apart from having a leak, if it only runs for a second or two that means you don't have an adequate accumulator or it is not properly pressurised. When you run a tap the pump should cut in and out quite slowly, say every 5 - 10 seconds or longer (depending on flow rate). If it cycles fast, you may need to re-pressurise the accumulator (or fit an accumulator!). The only advantage of having no / unpressurised accumulator is that a leak is more apparent, so fix the leak first then sort out the accumulator!

[lewisericeric]

The water pump is new - got it about a 2 months ago and its a Jabsco one, which claims to require no accumulator! We've never had problems until now.

 

The tank isn't empty

The toilet's a cassette (vacuflush) so i'm going to look into that tomorrow to see if there's a problem there

 

Also going to recheck everything else tomorrow too

 

Thanks for the ideas guys

[grahame r]

Here's a man speaking from experience.With a finger still on the outlet.He's been like it for hrs shouting for help as he can't reach the switch.

Yes, if only I'd had my Bizzo's patented megaphone/snoring cat discourager to hand......

[churchward]

Bloody water pump keep's coming on every few minutes for just a second or two! No leaks or anything - but it's really annoying it? Any ideas on what could be causing it?

Leaks are the obvious but if you really have none then it is possible particularly with Shurflo pumps that it is leaking back into the tank and loosing pressure. You may need to dismantle the valve assembly and clean.

 

An easy way to find out if you have a valve/cut-off tap between tank and pump is switch it off and see if it stops pumping for longer.

[lewisericeric]

Ill give that a go churchward

 

THANKS

 

edit ok just done that (what churchward said about turning off the supply) and the pump just came on for about 10 seconds and sounded really "fast" .....ill post updates.....

Edited November 18, 2011 by lewisericeric

[Keeping Up]

Leaks are the obvious but if you really have none then it is possible particularly with Shurflo pumps that it is leaking back into the tank and loosing pressure. You may need to dismantle the valve assembly and clean.

 

As I said in #14 it isn't only Shurflo pumps that do this, I've had exactly the same issue with a ParMax pump. They are a bit easier to take apart and re-seal than Shurflo.

[lewisericeric]

ok - after turning off the supply - the pump came on for a good 10-15 seconds as above, and just now it came back on again and wouldn't stop until i opened the water supply again? what does this mean - the pump needs cleaning? or the filter perhaps? Cant see in there at this time of night so it will have to wait until tomorrow! Pls advise guys

 

I think I'm definately renaming the boat..... "There's Always a Job To Do!"

[grahame r]

ok - after turning off the supply - the pump came on for a good 10-15 seconds as above, and just now it came back on again and wouldn't stop until i opened the water supply again? what does this mean - the pump needs cleaning? or the filter perhaps? Cant see in there at this time of night so it will have to wait until tomorrow! Pls advise guys

 

I think I'm definately renaming the boat..... "There's Always a Job To Do!"

I suspect it means you're pulling air in through the tap which was designed to withstand positive water pressure not negative air pressure.

[nicknorman]

I suspect it means you're pulling air in through the tap which was designed to withstand positive water pressure not negative air pressure.

I suspect it means the pressure after the pump dropped a bit, the pump cut in but just pulling a "vacuum" / cavitating ie not moving anything of substance into the output, so no increase in pressure so pump remains running. I doubt it is pulling any aignificant amount of air in through the tap shaft seal.

[lewisericeric]

OK not sure what Im supposed to do then based on the last two comments - does it mean that maybe the pump needs taking to bits and having a bit of a clean?

[grahame r]

OK not sure what Im supposed to do then based on the last two comments - does it mean that maybe the pump needs taking to bits and having a bit of a clean?

Turn the tap back on, disconnect and seal the output from the pump, turn the pump on. If it still burps and there's no weeping at the output then you have a problem with the pump, if it remains silent then you have a leak in the system.