water pump

[Coach M]

New owner of an 84 Hilo Funchaser. Brother! Getting this old gal camp ready has proven to be quite a challenge. Almost there. Can anyone tell me what is going on with water system? When on city water pressure i have no problem. But, when going off of stored water and the pump, i get 25% water mixed with air bubbles.... kind of like sucking on a straw that has a crack in it.
Not many state campgrounds in North Carolina have hookups so I need to be self sufficient.

 

[jcurtis95]

New owner of an 84 Hilo Funchaser. Brother! Getting this old gal camp ready has proven to be quite a challenge. Almost there. Can anyone tell me what is going on with water system? When on city water pressure i have no problem. But, when going off of stored water and the pump, i get 25% water mixed with air bubbles.... kind of like sucking on a straw that has a crack in it.
Not many state campgrounds in North Carolina have hookups so I need to be self sufficient.

Coach M,

I would suggest you check out the ground wire to your water pump. I had a similar situation on an older HiLo years ago. Pump would run sometimes, sometimes not. When it ran it was not up to snuff; like it was at half power.

What I found out was that when they installed the pump and ran the battery to it, they did not run a return ground...instead, they connected the motor ground to a strap screwed into the floor decking. It would run halfway decent when there was a lot of humidity, but when it was arid, it would come and go. When I connected it to the frame ground, everything worked fine.

I hope this may help.

Jerry Curtis
2406 T

 

[Bubbie]

Another item to add to your checklist: See if your water system has a siphon valve and tubing on the water pump's suction. If it does, the valve you would open to siphon antifreeze in to your pump may be partially open.
If it doesn't have the siphon system, check all water tubing and connections on the pump's suction and make sure your onboard water tank is full...... Good Luck and Merry CHRISTmas! Bob

 

[campthewestcoast]

Check the filter before the pump, if the o-ring gasket is bad on the filter it will pull air into the system. My fresh water intake filter was paricially cloged from the plastic left over from when the factory drilled holes into the fresh water tank to make connections.

 

[sam-HILO]

water pump problems

CoachM, Got to love the free advice you get on this forum. Not only fast but free and usually spot on.

 

[JIM L-HILO]

Also check the filter on the intake side of the pump for cracks. If any water has been left in the filter in past winters it may have frozen and cracked. If you have air in the system you are sucking that air on the intake (suction) side of the pump. Check all fittings on the suction side to make sure they are tight. If your unit has the antifreeze suction tube and valve, even if the valve is closed the valve could be worn out and air is sucked in when the pump is running. To check this out, fill the suction tube with water and then put the tube in a pan of water. Turn the pump on, and if you have no air in the system, replace the shut off valve. If none of the above works, the pick up tube in the water tank have been known to crack above the water level which lets air to be sucked in. Very unusual for this to happen and should be the last thing on your troubleshooting list.

 

[ruger 1]

coach m make sure your hot water tank is full' if not full you will get air bubbles in your water flow.

 

[dirtfan]

Make sure your outside vent is open

 

[RichR]

My vote is for a cracked or split fitting or line on the tank side of the pump. As was mentioned, the strainer cup could be cracked also.

 

[Coach M]

water problem resolved

Thank you all for your suggestions. Many of you were right on or real close. It was a rusted off hose clamp between sifter and pump. That is where i was taking in air. Thank team! See you in the North Carolina mountains.
Coach M

 

[betty stevens]

Water has always had alot of air bubbles thought this was normal!!
Pump will not turn on at all any suggestions. It seemed to run then
nothing won't even kick on.

 

[RichR]

Using a volt meter or a 12 volt test light get in there and see if the pump is getting any power, check the connections and fuses. Also, the pressure switch on the pump could be bad. You can get replacement parts for pumps, but if it is very old just replace the pump. As to the bubbles, there could be a leak or loose connection on the inlet side of the pump allowing it to suck in air.

 

[sam-HILO]

What year and make is your HiLo? A new pump costs around &100.00. We had to replace our water pump. Love the new one as it is much quieter. Search the internet for a good price.

 

[jcurtis95]

Water has always had alot of air bubbles thought this was normal!!
Pump will not turn on at all any suggestions. It seemed to run then
nothing won't even kick on.

Betty,

Aside from checking that battery is getting to the pump motor, be sure and check that it has a good return ground. I refer you to an earlier post [12-09-2012] on this thread explaining my experience with a situation very similar to yours. The fix and improvement in pump operation was immediate after ensuring there was a good return ground.

jcurtis95

 

[betty stevens]

thank you all so much. It is awesome to have water, it was the ground wire.

 

[69hilo2]

Water

Water is always a good thing.

Glad you were able to fix it.

Later Tim

 

[dkoz]

Our water pump at first did not pump water after filling the tank, then was very noisy. how can you get at and check connections on the pump?

 

[RCREYES]

Our water pump at first did not pump water after filling the tank, then was very noisy. how can you get at and check connections on the pump?

What trailer do you have? My pump is under the dining table bench. Check mounting hardware. Pump could be loose. You can use a mouse pad under it to take some of the vibration noise out.

 

[hilltool]

I have a 2001 22ft. Couch/bed conversion in front. Pump is underneath that. Either access from the "doors" underneath or pull cushions and remove plywood sheeting that supports the cushion. If you need to replace it removing the plywood is easiest way to access it.

Rick