I de-winterized it according to threads here....drain anti-freeze, flush with fresh etc, open valves to hot water etc.

I have water pressure, hot water, but also lots of air in the line....never seems to totally prime properly.

Also, the pump is VERY loud.

But, when only running a small amount water, the pump kicks back in, but much more "quietly"...and seems to go and go and never pressurize.

You can stope the pump from running by opening taps and running larger volumes, the pump will then get louder....then pressurize.

Not sure I explained all that correctly...but any ideas?

Was thinking of just running out and getting a replacement pump....are they typically all the same in the RPods?  Is there an Amazon item I could order?

Grant

First, Welcome and Congratulations on your "new" RPod. I hope you have many fun adventures and make many great memories camping in it.

Before running out for a new pump, there are a few things to check.

First, is there a winterizing valve, and is it fully set to not draw from the winterizing stub line? If it is partially rotated, it may be pulling air through that.

Second, check the bowl/screen that is on the intake side of the pump. Make sure that is not clogged with residue such as plastic shavings, etc.

Third, did you actually fill the water heater tank? If not, then a lot of air is from the water heater tank. Open the outside access panel and open the pressure relief valve. If you hear air rushing from it, your tank started out empty. That air needs to be purged out. Leave the valve open until you have water coming out. Then shut the valve. Hopefully, you did not turn the water heater on yet. That is one thing to always make sure of, especially if you intend to use the electric side. If the tank is empty, it will only take a few seconds to burn out the element. It can be replaced if that happened. Better to avoid that though.

Check to see if the pump has pressurized the system. I think it will be quieter once it fully purges the system of air.

I can't follow your description of the symptoms.  You have hot water pressure?  Water comes out of the faucet when you turn it on at the kitchen sink?  (If not, what Stephen suggested about the pressure relief valve is fine, but so is just opening the hao water faucet and running the pump until it stops spitting air.)

My pump was making a lot of noise when I recently dewinterized but I wasn't getting water anywhere.  Turned out the screen on the pump Stephen mentioned still had some water in it over the winter.  It froze and popped the plastic dome off the screen.  I replaced it and all was fine.  $10 on Amazon.

Let us know if any of this helps or if you figure out something else.  I'm open to more clues because I think there's something missing.

TT

I'm pretty sure the anti-freeze intake pipe is completely shut off, but I'll double check that for sure.

Pulling the whole pump out is the last thing you want to do!  It can be a big job and it sounds like just about the least likely problem.  If you have full pressure hot water your pump is fine.  One other thing to check is the strainer at the end of the faucet on your kitchen sink.  Unscrew it and make sure it's not clogged up.

TT

1) Pump is CRAZY loud when working....sounds like a jackhammer.  I've been in other RV's and it's not even close to the sound theirs make.  This is vibrating the entire slide/floor.

2) When running small amounts of water (like pulling 1 cup), the pump starts "vibrating" almost in a "slow" mode, and never seems to stop/pressurize until you pull a much larger volume of water (see 1).

3) Air in system.  Always.  Never purges.

I do have hot water pressure, cold water pressure etc, but all of the above still ongoing.

Hope that summarizes better.

Shurflo pumps are nearly indestructible so I still think we're missing something.  First, if you have water pressure, both hot and cold, the pump is, ipso facto, working. 

You've checked the strainer on the pump?  You've checked the valve on the anti-freeze sucking hose?  Do you have an outdoor shower?  Is it off?  Is there any water running/dripping anywhere?  (Floors are dry and no water dripping underneath the Pod?) 

You could have crap in the fresh water tank.  To check, you could undo the line into the pump and blow back into the tank, but there may be a check-valve in the way.  I think the check valve is built into the pump though.

I guess the pump could be working but on it's way to failure.  A new pump is cheap enough, but it's some effort to replace. It would be a shame to put in a new pump and find out you still have the same problem.

This pump should work:   https://smile.amazon.com/Shurflo-Revolution-Standard-Automatic-4008-101-E65/dp/B004MTWEZY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=SHURflo+4008-101-E65+3.0+Revolution+Water+Pump&qid=1591056523&sr=8-2 - https://smile.amazon.com/Shurflo-Revolution-Standard-Automatic-4008-101-E65/dp/B004MTWEZY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=SHURflo+4008-101-E65+3.0+Revolution+Water+Pump&qid=1591056523&sr=8-2

TT

Disassembled it completely and everything looks good from what I can tell...no debris, rips, hard seals...everything seems soft, pliable etc.  

One thing I noticed....the motor shaft seems centered and spinning properly, but the female on the pump side, the bearing seems to have an offset or not be centered?  Does that seem normal?   I was just wondering if it was bent?

Anyways, re-assembled and hooked it up to a 12V battery at home, put the intake hose into a sink of water, and it though it does have a vibration when it is running, pumps water well enough - the vibration could be normal for what it is - I don't really know.

So, I'll start checking the intake side, though other than the suggestion to try use a hose and a jug of water, not sure how to test for an air leak....

Will advise....still open to any suggestions etc.

One thing...when I was following the pipe paths....it seems that the city water line feeds into the path somehow....how is that valved out...as on the outside of the trailer, it is just a female connector?  That is not supposed to have a plug in it?

The city water pipe needs to have the cap on. Otherwise, there is a valve inside to prevent reverse flow. If there is not a cap on the city water connector, then that might be the source of the air. I had not thought about that. On our 179, it is a black cap that fits in the opening, much the same as the black water tank fitting. Both have the same type cap.

If the cap is missing, see if you can find something to plug the opening. You would likely be able to find a screw-in plug at a plumbing store or plumbing section of one of the big box stores.

On the other hand, I will certainly have learned a lot...including how to remove and disassemble and rewire an RV water pump...

So, no, was not the open city water connection as was commented by Offgrid.  Messing with it all, it did start to leak at the factory clamps near the pump, but that will be easily fixed with a pipe trim and some new pipe clamps.

So...all good.  

And, to keep your city water connection clean (and your water lines uncontaminated) you will want to get a cover for the city water connection. It looks from the picture like you may have had some leakage from the backflow prevention valve. That could have come from having a little dirt in the valve seat.

BTW, what was the condition of your filter screen and the bowl? Were they okay?

The screen/bowl on the intake looked brand new and was clean.  Nothing in there or blocking water flow.

So, yes, overall a big mystery.  Perhaps the little adjustable pressure valve thing in there was stuck?  I did poke/prod everything.  I'll go back today to trim an inch off the hose ends and reconnect with some better hose clamps.

It is so cramped under the sink and where they factory mounted the pump and there was electrical wires "pushing" against it under tension which I didn't want to repeat, so I built a little pedestal for it to sit on.  I'll screw the pedestal to the floor, and then mount the pump on top of the pedestal...it will raise it up a couple inches so it clears all the wiring and provides more space for everything.  If I ever have to remove it again, it will be a LOT easier.

Thanks again for all the help all...greatly appreciated.  I learned a ton!

I'll post another thread about other stuff...

Hello,

A little late here, but some more info on quieting the pump--

you mentioned mounting the pump on a pedestal. We mounted our pump on a 1" thick very dense mini cell foam pad. this stopped a lot of vibration and noise.

Vann

Very good idea. I think I'll try that too. 

Help!