No water flow after de-winterizing

marudnick · 05-05-2022, 06:37 PM

I have a Sunstar 29VE. I know I’m missing something silly.

Today I filled the fresh water tank. Then I turned on the water pump. I noticed it didn’t pressurize and then stop. It kept running. There is no water flow either (after a minute or so of the pink stuff coming out of the faucets), I went over the valves and I think everything is set properly. There are two valves under the bed by the pump. One is the drain. That is closed. The other is for winterizing. That is in the correct position. (I rotated it in both directions to make sure.) There is a valve under the sink. That is in the proper direction. There are two drain valves in the tailgate package outside. They are closed. I tried changing the water input from City to Fill Tank and back, but that didn’t change the behavior.

Pump keeps running and the water doesn’t flow in the kitchen and bathroom sinks. What did I forget?

Thanks.

**Eagle5** · 05-05-2022, 08:01 PM

Hi Marudnick,
On my 22M, my fresh water tank must be completely filled for the water pump to self-prime, but you say you totally filled your fresh water tank so I guess that isn't it. From page 7-18 of your owner's manual, you have an antifreeze valve located under the bed, and you say that is in the correct position. So, you must have an air lock, as the water pump really cannot pump air.
Try removing the filter screen on the inlet side of the water pump, and see if you can force a little water into the water tank fill, and purge the supply line.
Good luck.
Eagle5

marudnick · 05-05-2022, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle5

Try removing the filter screen on the inlet side of the water pump, and see if you can force a little water into the water tank fill, and purge the supply line.
Eagle5

There are instructions on cleaning the ‘strainer’. I assume that is the same as the filter. I’ll try that tomorrow. We are traveling to a campground where I will have more time to do this.

Thanks.

**Eagle5** · 05-05-2022, 08:25 PM

By the way, the strainer cap doesn't need to be over-tightened. I did that and broke the cap (oops.) Have fun camping!
Eagle5

Morich · 05-06-2022, 07:09 AM

One to check is the small plastic check valve atthe water inlet hose connection.
Before hooking the hose, looking into the connection,one should see the small plastic, spring loaded circle laying flat. You can carefully push in on it with something like a pencil to make sure it is not setting crooked to let air come out! If you see the edge of this plastic disk, try flipping it a bit to move it to cover the hole.

Some are different due to all the unlimited number of ways RV are plumbed but some will let this opening pass air out or in to make the pump try to move air which it is not really good at doing even thought they are self-priming and should pull water uphill to them. They can move air but not if the air is comming in at the same time!

Also do check the suction tube which you may have used to draw anti-freexe in. Make sure it is caps to avoid drawing a continuous supply of air.

Water heater drain plug is in?

Then there is also a chance that you may have been left a "trap"! some of the small filters are installed so that the bottom hangs down. This can lead to them not draing and I feel it better toturn the bottom up t o make sure the little plastic body is not left full of water to freeze! Check for cracks there?

marudnick · 05-06-2022, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

One to check is the small plastic check valve at the water inlet hose connection.

This is at the inlet, outside? That would affect the water pump inside?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

Also do check the suction tube which you may have used to draw anti-freexe in. Make sure it is caps to avoid drawing a continuous supply of air.

There is a cap on the tube that is used to let in the anti-freeze.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

Water heater drain plug is in?

Yup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

Then there is also a chance that you may have been left a "trap"! some of the small filters are installed so that the bottom hangs down. This can lead to them not draining and I feel it better to turn the bottom up to make sure the little plastic body is not left full of water to freeze! Check for cracks there?

Is this the 'strainer' that is mentioned in the manual? It's connected to the water pump? I plan to check this today. We're going to a campground and I'll have the time to investigate further.

Thanks.

Morich · 05-06-2022, 09:14 AM

Yes, a "check valve" (big name for such a simple piece of plastic!) at the inlet can do this as it can let air move out or in when it should not.

Yes, the other part they likely call a strainer and it is often just a small plastic "cup" screwed on a fitting at the end of the pump. Somewhat fragile as thin plastic, one can actually break it when gripping too tight to unscrew!

Theory also says it "could" get totally clogged and block flow but not my first guess.
If you've been using hard water and most of us do, the minerals can coat things, so a soak in vinegar is often a good move, just to clear it before putting it back.

Morich · 05-06-2022, 09:41 AM

A bit of "big picture" at the pump, make help sort what happens?

It is easier to move air than water, so if the pump can find air, through a leak, etc. it will just set and move air, rather than go to the "bother" of moving the heavier water!

So if there is a crack in the filter/strainer cap or if the valve for the suction tube is leaking, etc. the pump moves air and never builds the water pressure which shuts it off.

Lots of good pictures here but it does take some time to learn to"drive" the thing:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/2018/324185.htm

tim myers · 05-06-2022, 09:52 AM

I checked and did not see this comment, if I missed it I apologize in advance. Do you have a fill / normal valve on your motor home, and if so did you move it to the normal position. If it is in the fill position the pump just circulates water from the tank through the pump and back to the tank, while never pressurizing anything.

Ask me how I know this and I will likely deny it. LOL

Morich · 05-06-2022, 11:45 AM

The way I figure it at this point is that making mistakes is pretty well what people who are working will do at times. So if you want a guy who never makes mistakes, you are actually looking at a guy who does very little!

So what do we get from a guy who is doing a bunch of things to fix his RV? A few "learning experiences" and that is the guy want as he is still trying!

The water pump that doesn't build pressure has a lot of different ways to trick us, so we just have to go with looking it over and leaving the valve in the wrong position is just one of those tricky things.

How long does it take to fix it? About two minutes but it may take a couple days to find it first!

marudnick · 05-06-2022, 04:27 PM

Update on the water situation. The water pump is now working fine. I unscrewed the ‘strainer’ (that’s what they call it in the manual) connected to the water pump under the bed. After reconnecting it, the pump worked.

I have two questions now:

When taking off the strainer, the water dribbled out, and, didn’t stop dribbling. I thought it would be a bit of water but it kept on coming. The pump was turned off at that time but the fresh water tank was full. (Lots of rags cleaning up.) What could I have done to keep the water from dribbling out?

There appears to be a leak at the strainer. I waited until the tank was empty and took it off again. I checked everything and it looked good. I reattached it and hand tightened it. I put a small cup underneath it to catch any water. I filled the tank again and there still appears to be a leak. It’s a slow leak; the cup is only partially full. Any suggestions on how to eliminate the leak?

Bonus question: Why in heavens name is the strainer underneath the hose, in a hard to get place? Couldn’t they have put it on top so it could be unscrewed more easily?

Thanks.

marudnick · 05-06-2022, 04:31 PM

Very helpful. Thanks.

marudnick · 05-06-2022, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim myers

Do you have a fill / normal valve on your motor home, and if so did you move it to the normal position. If it is in the fill position the pump just circulates water from the tank through the pump and back to the tank, while never pressurizing anything.

Yes. I believe I already made that mistake. The issue was at the strainer, attached to the pump. Thanks.

Morich · 05-06-2022, 06:37 PM

The position of the strainer is determined by the fitting it screws onto, so one way to get it into a handier place and also let the water have a better chance of draining is to loosen or tighten the joint where that fitting meets the pump. Something that can happen if we loosen a fitting after it had been in place for a while is that it leaks! But one way to get around that is to take it totally off and add a bit more teflon type tape to the joint so that it winds up tight enough to hold but in a different place. Like 12 o'clock instead of 6?

For the leak? Is there a rubber O-ring where they join. It may work to take that O-ring out and rub just a smear of petroleum jelly (Vaseoline? ) and work it in your fingers so it is a bit "fresher" before putting it back. A trick from breeding tropical fish!
Not to worry if you have heard petroleum eats rubber as it is not true rubber nor petroleum after all the processing. Maybe it works or it may have to be replaced with a new strainer?? A look for a new O-ring is a long shot but might work?

Luck is with the person who works hardest!

**Eagle5** · 05-06-2022, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marudnick

There appears to be a leak at the strainer. I waited until the tank was empty and took it off again. I checked everything and it looked good. I reattached it and hand tightened it. I put a small cup underneath it to catch any water. I filled the tank again and there still appears to be a leak. It’s a slow leak; the cup is only partially full. Any suggestions on how to eliminate the leak?

I broke the clear housing on mine by over-tightening it. I just bought a new strainer assembly:
RV Replacement Water Pump Strainer
Be careful that you do not cut your finger on the old cap. My old one was like a razor at the fracture and I cut myself pretty badly.
Eagle5

marudnick · 05-07-2022, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle5

I broke the clear housing on mine by over-tightening it. I just bought a new strainer assembly:
RV Replacement Water Pump Strainer
Be careful that you do not cut your finger on the old cap. My old one was like a razor at the fracture and I cut myself pretty badly.
Eagle5

Ouch! Thanks for the link. It’s inexpensive enough to get it as a spare.

Any suggestions on what I could have done when I had to remove the strainer and the water kept dribbling out? Was there any way to keep the water from coming out with a full fresh water tank?

Morich · 05-07-2022, 06:43 AM

Looking at how high the water level in the tank is when full compared to the opening at the pump, I don't see any way to avoid it leaking some water out. No valves, etc between the two.

One idea? Does it look like a place you could slide somethin like a garbage bag under the drip and make it run the water to the outside kind of like a "shield"?

marudnick · 05-07-2022, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

Looking at how high the water level in the tank is when full compared to the opening at the pump, I don't see any way to avoid it leaking some water out. No valves, etc between the two.

One idea? Does it look like a place you could slide somethin like a garbage bag under the drip and make it run the water to the outside kind of like a "shield"?

Hmm. That could have worked. Maybe it wouldn’t have caught all the water but it probably wouldn’t have been as much of a mess. At least I now know that if I unscrew the strainer when the tank is full, there will be a lot of water.

I keep learning so much from my mistakes. You would think I would be getting smarter!

Thanks.

Morich · 05-07-2022, 10:31 AM

That's my big question, too! I keep running into things and learning a lot but I must be forgetting more than learning, cause I STILL find lots of things I don't know.

Is there a pause switch on life?

marudnick · 05-07-2022, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

That's my big question, too! I keep running into things and learning a lot but I must be forgetting more than learning, cause I STILL find lots of things I don't know.

Is there a pause switch on life?

If there is, please tell me.

BTW, it appears that the vasoline on the strainer ring helped. No leak after pumping some water thru the faucet. Hopefully, that does it. Thanks.