Water Pump Problem

[bschift]

Recently bought a used Rockwood Ultralite 8283SS and am having trouble with the water pump. (Everything works fine with city water.)

First, there's plenty of water in the fresh tank and I've check the connections on the pump for tightness.

Sometimes it seems to work fine. Other times you turn the water on and there's nothing but if you wait long enough, (maybe even minutes) then the pump comes on and water flows.

Other times the pump runs (it seems like it may be making less noise though) constantly whether you're calling for water or not. I've even had it come on when no one was in the trailer and no one was using any water at all.

Is this a bad pump, bad water connections, electrical or something else. I'm a relative newbie so please be detailed in any explanations.

Thanks,

.

[cowpaddy]

I had a similar problem with my 2012 8621SS. Turned out the water line from the tank to the tee before the pump wasn't aligned when they crimped it. Also the anti-freeze inlet check valve was sucking air. Got the water line re-aligned and a ball valve installed between the inlet and the pump and all is good now!

[bschift]

I'll try to check those out. Is the "tee before the pump" located near the pump or by the tank?

Also, what is the "anti-freeze inlet check valve?"

I noticed I have one hose that goes into a 4-way "tee" that isn't connected to anything. Does anyone have an idea if that's right?

Does anyone have a diagram of how all the hoses by the pump are supposed to be hooked up? I have a water filter down there too. Could that have anything to do with this?

[cowpaddy]

The tee that I have is right before the pump. My trailer has an antifreeze hose fitting on the outside beside the city water connection. Not sure what your 4 way fitting is for. Photos would help.

[bschift]

Does this help?

It looks like the output from the pump is on the lower left and goes to the filter as does the city water connection (which you can't see in the picture). The city water tees into the line just above the black hose connection in the upper left.

The tee is really only 3-way (duh). A hose comes out of the floor (from the fresh tank?) into the tee. The other two hoses in the tee go to the open hose which you can see across the front of the pump and the third goes into the pump. There's what looks like to me a diverter valve which controls how the water runs through the tee. The handle on the valve is pointing away from the pump. What is this for?

There are other hoses but I don't think they relate to the pump.

If you need more explanation let me know.

None of the connections look pinched.

As a "comical" aside, we are travelling with two cats and one of them decided to explore while I had the access door open. He had a grand time crawling around underneath the trailer before we finally enticed him out.

Thanks,

[cowpaddy]

The open ended hose is for sucking antifreeze into the system when you winterize the trailer. The valve in the tee controls where the pump is drawing from (either the tank or the antifreeze line). Is the tee completely closed? Perhaps this is where you are sucking air from.

[bschift]

Well, the valve has 3 positions. It was originally in the center position. If I move the handle of the valve to the left it points to the open line (antifreeze line) and appears to suck air. I moved it to the right position and it appears to pull from the fresh tank and then moved it back to the center and it still pulls from the fresh tank (unlike what it did before I messed with it.)

Do you know what the 3 positions are for, and where it's supposed to be for 'normal' use?

[cowpaddy]

That's the same setup I had on my last trailer. If I remember correctly the valve handle should be pointing toward the pump for normal and toward the open hose for winterizing with antifreeze.

[bschift]

No email the past couple of days. Thanks for your help. It seems to be working fine. I moved the handle around but put it back where it started but for some reason all is good.

On to more mysteries.