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Old 03-02-2019, 07:21 PM   #1
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Water pump not working

Hi, I have a shurflo 4008 water pump. It worked fine last summer and last fall when I winterized the trailer. Since then we have only used the city water hookup. Today I checked the pump and it would only buzz. Checked the plumbing and all was clear. Took the pump off of the trailer, all looked good including the diaphragm. Put the pump together and positioned it so I could pour water into the input side. Started pouring water into the pump while it was running. Water dribbled out of the pump until it clicked and started working fine.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem was? Should I just be happy or should I get a spare rebuild kit or pump? We have to have the pump working during the summer.

Thanks
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Old 03-02-2019, 10:06 PM   #2
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Some dirt in there somewhere that got dislodged when you took it apart. I had the same thing happen. I replaced the pump. Then about two years later I decided to take the old one apart, to see if I could fix it. Like you, I saw nothing wrong. I washed everything off and re-assembled it. I ran a hose from a pot of water to the input gave it power and it pumped away. I now carry it as a spare.

This summer, the new one leaked from the switch for awhile. It seemed to stop after I used the pump a bit. I guess these things like to be used.
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Old 03-02-2019, 10:10 PM   #3
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Just to verify, have you turned the bypass from winterize to normal use? Just checking....
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Old 03-02-2019, 10:38 PM   #4
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That pump is pretty simple so I'd also suspect a piece of debris stuck most likely in the inlet check valve.

Taking it apart and cleaning cleared your problem so good chance you'll be fine.

That said, if you have to rely on the water pump because you are boondocking or just dry camping it would pay to have a repair kit on hand. Not expensive and the motor itself is pretty reliable.

I bought a complete pump, a "clone" of the Shurflo, for around $60-$70 that I use to transfer fresh water from my transport containers when boondocking.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Added a switch, fuse holder, wire, and battery clamps so I could run it off my battery. It has the same fittings, in the same place, as the original so if my main pump fails I have the transfer pump ready to replace it in short order. I can then rebuild the original when I get back to town.

BTW, don't overlook the filter on the suction side of the pump. Often just ignored but it should be cleaned at least once per season just to make sure it hasn't accumulated any strange stuff from the water tank.
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Old 03-03-2019, 02:44 PM   #5
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Water Pump

Same thing happened to me last year. Pump made the right noises, but didn't pump water.

I took the pump completely apart, saw no debris, holes, or cracks, but I still couldn't get it to work.. Ended up buying a new one, and never did figure out the problem.
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Old 03-03-2019, 03:00 PM   #6
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Check valve?

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Originally Posted by jjuscg View Post
Same thing happened to me last year. Pump made the right noises, but didn't pump water.

I took the pump completely apart, saw no debris, holes, or cracks, but I still couldn't get it to work.. Ended up buying a new one, and never did figure out the problem.
I wonder if the check valve gets stuck. Should be able to remove it and blow air through it one direction but not the other.

Larry
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Old 03-03-2019, 03:02 PM   #7
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Had this happen numerous times. Often times the low hum noise of the pump means it's in bypass mode. I've found out that sometimes CW pressure will remain in the line once disconnected, and the pump can't overcome this pressure. My fix has been to press the check valve button on the CW inlet, relieve the residual pressure, and the pump will start working again.
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Old 03-03-2019, 03:16 PM   #8
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You didnt mention of you opened a faucet. An open faucet is often necessary to prime the pump.
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Old 03-03-2019, 04:45 PM   #9
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You didnt mention of you opened a faucet. An open faucet is often necessary to prime the pump.
Yup, sounds like it had an air lock. Once it got primed, it started to work. As others have said, there could be a secondary cause preventing water flow.
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Old 03-06-2019, 08:48 AM   #10
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What I ended up doing was to disconnect the pump from the water lines and remove it from the trailer. I try and failed to blow air from either side of the pump. I put the input side of the pump into a bucket of water, turned it on and it didn't pump. What did work was when I held the so I could pour water into the input side while the pump was running. eventually there was a click and it started pumping water.

Where is the check valve and how does it work?
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Old 03-06-2019, 09:26 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by schumgl View Post
What I ended up doing was to disconnect the pump from the water lines and remove it from the trailer. I try and failed to blow air from either side of the pump. I put the input side of the pump into a bucket of water, turned it on and it didn't pump. What did work was when I held the so I could pour water into the input side while the pump was running. eventually there was a click and it started pumping water.

Where is the check valve and how does it work?
Pull the head off and everything will become evident.
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Old 03-06-2019, 09:32 AM   #12
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Same thing happened to me with a relatively new pump. I removed the input and Output lines of the pump and there was absolutely no suction. I then removed the pump from its mounting location and suddenly and began to show suction. It concerns me that I was not able to root-cause the issue.

I suspect it was just dry and could not prime. But this would be unexpected on a <1 yr old pump. So it must be something I did with the check valve that made it malfunction.

Problem is The level of disassembly required to fiddle with it. Usually happens when it’s supposed to be below freezing and we need to draw on her freshwater tank
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