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Old 09-14-2020, 08:54 AM   #1
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Odd water pump issue

I have a 2020 Evo T2360. It's 6 months old and now I have a water pump issue. I've used City water most of the time but have used the water pump a bunch and it worked fine. I had recently drained my FW tank and then realized the campsite we arrived at didn't have a City hookup. I filled the tank and turned on the pump and opened valves to purge the air. The pump ran for longer than usual. When I tried to use it an hour later the water the pressure was fine for 15 seconds then went way down. I tried everything I could think of - winterize valve, loose fittings, clean the strainer, outside shower not completely off, and I even swapped out the pump with no change. When it does shut off it doesn't turn back on like it's bleeding pressure - it just doesn't pump enough pressure when in use - then the pump runs for 30 seconds of so before it shuts off.

Any ideas? It is new so I can take it to the dealer but I didn't buy it local and this is the type of thing the selling dealer would handle happily, a local dealer that you didn't from not so much.
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Old 09-14-2020, 09:13 AM   #2
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welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. The one thing you didn't mention was ensuring the screens at the faucets are clean and the fixtures are clear of debris give that a check
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Old 09-14-2020, 09:19 AM   #3
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Do you have a winterizing/antifreeze induction kit? If so, check to see that it’s closed to the antifreeze suction tube and only draws from the fresh water tank.
I know you mentioned this before... but it won’t hurt to check again.
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Old 09-14-2020, 10:43 AM   #4
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I had something similar, water pump sucking air and mine too was a new TT. What I found the water miser in the shower was slightly open once it had been fully closed i was able purge the air out of the lines and life was good.
Don't know if your rig has this feature, if so might be worth a quick look.
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Old 09-14-2020, 11:44 AM   #5
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It could be sucking air or it could be something in the fresh water tank that's floating up against the suction and blocking the flow.
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Old 09-14-2020, 11:56 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bama Rambler View Post
It could be sucking air or it could be something in the fresh water tank that's floating up against the suction and blocking the flow.
Feed is usually at the bottom of the tank.
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Old 09-14-2020, 12:24 PM   #7
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I did check all of the faucets for debris
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Old 09-14-2020, 12:26 PM   #8
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Thanks - I did check the winterization port......closed the valve, blew air from the outside, a ton of restriction so I believe that valve closes properly. Also blew air when it was opened and heard that come through as well.
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Old 09-14-2020, 04:26 PM   #9
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Check for a kink or obstruction in the air hose going to the tank
Check for a kink in the hose btw tank and pump or at the output of the pump
You also can have 2 defective pumps

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Old 09-14-2020, 05:10 PM   #10
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I guess the best thing to do is process of elimination... First thing I would do is find out if the problem is before or after the pump, or the pump itself.

Take the supply line coming out of your tank and into the pump off the pump. Take a piece of hose and stick it in a bucket of water and connect it to he pump and see what happens. If it pumps fine and you have pressure you know the issue is the tank or something on the supply side.

If it does not you need to check the pump and the distribution side. Now remove the distribution side of the pump hose and run the pump again and see if you get good pressure out of it. If you do you know it's not the pump and you need to look down line of the pump...
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Old 09-14-2020, 05:15 PM   #11
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Mine did the same thing

My dump did the same thing you describe , I found that the hose coming from the fresh water tank was bent in a 90 degree angle coming up thru the floor from the underbelly . This caused the pump to starve for water from the fresh water tank as it was all but bent shut at that angle .
Hope this helps
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Old 09-14-2020, 06:44 PM   #12
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I did disconnect the supply side and blow and it wasn't obstructed......but I didn't suck......guess letting the pump do that is easier.....figuring out if it's an input or output side issue is the next step......however, it is still under warranty so not sure how much I want to do.....I was hoping someone on these forums had the same exact issue......

Remember, it did work well for 6 months......I think if a hose was kinked it'd been that way since it was made.....I wish it was easier to get to the fresh tank.......I have a friend who has an inspection camera (aka borescope)......that way I could look down into the tank.....
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Old 09-15-2020, 12:23 PM   #13
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Focusing on the intake side of the pump, because you said you swapped pumps, and you checked the winterizing valve.

Try this. Remove the cap on the gravity fill to allow air pressure to escape.
Disconnect the line from the input size of the pump. Using an air compressor, set the pressure on the compressor output to about 40 PSI to protect your plumbing from excess pressure. Then, using a blow gun into that hose to the water tank and your hand to form as good a seal as possible, blow air back into the tank to dislodge, for example, a piece of scrap that may have been left in the tank during manufacture.

This is a bit of a long shot, because these tanks have molded in fittings (or bungs) for threaded fittings to attach to the tank. In theory, nobody just drilled a hole and had a small circle of plastic from that drilled hole left in the tank. But anything's possible...especially where the gravity fill line attaches.

But, something else could have gone down the gravity feed pipe. It's 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" pipe, and something could have fallen in or been dropped in by mistake (or intentionally). To illustrate, imagine a marble in the tank finding its way, eventually, to the fitting where the line to the pump attaches. Now think less insidious debris...a pine cone, a piece of bark, a piece of plastic wrap from packaging.

Reconnect and test. If blowing air back into the tank solves the problem, it's possible that a foreign object is in the tank and floating into a position where it partially blocks the tank output (pump input) line. If that's the case, it's time for a trip to the dealer for a warranty replacement, because the same foreign object could also block the tank drain that allows you to winterize the fresh tank by draining it dry!! Not good. And there's no way in hell you're going to find and remove that foreign object without dismounting the tank and flushing it and turning it until the object drops out...get a new tank.

As for "venting" air INTO the tank during use, if you have gravity feed, just take the cap off. That will admit air. If that solves the problem, check the actual vent line for a sag that is filled with water or is kinked. If you experienced ANY problems filling the tank (back flow out the fill pipe), this may be likely. In particular, when the fresh tank is full to the gills, it ABSOLUTELY needs a way to admit air to replace water being pumped out. As the tank empties, it's less demanding, because the air in the tank is far more "flexible" hydraulically than the water. The hydraulic pressures of liquids are relatively absolute, so if you pump a gallon of water out of a full tank, there is precious little air spring to accommodate that gallon of air. When the tank is low, the air in the tank has more "give" and can go "negative pressure" more easily...and air seepage past the fill cap will take care of the rest.

If you think your vent line is blocked, any number of things can cause it, but most likely is that while filling the tank, water overflowed into a belly in the vent line and is blocking it. It requires crawling under the rig, removing some coroplast, and examining, but if removing the fill cap solves the problem, that's probably your answer. Often, the vent line is a bit too long, and it develops a sag that can hold water. Shortening the line is the 'right' answer, but frequently a zip tie can support the line and prevent the sag.

Just two hunches of many. That's where I'd start.
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Old 09-15-2020, 12:46 PM   #14
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Jim - Thanks for the information.....I appreciate the detail. I removed the fill cap - nothing really escapes because the vent is next to the cap and is always vented to the outside. I blew (with my mouth) from the outside and can tell there are no obstructions. I also blew from the line going down into the tank from the line that goes to the pump - I can hear the air that I'm blowing and there were no obstructions. What I think I need to do is provide suction from the hose going into the tank to the pump - if there is debris, it's not stuck when I blow but maybe when the pump is sucking water from the tank, the debris gets attached to the hose. Remember, the pump works fine for 10-15 seconds, then the pressure goes down to nothing. I also am going to take off the "output" hose, run the pump for 15 seconds and see if it slows down to a drip. If not, I'll know it's an issue after the pump somewhere in the coach.

Fun, fun, fun!

P.S. This all happened after I drained the tank.....left it that way for a few weeks, then refilled it......I may also drain it again, refill it again, and see if anything changes.....that doesn't take any disassembly!
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Old 08-12-2021, 09:01 AM   #15
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Realize old thread, but this thread relates to my issue, so hoping someone may provide some guidance. I have 2010 1809s, purchased last year. Fresh water tank system works perfectly when I have a full tank. When tank level gets to about a third, I begin getting air in lines that pump can not purge. I’m assuming this means my issue is in lines between tank and pump? Any troubleshooting guidance is appreciated. Thank you.
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Old 08-12-2021, 09:16 AM   #16
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I assume your trailer is sitting level and that's not the cause of this? A quick inspection of the line that runs from the pump into the fresh water tank might help... Make sure the clamps are tightened on the pump and tank ends and if there are any inline screens (which will usually be located by the pump) clean them... If all else fails replace that line and if that doesn't work you may have to replace the diaphragms in the pump, which is very easy as long as you can get to the pump...
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Old 08-12-2021, 12:30 PM   #17
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How are you measuring the tank getting down to 1/3?

If relying on the sensors, they are inaccurate at best.
You actually may have a lower level than you think in the tank and it it simply sucking air.

Surprisingly, many tank supply ports ARE NOT on the bottom of the tank and there have been many complaints of it being high enough that it actually leaves GALLONS in the tank that is inaccessible.

Lots of folks with this situation plug the original port and move the supply line to the tank drain line with a tee.
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Old 08-12-2021, 12:54 PM   #18
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5Picker, you nailed it. The supply line is right in line with the 1/3 level sensor; so yea, that leaves about 10 gallons of unusable water. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason for this engineering. I’ll look into the T option on the drain line. Thx for the help guys!
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