Water Pump runs and no water

[GunnerRoo]

Greetings all!

Rarely do I need to post questions as this forum is so good I usually find the answer to my issues with a quick search.

Fresh Water Pump - so I have read most if not all posts related to the water pump on the forum but I am still struggling. We have not dry camped in the past and had not used the fresh water system and quite frankly, had not turned on the pump that I can remember. I pretty much use the fresh water tank to tweak the tongue weight when fully loaded before heading out.

I have a 2012 Outback 312BH TT with the Artic Barrier do not see any access to the tank/pump without removing/cutting barrier. So the pump comes on and just runs. I have tried faucets open/closed trying to get it to "prime". No Joy. Let run for 15 minutes with faucet open and nothing still so thought that if I turn on the City Water supply maybe it will help prime. With faucet open pump running turned it on and very shortly the pump cut off as I assume the pressure reaches the point where it shuts pump off. Tried multiple times and still no output from pump.

I am leaning towards either defective pump diaphragm or debris clog input side of pump from tank.

Looking for any recommendations, tips or tricks.

Cheers All!

[bsmith0404]

Gonna start with the obvious, is there water in the tank? Not sure what the 2012 outback set up was like, is there a valve anywhere for city connection? Is the water heater full, or is the pump trying to fill that? Are low point drains closed? If the pump just continues to run, it’s not building pressure for some reason. It’s possible the diaphragm has dried out on a 9 year old pump that hasn’t been used.

[GunnerRoo]

Thanks for the reply Brent. Yes to all your great points. I have been in TT for 2 days and decided to troubleshoot. Everything is working normally and I am leaning towards a clog but could be dead wrong. Hoping other Outback owners have some recommendations for access etc.

Thx!

Craig

[FlyingAroundRV]

Guneroo;

Here are some things to check.

Follow the sound of your water pump to its location. There WILL be a panel that is removeable with just a couple of screws, to access the pump.
When you've removed that panel, you'll likely find attached to the pump, a short piece of hose connected to an inline valve. That hose is for sucking up anti freeze from a bottle, to charge your lines for winterizing. That valve should close off the short hose and allow the flow to enter the pump from the tank.

The second thing is a bit harder to check. The pickup line from the pump to the FW tank may be broken or cracked so that the pump is sucking air.

The third thing is easier to check but still a bit tricky. The non return valve in the pump head may be jammed closed. This happened to me. Excess water pressure from external mains pressure jammed the valve. That valve is meant to allow the water from the tank to enter the pump, but prevent the water in the plumbing from going back to the tank, thereby maintaining pressure in the lines after the pump stops. It also stops city water from entering the FW tank through the pump.
To check this, you will need to disassemble the pump head. From memory there are 4 or 6 screws holding it together and on the pump motor. It is not a complicated thing and if you take it apart carefully and note how it's put together it's not difficult to reassemble. In there, you will find a plunger that looks like a disk. It is spring loaded in a socket and should move easily. My giess is that yours is jammed. Press firmly on the plunger and it will go down in its socket and then spring back up. That's all you need to do to clear the jam. You will need a pressure regulator for your city connection to prevent it happening again, though.

As a previous poster said, the other things might be a failed pump, or no water in the tank.

Good luck. Please update us on your troubleshooting.

[GunnerRoo]

Thanks FARV, great recommendations! Will tear into that tomorrow morning.

I was in Brisbane last May for a couple of weeks and been there several times. Our company has a site out at the airport. Absolutely love that city, one of the nicest I have every been to. Plan to vacation there in the next year after the world settles down!

Cheers Mate!

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by GunnerRoo

Thanks FARV, great recommendations! Will tear into that tomorrow morning.

I was in Brisbane last May for a couple of weeks and been there several times. Our company has a site out at the airport. Absolutely love that city, one of the nicest I have every been to. Plan to vacation there in the next year after the world settles down!

Cheers Mate!

Mate, I did wonder when I saw your screen name, whether you'd been to Oz.
I also see you're in FL. I come from West Hollywood, between Ft Lauderdale and Miami, but have lived here in Oz since I was 15 ...(a long time ago)
Send us a PM next time you're headed this way and we'll catch up for a coldie, or go for a fly around the gold coast, or have a day out on the bay... or something.
We keep our rig in Dallas and can't wait to get back to it.

[GunnerRoo]

That sounds Awesome Scott! Wife and I are looking at next year when things settle down and take a well deserved vacation downunder!

Unable to locate access for the water pump so going to loosen the artic barrier and look from underneath and see what it shows.

Take care!!!

Craig

[flybouy]

Never seen a trailer where you have to remove the coroplast under it to get to the water pump. The water pump ios typically mounted to the floor close to where the fill is. On my trailer there's a an L shaped panel covering the pump in the pass thru on the driver side. The paneling is screwed to the floor and 3 screws remove it.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Never seen a trailer where you have to remove the coroplast under it to get to the water pump. The water pump ios typically mounted to the floor close to where the fill is. On my trailer there's a an L shaped panel covering the pump in the pass thru on the driver side. The paneling is screwed to the floor and 3 screws remove it.

Yes and ours has something similar in the front passthrough. Ours also has little cupboards either side of the lounge in the front. There is a panel at the bottom of the cupboard on the fill side, inside the trailer, that is held on with only two screws. The access from the passthrough in our trailer doesn't give access to the antifreeze hose. You can only reach that from the panel in the lounge area.
In the picture, it's called a “wardrobe” but it's just a little cupboard.

[sourdough]

Craig, like Marshall I've never seen a trailer you had to remove the coroplast on the bottom to access - wouldn't make any sense.

Looking at your floorplan it seems pretty limited on the placement looks like. Have you looked at the bottom of the pantry for a wooden panel of some sort that it might be behind? The same for the bathroom sink? I'm pasting a link to the floorplan for anyone else's ideas. I've always been able to find the pump just by the noise it makes including this one....and it's barely audible.

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/201...2BH-5013581652

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Craig, like Marshall I've never seen a trailer you had to remove the coroplast on the bottom to access - wouldn't make any sense.

Looking at your floorplan it seems pretty limited on the placement looks like. Have you looked at the bottom of the pantry for a wooden panel of some sort that it might be behind? The same for the bathroom sink? I'm pasting a link to the floorplan for anyone else's ideas. I've always been able to find the pump just by the noise it makes including this one....and it's barely audible.

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/201...2BH-5013581652

Yep! I agree with Danny, the pantry, or in the same place mine is, which is also called the “wardrobe”, unless that is an overhanging wardrobe. If it goes all the way to the floor and the fill entry is near there, that's where I'll bet it will be.

BTW, taking the coroplast off the bottom will actually accomplish nothing. Even if you find out where the pump is, you won't be able to access it because the pump will be mounted on top of the floor, and not accessible from under the floor.

[flybouy]

That floorplan is near identical to mine.

[sourdough]

Scott/Marshall,

On your trailers is the city water inlet there by the pass thru vs between the slides? Just for my own edification.

Danny

[flybouy]

Mine is just to the right of the pass thru on the street (driver's) side. The city and gravity fill inlets are side by side. My water pump is inside the passthru behind a piece of paneling screwed to the floor.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Mine is just to the right of the pass thru on the street (driver's) side. The city and gravity fill inlets are side by side. My water pump is inside the passthru behind a piece of paneling screwed to the floor.

Yep, same for mine... but I also have access from inside the trailer as well as from the passthru

[EdySan2294]

Originally Posted by GunnerRoo

Greetings all!

Rarely do I need to post questions as this forum is so good I usually find the answer to my issues with a quick search.

Fresh Water Pump - so I have read most if not all posts related to the water pump on the forum but I am still struggling. We have not dry camped in the past and had not used the fresh water system and quite frankly, had not turned on the pump that I can remember. I pretty much use the fresh water tank to tweak the tongue weight when fully loaded before heading out.

I have a 2012 Outback 312BH TT with the Artic Barrier do not see any access to the tank/pump without removing/cutting barrier. So the pump comes on and just runs. I have tried faucets open/closed trying to get it to "prime". No Joy. Let run for 15 minutes with faucet open and nothing still so thought that if I turn on the City Water supply maybe it will help prime. With faucet open pump running turned it on and very shortly the pump cut off as I assume the pressure reaches the point where it shuts pump off. Tried multiple times and still no output from pump.

I am leaning towards either defective pump diaphragm or debris clog input side of pump from tank.

Looking for any recommendations, tips or tricks.

Cheers All!

Hi.

Look on the street side (Driver side) of your rv in your bedroom. In front of the closet, the first "step" has a removable top board. You have to slide it back towards you and pull it up. It will give you access to your water pump and the back of the fresh water inlet station. Look at the picture below.



You will need to gain access to the bypass valve of your water heater. Based on the location of your outside access door, your inside access to the heater should be somewhere under your sink. Look for an access door on the cabinet right next to the main entry door or a "false" back panel under the sink when you open the cabinet door from the kitchen side.

I say this because I had a similar problem in mine and came to find out that the water heater tank had gotten empty and the water pump was trying to fill it. This cause us not to have any water pressure coming out of any faucets. Once I switched the bypass valve to close (recirculate), water started coming out of all faucets.

[FlyingAroundRV]

And sooo?
Don't keep us in suspenders Gunneroo.
How did you get on?

[cavie]

Originally Posted by GunnerRoo

That sounds Awesome Scott! Wife and I are looking at next year when things settle down and take a well deserved vacation downunder!

Unable to locate access for the water pump so going to loosen the artic barrier and look from underneath and see what it shows.

Take care!!!

Craig

You will not find the pump underneath. Listen to the noise. The pump will be behind a wooden panel it will have two or Four #2 square head screw holding it in place. It could be under a drawer or under the bed. Not under the RV.

You can take it apart and clean. There is a check valve in the pump. You can buy a rebuild kit on Amazon. Be sure the Antifreeze valve is closed. Be sure the lowpoint drains are closed.

[flybouy]

The OP hasn't logged on since 10-27-2020 02:07 PM. I'm guessing either he found it and forgot about telling us or he's stuck in the pass thru or in a hatch somewhere.

[EdySan2294]

Originally Posted by flybouy

The OP hasn't logged on since 10-27-2020 02:07 PM. I'm guessing either he found it and forgot about telling us or he's stuck in the pass thru or in a hatch somewhere.

Lol