Water pump blowing bubbles!

[Rayco]

New Keystone Arcadia 294SLRD fifth wheel. Unit was manufactured last Fall, so I thought I would run some water and bleach through the pipes to sanitize them. Switched the screen to push in the backflow valve. Made up 5 gallons in a water jug, attached hose to city water inlet, set switches to "WINTERIZE - siphon to fixtures via pump". Went inside and turned on pump. I can hear the pump running but no water coming out of the faucets. Hmm. Went outside and the hose in the water jug is blowing bubbles out instead of sucking water in! Went back inside and put thumb over faucet outlet, turned it on and I can feel a suction.

I'm thinking the pump is plumbed backwards, or maybe wired backwards?? Before I pull the panel to check it out, has anyone seen this before??

Thanks in advance.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Here is your problem. Your camper should have a separate garden hose hook-up for winterizing.

You should have 3 separate valves.

1) for by passing the water heater

2) for switching back and forth between filling the fresh water tank or running water from shore water via an ongoing pressurized water hose / spigot

3) a winterizing port that is set to winterizing "on" or "off".

Attach that hose to the winterizing port, not the "fill" (city water) port. Make sure the "fill" port is in the normal "run" position. And make sure winterizing valve is set to Winterize ON. Yes, you will probably need to reverse that screen so the button will stay pushed. You do not want that button pushed on the "fill" port.

This is probably why you are sucking air instead of the liquid solution.

Re-attach hose to the "winterize" port. See what happens.

If this still does not work, then lift the water sanitizing solution bucket higher than the winterizing port (where the garden hose attaches).

 

[Rayco]

After thinking about it, I remembered at the delivery inspection they had water in the tank and turned the pump on and ran water through the faucets, so I don't think it's the pump. It has a tankless on-demand water heater so I don't think there is a tank bypass. I don't know of any other port for winterization - there's the city water port and the black tank flush port. Maybe one of the 3 valves is plumbed backwards?

Heres the valve setting diagram and below is the whole water bay.

 

[chuckster57]

Here is some good information

https://www.bandbmolders.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Nautilus-P4-User.pdf

https://www.bandbmolders.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Nautilus-P4Installation-Rev-1.pdf

 

[Rayco]

Thanks Chuck! I have the P4-3 handle, but it's covered on their website too, and they also have the plumbing diagram, so I'm going to pull the wet bay cover and take a look.

 

[Rayco]

Well, I found at least one of the problems. Some things are misconnected in the plumbing area. Photo attached shows the OUTPUT of the water pump going to the city water INPUT port! I will call tech support next week. Hopefully there are only 2 misconnections and they can identify them over the phone and I can switch them and avoid a day+ trip to the dealer to resolve.

 

[workinonit]

So.....you didn't have them run any water through the pump or attach city water when you did the walk through?

 

[NH_Bulldog]

That looks like an absolute mess. Although my setup is a bit different, it is a much cleaner install

 

[workinonit]

I'm amazed any of that rat's nest works at all. All of that would have to come out and get re-plumbed.

 

[JRTJH]

I'm amazed any of that rat's nest works at all. All of that would have to come out and get re-plumbed.

Nah, that's not a "rat's nest" it's part of the Polar Package... You see, all the twists and bends are really Keystone's method of preventing plumbing freeze... Ice just gets lost and gives up trying to find where to form....

 

[DutchmenSport]

... it's part of the Polar Package... You see, all the twists and bends are really Keystone's method of preventing plumbing freeze... Ice just gets lost and gives up trying to find where to form....

I love your comment! Magnificant!

When I removed mine, I was blow away at the configuration of the low point drains. Um .... the make a U turn. They come up from the bottom, turn toward the outside of the camper, then go back down toward the ground. When flipping those valves, the only water that exists is the amount trapped in the upside down U. Physically, it's impossible to drain using the low points.

I left my rat nest. I kept expecting something to fail which would cause me to replumb that mess. It hasn't happened (yet), so I figure, why disturb anything until it's absolutely needed.

And that's another reason why I use "pink stuff" and don't depend of the blow method only when winterizing.

 

[flybouy]

I think you have popular "Rube Goldberg Eidition" trailer.