Water pressure Issue

drzoomin · 06-19-2019, 10:11 PM

Have a 2016 Thor Ace 30.2 model RV and I am having trouble with my water pressure.

First off, when turning on the water for the first time after storage, it takes a significant amount of time to build up water pressure. Once water pressure has built up, everything is fine and dandy, but after about thirty seconds or so of using the water, the pressure slowly starts to die. Once the faucet has turned off, it again takes a significant amount of time to build up pressure again (thirty seconds or even longer depending on how long I ran the pump).

It seems as though the water intake can't keep up with the pump, like it is trying to use too much water for the flow of water into the pump. Looked at the screen water filter and it did have some hard water buildup. Cleaned it out, didn't help. Replaced the water, didn't help. I undid the water before the screen and have attached a picture of flow out of the hose. It is not a lot of water and does not seem like it could keep up with the flow of water from the pump.

any ideas?

Thanks,

Caleb

Bob Denman · 06-19-2019, 10:27 PM

Could you have some debris in the line coming from the water pump?
Or maybe a kinked line?
Other than that: I've got nuthin'...

**16ACE27** · 06-19-2019, 10:33 PM

Blow some air back through that line to the tank; there may some crap in the tank blocking the flow.

drzoomin · 06-22-2019, 02:49 PM

I haven’t done anything about it yet as we are going on a trip. But I am back to my original problem, which I haven’t discussed with anyone and thought I resolved.

Here it is:
I was having problems with the water turning on every thirty second or so, like it was loosing water pressure it built up OR I had a leak somewhere, right? I followed all water lines and could not find any leaks - at all. So I am very confident I don’t have a water leak. When I started to use city water, water started coming through the line to fill up my fresh water tank and coming out the fill in port used for fresh water.

I read a lot about a bad check valve in the pump, so I just replaced the water pump. I replaced the pump and when initially installed, didn’t have this problem. Now one day later, the pump started to turn on intermittently again. What is up? Any ideas?

Thanks, Caleb

javelin · 06-22-2019, 05:24 PM

Hi, What makes you think you don’t have a water leak causing your pump short cycle? ......might be somewhere you can’t see it (unfortunately).

Since you changed the pump out you may have temporarily fixed the leak for 24 hours......which might imply it is near the pump somewhere close to the work that was done. So a seal or not tightened coupling on either side of the pump .....or close to work area perhaps? If it is short cycling the new pump now every 30 seconds.....it is probably a very small/slow leak.
Lets treat this like an electrical problem......isolate the fault by splitting the line. So I would suggest capping the high pressure side of the pump and see if your short cycling stops. If it stops you know the low pressure side of the pump is fine (fresh water tank, water filter, pex lines and couplings). If it still short cycles then the leak/problem is on the low pressure side of the pump......or the pump pressure switch itself. I would expect a new reputable manufactured water pump would be fine though.

javelin · 06-22-2019, 05:35 PM

Hi, I just reread the whole entry again and you said the fresh tank had low flow......so minimal water flow into the pump low pressure side could result in short cycling of the pump......so do as 16ACE27 suggested and clear your plastic bits blockage in the drain of the fresh tank first.........then check and see if your new pump behaves. By the way, the loose bits you free up in the fresh tank may come down to the water filter over time and can then be removed from your system permanently......but they also may block flow again in the filter......so be aware of that. Best if you be to try to get the bits out of through the drain hose you use to force air back into the fresh tank. Also may sure fresh tank vent is working or fresh water fill cap (manual fill) is open when pumping air back through.

Beau388 · 06-22-2019, 06:29 PM

Yep there is a filter screen in the fitting at the tank. It needs to be cleaned yearly.

Pete'sMH · 06-23-2019, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beau388

Yep there is a filter screen in the fitting at the tank. It needs to be cleaned yearly.

I’ve never heard of a screen at the tank. I have no idea how I’d get to mine! There is a screen at he inlet to the pump that I clean every spring. I’ll have to explore more though as my flow always has been pretty modest on the pump.

javelin · 06-23-2019, 01:27 PM

I don't think my old ACE has a filter screen right at the fresh water tank (FWT) either. When I bought it new I was finding plastic bits in the water filter screen (between FWT and water pump) for each of about three years after when doing the deWinterization process. So it had to come from the FWT sensor and pex coring procedures at the factory.......so probably no filter screen at the tank output. To be honest I would prefer that.....want to get that crap out of the tank and system or it could randomly cause a plug up any time and any place.

lwmcguire · 06-23-2019, 01:31 PM

My filter is on the pump suction and is clear plastic

Pete'sMH · 06-24-2019, 03:16 AM

Yes, I think that must be what he was talking about. It’s what I have and cleaning it is easy

JimOIB · 06-24-2019, 11:31 AM

My water strainer had a hairline crack in the clear bowl part right at the threads. Took a long time to build up pressure and after that the pump cycled. Replaced the water strainer and all is fine.

D and C Kincaid · 06-29-2019, 08:58 PM

I don't know if this will help or not, but I change out the whole filter assembly every year. Have had problems with pump cycling excessively when I didn't change it often enough. As jimbo12 mentioned, you can get tiny cracks in the assembly, and although not overly visible, they wreak havoc with the pump. I also do it because I read with our first RV that it should be done routinely once a year, just as you sanitize the fresh water tank routinely. I don't know if anyone else has this experience, but we winterize and de-winterize several times each winter as we travel and return home, and by spring time, the clear plastic dome on the filter unit is no longer clear, and has turned very cloudy. I figure that is a good sign that a change is due! And yes, pump some compressed air back up the line towards the tank, and then let water run out for a while, hook up a new filter set, and see if that gives you better pressure without constant cycling of the pump when not running water.

scdet499 · 07-01-2019, 04:04 AM

I also have poor pressure , no leaks and no recycling. I have been thinking about replacing my pump with a higher GPS to increase the pressure. Any ideas?

ccarrier · 07-01-2019, 02:13 PM

Hi, my plastic dome turned out cloudy white too after the winter. But in what is it a sign that a change is due ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by D and C Kincaid

I don't know if anyone else has this experience, but we winterize and de-winterize several times each winter as we travel and return home, and by spring time, the clear plastic dome on the filter unit is no longer clear, and has turned very cloudy. I figure that is a good sign that a change is due!

javelin · 07-01-2019, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccarrier

Hi, my plastic dome turned out cloudy white too after the winter. But in what is it a sign that a change is due ?

I have seen this clouding of the plastic filter cover also with the typical Camco aftermarket filters off Amazon etc. Never seen it with an OEM filter (but it could happen I suppose there too?). I wonder if it occurs as a reaction to using chlorine bleach for purifying the fresh water system when de-Winterizing? Can't think of any other reason. The down side is you can't see into the filter any more, but in my experience its hard to do that with most of them anyway (and my ACE came with the filter upside down "on top" due to pex plumbing and floor clearance. I left it that way and have never had a problem). I also don't think it means replacement is required.....unless the plastic is obviously leaking or seriously degrading. That concentration of chlorine is only used occasionally for water line purification (if that is even the reason?).

javelin · 07-01-2019, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scdet499

I also have poor pressure , no leaks and no recycling. I have been thinking about replacing my pump with a higher GPS to increase the pressure. Any ideas?

Hi, has your water pressure always been poor from first purchase? If not I would first try to open the low pressure (before water pump) side first and see if you get good flow from the fresh tank; before filter and check filter....making sure all valves are open fully. You might finds plastic factory coring bits anywhere along that path that need to be cleaned out. Also I had plastic bits coming through for about three years after I purchased new, so check the filter a few times each season.

tdpinokc · 07-01-2019, 03:23 PM

I had problem whereas pump pressure was low enough that water heater wouldn't operate but everything was OK on city water. Problem ended up being a piece of plastic inside fresh water tank blocking the water outlet to pump. The piece of plastic was left over from installation when they cut hole and left debris in the tank.

D and C Kincaid · 07-02-2019, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by javelin

I have seen this clouding of the plastic filter cover also with the typical Camco aftermarket filters off Amazon etc. Never seen it with an OEM filter (but it could happen I suppose there too?). I wonder if it occurs as a reaction to using chlorine bleach for purifying the fresh water system when de-Winterizing? Can't think of any other reason. The down side is you can't see into the filter any more, but in my experience its hard to do that with most of them anyway (and my ACE came with the filter upside down "on top" due to pex plumbing and floor clearance. I left it that way and have never had a problem). I also don't think it means replacement is required.....unless the plastic is obviously leaking or seriously degrading. That concentration of chlorine is only used occasionally for water line purification (if that is even the reason?).

We get severe clouding before I do the annual fresh water tank cleaning, so I think it must be from the antifreeze. OK, so maybe clouding doesn't mean the filter assembly needs to be replaced.... It is just the old nurse in me that says if something is meant to be clear so that you can visually inspect what is running through it, and it is no longer clear and you can't see what is running through it, it must need to be changed!

javelin · 07-02-2019, 01:27 AM

Hi, well you may be right that the pink Winter plumbing antifreeze may also be the reason some clear plastic water filter covers go opaque white. I think we should experiment with a new cheap water filter and see which it is.....perhaps its even a combination reaction between the pink and chlorine and the cheap plastic filter cover. I think I have a spare Amazon Camco water pump filter unit somewhere, so when I get a chance I will try each liquid and see what happens.

I agree with your "old nurse" expectations......if it is meant to be clear for inspections it should remain clear for any "normal" RV water system liquid used to pass through it.

You may also like: