Signs of a Bad Water Pump

Question...on our 2552, the water pump has been working fine for a bit more than a year.  A couple of trips ago, it still worked but there was a sudden increase in the amount of vibration and noise from it.  It still pumps the same but the vibration is not good.  I checked and it is still solidly mounted.  I've assumed it may have lost an impeller blade or otherwise has an imbalance leading to the high vibrations.  Have others experienced the same?

The plan is to replace it at the end of the season given that it still pumps water and we have only one weekend trip remaining before we winterize.  Does the water tank in the 2552 need to be drained before replacing the pump?  I don't think there is a valve between the pump and tank so I'm thinking that is the case.

Any other words of wisdom?  We already purchase 2 pumps, one replacement and one spare.

Might be a good time to install an accumulator tank as well

Might be a good time to install an accumulator tank as well

I agree.

It is surely different with every PC, but with our 2007 2350, I installed a 2 gallon house-hold accumulater tank adjacent to the water pump back in 2008 and everything continues to work perfectly 16 years later, inluding our original water pump.  If I were to do it again today, I would buy one of those stainless steel sideways versions with the nice mounting features for the tank and pump.

Our tank installed as shown, made plumbing behavior similar to that of at home, and it also quieted the water pump immensely, down to a very quiet humm that when running at night after a toilet flush, you can barely hear it.  The pump runs at sensible intervals, likely a contributor to it lasting so long.

Here is our tank installed back in 2008.  I have never removed my home-made cover since I installed everything.

This is what's behind the cover.  I recall spending roughly $60 for everything needed back in 2008, inluding the emergency shut-off ball valve seen here.

I would buy this today for a much cleaner installation.

I replaced my water pump a year ago... It was really noisy / bouncy and a small drip now and then. I focused on finding one as quiet as possible. After I got it out I opened it up and nothing was broken... It was just cheaply made.

I put in an accumulator tank almost identical to Ron's (it was hard to find room for it on a 2900D! ) and very happy with it.  Since my accumulator tank is under the bed I extended the air bladder fill thru the filter cap compartment so that I can check and adjust the pressure without opening the bed frame.

This is the pump:
RecPro RV Water Pump Direct Replacement For Shurflo 4008-101-A65 3.0 GPM | 12V Water Pump | Self-Prime | Camper Water Pump | RV Plumbing
https://a.co/d/dIx1tOo
It is super quiet. Now I actually have trouble knowing when the pump is running unless the RV is completely silent.

I lined the entire slide out under the bed with Uxcell 1cm foil faced black foam insulation or 1 inch foil faced foam board. The new pump is on top of the uxcell insulation and the screws are seated in the slide out floor. It's solid, but a small amount of cushion remains btwn the pump and floor. There is no added insulation on the bottom or inner walls of the bed... As I wanted as much indoor  temperature transfer as possible to keep the pump and pipes warm in the winter.  I have survived a week of Illinois winter with lows of 12F and nothing froze. To me,,, this slide out was the most likely place to freeze so I made an extra effort to stay warm while I had the bed apart.  A side benefit is that my water tank stays cooler in the summer if the AC is on. Nice.

Pictures of under the bed and the outside air valve included below.

You might also consider replacing the pex connector seals if you see any damage. I always keep a few of these on hand.
Adabuing 16435 RV Plastic Santoprene Swivel Seal 1/2" Replacement for RV Shower Freshwater Hose Pex Fittings Replace, RV Bathroom Valve fix Your leaks -(14 Pack)
https://a.co/d/5Gyb8mr


Feel free to ask questions... Not sure how much info you wanted here.


Larry

Question...on our 2552, the water pump has been working fine for a bit more than a year.  A couple of trips ago, it still worked but there was a sudden increase in the amount of vibration and noise from it.  It still pumps the same but the vibration is not good.  I checked and it is still solidly mounted.  I've assumed it may have lost an impeller blade or otherwise has an imbalance leading to the high vibrations.  Have others experienced the same?

The plan is to replace it at the end of the season given that it still pumps water and we have only one weekend trip remaining before we winterize.  Does the water tank in the 2552 need to be drained before replacing the pump?  I don't think there is a valve between the pump and tank so I'm thinking that is the case.

Any other words of wisdom?  We already purchase 2 pumps, one replacement and one spare.

Yes, drain the tank.  It, along with the water pump are under the passenger side bed.

Yes, there is a drain valve on the water tank.  It's  on the center, bottom right side of the water tank when viewing from the walkway between the twin beds.  It's a quarter turn valve that feeds the water out a short PEX line that goes through the bottom of the RV and drains the water.   It works similar to the low point drain valves beneath the bottom drawer in the kitchen.

Don

Added in edit :
You normally just lift the cutout cover under the mattress and reach down to turn the tank drain valve to empty the fresh water tank.  But in this case, you have to remove the under the mattress plywood to replace the water pump anyway.

Thanks folks for the words of wisdom.  I think I'm going to get through winterization and deal with it during the off season.  At least that way the tank will normally be empty.

I will see if there is space to add an isolation valve between the tank and the pump to aid in a 'hot swap' in case I need to do it in the middle of a trip.  I'll put the idea of a pressure tank on the back burner.  On the 2552, I don't like the idea of a pressure tank in the same compartment as electronics and the power distribution / breaker panel. 

I admit that we just bought direct replacement pumps and didn't look to see if there were any that would be better built.  This one still pumps; the sudden increase in vibration while running leads me to want to swap it out.  I'll report back if I find anything definitive out the pump 'failing' just so others can learn from it.

Thanks folks for the words of wisdom.  I think I'm going to get through winterization and deal with it during the off season.  At least that way the tank will normally be empty.

I will see if there is space to add an isolation valve between the tank and the pump to aid in a 'hot swap' in case I need to do it in the middle of a trip.  I'll put the idea of a pressure tank on the back burner.  On the 2552, I don't like the idea of a pressure tank in the same compartment as electronics and the power distribution / breaker panel. 

I admit that we just bought direct replacement pumps and didn't look to see if there were any that would be better built.  This one still pumps; the sudden increase in vibration while running leads me to want to swap it out.  I'll report back if I find anything definitive out the pump 'failing' just so others can learn from it.

The INPUT line to the pump goes through the back of the 3 way water valve where you hookup the city water.  The pump output obviously goes to the plumbing.    While there is a bit of room to install isolation valves near the pump, in MY OPINION that's just asking for trouble.. That adds 2 more points where water might leak into the underbed mechanical and electrical compartment.  For me, it is FAR easier to drain the tank and water lines, fix the pump and refill the tank ane lines.

Your opinion may vary.

Quote from: NCPinz on October 28, 2024, 02:56:15 pm

Thanks folks for the words of wisdom.  I think I'm going to get through winterization and deal with it during the off season.  At least that way the tank will normally be empty.

I will see if there is space to add an isolation valve between the tank and the pump to aid in a 'hot swap' in case I need to do it in the middle of a trip.  I'll put the idea of a pressure tank on the back burner.  On the 2552, I don't like the idea of a pressure tank in the same compartment as electronics and the power distribution / breaker panel. 

I admit that we just bought direct replacement pumps and didn't look to see if there were any that would be better built.  This one still pumps; the sudden increase in vibration while running leads me to want to swap it out.  I'll report back if I find anything definitive out the pump 'failing' just so others can learn from it.

The INPUT line to the pump goes through the back of the 3 way water valve where you hookup the city water.  The pump output obviously goes to the plumbing.    While there is a bit of room to install isolation valves near the pump, in MY OPINION that's just asking for trouble.. That adds 2 more points where water might leak into the underbed mechanical and electrical compartment.  For me, it is FAR easier to drain the tank and water lines, fix the pump and refill the tank ane lines.

Your opinion may vary.

Thanks for the opinion and I'll take that into account.  I honestly haven't looked at the amount of room around the pump and the piping yet. 

This kit dampens noise and vibration from the water pump. Maybe one of your PEX lines is too long and/or shifted and is just transferring the normal pump vibration to a wall or cabinet?

https://camcodealer.com/water-pump-silencer-hose-kit-20105

Shurflo pumps are  diaphragm type, no impellers or gears. Exploded view here:

https://www.westmarine.com/shurflo-drive-assembly-kit-for-aqua-king-ii-premium-4.0-5.0gpm-12v-15944002.html?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%5BPLA%5D%20Most%20Categories_Test&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_lEeoAyfC1aOv6HBpX1vzk50cqs&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhLTNz8u5iQMVttLCBB0EOgYLEAQYFSABEgK91fD_BwE

With our 2007 2350 PC plumbing, a lot of the original pump noise was sourced from PC "PEX plumbed" directly to the pump, so CalCruiser's "quieting kit" makes a lot of sense.

PEX plumbing direct to the pump, pump vibration travels through the plumbing, which makes a whole lot of noise.  The flexible line (or lines) dampens the vibration.  In my case today, the PEX line attaches to the accumulator.  A flex line goes from the pump to the accumulator, so the mass of the accumulator absorbs even more vibration.

Update.  Out pump is fine.  I still need to find the water line that is causing the occasional sound.  I winterized and was face to face with the pump while running and it is just as smooth as it was when we got the RV.  I think there is a water line under the toilet that is making contact with something making a noise.

Pumped out the remaining water from the tank and then winterized with no issues this weekend.  So now I have two spare pumps, one stashed in a cabinet and one on the shelf in storage.

I failed to mention something that may influence the performance of the water pump.

It has been maybe 5 years ago, our hard-to-turn low point drain valves finally broke.  I replaced them with quarter-turn ball valves which made "draining" the pipes very easy and free-flowing.

When I disconnected the two original valves from the pipes, I was surpised to see bits of fresh water tank (white plastic) piled up against the valves.  I wished I had taken a picture of it.  It was significant.  I believe those scraps of plastic came from the fresh water tank when Phoenix drilled holes for the inlet, outlet, and drain.

The plastic scraps might also influence the function and/or performance of the water pump.  If you suspect your pump has fallen ill, you might want to disconnect it, remove it, and inspect it for plastic scraps.

For the curious, these were our original low-point multi-turn drain valves.  I twisted the handles right off.


Here are the replacement 1/4-turn ball valves.

When I disconnected the two original valves from the pipes, I was surpised to see bits of fresh water tank (white plastic) piled up against the valves.  I wished I had taken a picture of it.  It was significant.  I believe those scraps of plastic came from the fresh water tank when Phoenix drilled holes for the inlet, outlet, and drain.

The plastic scraps might also influence the function and/or performance of the water pump.  If you suspect your pump has fallen ill, you might want to disconnect it, remove it, and inspect it for plastic scraps.

The presence of drill shavings remaining and plugging water lines cannot be overstated.  Resulting from water tank attach point installation, the thoughtless drilling without concern for detritus is a threat that affected my Phoenix Cruiser and caused water lines being completely plugged.  The junk accumulates near valves.  Disassembly is required to purge the lines.  And the valves are not located in locations allowing easy access with the necessary wrenches.