Cris Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I have only had a motorhome for 10 days and am already in need of advice. When I open the taps in either the sinks there is no water and no sound from the pump. I have checked the pump fuse and that is fine and there is a run light on the control panel. Does this mean that my pump is gone, is replacing it a DIY job and if so where is the pump located and finally if it isn't a DIY job, is it something expensive? Sorry about all the questions and thanks in advance for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Cris. My initial thought was that, as you have owned the motorhome for just a few days, inquiries about water-pump location would be best directed to whomsoever you obtained the vehicle from. If you bought it privately the previous owner would probably be very familiar with the vehicle’s specification. If you bought it from a professional trader, that vendor should really be contacted regarding problems. I would have been helpful to know your motorhome’s date of manufacture, but I’m guessing it would have been 2006-2009. Elddis motorhome handooks for that period suggest that a Suntor’s water-pump will be the pressure-sensitive ‘diaphragm’ type http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/advice/30425-troubleshoot-your-water-system Assuming that’s the case, such a pump will be outside the fresh-water tank and probably fairly close to the tank. Motorhome manufacturers sometimes mount the pump where it is difficult to access (eg. at the back of a kitchen-unit’s base) or hidden (eg. in the base of a wardrobe where a removable floor-panel has to be lifted to reach the pump). An operational pressure-sensitive pump can be located by the noise it makes, but not, of course, if the pump isn’t working. You ought to be able to find the pump fairly easily - if you can identify the supply-hose leading from the fresh-water tank and follow that hose, you should come across the pump on the way to the taps and water-boiler. Although your motorhome’s pump is not working, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will require replacement. The fault might be external to the pump, like a loose wiring connection or a failed relay. To establish what’s wrong the pump needs to be located and tested. Examples of Shurflo, Whale, Fiamma and Dometic pressure-sensitive water-pumps and their prices are shown on this link http://www.thecaravanshop.co.uk/waterpumps/accessories/cat_15.html DIYing a pump-replacement will depend on how easy it is to access the pump and the ability of the person carrying out the task. Once you have located your motorhome’s pump you should be able to decide whether or not you feel competent to replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve928 Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Derek Uzzell - 2015-08-03 8:38 AM I would have been helpful to know your motorhome’s date of manufacture, but I’m guessing it would have been 2006-2009. Elddis motorhome handooks for that period suggest that a Suntor’s water-pump will be the pressure-sensitive ‘diaphragm’ type Our Elddis Suntor of 2008 vintage had a submersible pump in the water tank and micro-switches on each tap so I'm not sure that the year of the van gives an accurate guide. One of the easiest ways to identify which type you have (with a non-running pump) is to look at the underside of the taps. If they have electrical wiring going to them then is is likely to be the submersible in-tank type, if not then a pressurized system with external diaphragm pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Nit-picking perhaps, but micro-switches/wires on the taps does not automatically mean the water-pump will be the submersible type, nor does a lack of tap micro-switches/wires necessarily mean the water-pump will be a pressure-sensitive one. (This is touched on in the Practical Motorhome link I provided earlier.) My Hobby motorhome had a Shurflo pressure-sensitive water-pump triggered by tap micro-switches and it’s fairly common with older motorhomes to have a submersible pump triggered by a Whale-made in-line pressure-sensitive switch that obviates the need for tap micro-switches and the related wiring. The Elddis 2008 Motorhomes Owners Handbook refers to the control-panel’s water-pump switch as follows: "The Pump switch acts as a master switch for the internal water system. When the switch is On the internal water pump will provide water for the sink taps. Should the pump keep cutting in and out during the night, then turning the pump switch off will disconnect the 12-volt supply to the pump.” That advice suggested to me that the pump would be a pressure-sensitive type as - if it were a submersible pump triggered by tap micro-switches - the pump should not cut in and out spontaneously. Having said that, as your 2008 Suntor had a submersible pump, there’s a good chance that Cris’s motorhome also has one. If he has looked everywhere for a pump and hasn’t been able to find it and his taps have micro-switches/wires, there’s every likelihood that the pump is a submersible one and inside the fresh-water tank. Replacement of this type of pump is usually (but not always!!) relatively straightforward and the pumps themselves tend to be cheaper than the pressure-sensitive types. This link to a MHFacts discussion may be helpful http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/88-generic-hints-tips/76023-how-replace-submersible-tank-water-pump.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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