Derek Uzzell Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Barryd999 - 2012-05-18 10:36 PM Brambles - 2012-05-18 10:23 PM I have just had another look at vid and pics and notove the cable connecting to teh pump cable looks like quite light twin cable - bell wire!!!!! If this is quite long it could be what is dropping your volts. From the picture I would suggest it should be replaced with heavier cable not least for the protection of thicker insulation. Yes I thought that to. Its been in there since we got the van though. I wonder though how big a job it would be just to run new cabling from wherever it goes to the pump. this is the thing though I have no idea where it goes or ends up. Im not sure how good the guy is thats coming with electrics but will look into it. I continue to believe that Barry's basic problem is not electrical. Between the time the motorhome went into hibernation and the time it was brought back into service no changes to the electrical system were made. When it was brought back into service the water system was in working order, except the water pressure at the taps/shower-head was low. As Barry points out regarding the electrical wiring "Its been in there since we got the van though." It may well be that heavier-duty cabling would improve the original system, or that a replacement battery might be needed, but the electrical side of Barry's water system hasn't altered since the system worked well and (in my view) it's not the logical place to look for the cause of the low water pressure. When the low wter-pressure problem was first recognised the original pump was working (and there was no question then of the pump running in reverse) and the Whale pressure-sensitive switch was triggering the pump. As far as I can make out, all subsequent experiments have been based on the idea that the fault has an electrical cause, but it's surely more likely (given the symptoms) that the water pressure is low because there's a partial blockage within the pipework. This link decribes the Whale pressure-switch: http://www.whalepumps.com/rv/siteFiles/resources/docs/resource-library/db_180.25_v2_0211.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 Thanks guys. IVe been out most of today but did try what Brambles suggested and it didnt make any difference. I hate to admit defeat but I think Im going to have to until I get some more experienced and technical help. I just dont know if the chap coming will fix it. I think if not I will have to bite the bullet as suggested earlier get Phil from Rhinos to look at it or take it down to Leisuretech in Clitheroe. I have put of doing this as it involves taking the van on a 200 mile round trip, assuming they can fit it in and then there is the cost. Lets see how we get on on Monday. I will try and summerise all the suggestions before then. One of the drawbacks of living up here I suppose. If it was a cow I had a problem with, no bother! Wall to wall James Herriots here. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 As you drained the water system down for the winter...I wonder if its something as simple as an airlock in the system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 bob b - 2012-05-19 9:15 PM As you drained the water system down for the winter...I wonder if its something as simple as an airlock in the system? Its been drained down a few times recently but I suppose its possible. How would I know though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 If there were an airlock, then it's unlikely that water would be delivered to the taps. On re-reading the Whale Pressure-Switch instruction file, I note that the switch includes a non-return valve on the inlet side. The valve is accessible by removing two screws. If that valve were partially blocked, the result would be below-par pressure. As I've said before, this is a very straightforward system. The water tank contains a submerged 12V pump that ls turned on or off by a pressure switch in the water hose leading from the pump to the taps. The Fig 2 diagram on the Whale Pressure-Switch instruction file shows just how simple the system is. If the pump has adequate water-flow output and adequate electrical 12V input, and there's no obstruction between pump and taps, then the system has to work. Me, I'd start by removing the hose from the pressure-switch's inlet and then run the pump to check water-pressure at that point. If the pressure there is OK, then there's no blockage/kink in the pipe running from pump to switch. Assuming the pressure were OK, I'd reconnect the hose to the switch's inlet and disconnect the hose leading from the switch's outlet where the hose joins the T-piece on the semi-rigid plastic pipework (because it's easier to disconnect there than at the switch's outlet). I'd then run the pump again and check that there's no significant change in the water-pressure observed in the previous test. If the pressure is OK at the switch's outlet but still poor at all the taps, then something very odd is going on! Gut-feeling (and Barry's 18 May comments) leads me to suspect the Whale switch is the probable culprit and that cleaning the switch's insides (or, even better, replacing the switch) the most likely cure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Hi All Just to let you know that this morning a new pressure switch was fitted, slight improvement. Then the chap helping me traced the wire from the pump that goes round to the pressure switch (it was buried under the tank) and there were two dodgy looking connectors onto another short piece of wire which then connected to the other bit of wire that connected to the pump. He took that section out and wired it straight into the pump wire. Improvement! I would say its as good as it ever was before. Not fantastic but then it never was. The shower seems as good as before which was the most important thing. The ultimate test will be when Mrs D uses it in France! God help me if it isn't right! We also tried a new battery which if anything was worse than mine! Mine after 7 hours charging yesterday read 12.7 vaults at the battery and the new one 12.6. So perhaps my battery is ok. Only time will tell. I think Im going to book into a local CL for a night or two and just try everything for a day or two so there are no suprises when we go away. We will be gone a while. So a result but I still think it could be improved upon. Thanks ever so much for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Glad you are now a happy bunny again. If you really want to get decent pressure then a diaphram pump is the way to go. Much more pressure. Mind you, they even give problems sometimes but generally are far better and quite reliable. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Brambles - 2012-05-21 1:00 PM Glad you are now a happy bunny again. If you really want to get decent pressure then a diaphram pump is the way to go. Much more pressure. Mind you, they even give problems sometimes but generally are far better and quite reliable. Jon I cant thank you guys enough. I bet your sick to death of me! :-D . I have to say the response on this forrum has been superb. I posted it all over the place and by far the longest response was on here. Im very grateful. If any of you need your IT sorting then let me know! I think I would like to upgrade the water system as I have always thought it a bit feable. We will get this summers trip out of the way and see after that. Im not doing anything else before we go! (hopefully). I keep pondering changing the van but there is a lot to consider and many decisions to be made over the summer! Cheers Barry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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