Chris B Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Hi First time user in hope of some help. We have recently brought our first motorhome, Autocruise Starspirit. Sometimes during the night our water pump switches on for about 2 to 3 seconds presumable to presurise the system. Is this normal or does it indicate a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike.T Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Hi Chris I think you will find this normal mine does it as well and I dont have any leaks at night we switch the pump off . Some times the pressure drops back and when it falls below the pre-set, the pump cuts in as you said for a 2/3 sec, if you get fine grit/sand in the water you have in your tank the pump seals dont seal propley and this will allow the pressure to drop. I asume you have no leaks on your system ? Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Hi, this is a fairly common occurrence with pressurised systems. The non return valve on the pump doesn't always seal 100% and after a few hours the pressure drops to the poiint where the pump cuts in for a brief "burp" to bring the pressure back up. This can be very annoying. We only switch the water pump on when we need it and then back off after use. My biggest concern is that a pipe or fitting fail and if the pump is on it will empty the tank into a cupboard which is not good for the longevity of the 'van. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Hi, Good point Dave, another point to remember is that it is possible for the pump to continue to run when empty of water which won't do it much good, we always turn ours off at night and when we leave the van for any length of time ?? Have you got a pressure vessel in the supply as these can help hold a pressure in the system and reduce the amount of on/off,s Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Hi Brian, no I don't have apressure vessel as you put it. Their main purpose is to act as a damper and stop surges when you turn a tap on or off. I've used the old style flexible hose and worm drive clips for my plumbing in the 'van and one benefit is it expands slightly under pressure creating the surge damping effect. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris B Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 Hi Many thanks for the advice, we have not been able to find any leaks. I will certainly take the advice to turn off the pump at night and when not in use for a long period. Thanks Chris B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Although (as has been said) it's pretty common for water-pumps in pressure-sensitive systems to activate sporadically to maintain in-system pressure, this shouldn't necessarily be treated as "perfectly normal" as it may be a sign of a minor leak somewhere. The pump on my Herald used to cut in now and again during the night and the cause was eventually traced to a tiny weld failure in the boiler causing water to leak only when the system was pressurised. After the boiler was repaired the pump kept quiet. My gut-feeling is that the larger the water system's capacity 'downstream' of the pump the more pften the pump may need to top up the pressure. Also that water systems using semi-rigid push-fit pipework are less likely to experience pump on/off switching than traditional hose/clip systems. If a water-pump does this a lot, apparently for no good reason, it may be possible to counter the tendency by adjusting the pump's pressure-sensitive switch. ( See "The Motorcaravan Manual" for wise words on water systems.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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