Anyone else having water pump problems?

[Justin Wolfe/PYI]

Didn't for me SD & BC

When we had our check valve problem we had an accumulator tank in the whole time as well. As Peggie says the accumulator tank "shouldn't" fix the cycling problem. All it "should" do is make the cycles further apart. FWIW...

 

[D. Chris Van Lauwe]

My pump recycled until I finally found the leak

My pump would recycle every couple of minutes. Fresh water in the bilge. Knew there was a leak but had a hard time finding it. Stored some towels under the head sink and discovered they were wet. Rechecked the lines running up to the head faucet and could feel the water running down the back side of the hot and cold water line. Retightened both lines. Pump might cycle twice in 24 hours now.ChrisFestina Tarde

 

[Eric Lorgus]

Technically, exactly 12V is very low voltage

Wynn: "12 volt" systems are technically more than that. If running on battery only (no alternator or battery charger on), fully charged batteries should read 12.6V (2.1V per cell). When you said you checked the voltage at the breaker and were getting 12V, did you mean 12.0V or 12something?Eric Lorgus

 

[Steve Dion]

Peggie & Wolfeman

I agree with with you but. It no longer cycles. That is what I though when we put in the accumulator. As I mentioned, maybe there is something that was defective in the rebuilt pump? Does that make any sense at all?

 

[Craig-]

Pump Stuff

I had to replace the fresh water pump on our 34. I used the exact pump a shurflo and added an accumulator tank. We have owned our boat that long so I do not have much of a track record with it. That said, I now notice when I open the cap to add new fresh water I feel the pressure being released. You probably should feel the same or I would say you have a pressure leak somewhere in the system. Maybe a remote problem note the cap has a rubber o ring on it that may be a leaker. Since I replaced our pump the freshwater system works great and never recycles unless we run it.

 

[Craig]

Another Test

I dont know if anyone else has mentioned this but you could take a spray bottle full of soapy water a spray on your fittings and see if any bubbles are produced

 

[Bryan C.]

Accumulator won't fix a defective pump, but

Peggy, you say a leak won't cause a pump to cycle? As I understand, the water pump is pressure triggered. If there is no pressure in the water line, it goes on. When it reaches a certain pressure, it goes off.If you have, like I suspect I do, a minute drip in a line, the water line will eventually lose pressure until the pump cycles on to repressure it, No? With a minute leak, might take several minutes before the line loses enough pressure to trigger it back on. That seems to be my case, cuz the water pump only cycles on every few minutes. It pumps for a second, then goes off. A few minutes later it does it again. Just enough to drive me nuts. Yeah, optimally I should find the damned leak, but it's not in any obvious places I have checked, and I not going to tear the boat apart if I can get peace and quite for a $30 accumulator tank.

 

[Ron Dague]

I have no idea, but will offer an idea anyway

I don't have a leak, and don't have an accumulator, but this thread is too much fun to miss out on. I'm assuming an accumulator works somewhat like the air/water tank on a home well system. When the pump runs, air in the tank compresses. When you use water, the air expands allowing you to draw water without the pump kicking in right away. After a while, the pressure drops even more and the pump kicks in, right?So, if you have a leak, the accumulator will merely increase the time between the pump being activated, not eliminate it. But if you have air in your lines, might that air collect in the accumulator, and thus eliminate one of the reasons a pump can recycle? Of course too much air and it wouldn't work. I really don't have any idea if this makes sense, but didn't want to be left out of this riviting topic!

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

You have a point, Bryan

However, it's so rare to have an ongoing leak that small that I tend to discount the possibility. Hoses don't develop pinhole leaks very often...and when they do, they don't stay pinholes very long. When plumbing springs a leak, it almost always happens at a fitting, and any slow drip is gonna become a continuous spray VERY quickly. A dripping faucet would do it, but you'd have to be brain dead not to find that immediately. Anything is POSSIBLE...but the smart money bets on the most likely cause first...and when a diaphragm water pump starts cycling, the odds are about 100-1 that the diaphragm in the pump has begun to fail.

 

[terry dornan]

you are all on the right track--- but

The real problem is the pressure switch_ span is just too tight for most systems.In short any leak can cause the problems discussed, as well as bleed down as a result of bad check valves or worn diaphragms. The culprit can be and most likely is that cheap little pressure switch on the pump and the related pressure curve of the system.In process design it is common to span a desirable range of expectable operating pressure and pump from a low to high level (span) or in this case pressure. Last spring I had enough and took the pump to the shop and deadheaded it to a pressure gauge. I found that the cut out pressure of the pump varied from cycle to cycle by as much as 7 psi. I also found that it overshot the design pressure (40 psi) by as much as 15 psi, for a total discharge head of 55 psi on some cycles.Now that switch looks pretty impressive with its reinforced die cast housing - but when you take it apart it is a micro switch activated by a diaphragm activating a plunger. "Span" is a function of a spring working on the plunger as a return mechanism. An air bubble on the orifice feeding the mechanism could cause total havoc with the function of this device, which in its best operating condition I would consider totally unacceptable for the service intended.Answer _ Use a different switch. I put in a switch, which allows adjustment in span. It is located in the piping between the pump discharge and the accumulator. In addition it is adjustable which allows me to set what I want as a water system pressure. I start the pump at 25 psi and pump to 30. Makes for a very livable system and eliminates a lot of wear and tear on the system.Terry s/v stardust h30

 

[Wynn Ferrel]

New pump arrived and installed and ....

the problem of continuous cycling was solved. Which means that the 3rd pump was defective, or some part of it.Anyway, with all due respect to Hunter, Eddie Breeden and their supurb customer service, I do notice one reoccuring thread to this pump problem. Pumps 2, 3 and 4 are all made by Jabsco --- the very same vendor who supplies heads to Hunter. Could it be that Hunter and its customers are being victimized by the same poor quality components (switches, check-vlaves, etc) that we/I have experienced in the pump mechanizims for the heads from Jabsco? I will call Eddie and ask him to give this some thought.FYI, according to Joe Kerr last year, Hunter switched from Sur-flow to Jabsco after experiencing pump problems with Sur-flow. My first pump was a Sur-flow and it lost prime after I drained the anti-freeze solution during spring commissioning and would not regain its prime. I'm not sure they improved our pump situation --- but, it could be my poor luck. We'll see. But, I am shopping for a Raritan head.BTW, Eric, you are correct. My voltage was 12.4V. Thanks to all for being so generous with your advice and your experience.Kindest regards,Wynn FerrelS/V Tranquility

 

[Steve Cook]

Our pump kept on cycling as well

When we took delivery of our H340, the water pump kept on cycling.When the valve on the tank side of the pump was turned off, the pump stopped cycling. This gave the impression that the back flow valve in the pump was not working.We have received a replacement pump from Hunter, installed it and problem solved.