Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

Have any of you replaced the water pump on your coach? I am getting a slight noise from the pump but it's not working, no water is coming out of the faucets, I do have the pump switch on.
Is it difficult to replace?
Thanks

On our 2006 24' RB, the pump was pretty easy to replace. Ours was replaced under warranty while I was visiting my dad in Florida. Born Free shipped the pump to us and it took us about 30 minutes to replace it.

As I remember, the only tools we needed were screwdrivers, but one of those drivers was neither a flat- nor a Phillips-head screwdriver. It was a square-headed driver (I think it's called a Robertson driver). Other than having to find one of those (luckily dad is a tool freak), I don't remember any real problems with the replacement.

Our pump is located near the floor, underneath our galley counter, and is fairly easily accessed. You may have to lie down on the floor to get to it easily.

I hope your replacement is just as easy!

Cathy,

Another thought. Is there air in the lines? Can your hear any kind of sputtering at the faucet when you open it? Does the pump sound continue when you shut off the faucet?

Often when either winterizing our unwinterizing, sometimes I get air in the lines and it just takes time to get the water to come through. When this happens, I can hear the pump running, but no water comes out for a while. I usually hear some air coming out of the faucet, but when I turn the faucet off, the pump continues to try to pump the water through.

Cathy,

I have a RSB also, although two years newer. I replaced my water pump several years ago and remember that it was not a complicated job, but it was difficult as the pump is under a permanently installed shelf under the sink. It was hard to get to and in a confined work space.

You might also check the position of the shutoff valves in the area. You may have a valve that is used for winterizing, which may be in the wrong position.

Just a guess.

John

Cathy,

Don't be in a rush to change out your water pump with out first checking a couple of things.

1) Using a long handled screwdriver, press the blade against the body of the water pump and press the end of the handle into your ear and have someone turn the water pump switch ON and OFF again. If when ON and you can hear what sounds like the pump motor running, then your pump probably is not bad. If you put your ear near an open faucet with the pump turned ON and you are able to hear a weak 'pumping noise', that also is an indication that you water pump has lost its prime.

2) It may only have lost its prime due to air getting into the pump chamber rather than water. I have had that happen several times to me generally when un-winterizing the coach. Born Free supplied a 3' length of clear surgical hose open on one end and with a fitting on the other end to hookup to the input port on the water pump.

3) What you do is close off the valve in the hose between the output of the fresh water tank and the input to you water pump. You need to close this valve to prevent water running out of the hose end that you are going to disconnect from the pump input.

4) Then attach that 3' length of clear hose to the pump input. Then insert a small funnel into the other end of the open hose.

5) Then using a glass of water and with the pump on, slowly pour the water into the funnel and the pump should eventually 'suck up that water'.

6) When it has done that, turn the pump off, disconnect the priming hose from the pump and reconnect the hose from the fresh water tank and open the valve in this hose line again.

7) If you turn your pump back ON again and open a water faucet, you should get water flow again. You probably will initially get both air and water out of the faucet until all air is purged out of the water lines.

I am going to try to prime it first, see what happens. There was a faint sound coming from underneath the sink, not much...the other issue is it has no hook up for the winterization either, I don't know if they removed it or just never needed it I assume, since the original owners were from Florida. But I bought it in Indiana so I know they needed it.
Thanks again!

I failed to mention that my pump (Shurflo Whisper King Model 2093) has a filter on the inlet side of the pump. It is there to strain water coming from the water tank. It could be blocked by debris if the previous owner filled with contaminated water or over time did not drain the tank allowing debris to collect in the tank. The filter can be easily removed and cleaned. A filter may be an unusual or no longer installed feature as I quickly scanned the Shurflo web pages but did not find one with a filter.

Bill,

Is a surging of the pump an indicator that it needs to be primed?

Cathy wrote:I am going to try to prime it first, see what happens. There was a faint sound coming from underneath the sink, not much...the other issue is it has no hook up for the winterization either, I don't know if they removed it or just never needed it I assume, since the original owners were from Florida. But I bought it in Indiana so I know they needed it.
Thanks again!

Cathy,
The same 3' clear hose with the pump input fitting on the end is used for winterization to pump pink RV antifreeze throughout the system. It can also be used to prime a pump that lost its prime as I indicated above. However in the older models as you say there is no hookup for that 3' hose. You have to disconnect the hose coming from the fresh water tank where it is connected to the input to your water pump and connect the 3' hose instead.

If the pump has lost its prime and is trying to pump only air, its sound will be weaker than if it is pumping water.

Dallas Baillio wrote:Bill,

Is a surging of the pump an indicator that it needs to be primed?

Bill,
I assume what you mean by surging is that both water and air are coming out of a faucet and the sound that the pump makes when pumping air versus pumping water is different. If you are getting both air and water out of the faucet, the pump has not lost its prime. Just keep the faucet open long enough to eventually purge the air out of the lines. You should run cold and hot water from each faucet one at a time to purge out all the air from the system.

Is that what you meant by your pump surging?

Bill,

My apology for not replying sooner. I have not had Internet access for the
past few days. By surging I mean a variation in pressure with a cycle of
normal water flow and then an slight increase in flow. If you were speaking
of an auto engine you would say a variation in RPM.

I have had this situation for years and years and see no damage being done, but I do notice that the pressure/water flow is not sufficient to force a complete swirl around the toilet bowl.

Dallas,

If you can verify that the rpm of the pump motor, by listening to its sound varying with the surging output of water from a faucet, then you probably have a defective motor in your water pump. If the problem is something that you can live with - apparently you have for some time - maybe you don't need to spend the money for a replacement water pump.

I'll see if I can find it, Sam..Thanks!

While we're on the subject of water pumps..
****Is it better to turn it on/ off as needed, or leave it mostly on? I do the former, a friend of mine leaves hers on except when driving.
My belief is the less pressure on the water lines, the better.