water pump chattering at end of cycle

[nrvale0]

Hey, folks.

I'll admit I've yet to read the entire section(s) of the manual relevant to this topic. I'm about to go do that now.

My water pump has been chattering a bit at the end of its cycle. Just for like the last second or so but its pretty loud and sounds like it could be less-than-healthy for the pump. I use the pump most of the time as opposed to relying on shore pressure so it occurred to me if might just need a rebuild/new seals. Another thought is that something between it and the accumulator (2019 E2) might be losing/have lost prime.

Anybody have any tips?

 

[Overland]

It could be that the bypass pressure needs to be adjusted. The telltale sign is a sort of whooshing sound right at the end of the cycle.

It’s a very easy adjustment to make.  On the front of the pump there are two small hex screws: the one in the center adjusts the maximum pressure, and the one below changes the bypass pressure. Adjust it in ¼ turns until you can’t hear the whooshing anymore. 
 

The other possibility is that the rubber diaphragm (or some other part) needs to be replaced. That’s a little more complicated but I wouldn’t call it difficult. You can find fairly inexpensive repair kits for the pump on Amazon. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Overland

[nrvale0]

Thanks for the tip. No whooshing here. Sounds more like a woodpecker. I'll record it when I get a chance.

Going to order a new pump and a repair kit today. The pumps are not that expensive to have on the shelf and one thing I've learned this year is parts on a shelf beats relying on the "supply chain". ;)

Edited December 26, 2020 by nrvale0

[SeaDawg]

3 hours ago, nrvale0 said:

 

Going to order a new pump and a repair kit today. The pumps are not that expensive to have on the shelf and one thing I've learned this year is parts on a shelf beats relying on the "supply chain". 😉

That said, I would try Overland's adjustment first. Also, check pump mounting to make sure it's not rattling.  Maybe play with the other pressure adjustment screw, 1/4 turn at a time. 

Before I tore into a rebuild. Or replacement.  We don't have a bladder on our system. So, some of my experience is limited. 

[nrvale0]

There was quite a bit of plastic shaving in the filter -- I assume I must have hit some rough roads that shook things loose that didn't shake loose when I first set sail. Cleaned that out and it does seem to have helped a little bit but see attached video.

I'll order a rebuild kit today and maybe film the service to post here after I'm done.

[nrvale0]

I forgot to update this thread. I ended up ordering a new water pump and replacing and everything seems a lot better. I may go through the old pump soon and rebuild it just to have a somewhat trustworthy spare on the shelf. 

[Fargoman]

What do I need to do before removing and cleaning the water pump filter to avoid spilling water? I've read enough posts about plastic shavings in the filter that made me want to check, even though I haven't noticed any water flow problems.

[routlaw]

Curious our pump has always made this chattering sound at the end of its pressure cycle, never made much of it and its still working. Oh well.

[nrvale0]

46 minutes ago, Fargoman said:

What do I need to do before removing and cleaning the water pump filter to avoid spilling water? I've read enough posts about plastic shavings in the filter that made me want to check, even though I haven't noticed any water flow problems.

 

I turned off the valve just on the other side of the pump and then opened a faucet for a second. It spilled a little bit of water when I opened it but not much. Nothing a wash cloth couldn't handle.

[nrvale0]

40 minutes ago, routlaw said:

Curious our pump has always made this chattering sound at the end of its pressure cycle, never made much of it and its still working. Oh well.

 

Both of the ones I've had made a bit of sound but by the end the OEM-installed one was making *much* louder noises. And after I installed the new one it was a ton quieter.

I think the video doesn't do well to demonstrate the sound level.

Before I remove the old one it was chattering enough to make me, as a bit of a motorcycle mechanic, uncomfortable. Visions of the pump internals being shredded. 😉

 

[topgun2]

1 - make sure that the pump is off

2 - make sure that there is no pressure in the water lines

3 - place a rag under the filter "bowl" and take it off 

This bowl and filter are not very big so that they don't hold a bunch of water.  When re-installing the bowl: make sure that it is aligned properly and then screw it back on.  It only has to be "finger" tight.  Turn the water pump back on and check for leaks.

Bill

Edited April 12 by topgun2
spelling

[SNY SD UP]

I agree with Bill.  with one additional step.

4 - You may want to do again after a couple of water fill-ups, on the road.

After (new) pick-up, and after reading about the same topic in a different thread we found plastic bits in the inline filter basket.  After a few weeks on the road and some additional fill-ups i checked it again and had fewer plastic bits.  After the third check, we were good. 

I will continue check again every 3-5 fill-ups. 

B- Out.

[John E Davies]

One other thing to check is whether any water lines are touching, or very close to touching, any nearby hard surfaces. Wiggle all lines by hand to see if they can hit. Use cable ties where needed to secure them. I used pieces of water pipe insulation tubing, cut and laid flat, and slipped them into a couple of “tight” spots. They did not even need tape or glue.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

 

[topgun2]

I'd add to JD's post above that it is a fairly easy and relatively inexpensive mod to simply go down to Lowe's, Home Depot, or ACE and grab five or six lengths of 1/2 inch pipe insulation (like THIS) and cover any and all pipes that you can get to.  Not only will you reduce noise but you will also get hotter water and get a degree or two additional protection from freezing pipes in cold weather.

Bill

[Spike]

On 4/10/2022 at 11:00 AM, nrvale0 said:

I ended up ordering a new water pump

I'm thinking that I will follow the lead of what a few folks on this forum have done, that is, order a new water pump to carry on our travels--just in case. Can someone show me, with a link to Amazon, what pump I would need to order for my 2017 LE2?

[John E Davies]

29 minutes ago, Spike said:

Can someone show me, with a link to Amazon, what pump I would need to order for my 2017 LE2?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010TKMK4O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You will also need a couple of blue butt splices and a crimper/ stripper, and cable ties. I just changed mine a few days ago.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[SNY SD UP]

JD...  Thanks,

I was looking up what was used for our 2020 LE II, a "Pentair Shurflo 4008 RV revolution by-pass pump 4008-101-E65", and before i sorted-out all that popped up on AMAZON, you provided the link.  in case i wanted to make another purchase "before" our next outing.

 

[SNY SD UP]

John,

 

Did you replace because of issues or age?

Will you rebuild the one you removed and take with you (or keep on the shelf) as a spare?

[John E Davies]

12 minutes ago, SNY SD UP said:

Did you replace because of issues or age?

Will you rebuild the one you removed and take with you (or keep on the shelf) as a spare?

Mine failed unexpectedly after five seasons, I have the old one, I will open it up to see what happened, but its is a low priority.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6732-weird-water-pump-failure-no-pressure-and-motor-just-hiccups-any-idea-what-is-wrong/

John Davies

Spokane WA

[SNY SD UP]

Ours is relatively new (2020 pick up).  No noise/chatter as of yet.  It looks like these are fairly easy to pick up on the road if we suffer a failure.

[nrvale0]

In fairness to the manufacturer of the pump, I was full timing for 2+ years and cooked and washed dishes nearly every night in a hard water area. I'm sure I blew through the typical mean-time-between-failures.

I'm actually very curious to see what it looks like inside.