Posted 2007-11-12 8:07 AM (#70934) Subject: water pump
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
I have a sureflo water pump in my trailer. We went to winterize it and the pump acts like it is sucking air. Last year, it immediately sucked all of the antifreeze thru the tube and into the system. Now, nothing. All of the valves are set right. The directions for this current trailer are horrible though!
Posted 2007-11-12 8:13 AM (#70935 - in reply to #70934) Subject: RE: water pump
Member
Posts: 11
Location: Spring Grove, MN
If your pump just sucks air try opening you faucet it should suck through. Then open your shower faucet if you have one. Then flush your toilet until it runs pink.
Posted 2007-11-12 10:00 AM (#70947 - in reply to #70935) Subject: RE: water pump
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
We did try opening the faucets but they were already drained of water. Do you think one at a time would work? Starting maybe closest to the pump? I was afraid that sucking air would burn out the pump.
Posted 2007-11-12 10:01 AM (#70948 - in reply to #70934) Subject: RE: water pump
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Do you have enough antifreeze in your tank to cover the outlet line to the pump? If you are using a flushing adapter that sucks fluid directly from a bottle, is the inlet line to the pump tightly secured? Is the hose placed in the bottom of the jug?
Air is getting in through the inlet to your pump. Low fluid or a loose hose connection will cause that sound. Are you still getting fluid pumped to your water system? Faucets etc.?
Have you closed the bypass valve to your water heater, or are you pumping anti freeze directly into the heater, quickly draining your tank?
It is probably something simple that is fairly easy to figure out
Posted 2007-11-12 1:40 PM (#70976 - in reply to #70947) Subject: RE: water pump
Member
Posts: 11
Location: Spring Grove, MN
Sucking air for long periods of time will burn your pump out. But if you open a faucet turn the pump on see if the anti-freeze if flowing through the clear hose into the pump. If it is than keep pumping until it runs antifreeze through your faucets.
Posted 2007-11-12 8:29 PM (#71009 - in reply to #70948) Subject: RE: water pump
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
My set up has a valve to bypass the water tank (which is then drained) and antifreeze is added with a flexible tube that sticks into the jug and the pump sucks it into the water pipes. Water heater is bypassed and drained.
Posted 2007-11-12 8:34 PM (#71011 - in reply to #70976) Subject: RE: water pump
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
UPDATE!I called shurflo and talked to a tech. He said that there is most likely dirt (probably plastic shavings from the water tank) stuck in the valve inside the pump. He is sending another valve but what ticks me off is that the pump failed this spring too. I went to de winterize it and had no pump at all! Had it replaced and it worked fine this summer but I really don't use the pump all that much because I usually am hooked up to city water. Does everyone have problems with this pump? The number is 2088 shurflo.
Posted 2007-11-13 4:10 PM (#71103 - in reply to #71011) Subject: RE: water pump
Veteran
Posts: 216 Location: Chillicothe, Ohio
One thing to check on your pump is does it have a inlet screen? I purchased one to fix this very issue...any dirt, shavings from the piping (on a new trailer) grit etc will foul the checkvalves in these pumps and they wont self prime...if you can get the antifreeze to the suction of the pump it will probably work. Sureflow makes the screens, they thread onto the suction side of the pump.
Posted 2007-11-13 7:15 PM (#71121 - in reply to #71103) Subject: RE: water pump
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
Thanks! My husband talked to an RV dealer today and they said the same thing. We will pick one up! Question though, do these screens ever clog and have to be changed or cleaned? I always run water thru my hose before I fill my water tank or hook up to city water but I never considered plastic from the tank itself!
Posted 2007-11-14 6:35 AM (#71150 - in reply to #70934) Subject: RE: water pump
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
Shurflo sent us a new valve too. Just the smallest little piece of plastic, and it goobered up the whole pump. After switching out the valve, we were good to go for several more years before trading the trailer.
Posted 2007-11-14 3:54 PM (#71196 - in reply to #71121) Subject: RE: water pump
Veteran
Posts: 216 Location: Chillicothe, Ohio
I clean the inlet screen on my pump at the end of the season so its ready to go in the spring. My pump is easy to access. Theres usually just a few small particles stuck in it. The one I have unscrews so you can rinse out the screen.
Posted 2007-11-14 10:33 PM (#71227 - in reply to #70934) Subject: RE: water pump
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456 Location: south of Cowtown, TEXAS
I have an on-demand Flojet that does that when un-winterizing. Just tap on it. Works everytime for me! Seems like it gets 'vapor locked' because when it does finally prime, the water flow sputters air out.
water pump
