Shurflo water pump (1 Viewer)

[Eggs]

I'm afraid I'm back for some more advice folks. My water pump runs very briefly every couple of hours if I leave it switched on. I'm 99% sure I haven't got a leak, I've only two taps, kitchen sink and one tap that doubles up for the sink and shower. I can inspect the pipework all the way from the pump to kitchen and from kitchen to shower room (after cutting a Hatch in a cupboard to get at the pipework in the shower. Two questions: should there be an inline NRV, or is there an NRV built into the pump, (I'm an industrial pump engineer by trade) but this dear little water pump is in such a silly place I couldn't get at it or get a picture to get pump details. TIA.

P.s it's a self build.

 

[JJ]

If no leaks, I suggest it maybe seeps back through one of the three, round rubber pumping thingies...

If it only pumps a short while every couple of hours I really, really wouldn't worry.

If it annoys you, maybe switch it off?


JJ

 

[Coverco]

I had a shurflo in my last van that I fitted myself, it took me ages to stop all the little leaks on joins etc. If it is running then there must be a small leak somewhere, check the taps and toilet if fitted for drips. Place bits of toilet tissue in places that are suspect to spot drips.

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[JJ]

If it is running then there must be a small leak somewhere,

Surely if the water on the pressure side of the pump seeps back THROUGH the pump then none "leaks" out of the system...?

(It doesn't on my Shurflow pumped system.)


JJ

 

[Eggs]

If no leaks, I suggest it maybe seeps back through one of the three, round rubber pumping thingies...

If it only pumps a short while every couple of hours I really, really wouldn't worry.

If it annoys you, maybe switch it off?


JJ

I think I'm with you. It's a diaphragm pump. I've been overthinking this. I'll pull it out at the weekend, after I've dismantled part of the bed so that I can have a look at it and move it to a better location.

 

[pappajohn]

I'm with JJ....
Minor seepage on one of the rubber poppet valves in the valve block.
Nothing to see as it 'bleeds' back internally from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.

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[Eggs]

I had a shurflo in my last van that I fitted myself, it took me ages to stop all the little leaks on joins etc. If it is running then there must be a small leak somewhere, check the taps and toilet if fitted for drips. Place bits of toilet tissue in places that are suspect to spot drips.

I did the kitchen roll under the taps trick, but never thought about the toilet. Thanks.

 

[WillH]

If you can't find a leak then it must be the pump. Either the diaphragm is beginning to fail or there's a bit of crud stuck somewhere. I had the same symptoms years ago and discovered the leak was under the shower mixer behind a panel, traveled for weeks with a plastic milk bottle under the leak before repairing with Araldite.

 

[Eggs]

I'm with JJ....
Minor seepage on one of the rubber poppet valves in the valve block.
Nothing to see as it 'bleeds' back internally from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.

I see there are service kits for these pumps, I'll strip it and have a look at what's going on.

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[TheBig1]

possibly the pump but more likely the non return valve weeping and allowing the pressure to drop as water very slowly returns to the tank. a very common issue

 

[Gaston aires]

On my last van, all my water troubles were cured by putting in an inline NRV. It worked for me but we had no leaks.
Phil

 

[pappajohn]

possibly the pump but more likely the non return valve weeping and allowing the pressure to drop as water very slowly returns to the tank. a very common issue

Water cannot back flow through a sureflow type diaphragm pump by design unless the valves or diaphragm are faulty.
There's no need for a one way valve.

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[andy63]

I did a thread on a pump i stripped a while ago..it had a small leak from the pump housing..which is quite a common fault.. cant find it but heres a few photos of a pump innards and the rubber valves... you will see on one of the photos you can get a build up of scale which i suppose over time could cause the pump to loose pressure via the inlet side by preventing the valve from seating properly
Andy

 

[Allanm]

I had the same problem with my Shurflo pump, it would run every couple of hours then gradually got more frequent.
No leaks anywhere on the pipe work, then I took the pump apart, gave everything a good clean and checked the diaphragm and valves for leaks but could find nothing wrong. Put it all back together, still the same.
So, I bought a new pump.
Perfect, no unexplained running and much better water flow and a lot quieter.