Water water everywhere... (1 Viewer)

[Andy Bramhall]

Hello N-B experts. It’s the novice here again. Water question this time!

All of the taps on my 2007 Arto have been working fine.

Then today I filled the freshwater right up to the very top with a bit of cleaning solution to try and get the tank clean.

Now whenever I turn on a tap I can hear the pump working - but it pumps all the water out of a small overflow pipe at the rear of the van on the driver’s side (so the opposite side to the waste water drainage pipe).

If I turn the tap off then then the water stops being pumped out of the overflow pipe.

What have I done and how do I get the water flowing out of the taps again?

Thanks so much for any help you can give.

Andy Bram

 

[Andy Bramhall]

Also...

Does the toilet flush come directly from the fresh water system? Is there a way of adding any flush fluid?
Or do you just always flush with fresh water and put some stuff onto the toilet bowl from time to time?

Thanks again!

 

[Munchie]

Boiler drain valve open?

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[PP Bear]

Do you have one of these and if so, could you have accidentally opened it.

Picture shows the open position.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

its your frost protection stat ,theres a device i dont know where it will be in your van but in mine its under the sink ,its a simple press of the button to fix . When mine tripped due to cold weather i thought i had burst pipes untill i remembered about the safety device

 

[funflair]

Also...

Does the toilet flush come directly from the fresh water system? Is there a way of adding any flush fluid?
Or do you just always flush with fresh water and put some stuff onto the toilet bowl from time to time?

Thanks again!

Yes from the fresh water tank and yes it my job to clean from time to time (ours anyway)

Martin

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[The Wino]

Best put some of the pink stuff in a spray bottle give it an occasional spray and wipe with bog paper before flushing

 

[Terry]

The frost dump valve will most likely be close to the boiler
Terry

 

[Andy Bramhall]

Ah - yes. The frost dump valve. I will go and close. Thanks.

I knew this could/would trip but hadn't realised that meant no cold water as well. Thanks everybody!

Man - you get quick replies on here! You should all still be in bed!

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[funflair]

. Thanks everybody!

Man - you get quick replies on here! You should all still be in bed!

Andy FUN never sleeps

Martin

 

[peterc10]

Also...

Does the toilet flush come directly from the fresh water system? Is there a way of adding any flush fluid?
Or do you just always flush with fresh water and put some stuff onto the toilet bowl from time to time?

Thanks again!

In most motorhomes the toilet flush comes direct from the fresh water system. Holding tanks are used in caravans but rarely in motorhomes. As others have said I just water down some pink stuff in a spray bottle and use it.

 

[Terry]

If its a bench type loo then it may well have a holding tank ....you can usually see a water level tube/indicator where you get cassette out and a fill tube or flap above
Terry

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[Andy Bramhall]

Help! Again...

So... we are now away on holiday and are on site. The first few days the water was working fine and we even had hot water from the boiler. Wooo!

We ran out of freshwater and waited till we had driven to a new site to fill up. We then filled the freshwater all the way up but it didn't come out of the taps. I could hear the pump working and checked the tank and it was definitely full - the guage was showing 90%.

I wondered if it was possible to overfill it and create some pressure and so I let half of it out by pulling the plug out of the bottom of the tank and then replacing it. This didn't make any difference.

The manual says it is possible to get a blockage due to air in the pump and that you should shake the pump gently underwater to release the air. The pump in my tank seems to be fixed. I have tried tapping it and rubbing it a bit at the bottom to try and agitate any air - but this also is not making a difference.

The frost valve is definitely closed and the freshwater guage is showing 40% since I let half the water out. The pump is definitely submerged.

The only thing that I can think is that it can take a really long time to clear air from the system. Is that right?
I have had the taps open and the pump whirring for at least 5 minutes and we are not even getting one single bit of coughing or spluttering - nothing that suggests that water might be on its way.

I am nervous just to leave the taps like that for 10 minutes because I don't want to damage the pump in any way.

What should I do? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[PP Bear]

You should be able to run the pump quite comfortably for at least 10 mins. Water is obviously running through it hence the movement of water, only down the overflow pipe.

My best guess is a blockage somewhere, that isn't allowing the water to pass up the main supply line. If it's the same at all the taps/shower, then it has to be common to the main output line.

Did this only start happening after you added the cleaning solution, if so, could that have dislodged anything that's got stuck in the line.

Hired a narrow boat for a week and second day in, there was no water. Pump ran but no output at any taps. Ended up finding a bic biro cap in the main water line, once removed it all worked fine.

Could you have dislodged anything that's now doing the same to you? Thinking waterscale/limescale etc?

Good luck.

 

[Stroppy Bird]

Sometimes after I've completely drained down and then refilled I have a bit of an air lock and no water will come through.
I clear it by turning the tap on and then suck on it until I can hear the water gurgling and making it's way through.

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[funflair]

Try giving it a suck or blow or both and see which works, taking the shower head off and sucking/blowing the pipe end might be easier than a tap.

Martin

EDIT according to @Stroppy Bird a "suck" works best.

 

[Andy Bramhall]

Thanks!

I have tried the sucking (yuck). I can suck a mouthful of water out while the pump is running - but then nothing happens after that - it just goes back to the whirring sound with no spluttering or water coming through.

Any other thoughts out there? Should we just leave the pump running?
If it is submersed in the water but isn't drawing it through is that 'dry-running'? I heard that can really damage the pump and am trying to be wise...

 

[wigster]

Check a pipe hasn't popped off the water pump in the tank . Happened to me before , pump was running but no water at taps etc.
Worth a quick look maybe

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[Andy Bramhall]

I should have made clear (sorry) it's not coming out of the overflow pipe this time. So that makes me think it's not the same cause as before (boiler frost valve). And in any case - the valve hasn't been tripped.

Thanks again for any help you can give.

 

[PP Bear]

Well now I'm wondering if you have an internal pump fault? Could be that the pump is making all the noises, but that it's not pumping and doing its job.

How old is the pump. Just had to change mine after 10 years. The weight difference between the old and new was noticeable, so who knows what was happening there!!

 

[Andy Bramhall]

Wigster - I am wondering if it might be your idea about a pipe coming off the pump.

The top of the tank looks like this (see photo). The pump sits directly underneath the hot pipe and I can feel with my hand that it is definitely connected to that pipe - although I can't see that visually.

Underneath the cold pipe there is nothing going down into the tank. I can feel inside that there is a thread - and so maybe it usually has something screwed into it? I can't feel any other pipework in there though. But I can't get my whole arm into the tank - so there are some areas that I can't feel.

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[Andy Bramhall]

Photo...

 

[wigster]

Use a small mirror and a torch to try and have a look . Mirror under water shine torch from outside into mirror.

 

[peterc10]

You should not have a "hot pipe" going into your fresh water tank! I suspect that one of those pipes is the suction pipe and the other is an overflow. Is the pump in the tank or outside it? If it is inside (submersible) then there should be wires going to it through the top of the tank.

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[treetops1]

I would also just run 1tap at a time lol

 

[wigster]

Definitely 1 tap at a time i assumed op was doing that. Mental note never assume

 

[Andy Bramhall]

Hi Peter. The pump is inside the tank (submersible) and yes - there are wires going to it.

Do you have any thoughts about why the water isn't coming to the taps?

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[wigster]

Have you tried one tap at a time

I would also just run 1tap at a time lol

 

[peterc10]

Do you have any thoughts about why the water isn't coming to the taps?

Given that the pump is probably 10 years old I would guess that it has failed in some way. Best bet is to remove it (it should be possible through the large red hatch), and buy another one. If you do not think you can do that then take it to a dealer who should be able to do it.

 

[Andy Bramhall]

Thanks. It just seems a bit of a coincidence that at exactly the same point that we run out of water the pump fails - and also it sounds as though it is working.

Do you have any idea how much they cost to replace?

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