hand pump faucet lost it's prime, What's easy way to prime it?

[Curtis F.]

Over the winter, I left the handle of the pump faucet in the wrong position after winterizing. Now the faucet has lost it's prime and no amount of pumping the hanlde will suck enough water up the two foot of vertical rise in the hose.

Do I need to funnel water in thru the nozzle and down the hose?

Do I need to connect a serious vacume source to the nozzle and suck the water up?

Do I need to disconnect the hose under the sink and manually prime the hose and re-attach?

Do I need to give up and install an electric pump and/or another faucet?

I looked at Patrict's info on installing a water pump and it is tempting.

Thanks

Curt

[Robert Scallan]

Over the winter, I left the handle of the pump faucet in the wrong position after winterizing. Now the faucet has lost it's prime and no amount of pumping the hanlde will suck enough water up the two foot of vertical rise in the hose.

Do I need to funnel water in thru the nozzle and down the hose?

Do I need to connect a serious vacume source to the nozzle and suck the water up?

Do I need to disconnect the hose under the sink and manually prime the hose and re-attach?

Do I need to give up and install an electric pump and/or another faucet?

I looked at Patrict's info on installing a water pump and it is tempting.

Thanks

Curt

The factory installed a hand pump on mine new 13 by mistake(already has an electric pump.....I'm sure they will sell you pretty cheap. I'm going to install a in line filter so that I can use the hand pump for filtered water for drinking etc...

[Frederick L. Simson]

Now the faucet has lost it's prime and no amount of pumping the hanlde will suck enough water up the two foot of vertical rise in the hose.

I looked at Patrict's info on installing a water pump and it is tempting.

Even my Fiber Stream's electric water pump looses it's prime on occasion. I have heard that if you plug the end of the faucet with your finger while pumping, you can get your prime back.

I have

connect(ed) a serious vacume source to the nozzle and suck the water up

while running the pump.

[jim munson]

I converted my Scampto electric. Easy little project, about $30 and flows strongly.

[Benny K]

Hi Curtis, if you have a compressor, you could blow air directly across the end of the water faucet, not into it but just across it, and the vacuum action should start your prime...you can also try and blow it at an angle away from the faucet......good luck...Benny

[Roger H]

The pumps on the sinks of these trailers are self-priming. If yours doesn't prime, then its either due for a re-build, or (more likely) a replacement. It means the gaskets inside have worn to the point that they won't seal any more. In the days of yard pumps on wells, the gaskets were leather, and could be renewed (cause them to swell) by pouring water down the top of the pump. All of these have rubber (and cheap rubber at that) gaskets that have to be replaced.

Sometimes it is possible to do the "finger-over-the-spout" bit, but if that doesn't work, or it doesn't hold prime after that... well... then it's time to get the tools out.

Roger

[Lizbeth]

Suck on it if you can get your head in that tiny sink.....

The finger over the opening usually works for me.

[Curtis F.]

Finger trick didn't work. Can't get head in sink to suck on it. Has very small down spout to attach hose to. I'm going to put a centrifical pump inline so it will restore prime anytime prime is lost. Have to test out if pump will flow water thru pump side of faucet. If not, I'll be wanting to install a valve to switch the pump between second faucet and pump faucet. Just haven't figured out where to put valves in line to switch pump flow. Centrifical pump is non-self-priming so has to be mounted below water level to work. Got nice spot next to water tank for it. Will have to experiment with the valving needed. Am going to have to have a valve on the line to the second faucet to keep from sucking air when trying to hand pump. Suspect I will need second valve on line to pump faucet to close the line when I want to use the second faucet.

It would be too easy to disconnectthe pump faucet from the water tank and only use it for city water connection. Have to make it a plumbers nightmare.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Curt,
I'd suggest installing a rebuild kit in the hand pump before going any further. Many years ago, we had similar woes in a truck camper. As I recall, the rebuild kit was quite inexpensive, simple to install and they were available at just about any camper supply store.
Of course, if you enjoy the process of creating "Rube Goldberg" projects when they might not be necessary...go for it and have a ball
This advice from a person who has spent way too much time and money over the years on similar endeavors, only to realize too late, the error of my ways.

Too soon old, too late smart, and now prefer to practice the "KISS" (keep it simple, stupid" principle).

Kurt & Ann K.

[Roger H]

I've gotta agree... and even if your pump isn't re-buildable, a new one is only $25 and a whole lot less aggravation than trying to install an electric.

Roger

[Christi W]

Hi Curtis -
My hand pump in the Burro didn't work and I thought it might be the washers also. Took the entire uniit to an rv place. He pumped and could feel some suction , but not enough to pull two feet. Turned out it was a small hole in an old rubber hose. We just needed a new hose and a better clamp.

Ours was pretty easy to detach and you can put it in a more comfortable position to see if there is any suction or not.

Good luck.

[AndyW]

FWIW, I repaired my pump gasket with rubber cement and it's held up for a year or so. For the amount of work it is to dissassemble the pump, you'd be better off ordering a real rebuild kit or a new pump -- I just lacked the foresight to do either of those things.

[Curtis F.]

This is the type of faucet that I have. J&C dual action faucet The large connection is for city water line. The small is for the feed from the fresh water tank. It is a major pain to reach from the refrigerator hole, above the heater, and around the sink to get to the underside of the faucet. I know because I had to replace the original 2 years ago. It was defective or damaged when it was installed.

The pump does generate a vacumn, but loses most of it during the next stroke, so is unable to pull water up the hose.

Rube is my hero

Curt

[Benny K]

The Trill must have a sink like a home kitchen one, where the faucets go thru the sink ledge...on my 13' Boler, the faucets go thru the counter top and for accessability, I disconnect the drain and remove the sink hold down hardware and the sink lifts out and voila...total access to the faucets under the counter.....my manual pump takes a while to prime so I use a piece of surgical plastic tube and suck the water up from the tank thru the manual pump faucet, then it`s good for the rest of the year pretty well.....I use a single handle pantry faucet, (goose neck type), for our water from the park pressure system.....Benny

[Curtis F.]

NO, the faucet goes thru the counter top only. The sink is held on at four corners underneath by wing nuts and "L" brackets. Even harder to reach and remove than the faucet. Although removing the sink would give access to make the removing the faucet easier. Removing the sink would just make more work to gain access to make it marginally easier to remove faucet.

Curt

[jim munson]

It was really easy to in stall a SELF PRIMING ELECTRIC pump at the outlet of the tank.
Working for three seasons now.

[Pete Dumbleton]

My 91Scamp13's faucets (manual pump and city water) are mounted to the cabinet (not the sink) also.

There may be some crud in the bottom of the chamber causing the ball valve to seat improperly.

I once sprayed silicon in a manual pump and that was a mistake for that pump's components because the silicon caused them to bind...