Water pump

[Lee S.]

Hi everyone,
I recently bought a Casita and have spent the last two months living the RV life along the coast of Cali. It has been great and I can't wait to have some more time off to do some more RVing and surfing! That being said, I am having to replace odds and ends, trouble shoot problems, and wait for the next repair. My water pump recently stopped working and it's not a fuse. Any tips? I guess it may need to be replaced, but my owners manual barely even touches on how to do this. I would love any advice you all have to offer regarding my failed water pump. What else can I do to rule out any additional factors that may be contributing to this? If it's not a fuse, is it a burned out motor? If you do decide to reply be as detailed as you'd like and talk to me like I don't know anything about water pumps, because I don't. Thanks so much
Lee

[Thomas G.]

Some systems have a switch that controls the water pump so that that it doesn't accidentally run while towing. Should you have this switch, I'd check it and its connections. You can test the pump by directly powering it from a battery or a battery charger.

[Glenn Baglo]

If you have an aerator on your faucet, remove it to make sure it's not clogged with debris. If it is clogged, the pressure causes the pump to shut down. Works just like a gas pump, shutting down when it senses back-pressure. Had to fix mine a couple weeks ago.

[Jon Vermilye]

Here is a link that might be useful.

I'd start by listening. Do you hear noise coming from the pump when you turn it on? if not, use a 12V test lamp to replace the pump at the water pump connection to the trailer wiring. That will check the wiring, fuse, etc. If the lamp lights, the problem is the pump. If the lamp doesn't light, check the wiring, corrosion of the fuse holder or connections, etc.

If the pump does make noise, the wiring & fuse are probably OK. It is possible that the pump is air bound. Some users have had success tapping the pump while running. I've even read a post where someone fixed an air bound pump by blowing in the kitchen faucet, although I've never tried it! Another possibility is the pump has a check valve that is stuck closed. Again, tapping might help.

[Lee S.]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. Looks like I need to order a new pump. Happy travels