# Water supply failure



## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Happy 2008 everyone! 

My 2000 Hymer B564's last year ended well with no water supply to kitchen, bathroom and shower taps, toilet flush, and I assume the water heater. I guess it's either an airlock or pump failure but I am foxed by the system's design - the manual doesn't help. 

There appears to be two submersible pumps. Both have a power supply. One is connected to one of the two outlet hoses (which presumably go off to different parts of the system (as the kitchen is on one side of the van and the bathroom on the other). The other pump connects to nothing. The latter pumps but is effectively only recycling the water in the tank! On previous examinations I haven't noticed any difference in the way it's set up, i.e. nothing seems broken or missing and there is no rubbish lying in the tank. Can anyone enlighten me on how the bits within the water tank should look and work, please? I'm beginning to think that maybe the pump which is connected is the one which has perhaps failed, and that the only noise from pumping is coming from the one which apparently does useful nothing at present, the other perhaps being dead- r.i.p. 2007. 

We have not had any water supply problems to any outlets hitherto (although pressure to the toilet flush has not been great). Running all the taps does not clear the airlocks, if that's what the problem is.

Any thought please?

Terry


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

check to see if you have a truma water heater if so the dump valve may have tripped due to low temperatures. even if the pump is running if the valve has tripped it will dump any pumped water straight out underneath the motorhome. Dunc


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## jocie (Dec 24, 2006)

*water supply failure*

My Hymer B544 is a 2000 model (first reg June 2000) and has only one submersible pump in the water tank. I suggest you connect the working pump to your water pipe and remove the other from the tank,and see what happens. It might be worth looking at the bottom of the non working pump first to check that the filter grid is not clogged up. Let me know how you get on, and if neccessary I will try to photograph or describe my pump (the mhome is not at my house at present).Best of luck! Stewart (jocie).


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Aren't Motorhomesfacts people wonderful? Answers coming within minutes! 

The water heater hasn't emptied, Dunc, as I clip the dump valve and nip to the van to release it if it looks like frost - don't get too much near the coast in Cornwall! Thanks for the thought though.

Stewart, what you say is interesting, as I was wondering if the previous owner had added a pump (they look slightly different). Getting dark soon, and so tomorrow's task looks set! Your test idea is worth a try.

Terry


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## citroennut (May 16, 2005)

hi terry,
the 680 has two pumps just as yours, having said that, they both work and i didn't enquire further :roll: just leave well alone.
simon


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi Terry,

We only have one pump in ours, a twin submersible, however, a number of us have had to replace the pumps after some years.

In our case, the little shaft between the motor and the impeller snapped, giving us the impression that the pump was okay, as we could hear it running.
Low pressure appeared to be a symptom, before complete failure.

Jock.


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Just as a side thought, it is always wise to keep a spare pump just in case. I was told if you only buy one thing as a spare its a water pump.

Hope you get sorted.

Johnny F


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## taildj (Jun 4, 2006)

You mention that the pressuree to the toilet has not been good. Whilst I do not have a solution for this I also have the same problem, and I have changed the pump but this didn't remedy it. If you find out the solution I would be grateful to hear of it.
I presume that when priming the system you have opened all the taps, as this should get over any airlock problem. Otherwise it seem a bit of a mystery as to what is the cause. You could , of course, just disconnect the pump from the outlet pipe and see if water flows from the pump(s). If it does then you have elimintated a pump fault at least

David



Pard said:


> Happy 2008 everyone!
> 
> My 2000 Hymer B564's last year ended well with no water supply to kitchen, bathroom and shower taps, toilet flush, and I assume the water heater. I guess it's either an airlock or pump failure but I am foxed by the system's design - the manual doesn't help.
> 
> ...


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Hi folks and thank you to all posting replies. 

Pretty cold and windy in Cornwall today and didn't fancy a day on my knees fiddling in cold water. So took the van off to Halls Motorhomes at Helston, who offered there and then to swap my working pump for what they decided was the duff one. This was done while I went for a coffee. Reasonable charge for half-hour's labour and I was on my way home. Stopped along the way to see if all was still ok. It wasn't. The water seemed to be returning to the tank after each use of the taps. Returned to Helston - the owner spent an hour sorting it out - the replacement pump lacked a non-return valve, and so we used the one from the old pump which was working well. No charge, exceptional patience, and all's reasonably well again and functioning. 

I say 'reasonably' as pressure could be better in the loo, and so I'll be taking Mangothemadmonk's advice, I think!

Many thanks to all and have a great '08!

Terry


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## Waleem (Nov 1, 2006)

Terry
Dont forget that there are many different types of submersible pump with many different pressure outputs. When we got our Dethleffs, the shower was useless. I replaced the 10 litre pump with a 19 litre one from ebay and it is now brilliant with much better pressure to the taps too.


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