# battery drain...



## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,
hope somebody might know what to look for, when the pump switch is turned on we start to use about 3 amps of electric,without any taps turned on, we first noticed it happening after i had used the shower,and the pump seemed to be a bit eratic,

we have read the manual,but it does not mention anything about taps etc,so except for keep rembering to switch the pump off we dont know what to try.

hope somebody else has had this problem,and can tell us what to repair.

thanks mags


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

. . . you don't mention but are your taps the type operated via microswitches or just when you turn the tap on ?
If there are no microswitches in the taps I'd hazard a guess that the pump is going hell for leather trying to pump water - 3amps seems quite a lot to me


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

could it be sucking air in somewhere.


Kev.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,
mags got the amps wrong,  when any of the taps are turned on, the amp meter reads -3to-4amps.When we turn the taps off,the amp meter reads -1 to -1.5amps. :? unless we switch the pump off on the zigboard :?.
ThanksBernard.
does this make any sense. :? :?


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## clodhopper2006 (Aug 13, 2006)

not sure how you can have -amps. No such thing as minus (negative) amps even with polarity reveresed an amp is an amp. Is the pump still running when the taps are shut?


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

clodhopper2006 said:


> not sure how you can have -amps. No such thing as minus (negative) amps even with polarity reveresed an amp is an amp. Is the pump still running when the taps are shut?


I think it means draining the battery by that amount


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

you are right.I do mean that the battery is being drained?


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Perhaps the suppression components are leaky??

C.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi clive,

excuse being girly, but what are they, when bernard comes in he,ll proberly know,

thanks mags


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Suppression components are electrical bits normally connected either across the pump or the switch controlling the pump so that when the switch opens the current (amps) that was flowing through the pump and switch has somewhere else to flow for a short time. Without any suppression the opening of the switch can (and frequently does) upset modern electronic control panels in motorhomes causing spurious operation of other electrical items. If the suppression goes leaky, that is allows current to pass through it continuously then it can try and keep the pump running after the switch has turned off.

The fact that the amps fall to about half when the tap is turned off suggests to me that the switch works but something else is passing some current. If the WATER master switch on the panel when turned off stops the amps flowing then there is not a lot else in the circuit.

But I have not see the van myself, its only something I would go and check for first if it were me.

C.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi clive,

thanks for clarifing that,bernard says he can follow it, but have you any cure or solution to the problem,

the van is a hobby 750,with a zig board above the door,

thaks mags


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Suppression of a water pump sounds a bit OTT to me. If it is suppressed, it is highly unlikely the components are accessible to change. I would remove a connection off the pump itself and repeat your test to help isolate the problem. If you still have current flowing then it cannot be the pump but something else between your on off switch and the pump. Perhaps a damaged wire providing a circuit to earth or something similar???? Is there a separate pressure switch in circuit which is faulty?


peedee


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

He knows some obscure stuff does that Clive.

Kev.


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Its quite common to suppress large motors especially if they are not brushless. I would have though pumps in motorhomes are brushless and therefore of no need of suppression. Never really thought about it until this question came up so I stand to be corrected. 

peedee


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