# "dry" camper



## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Hi all,
Have just bought a 2002 auto-sleepers Duetto.
All seems to be fine except water not pumping into kitchen or bathroom taps. Pump appears to be working(well making a noise) so some suggestions on solution would be helpful.
Have a feeling that system hasn't been used much.
Thanks

jrne


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Have a look at the taps in the cupboard under the cooker. Is the water tap on?


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## spindrifter (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi jrne

Sounds like an airlock to me - you need to locate your pump first and remove the pipe-work from the pump after sussing out the input side and blowing down the pipe until you feel/hear the bubbling in your tank. re-connect the inlet pipe - remove the output pipe from the pump and turn on a tap - be ready with some absorbent cloth or a sponge in case the water flows - if it does problem fixed. If not, wiser people than me will be along shortly with more concise info.

Good luck


David


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## telboy1 (Nov 3, 2007)

Hi JRNE,

we have just had the same problem on our pump,it turned out to be a sticking inpller and all that was needed was to give it turn with a screwdriver (whilst switched off)

Terry


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Okay many thanks for advice.
Telboy what is the inpller, cannot find any mention of it in shurflo parts diagram.
Pump seems to be behind a panel which has all sorts of electical devices in front of eg trip test, water heater and hot air blower. How do you get to it?

jrne


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

I have no mechanical knowhow and this happened with my van. I have a Carver water boiler that fills up when I fill the main water tank. I opened the boiler drain from the outside of the van and it spat lots of air. - Closed it once steady flow. Refilled main tank.

Went inside and turned on all taps fully - shower tap held open in sink. Tried pump 2/3 times with couple minutes between tries. Result water stuttering out for minute or two then all working. Downside: van wet through - water sprays everywhere - drape towels, plus might just be coincidence with the Carver!

Oh! (and very high tech this) - Remembered that draining down tip is to suck the water out of the shower pipe - So I sucked it and the taps too!!!!!

Please, NO smart remarks

:lol: :lol: :lol: and no comments on my Heath Robinson solutions. The above is girl stuff. Him indoors having no mechanical aptitude other than the telly remote.


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## 106559 (Aug 19, 2007)

jrne said:


> Hi all,
> Have just bought a 2002 auto-sleepers Duetto.
> All seems to be fine except water not pumping into kitchen or bathroom taps. Pump appears to be working(well making a noise) so some suggestions on solution would be helpful.
> Have a feeling that system hasn't been used much.
> ...


 Thank God that's all it is. For a terrible moment I thought you'd run out of beer!


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Always take advice from a Duetto owner first. I repeat check that the stop taps in the cupboard under the cooker are ON. I can replicate your problem you are experiencing on mine easily.


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Sorry Gelathae didn't mean to ignore your advice but there are no taps visible on mine, or are they hidden elsewhere.

jrne


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

jrne. Mine's a 2002.

Look in the cupboard under the cooker. You'll probably have to get on your knees. To the left are 3 isolation taps one for turning off the gas, one for turning off the water supply and the third is for emptying the hot water heater (I think). The water supply tap has a picture of a watering can on it. Simply turn it on.

I'm assuming that our vehicles are identical. If not (and this is speculation now) look under the side seat facing you when you enter the van from the side door. To the right is a box housing the hot water heater. Open it up by unscrewing the fixings and there might be the taps in there. That is where the water pump is housed I think as I have not opened it up recently.

Let us know the outcome.


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

This is the layout under oven.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

You have one more tap than me. I've just been out to the van and checked. Look at the sticker to the side. Your taps except the gas ARE *OFF* as I thought. Turn all of them other than the gas to the horizontal position.


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## 106559 (Aug 19, 2007)

Hurry up, I'm intrigued now!


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Those 4 taps on left are all gas taps. Cooker, fridge, heating and hot water.
Main grey box is trip switch and to the right is the water heater.

jrne


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## spindrifter (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi jnre

Does your pump sound as if it's running when you turn on a tap?

If it does you've got voltage to it - so that's OK.

There should be two pipes at your pump either side of the impellor housing - one going in and one going out (both normally blue in colour). Both pipes will be fixed by "push fit" fittings - to remove the pipe push the collar on the fitting toward the pump and just pull the pipe out (easy to do)

You now have to ascertain if there is water at the "in" port of the pump - if not, why not. I suggest you unplug the pump inlet pipe and suck or blow down it - to get rid of possible airlock or to prime the pipe.

Re-assemble the pipe and try again to pump water from the taps. 

Keep us informed as to progress - we are all on your side and further help will be forthcoming if suggestions fail to fix problem.

Pumps and the like are usually tucked away in dark recesses - but they are get "attable" with persistance.

Cheers

David


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Look at the sticker alongside the taps. I can see it from your photograph. It indicates horizontal ON and vertical OFF. On my 3 taps only the gas tap should be turned to vertical. Although yours appears to be different from mine at least try to follow the instructions on the sticker on what you think is the hot water tap and see what happens.


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Gelathae,
Have tried what you suggest and it doesn't work. 
They are all gas taps. I'm not after hot water yet just running water up from tank.
Spindrifter from the noise of the pump it sounds as if it is behind the electrical boxes in photo. Would pump be in such an awkward place?

jrne


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## telboy1 (Nov 3, 2007)

Hi,
The best way to decsribe the impeller is that its like a fan blade,at the base of the pump is a small hole and this is where it sucks up the water.
This has happened to me twice, both times it sounds like the pump is working but the inpeller is stuck and I just gave a quick turn and this has done the trick

Terry


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Click  >> here << and your problem will be solved in a jiffy.

Dave


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## clodhopper2006 (Aug 13, 2006)

If the pump is running but no water is coming through it tells me that a pipe has popped out of a joint. This can happen when a vans water system is left primed during hard frost. Check all accessible water pipes that all joints are secure.

Bob


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## mooro (Apr 22, 2008)

A simple suggestion, but are you sure there is water in the holding tank?


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Loads of water and beer. It sounds to me as if the impeller could be stuck but the thought of taking out all electrical boxes as shown in photo is slightly daunting to access the pump.
As suggested have e mailed Auto Sleepers as well.
Thanks for all advice. Now a subscriber.
Am away for a couple of days so will not catch up till weekend.
jrne


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

Hope you had a good scrub before you left the house!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Gonna be a bit tough with no bathwater in the van. Have to sit on draining board with feet in sink full of Aquaminna-whatsit!!


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Where is the pump located in these vans. Is it not an immersion pump in the water tank. Our Hymer pump stops pumping if we let all the water out then refill the tank. The solution is to reach inside the tank with the pump running and water in the tank and give it a good shaking. In fact that is what is suggested in our manual.


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## 125740 (Jul 14, 2009)

Hi all. Well finally got around to fixing problem. Turned out to be cracked filter/screener by pump. This was sucking air into the system.
Replaced and all is working great.
Thanks for all advice. Good site.

jrne


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

jrne said:


> Hi all. Well finally got around to fixing problem. Turned out to be cracked filter/screener by pump. This was sucking air into the system.
> Replaced and all is working great.
> Thanks for all advice. Good site.
> 
> jrne


Glad your problem is solved and thanks for coming back and letting us know. Not everyone does.


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