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Water Pump Pulsating Water


monacowner

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Greetings Monaco Owners,

An issue that has plagued me for several years can be seen in this video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17bUhfm2thWo4j74HMdLP33BgbKz9FKkR/view?usp=sharing

I have replaced the pump, the latching switch...  I cannot seem to find the solution. I will say that it doesn't do it all the time. About 25% of the time when I turn a tap on, a steady stream will come out. It doesn't matter the tap I use (kitchen, bathroom, or 1/2 bath).

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Don

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Make sure your filters and screens are all clean and clear. Such as the filter on the input side of the pump and all of the faucet screens. Try running the water without the screen or aerator to see if the pulsing stops.

What pump do you have installed? How many gpm is it rated at?

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Don,  when you turn on the pump it senses you are using water, the pump turns off when pressure is achieved, then back on again when pressure decreases.  Since RV water presdure varies from location to location the pump might pulse more frequently at one location vs another.   I think it is just the nature of the beast.

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The above comments are valid.

It's the nature of the beast if you have a variable speed pressure pump.

At very low volume it will pulsate more.

Make certain that your city fill valve is off tight. 

 

The variable pressure pumps in my boat do the same thing. 

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2 minutes ago, vito.a said:

Check your accumulator.  Large blue canister. Probably above the pump inbetween the frame rails.

Hi Vito,

I do have one of those, but how would I "check it"? I imagine there is some way to adjust it?

Thanks!

Don

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13 minutes ago, monacowner said:

I think you're right about it being the nature of the beast. When I turn on a couple of faucets, the pulsating goes away!

I have a 55AQUAJET-ARV 5.3 GPM

Well, I won't fret it then. As long as it keeps pumping!

Thanks everyone!

If you have low volume faucets ?

Or a restricted low volume  shower head 

You may see some pulsating more frequently also.

I have never had an accumulated tank on any houseboat. 

But at very low volume usage it will cause the pump intermittent pulsating 

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1 hour ago, monacowner said:

Hi Vito,

I do have one of those, but how would I "check it"? I imagine there is some way to adjust it?

Thanks!

Don

I think I see how I can measure and adjust the pressure (a regular tire pump). What should the pressure be at is the question now.

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The accumulator reduces the number of times the pump activates. 

 

Let's say you get up in the night and use the toilet a few times.

The pump won't kick on, many times all night if you have a larger capacity accumulator. 

 

Our airstreams had the water pump under the bed so that was a nice feature.

Not to have a pump kick on.

In my signature 

I've never heard the pump run.

 

Some say set the pressure at 33 #s

I've seen 30 to 40#.

Some say coordinate the accumulator pressure with the pump kick off or on ??? Pressure. 

 

I don't think it's that detailed 😕🤔

 

 

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5 hours ago, John Haggard said:

The accumulator reduces the number of times the pump activates. 

 

Let's say you get up in the night and use the toilet a few times.

The pump won't kick on, many times all night if you have a larger capacity accumulator. 

 

Our airstreams had the water pump under the bed so that was a nice feature.

Not to have a pump kick on.

In my signature 

I've never heard the pump run.

 

Some say set the pressure at 33 #s

I've seen 30 to 40#.

Some say coordinate the accumulator pressure with the pump kick off or on ??? Pressure. 

 

I don't think it's that detailed 😕🤔

 

 

Well John, your advice seems to have worked. I checked the pressure and it was at ~20 psi. I took it up to ~30 psi and... BINGO! No more pulsating. A big THANK YOU! I barely knew I had an accumulator before today, let alone that I needed to add/remove pressure. Another learning event! Just when you thought you knew 20% of everything you needed to know. I think I'm up to 20.1% now. 😉

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If it happens again you've developed a small pin hole in the bladder and need to replace it. Easy to do and get and they're standard for wells in fact Well X Trol tanks are found everywhere . There're numbers on your tank that give you the size I believe when I did mine it was 2 gallon. (101)

Roy Mercier  2003 Dynasty   

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I'm late to the party on this topic as you've solved the problem by adding air into the accumulator, however as I have a somewhat huge accumulator (60 gallon bladder pressure tank) at the house on my water well for the S&B, and the small 2 gallon one in the coach, I'll proffer a tip from over the years on handling a water logged system....

Disconnect from city water, turn the coach water pump OFF, open a faucet and allow it to bleed out the remaining pressurized water.   You can measure how much you get if you want to be OCD. Shake, tap, or feel the accumulator to see if it feels empty.... probably has water still in it as the air bladder hasn't forced that water out.  So now I would check the air pressure in the bladder (if not zero bladder should not have a hole) and add some air into the bladder with the faucet still open to see if that forces out a bunch more water. If no water comes out, now your accumulator is empty of trapped water. If you start blowing air out the faucet you have a large hole in the bladder.  Now that the system is purged, add air pressure up to your pre-charge PSI (BTW, faucet still open). I set mine around 35-37 psi as my pumps cycle 40-60 psi.  Thus the bladder will push almost all the water out but a little is left to keep from stirring up sediment that may be in the very end, and it's not trying to overextend the bladder into the water line...i.e. when the pump cycles at 60 psi and you drain down to 40 psi cut in pressure, very little water remains in the tank.  So if the system holds the pre-charge air pressure in the accumulator with water pump off and no city water and a faucet open, then the bladder likely has no pin holes.  If it leaks down over time your bladder is shot but your accumulator can still function like old water wells did before bladder tanks, but over time your pre-charge air will absorb into the water and the system will become water logged again.  (Probably the reason bladders were invented.  I recall growing up and Dad would have to do this a couple times a year pre-bladder.) When you are happy with the bladder diagnostics, turn the pump on and let it cycle off, and you'll be able to draw almost two gallons of water before it cuts in again 

If you didn't drain the tank, you don't really know the bladder condition and also won't get max water between pump cycles, but the short cycling would have stopped anyway.  Anything I missed?

FWIW

 

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