Replaced my OEM water pump - amazing!

[Bob Jones]

It's quite possible. There were quite a lot of reviews on Amazon about the pump's going into the stratosphere with respect to pressure. It could well be a case of the pump's pressure is incorrectly set so high it's causing the pump head to separate a bit. I'll know more shortly. 

[Dr4Film]

I just looked up the specs and it supposed to be set to shut off at 65 psi.

[StephenW]

Standard water pressure regulators for stick homes come preset to 55 psi and the plumbing standard for stick homes is set 80 psi max, and anything over is against pumping code.  I agree with Dr4Film that Pump pressure cut out is too  high, and may damage pex pipe and fillings.  When pex pipe temperature rises the pressure rating on the pipe drops,  please check to make sure your piped is rated for temp. and pressure.

[Pduggs]

25 minutes ago, Bob Jones said:

It's quite possible. There were quite a lot of reviews on Amazon about the pump's going into the stratosphere with respect to pressure. It could well be a case of the pump's pressure is incorrectly set so high it's causing the pump head to separate a bit. I'll know more shortly. 

The new Remco pump I installed (albeit with broken inlet port) per the OP, was very quite. I didn’t notice any air escaping from the pump head. 
 

I too bypassed the accumulator tank, which I had just replaced unfortunately. Remco states in one of their YouTube videos not to use the accumulator tank. 

My water lines coming to and out of the pump are flexible hose. 

[Bob Jones]

16 minutes ago, StephenW said:

Standard water pressure regulators for stick homes come preset to 55 psi and the plumbing standard for stick homes is set 80 psi max, and anything over is against pumping code.  I agree with Dr4Film that Pump pressure cut out is too  high, and may damage pex pipe and fillings.  When pex pipe temperature rises the pressure rating on the pipe drops,  please check to make sure your piped is rated for temp. and pressure.

That's a good point since I'm running 185F on the hot water lines to my toilet and washer/dryer. I think at that temp the PEX is rated to 100 PSI so it's a very real danger point. More testing is showing that it's flaring up to 90 PSI now and properly cutting out. This seems to be in keeping with what a lot of reviewers mentioned. 

2 minutes ago, Pduggs said:

The new Remco pump I installed (albeit with broken inlet port) per the OP, was very quite. I didn’t notice any air escaping from the pump head. 
 

I too bypassed the accumulator tank, which I had just replaced unfortunately. Remco states in one of their YouTube videos not to use the accumulator tank. 

My water lines coming to and out of the pump are flexible hose. 

Mine is making a truly horrible racket. It's rattling every pipe in the joint. I have long flexible lines going to and from it and even holding the pump in my hand while it operates doesn't make it quiet down. I've got the feeling that if I want to run this pump - I'm going to have to WORK for it !!

[Pduggs]

I received my new replacement pump via Amazon. Again the box was not taped shut and with no packaging material to protect the pump. Whoever is shipping these pumps is an idiot. 
 

Bob was your pump sent to you in the same manner?

[Bob Jones]

13 minutes ago, Pduggs said:

I received my new replacement pump via Amazon. Again the box was not taped shut and with no packaging material to protect the pump. Whoever is shipping these pumps is an idiot. 
 

Bob was your pump sent to you in the same manner?

Mine was double-boxed but.....they didn't other to wrap the pump box in bubble wrap to keep it from flying around inside the new box. It did survive.

Here's a video of the pump in action (if you can see it)

 

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by Bob Jones

[Pduggs]

2 minutes ago, Bob Jones said:

Mine was double-boxed but.....they didn't other to wrap the pump box in bubble wrap to keep it from flying around inside the new box. It did survive.

Here's a video of the pump in action (if you can see it)

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPLtkcv1qlVuuTLciwQ2aT9lh5kZjWacK8jA94k

I misspoke. I had the pump sent to my son’s home. He removed the outer box and packaging to check the pump, unbeknownst to me until just now. 
 

Bob I got an 404 error on your link.

[JDCrow]

2 minutes ago, Pduggs said:

I received my new replacement pump via Amazon. Again the box was not taped shut and with no packaging material to protect the pump. Whoever is shipping these pumps is an idiot. 
 

Bob was your pump sent to you in the same manner?

Was it sent in a larger box that could have fit 20 pumps in it? 

[Bob Jones]

Link with video should be fixed now. 

[Pduggs]

29 minutes ago, Bob Jones said:

Mine was double-boxed but.....they didn't other to wrap the pump box in bubble wrap to keep it from flying around inside the new box. It did survive.

Here's a video of the pump in action (if you can see it)

 

 

Wow Bob. That’s very strange. Mine didn’t sound anything like that. You might call Remco customer service and see if they can help. I called them and was surprised to get quick and helpful service. 

[Tom Cherry]

The original AquaJet pump, which is what Remco now on was set to 65 PSI and they were used for at least 5 years on most models from the Camelots on up to the Signatures.  Most folks liked the higher pressures and we never had any issues or complaints. 
 

There IS an OLD PDF that David Pratt posted from an original AquaJet install on how to reset the pressures to your liking.  You DO need to install an accurate liquid filled precision gage to do it.

Noise….they make a little, but the MAIN issue is isolating the pump from the hard plumbing. That is what the 2 loops of flex tubing does.  You need 18 - 24” of tubing per loop.  There are kits but you can easily fabricate your own with the high pressure tubing Lowes sells and some worm drive clamps.

[Bob Jones]

32 minutes ago, Tom Cherry said:

The original AquaJet pump, which is what Remco now on was set to 65 PSI and they were used for at least 5 years on most models from the Camelots on up to the Signatures.  Most folks liked the higher pressures and we never had any issues or complaints. 
 

There IS an OLD PDF that David Pratt posted from an original AquaJet install on how to reset the pressures to your liking.  You DO need to install an accurate liquid filled precision gage to do it.

Noise….they make a little, but the MAIN issue is isolating the pump from the hard plumbing. That is what the 2 loops of flex tubing does.  You need 18 - 24” of tubing per loop.  There are kits but you can easily fabricate your own with the high pressure tubing Lowes sells and some worm drive clamps.

This is important information, I think. I just put the pump back on the accumulator to see if that makes a difference. In order to do that I had to increase the length of the output hose. It's now way too long, but it's for testing purposes. Wow, that made a huge difference. The pump is now quiet. And, oddly enough, once back on the accumulator it now shuts off at 70 PSI. Reliably. Grabbing the extra long outlet hose while it's running results in a bad case of white finger. The oscillations in that line are unbelievable. This lends a lot of credit to what you were saying about having the lines so long they are in a loop.......

With the pump shutting off at 70 I now find the pressure too low. It seems I'm addicted to the 100 PSI. Which brings me back to your point about being able to adjust it. Do you know where that PDF is from Dav Pratt by any chance? I'm going back out to the bay to do some more battling. 

[Bob Jones]

I tried adjusting the set screws for the pump cut out and bypass (which were covered up with black goop) and got nothing. Nothing at all......

This led me to wonder just how Remco was adjusting these pumps at the factory.......

So...a little more investigation revealed two adjustable pots under the plate on a circuit board.....

The lower one, closest to the wires, appears to adjust the cut out pressure. When maxed out it seems to do 90 PSI. 

Turn CLOCKWISE for best performance

The second one (furthest from the wires) appears to control CUT IN pressure. 

Turn COUNTER CLOCKWISE for best performance.  

After adjustment I get a resting pressure (cut out) of 90 PSI and a turn on pressure of about 39 PSI

As for why it was hitting 100 PSI when I first installed it, and was not shutting off, I cannot say. Air in the lines?

Now back to the set screws in the pump and the bypass....

Edited June 28, 2022 by Bob Jones

[Steve P]

At that pressure, you can use your hot water to flash peel tomatoes!... It also occurred to me that if you get a couple nozzles and point them to the rear, turning on the water pump may give you a boost effect, and improve your mpg.  Okay, enough silliness.  Glad to see you have satisfactory pressure and the pump quieted down.  Nonetheless, I'm so unimpressed by that manufacturer that I'll carry almost any other brand as a spare.  Ciao!

[Bob Jones]

That's understandable. Back in the day, it would have been so far beyond every other pump. Today, I'd say, it's still the top performer, it's a great pump, but it requires a bit of work to install properly. It's not as simple as your average pump. It needs a good power feed, it needs flexible hoses, with extra length to absorb the pulsations on the outlet side, and you may well need to relocate it. And the company standing behind it, well, let's face it, they are not very good and there are NO replacement parts for it. Period. When it breaks, it's done. 

Having said that, I just had a shower, and it was great. Almost like city pressure. The volume was much greater and the pressure was higher. My hair was soaked much faster. So it does what it says it does. 

But here's the rub, my all-time favorite pump is this one;

Max-Flow Flow Max DS-01230-D2 12V 3.3 GPM Water Pump, Yellow and Black, 689052 

For how much? That's right, $71.95 USD or $99 CAD.

If that pump is properly powered (10 amp feed with no significant voltage drop) I can get it to run to 70 PSI, just by turning a screw, and....it's virtually silent. On top of that, my old one lasted 4 years, everyday use, and it's STILL good. I sold my new cold spare to my neighbor, and she loves it. 

70 PSI vs 90 / 3 gallons per minute vs 5. If you want the most pressure and volume you can get, the Aquajet is it and it is a nice pump. But it's not easy. Not to make it perfect. On the other hand, $71.95 and plug 'N play. At that price you can have 3 or 4 (!!!) pumps total for the price of the Aquajet. On top of that, Lippert actually honors their warranty, from my experience. But at $71.95....

The Aquajet took a month to arrive, Remco will NEVER warranty it because it came through Amazon, the Lippert usually arrives next day, carries a real warranty, and...even if they stick it to you, it's $70...and....it's effectively SILENT. 50 PSI out of the box and 70 if you turn the screw. Plug 'N Play installation. 

Put it this way, I paid $15 extra for 3rd party warranty on the Aquajet. Just in case because I know Remco will never look after the brand new pump if they can help it. 

Here's a pic of the wet bay prior to next day clean up. That's a 3/4" one-way check valve on the outlet with a low cracking pressure. It does not restrict the flow. The Aquajet has been mounted to the stock aluminum plate that used to be on the wall. I relocated it to the floor so that it's easy to replace. The plate is drilled for both the Aquajet and the Lippert for easy change outs. Note the extra long line coming from the pump discharge? That's because the Aquajet pulsates the outlet so much you can get white finger from touching it 🙂

On the left wall is the 40 amp relay with a 10 AWG power feed to it. That results in a .4v voltage drop at the pump under full load. I'll clean up the lines later. For now I just want to get to know the power of the pump.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Bob Jones

[Pduggs]

12 hours ago, Bob Jones said:

This is important information, I think. I just put the pump back on the accumulator to see if that makes a difference. In order to do that I had to increase the length of the output hose. It's now way too long, but it's for testing purposes. Wow, that made a huge difference. The pump is now quiet. And, oddly enough, once back on the accumulator it now shuts off at 70 PSI. Reliably. Grabbing the extra long outlet hose while it's running results in a bad case of white finger. The oscillations in that line are unbelievable. This lends a lot of credit to what you were saying about having the lines so long they are in a loop.......

With the pump shutting off at 70 I now find the pressure too low. It seems I'm addicted to the 100 PSI. Which brings me back to your point about being able to adjust it. Do you know where that PDF is from Dav Pratt by any chance? I'm going back out to the bay to do some more battling. 

Very weird. I initially installed the pump with the accumulator and it failed to worked. I got zero psi at the accumulator tank. I then bypassed the accumulator and it quietly worked. 
 

Remco states in this video not to use an accumulator tank.

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Pduggs

[Dr4Film]

My 06 Dynasty came with a water accumulator plus it has the Remco water pump. It works fine and is very quiet. I guess I may be one of the lucky ones.

[Pduggs]

28 minutes ago, Dr4Film said:

My 06 Dynasty came with a water accumulator plus it has the Remco water pump. It works fine and is very quiet. I guess I may be one of the lucky ones.

I had the exact same set up on my 08 Dynasty. I had replaced the accumulator tank last year, when my original Remco pump (RV Aquajet II) was working fine. It started making a lot noise late last year, but still worked okay. A couple weeks ago it stopped working altogether. 

[Dr4Film]

My previous 02 Windsor had no accumulator and an Aqua-Jet water pump which worked flawlessly for many years. The accumulator simply gives the Remco water pump a soft start up and a soft shut down based on how it is reacting in the 06 Dynasty we now have. Once any faucet has been opened up and water is running such as when taking a shower, the accumulator is basically non-functional.

[Bob Jones]

5 hours ago, Pduggs said:

Very weird. I initially installed the pump with the accumulator and it failed to worked. I got zero psi at the accumulator tank. I then bypassed the accumulator and it quietly worked. 

Remco states in this video not to use an accumulator tank.

I think these pumps are very sensitive when it comes to air. They make more noise and don't function right. I know Remco says not to use an accumulator but I find that I hate the variable speed function. Opening a tap just a crack and my pump makes a LOT more noise and then you get a pulsing stream of water. I prefer the pump to run at full speed for the shortest time possible and this makes the accumulator a bit of a requirement for me. 

When you install the new one be sure to open a tap in the kitchen, full cold and hot, before you turn the pump on. I bet you'll find it behaves a lot more normally. My take on this pump is that it's very different. That's not a bad thing, just a different thing 🙂 But I observed all sorts of weird behavior at the start before things settled down. But man, what a racket. I'm going back out there today to do a little more on the noise front.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Bob Jones

[vanwill52]

To me, the most deceptive part of the advertising about the REMCO pump (which I still have), is that it is a "constant pressure--variable flow" pump.  To an engineer, that means that as the pump approaches its MAX pressure, the pump motor SLOWS or changes its configuration) vane orientation) to maintain the pressure at ANY flow rate (below its max pressure)...pressure as any "pressure compensated variable-vane AC pump--either single-phase or three-phase" will do.  I NEVER saw even the FAINTEST indication that this function worked.  It functioned EXACTLY like any other pressure-limited pump--if you opened any faucet at a small delivery rate, it was obvious the pump operated up to its max shutoff point, then STOPPED.   It began running again when its low-pressure point was reached.

The expectation I had, based on the literature of the manufacturer, was that I might be able to hear the pump slowing down as it approached its max pressure while supplying a very low UNCHANGING flow rate as it approached its cutoff pressure.  IT NEVER DID ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY SIMILAR TO THAT!!  It was simply an on-off pump.  I tried it with and without an accumulator tank--NO DIFFERENCE.

At one recent Gathering, we had a great, young, knowledgeable Lippert rep admit that Lippert had gained a well-deserved reputation for poor quality products and even poorer customer service and was committed to improving their products AND their customer service operation.  I felt he was a "lamb sent to the slaughter."  Unfortunately, in spite of that earnest young man's proclamations, Lippert remains in the mainstream of RV product manufacturers... an engineer's nightmare.  I would be ashamed to work for that company.  I could conceive better, rugged designs when I was fresh out of engineering school in 1971.  And I had the metalworking/manufacturing background to make them economically viable.

I suspect that in my lifetime, the RV industry will continue to be focused on "cheapest to manufacture (likely in China)" without even a passing judgement as to whether this product "will ever distinguish itself in the marketplace as a manufacturer of the highest quality products available."

Until that "new awakening" happens, expect that "automotive-quality" RV components will NEVER be available.  Yes, I understand the choice most of us must face--quality or price.  I face it myself daily, as I'm newly retired (interpretation--"unemployed and no earned income") and must make quality/price decisions daily in every facet of my life.  But as Dave Pratt has often admonished me, "You will forget the low price you paid as soon as the component fails far ahead of its expected life."

Fantastic Fan had a reputation for AWESOME customer service.  It was WELL-DESERVED!  They were bought by Dometic.  Dometic almost immediately trashed the reputation of Fantastic Fan.  Dometic introduced a remote-controlled verson of the great Fantastic Fan.  Sounded like a great idea, since my Sandy could not reach the controls on the original Fantastic Fans, which functioned flawlessly.  I had made her a custom "extension" that she could use to operate the original fans--it looked like a weird fly swatter. The fans functioned flawlessly.  I bought TWO new fans from Dometic, each with a remote-control Sandy could use...I THOUGHT.  Guess what?  The clueless schmuck company Dometic produced ALL their "Fantastic Fan Copies" with the SAME IDENTICAL infrared remote control frequency and fan control circuitry.  So what happens if you operate the remote-control while you are in the toilet?  ALL FANS RESPOND!!  The IR controls are so sensitive that you CANNOT prevent one remote from operating both fans, no matter how hard you try to "aim" the remote-control.  The only way to get ONLY ONE fan to respond to a command is to hold the remote hard against the fan...and, of course, Sandy cannot reach that high...and it totally defeats the idea of "remote control".  Just another RV product designed and produced with what appears to be a less-than-double-digit IQ design team.  And, of course, Dometic customer service is a joke.  Try to get to talk to a tech rep...there AREN'T ANY on this side of the Pacific rim.  Do you remember the great hoopla about the "radically redesigned, new technology" Blizzard AC unit? I DO, because I wanted that technologically advanced unit.  That ad campaign began almost THREE YEARS ago.  When I tried to contact Dometic about the unit, I was told to contact their "highly trained, capable" dealers.  Guess what?  I never found a SINGLE one who could offer any info on the Blizzard.  Most dealers said they had "never heard of it".  One dealer said, "Oh, that's only for the European market."  NOW, three years later, the Blizzard units are only showing up on websites...at approximately twice the price of all competitors, including Coleman-Mach, the units installed on almost ALL high-end coaches.  Another typically poor RV manufacturer.  The Blizzard?...it might be an outstanding product (doubtful), but it is marketed by another "Lippert-like" company.  Stick with the products used on high-end coaches, unless you are willing to make significant gambles on their longevity.

[96 EVO]

11 hours ago, vanwill52 said:

  I bought TWO new fans from Dometic, each with a remote-control Sandy could use...I THOUGHT.  Guess what?  The clueless schmuck company Dometic produced ALL their "Fantastic Fan Copies" with the SAME IDENTICAL infrared remote control frequency and fan control circuitry.  So what happens if you operate the remote-control while you are in the toilet?  ALL FANS RESPOND!! 

Ha, wouldn't that be cool!

Point your remote at your neighbors window and turn their vent fans on / off !

[Bob Jones]

14 hours ago, vanwill52 said:

To me, the most deceptive part of the advertising about the REMCO pump (which I still have), is that it is a "constant pressure--variable flow" pump.  To an engineer, that means that as the pump approaches its MAX pressure, the pump motor SLOWS or changes its configuration) vane orientation) to maintain the pressure at ANY flow rate (below its max pressure)...pressure as any "pressure compensated variable-vane AC pump--either single-phase or three-phase" will do.  I NEVER saw even the FAINTEST indication that this function worked.  It functioned EXACTLY like any other pressure-limited pump--if you opened any faucet at a small delivery rate, it was obvious the pump operated up to its max shutoff point, then STOPPED.   It began running again when its low-pressure point was reached.

The expectation I had, based on the literature of the manufacturer, was that I might be able to hear the pump slowing down as it approached its max pressure while supplying a very low UNCHANGING flow rate as it approached its cutoff pressure.  IT NEVER DID ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY SIMILAR TO THAT!!  It was simply an on-off pump.  I tried it with and without an accumulator tank--NO DIFFERENCE.

I'd have to agree with that. When you look at a variable swashplate AC compressor on a car, it actually changes the output of the compressor even at a fixed rotational speed. On my Mercedes Roadster you cannot even turn the AC off as the compressor does not have a clutch. It's always 'on'. When you turn the AC off it just shuts off the blower etc and the compressor swashplate is moved to an 'idle' position, so to speak. 

For me, right now, the jury is still out on whether I'll be keeping the Remco or not. It's noisy. It's got a whine. In a perfect world I would suspend the discharge hoses in the air because they pulsate so much. But it does have a great motor. And it does have an electronic pressure switch. But my shower this morning was not that spectacular, at least compared to my old Max-Flow Flow Max DS-01230-D2 12V 3.3 GPM Water Pump set to 70 (!!) PSI. 

But...I knew from the start I would have to work to make it work. I now have an ample power feed, a no-restriction one-way check valve, an excessively long loop of hose on the discharge side, custom set points on the cut-in and cut-out, and a rubber insulated mounting pad that's probably going to get a mouse pad under that!

Look at it this way, my other pump was effectively silent without all of that. If I swap back to that pump, it will be silent. 100% Before I do that though, I would like to take a look at the pump head on the Remco and see exactly how it works. There may be some tweaks there. Here's the thing, for me, I know the power is there with the Remco. After all, this is the pump, in earlier incarnations, that actually burst pipes on some installs. I think that's why they went to the electronic pressure switch. So the power is there. It's just a matter of tailoring it. If it can't be done, it's probably going to go back. 

I personally think the variable speed pump designs (ALL of them) are for suckers. Without something like an adjustable swash plate design, it can't address the function it was designed to. 

I'd love to design a proper RV pump. A good motor, using standard replaceable bearings and brushes, a good pump head using replaceable parts. A good pressure switch that is easily adjusted. You know what I mean. Something where the performance can be readily adjusted for each situation and field serviceable like a starter.

[Guest Ray Davis]

What if you installed a pressure regulator after your pump?   I don't know, has anyone tried it?

Hum, here is a flow regulator, not sure what the difference is but this might be even better.     https://www.plumbingsupply.com/flowregulators.html

 

                                                                                     

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1.0gpm$26.01  

1.5gpm$26.00 

2.0gpm$28.27 

2.5gpm$26.02 

3.0gpm$24.59 

3.5gpm$24.56 

4.0gpm$28.17 

5.0gpm$26.05