No Water Pressure

[Norm Green]

Presently camped at the KOA in Fort Mills SC.  When we arrived, we had about 1/3 of a tank of fresh water.  Water pump work fine.  After parking, hooked up to city water, turned pump off and everything was working fine.  Today, I went out to fill the fresh water tank.  Pushed the auto fill switch, water pump was not turned on, and I could hear the tank filling.  I watched the fresh tank indicator and turned the fill switch off when the gauge indicated full but nothing was coming out of the overflow.  I then went back to work on other projects.  I then heard water coming out of the overflow and when I looked in the water bay, there was even a little water coming out the manual fill location.  Again, the water pump was not running.
I checked to ensure that the auto fill switch was off and it appeared to be, however I could hear water running.  I then turned off the water source and waited for the overflow to stop.  It continued to flow so I opened the tank drain a bit to try to break what I thought was a siphon.  The over flow did stop.  I then turned the hose source on again and sure enough, the tank started to fill again.  I shut off the hose, stopped the siphon and then decided to just use the pump to decrease tank volume.  The pump ran but will not reach pressure and continues to run.  Turned on a faucet and no water at all.  Have tried several time with same result.  I am at a lose as to what is going on.  I have checked for open faucets, leaks etc. and have found none.  Any ideas about what is going on.  Right now I have no water at any faucet in the coach, pump runs but no pressure (slight trickle of water from faucet) and when I try city water, again a slight trickle of water and immediate overflow from the tank overflow hose.  

[Edward Buker]

Norm,

Sounds like the fill solenoid never really shut the valve off. Could be something in the seat in the valve or electrical/mechanical issue. With the fill valve off you were still getting fill from the overflow. The pump would not pressurize which is another symptom that the fill valve is still open. Try cycling it a few times and you might rap on it with a screw driver handle. If that valve is open you should hear water flow at the solenoid valve with the fill switch off and the city water feed on. If you do then you can tell when you have fixed it.

later Ed

[Norm Green]

Thanks Ed.  Certainly makes sense.  I have tapped on it and cycled the switch a number of times with no effect.  Is this valve something I can take off and open up to ensure there is nothing foreign inside or do I just need to replace the valve and solenoid?

[Norm Green]

Thought I would send an update.  I had no luck trying to unstick the valve and checked around the area and found no one that carried a replacement.  Decided to go to the nearest Camping World, 56 miles away, thinking they would have the part.  Should have called because they don't carry anything like this solenoid valve at all.  On the way home I stopped by Home Depot and picked up some miscellaneous plumbing parts and when I got back to the coach I isolated the valve out of the system.  The pump now works and the city water should, I'll check it in the morning, and the only thing I don't have right now should be auto fill on the holding tank, which I will have to fill manually.  Checked the price of the solenoid valve and it seems to range from $120 to $180.  The rebuild kit isn't cheap either.