Drip to the left of the house water pump (as viewed from front of the coach)

[Mike Groves]

My house water pump or some union within its domain is dripping.  I have a '99 Marquis where that enclosure is just inside on the wall perpendicular to the Water Bay.  Therefore I have a minimal foot to 18 inch opening to try to wiggle into a bit to see where its leaking from.  Unfortunately the leak from my perspective is on the far side of the pump which I can not see well and which appears to have less than simple attachments.

Would/could one of you with a 2000 or even 2001 which has this pump enclosure more easily accessible from the passenger side of the coach take a picture of the pump head on so that I can see what the other side looks like. 

Or perhaps could someone tell me if there is a union similar to the one on the right side of the pump (the inlet side I assume) on the left side of the pump.  My HOPE is that all that is wrong is that I need a new washer for the outlet side.  Also, I've turned off the water supply and drained the low points.  I am assuming I can now work in that area without making more of a mess than has already appeared.  Does any one know?

Thanks,
Mike

[Lee Welbanks]

Mike,

Can't say for sure but every Rv water pump I've seen uses a 1/2 threaded fitting in and out, the fitting has usually three dogs on it to be able to hand tighten, there is a rubber seal fitting inside. Are you able to get at yours to tighten them up?

[Mike Groves]

I did manage to get the cell phone back there and take some pictures.  This diaphragm looking piece appears to be the item that is leaking.  Either it or as I'd said earlier the black union below it.  What is this piece called and where do I get another one?

I've posted the jpeg here  - http://www.quickreckoning.com/WPump.jpg

The upgraded pump is only $70 so I am thinking replace this diaphragm structure, the union and the pump.

In the meantime I've discovered that the house water supply bypasses the pump and as long as I drained the line leaving the pump (had to dump the water tank) the leak stopped so we're ok for a couple of weeks while I sort this out.

Mike

[Mike Groves]

Maybe I have suction and discharge wrong.  Is that a filter (that plastic device) and is that actually the suction side of the pump (on the left side)? 

Mike

[Keith Moffett]

Mike
The green unit with a red pointer on top is the Red Hat valve.  Just an FYI.  This opens and closes to fill your fresh tank.

The bowl shaped plastic unit is a fliter screen.  Most any RV place has them for under $10.  It might take some working with it because a new one is  a slightly different shape and length.  Looks like you might save this one if you pull it off and flush it out and reassemble it then reinstall.  I am thinking that it looks pretty plugged up and you might find that it no longer leaks when flow is restored.

Keith

[Mike Groves]

Thanks Keith,

After convincing myself that it was indeed the suction side and that it was a strainer, I removed it confidently knowing that one was supposed to be able to in order to clean it out.

See this pic - http://www.quickreckoning.com/Strainer.jpg

The top has a twist and pull on it so that one can access the inner strainer.  The problem with mine is shown below.  The four bayonet tabs can no longer grasp the missing plastic inserts as only two are remaining.  So I can not push it back in firmly then twist to lock all 4 tabs.  I suppose prior owners new about this strainer (I certainly didn't) and have removed it several times and eventually broke it.  It's marked 5-98 so its been in there for almost 28 year plus.  Not dirty.

As I examined it I saw that I could push the top down on the sides that it can no longer lock, so that's what created the leak.  Now I would guess that simply pressing it back into the cylinder might fix it temporarily as the water pressure would keep it snug as the pump pulled the water in that direction. 

But, obviously I'd love to have the identical replacement part so that I didn't have to "re-plumb" at all.  I have time to order an identical piece if anyone knows where I might find one.  The part numbers on this one appear to have been part of the plastic that broke off.

Mike

[Keith Moffett]

I would talk to Larry in parts at BCS.  They may have one on the shelf.  I havent seen a direct replacement for that screen in years but the new version is a superior unit.
www.shurflo.com/rvproducts/screens should take you there.  The image on the lower left should do the trick straight swap.
Amazon might have it as well.  Lastly Camping world. 
Good luck

[Mike Groves]

I received the new pump and new style screen filter, so now the problem is fitting the new into the original piping.  Does anyone with a 1999-2001 SMC era coach know the manufacturer of the fittings and what piping is used?  I notice it throughout the coach including the fittings on the diesel boiler.  I've not yet found connectors that look similar online.  Can one untwist these fittings to take them apart?  I don't want to force them.  I attached a link to a picture of the screen filter and you can see the piping and fixtures in that photo.

Mike

[Joe Rhea]

Mike you will should be able to find the fittings at Ace Hardware or RV supply. They are compression type fittings I think.

[Roy C Tyler]

Mike, if you are still in Newport, I doubt that the RV parts place south of town has anything but Englund Marine supply down in the marina might have what you are looking for.

[Mike Groves]

I am attempting to use the old elbow joint I removed from the old strainer.  Problem is it leaks if I attach the new strainer in place of the old strainer so the female end of the elbow (which attaches to the pump inlet) seems to leak.  I've now removed the elbow/strainer and it appears not to leak on my bench when I can attach it easier to the new pump.  So my thought is now to install elbow/strainer on bench to the new pump then remove the old pump (4 screws/power/ground and twist off the outlet side connection), then install my bench assembly pump/elbow/strainer into place and attach the two female connectors (one to the top of the strainer the other to the outlet side of the new pump).  The new strainer is approximately the same height as the old strainer and the top pipe is flexible so this fits fine. 

Does anyone know if the outlet side (which joins into the water mains) has a check valve so that if I am unsuccessful in replacing the pump that I can still use the park water?  OR...when I unscrew the outlet side from the pump is water going to go everywhere because there is no check valve?  I know I can try it and see but thought I'd ask first to see if anyone knew.

Mike

[Gerald Farris]

Mike,
There is a silicone rubber cone shaped seal inside the fitting that screws onto the threaded pump fittings. Is that seal defective or missing? There are also "O" ring seals inside the pump that seal the slide in fittings that may need to be replaced. Any RV parts store should have these seals.

There is no check valve going to the water pump. The check valve is in the water pump itself. Therefore, if the water pump is removed, the pump outlet must be capped to use city water.

Gerald

[Mike Groves]

Gerald,

Thanks for those points of information.  The female connector (that is to twist onto the male pump inlet) appeared to me to have lost any kind of seal.  I had a 1/2 ID coned seal and tried that on that connector in situ.  It appeared not to be what was designed to be used as the leak persisted due to my not being able to properly seat that cone seal.  Now that I've attached the same fitting (on my bench) to the new pump it appears to be tighter and not leaking (but I've not had it under pressure).

Now that I know there is no check valve, that will help in that I won't have to get water spray when I test so thanks for that confirmation.  When the weather gets a little warmer in southern Oregon I'll turn off the mains water, drain the line using the valve then disconnect the old pump, take it out, see how it measure up with the new model then hopefully complete the new pump install myself with the fittings I have.  I'll try the hardware store or RV supply store in Ashland, OR to see if there is a replacement piece for the one that was leaking even though I did put a cone seal in there.

This fitting appears to seal by having a plastic bulge in the line inside of it, but over time the piece appears to worn to the point that it o longer seals - thus my use of the added cone seal which I still couldn't seal properly when I tried to connect that fitting to the old pump in situ, ie I couldn't tighten it to allow the cone seal to seat.  It might also be that the old pump's male inlet union is cracked - I can't see it.  With the new pump on my bench it does seem to seal because I can see that the cone seal did move inward as I applied pressure to twist the female connector onto the new pump.

Thanks for the heads up on the cone seal and the lack of check valve.

Mike