Water Pump running all the time

[Sharon the Cat]

Well our weekend has gone totally tits up and we haven't even been away one night yet.
Bailey Autograph Approach 625, 6 years old with solar panel & 2 leisure batteries.

Spent a month away until end October no problems. Came home and drained everything down, leaving all taps open.
Put on Hook-up last night and filled up tank to 30% this morning. Bled system by running taps.
Got to Sharpness Docks this afternoon and soon noticed something drawing 6 to 7 amps from battery and causing low battery warning, pump running alert on panel, yet heating off and no taps open.
After checking and checking again we can't find the pressure switch the manual mentions. Have to keep the pump switched off because it keeps running and draining the batteries. This means we can't run heating.
Before we came out we hardly dared switch it on to run a tap because of the battery.
No heating in this weather means we may have to go home.
Don't know what to do. Was hoping to run into a water system savvy motorhomer but we've got the dogs with us so stuck in bar on our own because no room in lounge.

 

[Canalsman]

Sounds like your water pump is activated by micro switches on the individual taps. If that's the case there will be no pressure switch.

If one of those switches has failed in the on position the pump will not switch off.

 

[mistericeman]

Close to fresh water tank/bottom of wardrobe are popular locations ...

Can you tell by where the pump noise is coming from ?

 

[colinm]

I'm not sure of the system used in your van, but in ours there is no need of water pump (or even water) to operate the Truma heating.
p.s. has the dump valve opened?

 

[trevskoda]

Pull a fuse for the pump, everything else should work.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Sounds like your water pump is activated by micro switches on the individual taps. If that's the case there will be no pressure switch.

If one of those switches has failed in the on position the pump will not switch off.

We certainly can't find one.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Close to fresh water tank/bottom of wardrobe are popular locations ...

Can you tell by where the pump noise is coming from ?

We've found the pump, we were looking for the pressure switch - which apparently may not exist.

 

[trevskoda]

It will be a micro switch inside the tap body, you can disconnect the wires from it at a joint along the way.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

I'm not sure of the system used in your van, but in ours there is no need of water pump (or even water) to operate the Truma heating.
p.s. has the dump valve opened?

I don't think ours has a dump valve, if it has it hasn't opened. We got used to that with our last van.
You're right, we don't need water. We tried running heating with pump switched off but got a heating system gas failure and definitely still had gas at the time. Mind you, have since changed gas bottle so will try again.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Pull a fuse for the pump, everything else should work.

We can turn the pump off at the master panel.

It will be a micro switch inside the tap body, you can disconnect the wires from it at a joint along the way.

But how do you work out which tap is causing the problem?

 

[trevskoda]

We can turn the pump off at the master panel.

But how do you work out which tap is causing the problem?

Unplug at a wiring joiner, then put an ohm meter across the wires, if the needle swings or digital one reads zero then thats the faulty one, another way is a bulb and battery, old school but works.
All vans should carry a cheap meter, £6 ish will buy one.

 

[witzend]

I'm not sure of the system used in your van, but in ours there is no need of water pump (or even water) to operate the Truma heating.
p.s. has the dump valve opened?

Our Truma heater is also OK to use without water and is there water running out under the heater onto the ground which would indicate as above suggests that the boiler dump valve is open from when you last drained it if so pull it up and secure with a clothes peg

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Our Truma heater is also OK to use without water and is there water running out under the heater which would indicate as above suggests that the boiler dump valve is open if so pull it up and secure with a clothes peg

Def not a dump valve open.

 

[n brown]

We can turn the pump off at the master panel.

But how do you work out which tap is causing the problem?

while the pump is running , disconnect switches until it stops

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Unplug at a wiring joiner, then put an ohm meter across the wires, if the needle swings or digital one reads zero then thats the faulty one, another way is a bulb and battery, old school but works.

Thanks Trev. I think I know what you mean. We'll be knocking on other vans looking to borrow a meter tomorrow.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

while the pump is running , disconnect switches until it stops

As in pull apart plugs in wiring near taps?? Van electrics numpty here.

 

[GeoffL]

On our system the pressure switch is built into the pump body. Our pump is a Surflo that replaced the original Whale pump. The pump has been mounted vertically (like the Whale original) rather than horizontally. This means that the pressure switch adjustment is inaccessible with the pump bolted in place. If you can find the data plate on the pump, you should be able to search on the model number to find out whether it has an integral pressure switch.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Thanks to everyone for your help & suggestions. I really was at rock bottom with this & thinking we'd have to go home. Now feeling happier & more confident.

 

[n brown]

As in pull apart plugs in wiring near taps?? Van electrics numpty here.

under the taps there will be 2 wires going to the switch ,usually connected by push - in blade connectors . pull either connection ,and if the pump stops ,the switch is knacked
i'm a bit drunk so may be totally wrong

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Thanks to everyone for your help & suggestions. I really was at Rick bottom with this & thinking we'd have to go home. Now feeling happier & more confident.

under the taps there will be 2 wires going to the switch ,usually connected by push - in blade connectors . pull either connection ,and if the pump stops ,the switch is knacked
i'm a bit drunk so may be totally wrong

I've fixed worse when totally tiddled. Now I don't drink - useless!
We'll be fiddling with wires in the morning.