Pump and water heater problems

[Gagakev]

Hi Guys

Doing my checks today ready for the off at easter,came across two problems.

1) The pump in the aquaroll works when you switch the taps on,then when you switch off the taps the pump does go off then comes on by itself intermittently about every 8 seconds, then goes straight off again

This is obviously on the 12 volt system, the battery is brand new and fully charged.

2)When switching on the water heater, after about 30 seconds the red fault light comes on, have tried the reset button but it actually seems to do nothing, its quite loose. The heater is Carver Cascade 2,

Any ideas?

By the way the van is 1995 Abbey Stafford

 

[Damian]

First of all, the pump.

When you say the pump goes off when you shut a tap, does it stop immediately or after a few seconds?

If after a few seconds then you have a pressure system in the van and the pressure switch just needs adjusting by the wheel on the top of it.

If the pump stops as soon as the tap is closed, it is a microswitch system and that would indicate a leak somewhere.

The Cascade, as the red light comes on after 30 seconds that indicates that it isi not lighting.

Is the gas on? is the gas isolation switch open?

If yes to both, then it is a fault with the burner module and will require a new one.

 

[Douglas_374404558]

HI! Gagavec don,t know about your taps, but your red light may be caused by .have you removed the outside cover from you waterheater outlet (pulls of from the top 2 lugs at the bottom) usually found on the front offside of your van that could be the problem it will come on then go off after 30 seconds because the cover is still on (worth a try ) thats what happens with mine (Swift )

hope this helps Duggie

 

[machighlander]

to add to that, i dont know if its common on all caravans, but i have to make sure the cover is off the vent on the outside of the caravan, tried it once just after i bought it and the light kept going out, then read the book and seen that this cover must be off.

 

[Damian]

Douglas, the Cascade does not have an outer cover unlike your Ultrastore.

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Damien thanks for tour reply

The pump stops as soon as the tap is closed, and thinking about it now, when I was packing it away I did notice a small leak on the drain plug on the heater, will check the O ring is seated correctly tommorrow, perhaps buy a new one, hope that cures it if not I'll be back again.

Now to the heater,I dont really want to reply LOL

I DID'NT turn the gas ON!!!!!!

How embarrassing, any way thanks for your reply

Kev

 

[Damian]

Kev, dont worry, we all do that from time to time.

 

[Douglas_374404558]

Douglas, the Cascade does not have an outer cover unlike your Ultrastore.

HI! Mods o.k didn,t know about that .That,s why this forum is great you learn something from others .but it might have been the case for something to try to solve the problem .

cheers Duggie

 

[Gagakev]

Still have a small problem.

Changed the O ring and stopped the leak, sorted.

Initially the pump still came on every seconds, found the adjuster on the pump (not a wheel type on top) its a plastic screw type on the front face, low pressure to left, high to the right.

Lowered the pressure and now when you switch the tap off it comes on at 9, 18, 24,36, 48, and 90 seconds then seems to settle down.

Is this normal or do I still have to fine tune,do I increase or decrease the pressure?

 

[Gagakev]

Still have a small problem.

Changed the O ring and stopped the leak, sorted.

Initially the pump still came on every seconds, found the adjuster on the pump (not a wheel type on top) its a plastic screw type on the front face, low pressure to left, high to the right.

Lowered the pressure and now when you switch the tap off it comes on at 9, 18, 24,36, 48, and 90 seconds then seems to settle down.

Is this normal or do I still have to fine tune,do I increase or decrease the pressure?

sorry should read "came on every 8 seconds"

 

[Damian]

Kev, what you have is a pressurised system as the pump continues after closing the tap. If it were microswitched it would have no power so would not run again until tap opened.

When the system is fullof water, opening the cold tap, the pump should run immediately and when the tap is closed, it should stop immediately.

With hot water, open tap,it runs, close tap and it should run on for about 5 seconds as it rebuilds pressure.

I think it is just a matter of adjusting the pressure to get the best result, which is once repressurised, it stops and does not come on until a tap is opened.

This setting will change as battery condition lowers a sth epump will not run as fast on lower volts.

It could also be the first indications of the inbuilt pressure switch on the pump starting to fail

 

[Gagakev]

Damien, as you say,

When the system is fullof water, opening the cold tap, the pump should run immediately and when the tap is closed, it should stop immediately.

With hot water, open tap,it runs, close tap and it should run on for about 5 seconds as it rebuilds pressure.

It works as you have described it, so am nearly there, will have another go tomorrow altering/adjusting the switch.

Just like to add that I have had the van 2 years and even with the battery going down last year Ive never had to adjust it.

Your time is appreciated,

Thanks again

 

[xtrailman]

On closing the tap the pressure switch will still see a reduced pressure, so will run the pump until pressure is restored.

If you have a surge damper fitted it should help prevent the intermittent start ups, but not totally prevent them, we always switch our pump of at night for this reason.

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Ray,

So reading between the lines, this could be a commom thing then?

Perhaps I have just been lucky in the past, or perhaps I didnt even notice it was happening. Thanks for your response.

Kev

 

[Coops]

Rather sounds as if Damin hit the nail on the head with a failing pressure switch. I'm well away from home at the moment and have got the same problem, although mine is a free standing pressure switch, which regularly (and most annoyingly) let the external pump strike up at intervals during the night. After doing a check that I was not dripping at any taps or joints, I checked the pressure switch by pressuring the system, then quickly removing the supply to the pressure switch and sure enough, a very gradual drip came back out of the switch from where water should only be going in. Remedy - until I get home - is to switch the pump off at night.

 

[Gagakev]

Leslie, sorry to hear you have a problem whilst you are away

How did you "check the pressure switch by pressuring the

system" sorry to be a bit naive but think I might be missing something?

I like yourself have checked for leaks and drips and found nothing.

 

[Damian]

Kev, it could be something as simple as water flowing back through the pipework to the pump and back into the aquaroll.

If it is , then a non return valve fitted before the pump will cure the problem

 

[Coops]

Hi Gagakev.

As you know, the pressure switch has diaphragms in it which only allow water to travel in only one direction, i.e. pump to taps. The diaphragms can fail for (usually) two reasons, grit in the diaphragm seating or perished rubber diaphragm. In either case, after the pump stops pumping, the pressurised part of the system (i.e. after the diaphragm) bleeds back towards the (unpressurised) pump and eventually drops the pressurised section to a level where the switch is reactivated.

The means of checking this is to make the pressure switch easily accessible (I unscrewed mine from the floor), run a tap and then switch it off, and when the pump switches off (the system is now pressurised), remove the wires to the pressure switch and quickly remove the pipe from the pump onto the pressure switch and observe the inlet pipe into the switch. Nothing - not even a drip - should be coming out of there. If there is, one or other of the diaphragms is faulty.

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Leslie,

Thanks for the step by step guide, its great to get info I can understand, with both yourself and Damien (with Ray) I am now positve a solution will be found.

Will have a play over the weekend.

Hope you can now sit back and enjoy the rest of your time away.

 

[xtrailman]

As i understand it, some systems have the one way valve (non return) in the wall unit for the inlet hose, and some have one in the pressure switch unit, i didn't know there was two?

But i would expect that you would still get the pump cutting in due to the pressure change, caused by temperature changes.

Mine has done that from new.

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Ray,

As my pump has only just started doing it (as said before I might not have noticed it doing it previously) Just think a bit of further investigation looking into it may be worth while, I wont spend any money until I have been away for Easter, you never know it might settle down!!! and I can always do the same as you, switch it off at night.

My switch is not free standing, its built into the side of the van and a replacement is available for

 

[Gafferbill]

..your problem could be nothing more than the fact that you have fitted a new battery!

I am assuming that your old battery was finished as you have replaced it.

The type of pressure switch you describe is very voltage sensitive and would need to be adjusted to cope with the better performance of the new battery.

With all taps turned off screw the pressure switch adjustment until the pump is running continuously.

Then adjust to the point when the pump stops running. Turn on a tap and pump should restart almost straight away.

Turn off tap and pump should stop after it has rebuilt to the pressure you have just set,

this may take a few seconds.

If this does not happen you have a faulty pressure switch.

Any leaks in the system will cause the pump to restart on its own at regular intervals dependant on how severe the leak.

 

[Gagakev]

Thanks Gafferbill

Yes the old battery has gone and new one installed.

Will try your suggestion first as it does make sense.

Have checked and checked for leaks but found nothing,so confident it isn't that.

Thats what I like about this forum, a mind of brilliant information

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Folks,

Just a quick update, thanks to you guys on here the problem has been solved. Had it on all afternoon yesterday and all day today.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY, no problems.

Followed Gafferbills advice, so thanks Gafferbill, and no cost, excellent,

Off out for a celebration bite to eat now!!!

 

[Andrea_374556144]

I have a similar problem.

Went away last weekend first time this year.

Turned on the water everything ok bled the taps heater etc.

Turned off tap in kitchen pump kept running. Discovered leak on shower the internal part had cracked. Out came the superglue until I got home and made a repair. Didnt appear to work pump was shutting down but having a continuous clicking sound not the usual pump clicking.

Anyway replaced the damaged part now and no leaks apparent from the shower. But still have the same problem pump shuts down no problem there except this continuous clicking. It sounds like a microswitch trying to connect rapidly. Only way to stop it is turn off the pump and it stops. Turn the pump back on to silence until you run the water again.