Whale Submersible 881 Water Pump problem

[Col3691]

Hello

Looks like the water pump for my caravan is shot.
It's a Whale Submersible 881 and I connected it up as normal when we arrived on a site yesterday and went to turn it on at the switch panel. The red light came on as usual to show the pump was active but the pump didn't pump. It was working fine last time out in March.
When I did some checks I found the 10amp fuse had blown, so I replaced but still no joy.
Just wondering if anyone has ever had the same issue and does it mean the pump is dead, or is there a work around to get it active again 🤔

Many thanks in advance
Colin

 

[Jcloughie]

Was the second fuse blown? It may not be the pump, could be a short in the wiring, long shot, but try turning the impeller a little to reposition the brushes. (If it is not a brushless motor).

John

 

[Col3691]

Hi John

Thanks for your reply.
The caravan is a 2003 Coachman Amara and, as far as I can tell, there only appears to be one fuse which is on the consumer unit.
I've attached a couple of photos of the pump/water system of the van (I hope they might be of use in the process of elimination).
I'm not sure what the impeller is, sorry. I can't see anything on the pump that I'd be able to turn.

 

[Col3691]

This is setup of the water system.

 

[Hutch]

On the end of the pump there is normally a small hole where a small flat blades screw driver can be inserted to turn the impeller. On some pumps there is a blue "mesh" cover that can be removed.

 

[Col3691]

I've noticed that. Thank you Hutch, I'll give it a go 👍

 

[ProfJohnL]

You have a Truma Crystal system for the pump connection to the caravan, (pic 4) but the fact you have a whale pump and a jubilee clip to retain the hose onto the pump shows this is not the original pump. That is not a problem, but it just shows it has been changed at some point in its history.

You need to check if power is reaching the pump, and the way to do it is to unplug the hose from the caravan, and using a multimeter check to see if you have between 11.5 and 13.8Vdc on the brass female terminals in the side of the caravan when you turn the 12V pump switch on.

If you find the voltage at he wall, then it suggests the pump may be faulty. Try the idea that Hutch has suggested, which might get the pump working, but it might not if the pump has failed.

The pump is controlled by an adjustable Whale pressure switch shown in your 5th picture . See here for setting instructions

You can replace the pump if necessary, there are several different makes you could use. find one with a minimum flow rating of between 4 to 7 litres per minute.

Just a hint when removing the old pump, unscrew the wires from the plug, and tie a length of string to them, so when you pull the wire out through the hose it drags the string with it, You can then use the string to pull the neww pump wire back up the hose

And a final note, submersible pumps can be damaged if they are left running with no water flowing through them. Always keep enough water in the tank to cover the actual pump.

If the tank runs out, the pump can't develop enough pressure to cause the pressure switch to turn the power off. With no water flow the pump will begin to overheat causing some of the plastics to soften and distort. This will compromise the motors shaft seals and when the water is replenished it can find its way into the motor causing it to deteriorate very quick before failing completely.

 

[Col3691]

Many thanks for this. When we get back home I'll get it sorted 👍

 

[woodsieboy]

Agree with both Hutch and JC, I would try another pump, perhaps see if you can borrow one from another caravanner if it works then probably need a new pump, if it doesen't work the chances are it is not the pump that is the problem

 

[Col3691]

👍

 

[Martin_E]

Looking at the colour of the connectors I would probably guess the ones on the caravan are the same, give them a good clean, try the pump again, if it doesn’t work then check for 12v at the pump inlet as prof said

 

[Buckman]

A common issue was the connector prongs or pins on the pump itself where it plugs into the side of the caravan. These get dirty or loose over time and the connection is poor. The end result is that it then arcs on the connection causing the fuse to blow. You need to give the pins a good clean with sandpaper and make sure that the connection is good and tight. Whale pumps seldom fail.